There is a lot going on in February.
College Basketball will be ending and College Baseball will begin.
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It's the Chinese New Year.
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
(Mandarin for Happy New Year)
It is the Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival.
The date changes every year as determined by the Lunar Chinese calendar.
This year is the year of the Red Monkey.
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| Found on Elephant Journal and Pinterest |
The monkey is intelligent, smart, wise, curious, energetic, impulsive, inventive, hyperactive, cheeky, strong minded and vigilant. Red monkeys are problem solvers and work well within group environments, while retaining their individuality.
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I love this time of year.
Tulips are abundant at the grocery stores.
Daffodils appear at TJs.
It makes decision making hard.
Should I buy tulips or daffodils?
I decided to get both.
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Mardi Gras is coming to an end.
Fat Tuesday is around the corner...
the last big party of the year before lent.
To celebrate I bought a small king cake and it is delicious.
Instead of the usual cinnamon interior, I got cream cheese.
YUM!
A King Cake is a type of cake associated in a number of countries with the festival of Epiphany at the end of the Christmas Season.
Here on the Gulf Coast it is associated with the pre-Lenten celebrations of Mardi Gras/Carnival.
In the southern United States, the tradition was brought to the area by colonists from France and Spain.
The King Cake comes in a number of styles. The most simple, said to be the most traditional, is a ring of twisted cinnamon roll-style dough topped with icing or sugar, usually colored purple, green and gold (traditional Mardi Gras colors) with food coloring. King cakes may also be filled with additional foodstuffs - the most common being cream cheese, praline, cinnamon or strawberry.
Finding the baby in the cake is said to bring good luck and you must supply the King Cake for the next years party.
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| At the Kitchen Table |
I'm joining:
No Place Like Home
Bernideen's Tea Time, Cottage and Garden Party
Enjoy your King Cake! Laissez les bons temps rouler!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyable post thank you
ReplyDeleteI *love* you got both flowers- that is a difficult decision. White tulips are my favorite, but they never last long enough. (Put your cut flower bouquets in the fridge before bedtime helps make them last longer.)
ReplyDeleteHappy soon-to-be Fat Tuesday = never had one of those cakes, I learned about it a few years ago reading blogs. I guess the northcoast of the states was just too far away for that tradition to reach us, haha. : - )
Have a wonderful week full of love! ♥♥♥
I am going to a friend's house for a Chinese New Year party this upcoming week...so much good food and fun! I also LOVE king Cake--I made it a couple times for Mardi Gras celebrations. February is the month of two special family members so one of my favorite months for that reason.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, isn't it lovely to have both tulips and daffodils in the stores? They lend a little springtime cheer to our homes this time of year. Your King cake is colourful and sounds really sweet. Another enjoyable post, Snap. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Sandi
Craig, being from N'awlins, has connections to receive a for real king cake from there! Alas, he lost 25 pounds and is all, nah we don't need a king cake this year. (I was a whiny king's baby).
ReplyDeleteBut I do have king baby from last year's cake - it seems there are some cakes with female babies???
Mine is a king baby, wrapped in swaddling traditional Mardi Gras colors, in rhinestones.
He's a happy baby.
Mandarin! I didn't know you speak fruit! :) Happy Happy!! xoxoroo
HI Snap! I wish I could share a slice of that King Cake with you. Your kitchen table vignette looks so colorful. I like your thinking on buying both bouquets of flowers!! Happy Valentine's week to you.
ReplyDeleteIt really IS A wonderful time of year, in which we are spoiled for choice. I'd have bought the two kinds of flowers too. If not now, when?
ReplyDeleteI forget that you are so far south. Something good in your writer's voice seems more northern to me. Funny about that!
Happy Mardi Gras and Gong Xi Fa Cai! It's my year - Year of the Monkey - and I'm looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteYour Kind Cake looks so good!
ReplyDeleteDear Snap:
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like some serious party time at your house. The cake looks wonderful. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for sharing!
You are right, so much going on at the moment. We had a homecooked Chinese meal for dinner yesterday, pancakes for shrove Tuesday today and then valentines at the weekend! All good fun though! xx
ReplyDeleteWhen in doubt choose both. You then won't feel regrets later... LOL
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun post. Thanks!
I enjoyed the feel of spring in this post!! It's snowing outside and I'm looking forward to the tulips here! Have a grand day!
ReplyDeleteOh, my, the King Cake looks delicious. I didn't know the story behind it. I like the fact that you bought both daffodils and tulips--why just one? :-)
ReplyDeleteTulips and daffodils! You made my day brighter with your photos.
ReplyDeleteI've never had a King cake but is sounds delicious...especially the cream cheese filling.
Hi Snap,
ReplyDeleteoh, yes daffodils and tulips bring spring into the house. I love them and pink tulips are my favorit. here it's snowing, unfortunately, not yet having a view on spring....
Love that King's cake, it looks awesome. Wish I had a piece, I should try t one day, next year for sure.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your sweet visit.
Happy Valentine's.
FABBY