Here is a lovely one for the family album. Here, our friend is corrupting our little Twin B with a fake plastic stogie one of the revelers threw...nice.
Ok, the title of this post, what does it mean and how do you say it?! Say it with me now: lay-zay lay bawn tawn roo-lay. Right! Ya got it! Laissez les bon temp rouler, or, Let the Good Times Roll! 
What is King cake you ask? It's a brioche-style cake (sweetened yeast bread), usually rolled and shaped into an oval with cinnamon-sugar inside. It is topped with white icing, purple (symbolizing justice), gold (symbolizing power), and green (symbolizing wealth) sprinkles. Traditionally there is a small plastic baby (symbolizing baby Jesus) placed inside. Tradition dictates that whomever finds the baby inside their piece of cake must bring the King Cake to the next party.
These days, you can find King Cakes filled with just about every flavor you could imagine (custards, cream cheese, fruits, chocolate). The Dude hates filled King Cakes. He's a purist and demands his cakes contain ONLY cinnamon and sugar.
There is quite a bit of debate as to when and where Mardi Gras was brought to North America. Some say it was first celebrated in Mobile, AL while others insist it was New Orleans. Some stories suggest it was as early as 1699 in Louisiana, others say 1703 in Mobile. Regardless, it's a bigger deal (and more famous) for it's New Orleans roots.
We don't do Mardi Gras in New Orleans. That is just too touristy and crazy (go ahead, find a place to pee, I dare you). It's still big where we are (50-ish miles south of New Orleans) but there are no chicks flashing for beads or anything of that nature. More family friendly.
So what happens at a parade? Well, there is lots of eating and drinking involved. People start holding their parade route spots days in advance. Campers line the parade routes. While the parade may last only an hour or so, the cooking/parties before hand can last much longer. When the parade finally rolls by, people start going nuts. Grown adults will knock a child over trying to get their hands on some "throws." Throws (what the revelers throw from the floats) can range from beads to toys to underwear. It can get a little ridiculous how some people act.
Who rides on the floats? Each parade is for a specific Krewe. A Krewe is nothing more than a social club/organization. They tend to be a tad exclusive. You can't just join. You must be invited and there are usually a host of other restrictions. There is a royal court for each Krewe, with a King and Queen, Dukes, Ladies/maids, Pages, etc. The Dude's sister was a Maid one year. She wore this ridiculously large dress (she couldn't walk without assistance and needed help in the bathroom) and rode in the parade on a fancy convertible. Those that ride on the actual floats are usually masked and wearing costumes.
Krewe of Bacchus, rolling down St. Charles Ave. in New Orleans.
It's a fun time. If you ever get the chance, try to make it down this way for Mardi Gras season. It's an experience you'll not soon forget.
What?! Seriously? You can't see it but that price tag says $24.99! 
Or this, high fashion, ensemble.
Wait, she's already got some rather fancy shoes on.
Oooo! I found our blushing bride the perfect wedding cake!
I hesitate to show you this, but what the heck. The following picture was in our local paper a while back.
No, they didn't scrape up some road kill and serve it to guests. That, my friends, is a Nutria groom's cake. The Nutria, or water rat, is known for it's webbed feet, orange teeth that stick out of it's mouth, and it's love of gnawing on marsh plants. The groom told the local paper that he was quite familiar with the rats as he'd always see them swimming around while he was out in the marshes. The groom stated that he liked the bleeding armadillo cake seen in "Steel Magnolias," but felt that had been "done already." So he opted for the Nutria cake. In case you were wondering, yes, it too was red velvet. You know, to give it that bleeding look when cut.
And now one more picture of camouflage. This type of camo is acceptable in my book, he he he.
When The Dude was in Iraq, the wives were called to the squadron to view the first photographs of our men since their deployment. Upon seeing a picture of the unit, all in desert camo, standing in the desert sands, I shouted, "I don't see them!!" WHAT?! I thought it was funny.
Roll into balls (1inch or so). 
Keep a towel handy to wipe your hands off periodically, as this is messy. Pop 'em into the freezer for 15 mins. Melt ya some chocolate (or candy melts) and dip these bad boys in there. I melted some red candy melts and drizzled them over the top. Voila, fancy looking Valentine treats.
Ooooo! Almost forgot! Spraying a bit of Pam on my hands helped immensely. I only thought of that about halfway through rolling.
I used the same technique I used to make the fireflies. First, I printed the class roster using the mirror image printing options.
then drew a rectangle around it in white candy melt and filled it in....
making a little edible Valentine card.
I wrapped the ones for their teachers in cellophane and tied it with some tulle I had.
The specks in it are heart shaped sprinkles...didn't photograph well.
Don't freak out over the consistency. It will solidify as you cook. But keep stirring!
After it comes together and has formed a ball, remove from heat and allow to cool. I set mine on waxed paper until it was cool enough to touch, then I gently kneaded it a few times.
You need to store this in airtight container (or ziplock bags). I popped mine in the fridge due to the powdered milk content. Anyone have any thoughts on that part??
I'm still deciding how I want to package this for the kids at school. I have a few options and will post after I decide! Enjoy.
