Monday, February 23, 2009

Sugar River

I just figured out how to make a river for my son's diorama (it's a dinosaur scene). I liquefied sugar, adding some powdered food coloring (blue of course) before the sugar started to melt. If you're wondering how to liquefy sugar, just put on the stove and heat - start stirring when it starts to melt and just keep stirring as it liquefies. It makes a fantastic glue for gingerbread houses. Once liquified I poured it into a glass measuring cup so I could gently place it in the riverbead (made from the salt dough he and I made last week). I noticed it bubbled quite a bit, wasn't sure what to do about that. So I didn't do anything. Before it completely cooled and solidified, though, I took a toothpick and kind of drug it along the bubbles to pop them. It turned out okay, maybe less food coloring next time but it has a nice dark greenish-blue color to it so I think it will work!

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Have Beads, Will Party

The Mardi Gras, french for Fat Tuesday, happens this Tuesday. It is the culmination of the Carnival season, a centuries-old Catholic tradition (dating at least back to the middle ages, however its roots go even further into history). Carnival - which means "farewell to flesh," is a period of feasting before the fasting of Lent. Carnival begins on January 6 - the feast of Epiphany. Which means just about anytime between January 6 and whenever Fat Tuesday occurs is free game for a PARTY. So we took advantage of the situation, and threw our own Mardi Gras party last night. Plus we thought it was fitting since yesterday we SIGNED CLOSING PAPERS FOR OUR HOUSE!!!! More on that later...

But back to the party...it was a great time - and G-rated, I might add (this was a family event!). Rich made his soon-to-be-famous Jambalaya and Red Beans-n-Rice (one hot, and one milder version for the more faint at heart such as myself). We had cornbread, french bread, appetizers (thanks to all who brought them!), mardi-gras punch (a-la hurricane sans alcohol) and other assorted beverages. We topped it off with a traditional, authentic King Cake flown in from New Orleans!

Click to play this Smilebox slideshow: Mardi Gras, AZ Style!
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