happy mardi gras! laissez les bons temps rouler!

Since becoming "infected" with New Orleans, Mardi Gras has joined Halloween as a favorite holiday with us!  It's unique in that its only raison d'etre is to be self-indulgent!

We had originally planned to have friends over for the evening, but that fell through.  We're going through with most of the original menu, though -- oyster ceviche, gumbo and [i shame-facedly admit] king cake.  J sent off for the cake from the BEST baker in Louisiana (his friends insisted it is, anyway), so we'll be sharing it with the neighbors, whether or not they dine WITH us....  There was to have been a baked-oyster course too, but we'll be having those tomorrow, instead.

So today becomes the semi-monthly carb-splurge!  If i have any Hurricanes at all, they'll be my newly-crafted version using sugar-free fruit syrups instead of juices.  I won't be including rice with the gumbo (i was going to indulge my guests -- J and i eat ours "neat" when i usually make it).  But i WILL have a little bite of the cake!  We ordered it with a cream-cheese filling, and i NEED to taste it, anyway....  ;-)

Since reading Jan Kwasniewski's "Homo Optimus" i'm interested in giving his Optimal Diet a try, and it recommends a higher carb allowance than my usual.  There's a trade-off -- some carbs for a reduction of protein -- which i suspect might work pretty well for all but the most carb-intolerant.  The trick, i suspect, is knowing what carbs one tolerates well, and which are individually problematic!  I think i could work -- i'll report back later, of course.

In the meantime -- ENJOY THE HOLIDAY!