It's Carnival season! Mardi Gras is next Tuesday, February 17, and we just LOVE celebrating this fun holiday with our families. Here are a few simple ways you can make the day memorable for you and your crew:
1. Eat! (Think shrimp po-boys, beignets, and all-you-can-eat crawfish.)
When we hear "Mardi Gras", the first thing on our minds is Food (yes, that's with a capital F). This time of year, there's always something fun and festive at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen in Shenandoah. The restaurant showcases live musical acts for entertainment, and for eats we recommend the Mississippi Catfish Opelousas (it's the bomb-diggety), but special menu options such as the Rainbow Trout Mardi Gras, New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp, the Mardi Gras Bananas Foster Cheesecake, and the oh-so-famous Swampthing will make dining here for Mardi Gras a real treat.
Ordinarily, I'd be recommending Schilleci's New Orleans Kitchen in Market Street, but they've recently vacated the premises, and they won't be up and running at their new address (2501 Research Forest Drive) until sometime in March. Try out Babin's Seafood House (definitely the place to go if you're all about the spice), Landry's Seafood (great appetizers!), or The Capital Grille (more elegant / upscale).
Ordinarily, I'd be recommending Schilleci's New Orleans Kitchen in Market Street, but they've recently vacated the premises, and they won't be up and running at their new address (2501 Research Forest Drive) until sometime in March. Try out Babin's Seafood House (definitely the place to go if you're all about the spice), Landry's Seafood (great appetizers!), or The Capital Grille (more elegant / upscale).
2. Don't forget dessert!
These days, you can find a King Cake just about anywhere. We typically get ours from H-E-B, but this year I discovered that Rao's Bakery has a cinnamon king cake that simply takes the cake (no pun intended)! I tried some of the other flavors too (such as the strawberry cream cheese) and wasn't a big fan, so I recommend sticking to the traditional cinnamon, and you won't go wrong. Or Google a recipe and bake your own from scratch! My girls and I make this Monkey Bread king cake every year, and it's sooooo delicious. Your kids will enjoy hearing you tell the significance of the hidden baby in the cake, even if they've heard it before.
3. Decorate and dance, darling!
Run down to Party City (the one in the Portofino is locally owned and is NOT closing its doors) for purple, green, and gold tablecloths, balloons, and banners. The kids will be thrilled to come home from school to a decorated kitchen with beads and noisemakers at their place settings. Liven things up with jazz and blues (Alexa knows all the jams!). After dinner, add fun to the evening by decorating masks and creating beaded necklaces, and invite the neighbors' kids over for a fun parade through the house. Finish off the evening with a showing of Disney's The Princess and the Frog.
4. Celebrate at The Woodlands Children's Museum.
4. Celebrate at The Woodlands Children's Museum.
Stop by the museum on Tuesday, February 17 from 9:30am- 2pm and let your little one participate in Mardi Gras parades at 10:30am and 11:30am. You'll also get to create festive jester hats and get your face painted. And be sure to get a piece of King Cake upon exiting! More details here.
5. Decorate a Mardi Gras mask at the Mitchell Library.
Stop by the library on Ashlane Way from 10am-11am to create a Mardi Gras mask. All ages welcome. More details here.
BONUS: Mardi Gras! Galveston
Ready for a road trip? Celebrate Mardi Gras in Galveston, TX and enjoy the colors, parades, beads, incredible food, music, and more fun for all ages! Mardi Gras! Galveston is the third-largest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States, with two weeks of parades, balls, balcony parties, live music, and colorful celebrations. More details here.
And that's how you let the good times roll, family style!
