ARiaDneOne Rockin New Orleans Witch's blog: "NATURALLY NAWLINS"

Weather forces tonight's parades to cancel, reschedule 12:18 PM CST on Thursday, January 31, 2008 WWLTV.com All three parades set to roll in New Orleans Thursday night were forced to cancel their ride due to the threat of severe weather, the New Orleans Police Department confirmed. The Krewe of Muses has rescheduled for Friday at 8 p.m. The Knights of Babylon will roll Sunday at 11:15 a.m. The Krewe of Chaos will not parade this year

The famous New Orleans dish, "red beans and rice" did not originate with L. H. Hayward & Company; however, this traditional dish is certainly enhanced by using the high quality CAMELLIA BRAND Red Kidney Beans in preparing this meal. Red beans (or more accurately Red Kidney beans) were probably first introduced to Southern Louisiana by the French Canadian settlers who today are known as Cajuns. Red Beans and rice are eaten every Monday in restaurants and homes throughout Southern Louisiana. This tradition goes back to the days when Monday was wash day... It's Monday and most people in New Orleans will eat red beans and rice for lunch or dinner. This easy to prepare New Orleans classic dish is enjoyed by thousands each and every Monday. That's one of our traditions, and it seems it's just always been that way for most of us. Many of the finer food dishes known for being associated with New Orleans, Louisiana contain red beans, but this one has a story we all know and share. Louisiana beans and Texas beans came to popularity in different ways. Dried beans were easy to carry on chuck wagons on the Texas ranches. They could be stretched by adding peppers and chili powder, onions and whatever kind of meat you had available. Louisiana red beans gained their popularity in New Orleans, where they were joined with rice for a customary Monday meal. Those who've lived in Louisiana their whole lives or close to it would always have a big Sunday dinner, usually a ham. They'd save the ham bone and make something with it the next day. Turns out, it was easy to put the ham bone in with the beans and let them cook all day while the laundry was being done. The addition of the ham bone led many people to believe red beans couldn't be cooked without one. Some still insist that the bone be cracked so the marrow can meld with the juices, creating a fine gravy. Those who don't use ham bones aren't looked down on by the ones who do though. A ham bone can be substituted with links of sausage or even pieces of poultry or beef, depending on the recipe. Just know that the true New Orleans mixture calls for the cook to fix the rice and the beans separately. It's a rule!

Mon. Feb. 4 Proteus Uptown 5:15 p.m. Orpheus Uptown 6 p.m. Zeus Metairie 6:30 p.m. Cleopatra Houma 6:30 p.m. Tues. Feb. 5 Zulu Uptown 8 a.m. Rex Uptown 10 a.m. Elks Uptown after Rex Crescent City Uptown after Elks Argus Metairie 10 a.m. Grela W. Bank 11 a.m. Elks Jeff Metairie 11 a.m. Jefferson Metairie 11 a.m. Lions Covington 10 a.m. Covington Covington Follows Lions Houmas Houma 11 a.m. Kajuns Houma Follows Skunks Lacombe 1 p.m. Chahta-Ima Lacombe 1:30 p.m. Folsom Folsom 1:30 p.m. Bonne Terre Montegut 4 p.m.

Sat. Feb. 2 Bush Bush 9 a.m. NOMTOC West Bank 10:45 a.m. Iris Uptown 11 a.m. Tucks Uptown Noon Endymion Mid-City 4 p.m. Isis Metairie 6 p.m. Napoleon Metairie 6:30 p.m. Mardi Gras Houma 6:30 p.m. Sun. Feb. 3 Okeanos Uptown 11 a.m. Thoth Uptown 11:30 a.m. Mid-City Uptown 12:15 p.m. Terreanians Houma 12:30 p.m. Tchefuncte Madisonville 2 p.m. Montegut Montegut 2 p.m. Bacchus Uptown 5:15 p.m.

Wed. Jan. 30 Druids Uptown 6 p.m. Pygmalion Uptown 6:45 p.m. Thor Metairie 6:30 p.m. Cleopatra Algiers 6:30 p.m. Thurs. Jan. 31 Babylon Uptown 5:45 p.m. Chaos Uptown 6:30 p.m. Muses Uptown 7 p.m. Fri. Feb. 1 Hermes Uptown 6 p.m. Krewe d'Etat Uptown 6:30 p.m. Morpheus Uptown 7:45 p.m. Selene Slidell 6:30 p.m. Orpheus Mandeville 7 p.m. Aquila Metairie 7 p.m. Aphrodite Houma 6:30 p.m.

I've declared this day rock n' roll monday here at my house..so anybody who wants to join me..feel free..woooohoooooo!!! IT GETS ME THROUGH...

CARNIVAL: READ MORE ABOUT IT One of the best things about Carnival is that it can be appreciated on so many different levels. There are of course the street parties and the parades to enjoy, but there are also volumes of cultural history that have been written about the celebration and its origins, which can be studied and enjoyed. Here are some Carnival works to consider. BOOKS IN WIDESPREAD CIRCULATION: Mardi Gras New Orleans Henri Schindler Flammarion 1997 Mardi Gras Treasures: Invitations of the Golden Age Mardi Gras Treasures: Float Designs of the Golden Age Mardi Gras Treasures: Costume Designs of the Golden Age Mardi Gras Treasures: Jewelry of the Golden Age Henri Schindler Pelican Publishing

In fact, February 5 is just about as close as you can get to the all-time earliest date: February 3. It will be a compressed season for sure, probably absent of much of the Spring Break crowd, but no less spirited. With the Super Bowl falling on Bacchus Sunday, and the Super Tuesday presidential primaries on Fat Tuesday itself, the media focus will also be elsewhere this year, which makes it even more of a celebration for the locals. And as we’ve seen in the two years since the storm, that makes thing all the more special. There is lots to celebrate this year, including a special return and some big anniversaries. Mid-City, and its always spectacular foil floats, turns 75. Make it one of your must-see parades this year. Bacchus, the father of the super krewes, turns 40, and stirs up some controversy by selecting Hulk Hogan as its monarch. Meanwhile, Carnival’s largest krewe, Endymion, makes Mardi Gras headlines by returning to its rightful Mid-City route, bringing grand marshal Kevin Costner and a host of other special guests along for the ride. The super krewe’s return to Orleans Avenue also means the return of the Samedi Gras pre-parade music festival on Endymion Saturday. Carnival krewes in the city and the suburbs continue to bounce back from Katrina’s effects, building their membership, staying true to tradition and putting on the party that New Orleans is known for. St. Bernard is poised to welcome the krewe of Gladiators back this year, along with the third annual Knights of Nemesis parade. Carnival on the North shore gets bigger and better every year, and of course Jefferson Parish continues to be a family friendly place for the two weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday. For the second year, parish leaders are enhancing that reputation by sponsoring an event called Family Gras, which was highly successful in its first year. The outdoor music will be staged on January 25, 26 and 27, this time on both the east and west bank, encouraging families to celebrate a little early. Musical acts scheduled to appear include Taylor Swift, Cowboy Mouth, Herman’s Hermits with Peter Noone, Frankie Ford, Irma Thomas and Amanda Shaw. Check out familygras.com for more details. Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler

Fri. Jan. 25 Oshun Uptown 6 p.m. Hercules Houma 6 p.m. Cleopatra West bank 6:30 p.m. Pygmalion Uptown 6:45 p.m. Eve Mandeville 7 p.m. Excalibur Metairie 7 p.m. Atlas Metairie 7:30 p.m. Sat. Jan. 26 Choctaw West Bank 11:30 a.m. Adonis West Bank Noon Petit Caillou Chauvin Noon Pontchartrain Uptown 1 p.m. Gladiators Chalmette 1:30 p.m. Shangri-La Uptown 2 p.m. Caesar Metairie 6 p.m. Olympia Covington 6 p.m. Sparta Uptown 6 p.m. Aquarius Houma 6:30 p.m. Pegasus Uptown 6:45 p.m. Mona Lisa/Moon Pie Slidell 7 p.m