Be fiesta ready for Cinco de Mayo this year with our cheat sheet and some fool proof recipe links.
Homemade Salsa | Guacamole 1 | Guacamole 2 | Queso | Margaritas 1 | Margaritas 2 | Sombreros
Fellowship
Gridiron Mardi Gras
I was first introduced to Mardi Gras and all of its glory in college while attending LSU. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before, but I’ll save those stories for another time! As Fat Tuesday draws near and many of us are attending fun Mardi Gras parties, and I started to wonder how many of you all know the history of Mardi Gras and it’s deeply religious ties. So here is a quick 411 on Mardi Gras beyond the parties and parades, beads and masks and alcohol!
The History of Mardi Gras.
The origination of Mardi Gras dates back thousands of years ago. Its original purpose was to celebrate the coming of spring and fertility. The Mardi Gras we know began in Roman times as a Christian celebration before Lent and the Easter holiday. Mardi Gras in the United States took life in Louisiana and has evolved into a long weekend celebration of indulgences, bright colors, and costumes.
So why the three colors and what do they mean? Mardi Gras’ purple, green and gold can be traced to the first Rex parade in 1872. The Rex Parade theme, Symbolism of Colors, in 1892 gave meaning to these colors. Purple – Justice. Green – Faith. Gold – Power.
Fat Tuesday marks the day before Ash Wednesday and the start to the Lenten season, where fasting and sacrifice are common in certain religions. Celebrations that center around good food are a Mrs. Gridiron favorite. Each year our family celebrates with the traditional Red Beans and Rice and the ever famous king cake.
We’re proud to share our family tradition with our Mrs. Gridiron family this year. Check out our Mardi Gras menu here.
Here is a bonus factoid for all of you LSU and Tulane fans! It has been said that the three colors of Mardi Gras had a significant impact on the school colors chosen by Louisiana State University and Tulane University. The shops in New Orleans were overflowing with purple, gold, and green for the Mardi Gras season. It was then that LSU chose purple and gold and bought as much of the two colors as possible, leaving Tulane to pick the remaining green.
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In honor of all things Mardi Gras, we’re spotlighting a base recipe that will help all your Cajun cooking dreams come true. A roux is simply a thickening agent for soups, stews, and sauces. The ingredient list consists of equal parts oil (I prefer vegetable oil) and flour. There are many methods and end products, but the easiest directions we have are to start heating the oil in your cast iron skillet, slowly whisk all the flour in, a little bit at a time, until smooth. Reduce heat and over the next 30-45 minutes continue to stir and watch the color darken until ready. Here is a great how-to video!
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Add some cajun spice to your cooking with Mrs. Gridiron’s Shotgun Cajun Seasoning. It’s perfect for meat, veggies and more! Available for purchase here.
Tuesday’s Tip : 5 Reasons we love the Superbowl
Tuesday’s Tip: Trimming your tree
Tuesday’s Tip: How much food?
Growing up, my parents always had a party every Christmas night. It was one of my favorite parties and fondest memories. We have been having our annual Christmas party for several years now and I love sharing my Mom’s traditions while adding my own flair. The first few years I made way too much food and eventually came up with this equation. Now I always have enough for the party AND the late night crew. Happy planning!
Love, Mrs. Gridiron
Tuesday’s Tip: Seasoning your turkey
Tuesday’s Tip: Time for pie
Tuesday’s Tip: What to do with leftover wine?
Ingredients:
Red wine
Worcestershire sauce
Soy sauce
Italian dressing
Garlic; crushed
In a ziplock bag add 2 parts Italian dressing, 1 part soy sauce, 1 part Worcestershire sauce, a big spoon of crushed garlic, about a cup of red wine. Seal bag and mix marinade before adding protein.
Coach’s boys
Of all the parties and all the gatherings that we have each year, this one is by far my favorite. It is a time for Lil’ Hatt and I to get to know Coach’s boys better and to celebrate their season. It makes all the hours, all the sacrifices, all of the exhaustion of football season, all the loneliness, all the time away from Coach worthwhile. Coach does it for them and we are happy to share him because of each one of THEM. This is a family, a relationship like none other and I am blessed to be a part of it! Wishing you and your family and these boys in particular sweet enchilada, rice and beans, guacamole, cinnamon cream cheese square dreams! Until next week…
Welcome to Mrs. Gridiron
I’m Mrs. Gridiron and I am thrilled that you have found my blog! This little adventure has been a long time coming and after years of encouragement of friends and family, I’ve decided to share my story and the four F’s in my life with each of you – from homemade to hashmarks, this is a Gridiron Wife’s guide to, food, family, fellowship and football.
Food, entertaining and cooking have been an enormous part of my life from the very beginning. My mom was truly an amazing cook and my parents entertained often. When my mom was the hostess it was a special event. She was old school and knew just how to bring everything together to create a moment where time stood still and guests were present in their fellowship. My mom always made a point to know her guest’s likes and dislikes and as a result there were little personal touches throughout the entire evening. I’m sure many went unnoticed (as my mom would have wanted), but they were there to help in creating a very special evening. This type of entertaining is a lost art and largely viewed as out of style. As an homage to my mom – who passed away many years ago – I would like to reintroduce it to you, and show how it can be done with a modern twist. I am so excited to share my passion and mother’s gift through this blog, while reconnecting with her. I am honored and humbled to share my kitchen, my recipes, my family, my memories, and my mom with each of you!
In addition to this blog and after years in sales and advertising, I’ve launched a new home cooked meal delivery and catering business where I offer all-natural, made from scratch, delicious meals delivered right to your doorstep. Weekly options include main dish, salad, bread, dessert, breakfast, snack and ice cream. Check out our weekly menu here.
When I am not cooking or entertaining, I love spending time with my husband, “Coach”, son, “Lil Hatt” and our bonus son, “Maximus” who is in his final year of college.
During football season you can find my son and I front and center under the Friday night lights cheering for the Lake Highlands Wildcats.
On Saturdays we mostly cheer for, sometimes yell at, the LSU Tigers (Unless Coach is off, then we might cheer for the Kansas State Wildcats!) or watching Maximus in his final college football season (sniff, sniff).
Love,
