Mardi Gras!
Tuesday, 4 March 2014 21:56![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dr_phil_physicsTomorrow is Ash Wednesday. Despite the weather and the neverending winter, the calendar continues to churn on towards spring. Daylight Saving Time change this weekend, Lenten season, Easter.
So today is Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras. And that means Mrs. Dr. Phil and the annual wearing of the Mardi Gras shirt:
Bought in the late 80s for four bucks on sale at Hit or Miss, during a road trip to Lansing with librarians at Michigan Tech. Not only that, but one of the daughters of family friends in Wisconsin showed up with the same top! So there were at least two in the world. And one still survives to party on. (grin) (Click on photo for larger.)
©2014 Dr. Philip Edward Kaldon (All Rights Reserved)
We finished our annual Feast of the One True Pączki -- prune filled with powdered sugar -- on Sunday. Not to worry, Mrs. Dr. Phil came up with a special baking project:
Not a New Orleans King Cake, but a wonderful mix of flavors and three-layer cupcakes all the same! The sprinkles really make it Mardi Gras. (Click on photo for larger.)
©2014 Dr. Philip Edward Kaldon (All Rights Reserved)
The recipe I'd found in The Grand Rapids Press was for a Valentine's Day Red Wine Chocolate Layer Cake with whipped mascarpone. Didn't have the right size cake pans AND it's tough to transport a layer cake, especially with part of it cut out -- hey I wanted some! So it became cupcakes. And the recipe clearly stated ANY red wine -- we figured it had enough cocoa to compensate for even Concord grape red wine. Mrs. Dr. Phil reports that the parchment paper cupcake papers worked magnificently. And though the local stores didn't carry marscapone, she found a substitute online.
Monday we had these with a terrific slow crock pot chicken soup with noodles, tonight a stir fry with green beans and ginger. Yum. Oh triple-layer yum.
And how did you indulge on Fat Tuesday?
Dr. Phil
So today is Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras. And that means Mrs. Dr. Phil and the annual wearing of the Mardi Gras shirt:
Bought in the late 80s for four bucks on sale at Hit or Miss, during a road trip to Lansing with librarians at Michigan Tech. Not only that, but one of the daughters of family friends in Wisconsin showed up with the same top! So there were at least two in the world. And one still survives to party on. (grin) (Click on photo for larger.)
©2014 Dr. Philip Edward Kaldon (All Rights Reserved)
We finished our annual Feast of the One True Pączki -- prune filled with powdered sugar -- on Sunday. Not to worry, Mrs. Dr. Phil came up with a special baking project:
So, a few months ago I picked up a bottle of red wine from a local vintner. Had I been paying attention, I would NEVER have made this impulse purchase: you may love Concord grapes, but I've NEVER been a Welch's fan. It's just me. As soon as I opened the stuff, I knew I wouldn't be drinking it. But I'm too cheap to ditch a whole bottle of wine. Then P. spotted this 'Red Wine Chocolate Cake' recipe -- the perfect solution!Well, we forgot to take pictures last night and two dozen or so went off to the GVSU Library today, but pictures and magnificent cupcakes were made tonight.
I have to say, the batter compares favorably to chocolate pudding or good mousse!
Photos at 11....
Not a New Orleans King Cake, but a wonderful mix of flavors and three-layer cupcakes all the same! The sprinkles really make it Mardi Gras. (Click on photo for larger.)
©2014 Dr. Philip Edward Kaldon (All Rights Reserved)
The recipe I'd found in The Grand Rapids Press was for a Valentine's Day Red Wine Chocolate Layer Cake with whipped mascarpone. Didn't have the right size cake pans AND it's tough to transport a layer cake, especially with part of it cut out -- hey I wanted some! So it became cupcakes. And the recipe clearly stated ANY red wine -- we figured it had enough cocoa to compensate for even Concord grape red wine. Mrs. Dr. Phil reports that the parchment paper cupcake papers worked magnificently. And though the local stores didn't carry marscapone, she found a substitute online.
Monday we had these with a terrific slow crock pot chicken soup with noodles, tonight a stir fry with green beans and ginger. Yum. Oh triple-layer yum.
And how did you indulge on Fat Tuesday?
Dr. Phil
