Spring is in the air.

Actually while I write this, rain is in the air (which is a huge relief because the pollen has been killing our whole family), but back to the thoughts at hand.

Spring is in the air.  And what is spring but CRAWFISH BOIL season!

Now, I don’t know about you, but I wasn’t introduced to the crawfish boil until I was in college.  Yes, this homegrown southern girl didn’t twist, snap, peel, tug, pull, eat and suck until the ripe old age of 18.  So, while I was growing up naïve of the treasures that are the typical southern crawfish boil, with large meaty crawfish, seasoned potatoes, corn and sausage, others of you were enjoying them in your own backyards.

Well, for those of us who didn’t grow up learning how to prepare these delicacies on our own, we can now participate in a boil of our own, but thankfully prepared by others.  The Von Braun Center will offer its annual Heads-N-Tails Crawfish Boil this weekend, Saturday March 24 from 3-10 in the South Hall.  Now true, it’s not quite the same as sitting on blankets in the backyard, having the men dump the crawfish out on garbage bags or a table for you to root through, but you also don’t have to do any of the prep or clean up.  You don’t have to clean your house for guests to come over and you don’t have to offer anyone a ride home after either, so you should be pretty game for this kind of party!

Event Details

Thanks to a generous sponsorship by Iberia Bank, this year’s Crawfish Boil, unlike last years, is FREE!  Have to love that.  So the only thing that costs once you get in is the grub.  And for you guys wondering about the grub, obviously there is crawfish, potatoes and corn- your typical boil staples.  But let’s face it, this is a family affair.  Last year, Mr. Wonderful and I brought Thing 1 and Thing 2 and we all had a blast!  And, you can bet your bottom dollar that the 2 year olds were not up to peeling and eating quite yet.  So, for the non-crawfish fans in your crew, there are plenty of options, too (unintentional rhyme!!).  Chicken Fingers, Shrimp Baskets, Fish Baskets, Fried Crawfish Tails, and even Fried Gator Tail rounds out the grub menu.  Plenty to curb the ole hunger pains.

And speaking of Thing 1 and Thing 2, this is a party for the little ones, too.  With bounce houses sponsored by Jump To It, Inc. and face painting (for the little ones, Mr!) provided by Gabrielle Face Painting, there will be plenty to entertain the kiddos while you enjoy the tunes.  And those tunes?  With zydeco jams provided all day by Lil’ Malcolm & the House Rockers and Roux du Bayou, your toes will be tapping until the night ends.

Spring is in the air.  But according to the Saturday forecast, rain is too.  Thanks to our friends at the Von Braun Center you can still have a great Saturday with the Heads-N-Tails Crawfish Boil.  Hope to see you there!

How to eat Crawfish:

1. GRASP: Hold crawfish on both sides of the tail joint, your thumbs on one side of the shell and your index fingers on the other.
2. TWIST and SNAP:  With a twisting motion, snap the head away from the tail. (Optional step for diehards: Suck the juice from the crawfish head.)
3. PEEL:  Use your thumbs to peel away the shell from the widest part of the tail, pulling back from the center, just as you would peel a shrimp.
4. TUG:  Hold the tip of the tail and gently tug out the tender meat. Enjoy!

From Southern Living (the Southern Girls guide to life)