"LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULER!"*

*"Let the good times roll!"

At the end of January, we took a cruise to Mexico for our tenth anniversary. Although we've cruised often, we took a ship out of the Port of New Orleans for the first time.

Our vacation ended up being two vacations in one because we chose to spend a little time in N'Awlins before and after our cruise.

We got an amazing deal on a quaint hotel room right in the middle of the French Quarter. I lived in New Orleans for a few years in high school but David had never been. I was so anxious to show him around one of the coolest cities I've ever experienced.

We threw our luggage in our room and walked (okay, trotted very quickly!) about a block away to Cafe du Monde for beignets and coffee. I had no doubt that my husband would thoroughly enjoy the tempting pile of dough, grease and powdered sugar that isssss the little french doughnut called a beignet. He was not disappointed. He quickly devoured them like an old Cajun pro!

I'd be lying if I said that was our one and only trip to Cafe du Monde. It was not.

We woke up VERY early the next (rainy) morning and began our day with beignets.

The minute we got off the ship after returning from our cruise the following week, we (you guessed it) went for beignets.

(Ahem. Okay. Okay. We went to eat beignets again -- one last time -- before we departed for home the following morning. If you're keeping track, that's a total of 4 visits for an overall grand total of 12 doughnuts each! Enough confession, already!)

We've already talked about the fact that we can't wait to return to N'awlins for another visit. The locals were SO grateful to have folks back in their city. They truly are a proud and resilient people and we were treated very well by everyone we encountered.

I got home from work this evening to find that my husband had beat me home. As I entered the house, he was wearing a Mardi Gras crown and beads. In honor of Fat Tuesday, he had already prepared red beans and rice for our dinner. (They were great!)

Well, it wouldn't be TRUE debauchery without dessert, so to top off our own little personal Mardi Gras celebration, he actually made beignets.

Can you believe that?! Did his research and actually maaaaaade beignets.

And ya know what? They were fabulous!!!!!

Okay . . . now penance truly begins tomorrow . . . after all, it is Ash Wednesday. Think I'll "give up" french doughnuts for Lent.