The only way to get what you want in this world, is through hard work.

Disney’s Princess and the Frog is such a good movie! I love that they gave us a Princess that didn’t need a man to come rescue her. Sure, it’s a romantic story, but she would have gotten everything she dreamed of on her own. I used to be so superficial watching movies like this a few years ago, and now that’s all I could ever hope for my children to see role models like Tiana that live and work hard for their dreams. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend this jazzy number! Beware of Dr. Facilier if you have small children though, he is CREEPY! I’m not afraid of much, but voodoo gives me the willies!

I was lucky enough to visit New Orleans, pronounced New Or-lins by the locals, when I was younger. It’s absolutely beautiful, the architecture was breathtaking, and the immediately sucked in to the wonder! Before we left, we went to Café Du Monde and ordered a few dozen Beignets and Chicory coffee. The beignets taste exactly how I imagine clouds would, hot and sweet puffy goodness! I wanted to recreate the fun and ordered a box of Café du Monde Beignet mix from Target for our movie night. All you’ll need is some water for the mix and your good to go! I cut the dough into some fun Mickey shapes and tossed them into the hot oil to fry. When they were perfectly browned and slightly puffy, I threw them in a pound of powdered sugar and let them soak it in a bit before giving them to the kids. Traditionally, they will give you a small paper bag full of powdered sugar with the beignets mixed in.

If you’re feeling more adventurous than I was, check out my friend Melanie’s, from Polka Dots and Pixie Dust,  homemade beignet recipe, here. Needless to say, they were a hit and we may have eaten the entire batch in one sitting. We’ll definitely be making them again. Maybe tonight even.

My dear friend Lyndsey, from @happylittereads, helped me out with a recipe for Red Beans and Rice for an authentic meal from Louisiana. I loved it, the Cajun spice was undeniably good, and I loved the combination of rice and sausage. My kids just weren’t fans of the beans though. Gumbo or Jambalaya would be perfect alternatives to this movie night meal.

We did all of this while wearing our Mardi Gras masks! I’m not joking. Thinking back though, that was probably a fire hazard wearing it around the fryer. They were our souvenirs from New Orleans and my mother kept them all of these years. Aren’t they beautiful!

My daughter wanted to wear something extra special for the movie night, and since her name is Charlotte, she Disney Bounded as Lottie. I got her beautiful pink tutu dress from Old Navy, added a pink belt, and a tiara to complete the look. Simple and sweet!

“I would kiss a hundred frogs if I could marry a prince and be a princess”

We had such a fun time gearing up for Mardi Gras with our friends Tiana and Charlotte. Do you plan on participating in Mardi Gras this year? What’s you favorite Cajun dish?

Thank you so much for following along another of our movie night adventures! Tag me in your own movie night adventures on Instagram using #amagicalkingdomcalledhome. I would love to see them!

Hope you have a great week!

Esther