Postcard-Geography Album: Louisiana, "The Pelican State"

For this week's postcard-geography album pages, we didn't get just postcards...

we were sent a whole box of goodies from Townsend family in Louisiana 

of By His Design.

"Included in this package are throws and beads from various Mardi Gras parades. We are originally from GA so learning LA history was fun. New Orleans has a great Spanish and French history that makes it different than other states. Additionally New Orleans (despite its reputation) is a very family-friendly place...

photo source

...Also included is a great recipe for King Cake which is a tradition and can only be bought in stores during Carnival (or Mardi Gras) season. 

King Cake

2 (8 ounce) cans crescent rolls

4 ounces cream cheese

2 Tab. confectioner's sugar

1 tea vanilla

2 Tab. butter

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 Tab. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Coat 10-inch round pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray. Separate crescent rolls at perforations into 16 slices. Place slices around prepared pan with points in the center. About halfway down from points, press seams together. In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioner's sugar and vanilla until cream. Spread on dough in center where seams have been pressed together. In another small bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and cinnamon with fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over cream cheese. Fold dough points over filling, then fold bottom of triangle over points forming a circular roll like a King cake. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly, drizzle with colored Mardi Gras icing.

Mardi Gras Icing

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1-2 Tab. milk

1/2 tea. vanilla

Pink, lime green, light blue food colorings

In small bowl, combine all ingredients, except food color. Divide mixture into three bowls. Add pink, green and blue food colorings to the separate bowls. Drizzle over baked cake. 

...The enclosed coin is called a doubloon and is highly collectible among native New Orleanians. We hope that you enjoy a small sample of New Orleans and Louisiana. Have a blessed school year and happy studying." 

Signs along Louisiana highways mark crossings frequented by the American alligator, the largest reptile in the United States. Wildlife refuges across the wetlands of southern Louisiana protect the threatened species.

 We colored out informative map which includes a picture of the state bird, the Pelican and the state tree, the Bald Cypress and added it to our scrapbook pages,

along with all the postcards.

We celebrate Mardi Gras every year, 

but, for the boys, the rest of the package was like another little Mardi Gras.

They really enjoyed the idea that these came from Louisiana's actual Mardi Gras.

For our Louisiana dinner, we had a Creole dish, 

Dirty Rice 

(and a vegetarian version for hubby) and 

Jambalaya is a regular dish at our house. 

"From its festive Mardi Gras parades to its wildlife-filled swamps, Louisiana is a state of great diversity." 

Student map sketch

We have "visited" 39 states (78%) with our Postcard-Geography Album.
We still need postcards for these states: Mississippi, New Jersey, Vermont and Wyoming. 

If you live in any of these states and would like to help us with this project, please leave a comment on how I can get in touch with you. Thank you!