Mardi Gras Mambo

It's that time of year again! Mardi Gras is very quickly approaching (February 16th, to be exact), and I have been desperately craving some good old fashioned King Cake, which is a customary treat that goes along with all of the other Mardi Gras traditions. Now, I'm not someone that really condones or appreciates the things that are typically associated with Mardi Gras a-la Burbon Street; however, the fun family-friendly parades and festivities along with the overall happy and uplifting spirit of the season are what I enjoy the most! Since I was recently telling my mom (ok, maybe more like whining to her ;)) about the fact that I can't find a decent King Cake anywhere around here in Jacksonville, she and my dad sent not just one but TWO King Cakes to Sayre and I! Sweet! Unfortunately, they are no longer in existance because Sayre and I have enourmous sweet teeth, but to be honest, they actually lasted a little longer than I thought they would. To the left is one of the King Cakes in all its glory packed up perfectly enabling it to miraculously avoid destruction in its journey here to Jacksonville.

Yes, that is a Manny Randazzo King Cake :) Arguably one of the best King Cakes around! If you're new to this whole Mardi Gras business and want to know more about it, here's a link to the Wikipedia page explaining more of its history. Read the top paragraph and then scroll down near the bottom to read the paragraph under the "United States" heading.