Saturday, February 28, 2009

Mardi Gras at Holden

Laissez les bons temps rouler!! Or, as they would say in New Orleans, "Let the good times roll!!" I want to reassure all my friends who are less than a day's drive of The Crescent City that we did have a Mardi Gras celebration here in the Crystal Peak Wilderness Area of Washington State.

It was, admittedly, a subdued version of Mardi Gras...no parades, no "throws", no wild women on balconies waving a fan of paper money to ogling male full-of-hopes below...no King Cake!

We had a meal of great Cajun food, face painting, some beads in Mardi Gras colors, and some dressing in costumes. And of course, we observed the beginning of Lent with the Ash Wednesday service of the Imposition of the Ashes.

Paul Hinderlie gathered the lead cooks and the kitchen staff together prior to the preparation of the special meal of Cajun food to give them pointers and instructions of the making of a roux. Chefs in New Orleans would applaud. If you fail with the roux, you fail with whatever you put in the pot afterwards.

The cooking session was a complete success. For dinner, we had seafood gumbo, rice, fried okra, sauteed spinach, and for dessert, pralines...all made right here in the Crystal Peak Wilderness of Washington State.


Carol Hinderlie dressed up in some sparking finery for the evening meal and celebration.

Starting before dinner and continuing after dinner, Rachel Weeks painted many faces that evening, mine among them.

Even little Aubrey Gustafson, held here by her dad Trevor, got her face painted. Chris Tou works to distract Aubrey so that she will sit still.

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