Mushrooms and Mosquitoes

Summer is in full swing here in south Louisiana.  Temps are reaching at least 90 degrees with 150% humidity.  But with the high temperatures and almost daily summer showers, there is one thing I can count on this time of year, other than heat stroke... chanterelle mushrooms.

Beginning every year in June, I start looking for these orange gems.  From my back porch I can see a small creek that empties into a larger river that runs through the back side of the property.  When the heat is nearly unbearable and the mosquitoes come out in full force I know I'll start seeing patches of the chanterells popping up all along the bank.

Why would anyone in their right mind leave the comfort of their air conditioned home to forage in the woods for mushrooms, battling heat, mosquitoes and spider webs?

I've never claimed to be in my right mind but otherwise, these guys are awesome.  They can only be found in the wild, you may never see them in a grocery store since they cannot be cultivated.  They only grow a few weeks out of the year and in very particular areas.  Because of their rarity and and delicate nutty flavor, mushroom connoisseurs rank them one of the top five mushrooms in the world.  And if you are lucky enough catch them on the menu of a high end restaurant or farmers market, they will cost you a pretty penny but are totally worth the splurge.

Even if you don't like the texture of mushrooms, you may like these.  They do not have thick meaty caps like 'shrooms you find in the grocery store.  But you can use them the same way you would other varieties.  My families favorites are sauteed in brown gravy, over steaks, on pizza, or in soups and pastas.  I love them in omlettes and I make a yummy dairy-less cream of mushroom soup.

If you live near a wooded area in the south, keep an eye out for them after summer rainstorms this month. When you find them, cut them with scissors, leaving the "root" in the ground.  This will keep them cleaner and encourage growth for the following year.  Store them in shallow cardboard boxes or paper bags.  Eat as many as you can while they're fresh.  If you come across more than you can eat within a week, you can blanch them then store them in the freezer or dehydrate them.  I've found the best way to store them is by pressure canning.  If you're really ambitious, high end restaurants are happy to take them off your hands for around $8-$10 per pound.

Worried about mosquitoes???  I avoid chemical bug sprays at all costs, and the mutant mosquitoes on our property are undaunted by citronella oil or other natural repellents.  But I've found that thick jeans, boots and one of my husbands thick flannel button ups will keep them at bay and a couple of ice cubes rolled up in bandannas keep them off my face and neck.   It's hot, but it's worth it.

Happy 'shrooming!

Shopping Gluten Free

I got really excited when a personal training client of 2 years told me that she was finally ready to take the next step and clean up her eating habits.  She's decided to try a gluten free diet. She has not been "diagnosed" gluten intolerant, but with her weakness for easy to grab packaged snacks, eliminating gluten will (hopefully) eliminate most of those triggers as well as introduce her to new ways of shopping, preparing and eating food. Although, weight loss is her primary goal, she's in desperate need of an energy boost too, so gluten free it is!

In talking with her during our training session, though, I realized she had some misconceptions about a gluten free lifestyle.  Since I have now been (mostly) gluten free for almost 2 years, I feel confident that I can offer her and you guys a little advice based on personal experience, as well as research and experience as a health professional.

She, like most, associated GF with other "diets", such as the Atkins Diet, or Ideal Protein (which is just a repackaged version of Atkins) which eliminates all carbs.  Going gluten free means eliminating wheat, wheat cousins like barley and rye and most oats, not ALL carbs.  Rice, potatoes, corn and grasses do not contain gluten.  Great news for us southern girls, who wouldn't survive without some gumbo or red beans over rice every now and then.

What the heck is gluten anyway? http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/what-is-gluten Check out this article, cause I couldn't have said it better myself.

Another misconception was that she would have to shop at only specialty health food stores for gluten free groceries.  It's getting easier and more affordable to find GF foods in your regular grocery. However the point is not to substitute all the junk food, but to get rid of it.  Gluten free brownies, cookies and cakes are great for birthday parties, but they are still brownies, cookies and cakes, full of sugar and fat. Aim for naturally gluten free foods like veggies, Lots of Veggies!, fruit, rice, beans to make up the majority of your diet.  Then substitute as needed, there are a few staples even I can't go without.

I will admit that the first few trips to the grocery store will take at least twice the time of your normal grocery isle dash, you will have the urge to search every isle for gluten free items, and check every label of your typical purchases, praying that you don't see the word "flour" anywhere in the 85 ingredients listed on the back of the box.  And when you find an item that is "Gluten Free", you will put it in your buggy, regardless of what it is, if you've ever eaten it before, if your kids will eat it or if you can even pronounce it.  You will also notice that your final checkout total is higher than normal because you have purchased all 47 GF items in the store in an attempt to "replace" the 2 loaves of bread, 1 box of cereal, 2 bags of potato chips and 1 box of cookies that are typically first on the conveyor belt.  And I know all of this from experience.  Umm, except for the cookies and chips part, of course ;)
The good news is after a few trips like that, you wise up and just avoid most of the packaged stuff and basically all of the center isles in your grocery store.  Which IS THE POINT!  All nutrition "lifestyles", vegan, paleo, clean eating, organic, GF, casein/dairy free. etc. have two things in common, eating mostly plant based foods and cutting out the processed, artificially flavored, red dye number 5, petroleum byproduct, test tube, hormone injected, toxic space food!

Nowadays, a typical grocery trip for me goes something like this... Starting in the produce section, I fill the buggy about 1/2 full of fruits, veggies & hummus. Then I bypass the bakery. I used to actually put my hands around my eyes like blinders as I went through, but now I just walk, VERY briskly with my eyes on the deli section.  A quick stop at the deli for Liam's GF Ole Farmers ham, then a sharp left into the chip isle for a few bags of Mission Tortilla chips.  An immediate U-turn takes me to the hormone free chicken breasts and ground turkey, shrimp, fish and Liam's GF Jenny-O hot dogs.  A little further down I dip into another isle to grab a few bags of whole grain rice, quinoa and dried beans, make a loop to the next isle for vinegar, olive oil and organic canned tomatoes and black beans.  Another loop gets me to the Heartland GF Rice pasta.  The rest of the isles get ignored as I head to the dairy section.  Sometimes, I peak into the cooler for vegetarian meals and grab veggie burger patties, and Van's GF waffles (This busy mom needs a few convenience foods too). In the final stretch of dairy products I grab 3 1/2 gallons of Silk almond milk, 2 original and 1 dark chocolate, and a few packs of Go Veggie! Cheese.  In and out in 20 minutes or less, with a buggy full of groceries that didn't cost me a fortune.

Which leads me to the final stigma that goes along with any healthy lifestyle choice.  *Whiny voice*, "But eating healthy is soooooo expensive".  UGGGHHH! If I had a nickle for every time I heard that..... Sure, if your trying to "replace" you're normal boxed and bagged snack foods with the GF, or organic, or dairy free version you can expect to see a higher grocery bill.  BUT, as you eliminate those boxed and bagged items, you will see your bill start to decrease.  Why???? Because, per pound, fruits, veggies, beans and rice are the least expensive things in any grocery store.  The meat, dairy & packaged goods are what drives the cost (and the scale) up.

After just a few days of eliminating gluten, thus eliminating the majority or processed, packaged foods, my client reports more energy that she's had in 15 years.  And for the first time, we are looking forward to the next weigh in.  Gluten free may or may not be right for you, but I would encourage everyone to go a few weeks without it and see how you feel, it may be just what you need.  And don't worry, after you get used to this new way of eating, you can treat yourself every now and then with that hot piece of french bread with your gumbo or a slice of little Suzie's birthday cake.  It's not about punishing yourself, but giving your body what it needs for a healthy, happy, productive lifestyle.

Because I live in a relatively small town in South Louisiana, gluten free convenience food options are limited. Larger cities will most likely have a much better selection in major chain grocery stores as well as more specialty stores.  Here's a list of some GF foods available at our local grocery.  Some of these I've also highlighted above.

Fruits, veggies, rice, beans, seeds and nuts are all naturally gluten free, so eat up!
Bob's Red Mills GF Flour, Oatmeal & mixes (Walmart & Berry Town produce carry it, but I often find them at Big Lots, of all places, for less. Some of their products are not GF so read the package carefully)
King Arthur GF Baking Flour
Bisquick GF Pancake & Waffle mix
Van's Toaster Waffles
Kellogs GF Rice Crispy Cereal & Chex Cereal
Glutino Breakfast Bars, Pretzels, Crackers, etc.
Heartland GF Pasta (There are other brands but this is by far our favorite, it's most like typical pasta.  My kids like it better than the whole grain we used to buy, before I knew better)
Annie's GF Macaroni & Cheese
Rudi's GF Sandwich Bread & Tortilla Wraps (A little hard to find, but the country white will fool most people, it's much more like typical sandwich bread than other brands.  Try Berry Town Produce & Whole Health Market in Ponchatoula)
Ole Farmers Deli Ham (Only at Walmart at the Deli Counter)
Jenny O Deli Turkey (at the Deli Counter) & Hot Dogs 
Mission Tortilla Chips (most tortilla chips are GF, but watch for the flavored versions, the seasoning usually is flour based) 

Keep these stocked...

 

Use these sparingly...

 
 
Here's a link back to earlier posts when I first began my GF diet. And a few recipes.  http://fitfunctionalmom.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2012-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=3

Jumping on the Juice Train

Many of my clients are beginning their juicing journey, so I thought it was time to make another post to answer some FAQ and offer a few tips.  A juicer may seem like a bit of an investment, but at $100-$200 you can get a pretty good one and compared to other "weight loss" products, it's not a bad price. Discount stores like Big Lots often have them in stock.  Just the other day I saw a Jack Lalanne Juicer for $99 (retails for $179).

So you've got your juicer...Now What????

Some are jumping right in and juicing anything they can get their hands on, fearlessly trying odd combinations and fruits and vegetables that they can't even pronounce.  Others are having a more difficult time with the idea of not only eating new foods, but drinking them.  

Here's what I recommend to all of my first time juicing friends.  Start with what you know you like!  If you like apples, awesome! grapes, great! melon, marvelous!  (Sorry for the alliteration, I couldn't help myself).  And keep it simple... start with a base, something with a lot of water content and a mild flavor, cucumber is the most commonly used. Then add your sweets, apples, pears, carrots, oranges, ect.  Top it off with something super nutrient dense like spinach, kale, beets.  Try to keep it all in the same color family for starters, especially if you have mental food hurdles to conquer.  If texture is an issue, you may want to have a mesh strainer handy, depending on your juicer, you may get some foam on the top of your juice.
Make small amounts at first until you find combinations that you like, or can even just tolerate, and keep at it until you build up the courage to venture beyond the basic apple.  Soon you'll be adding ginger, lemons, limes, celery and who know's, maybe even things you've never fathomed purchasing from the produce section like bok choy and chard! 

The point of juicing is to get vitamins, water and other nutrients to the cells in the most efficient way possible.  Since juice doesn't need digesting, the body can absorb the nutrients from the stomach directly into the blood stream with very little effort and waste.  If you've ever looked at the label on a multivitamin bottle, you have an idea of the number of vitamins and other nutrients like amino acids and minerals the body needs to function at its best.  Luckily, getting all of these things is not as hard as you think so don't get all worked up about deficiencies or run out and buy every bottle on the CVS vitamin isle.  Eating a variety of colors (skittles don't count!) and textures is typically all you need.  

That leads me to a quick side note about multivitamins.  Unless you have a vitamin deficiency, multivitamins are a wast of money.  Although they boast 100% of your recommended amount of a bajillion vitamins and minerals, the body is extremely inefficient at absorbing those nutrients in that form (that's why your urine is neon green, you're literally flushing money down the toilet).  Our bodies are designed to absorb all the nutrients we need from our food, that includes water!   By food, I mean things that grow out of the ground.  You know, the stuff our ancestors ate for thousands of years before microwaves and refrigeration.

I'm off my soapbox, back to juicing.  But instead of listing an infinite number of recipe combinations, here are a few resources I like to use for inspiration.  Happy Juicing!
https://www.facebook.com/VegetableJuicing
https://www.facebook.com/juicingrecipes
And a link back to an earlier blog where I listed a few smoothie recipes, just in case you're not yet ready to take the juice plunge. http://fitfunctionalmom.blogspot.com/2013/01/fastingcleansing.html

Cold Recipes for Hot Days

The heat index today was over 100 degrees!  Between outdoor training sessions, stir crazy kids and lots of yard work, cool and hydrating recipes are a must for me.  Here's just a few tips I use to keep from melting in South Louisiana summers.

Banana Ice Cream
When it's hot, ice cream is often a favorite.  Try this super easy, super inexpensive, healthier alternative.  My kids and husband give it 2 thumbs up.

4 bananas
1 tsp vanilla extract
toppings of choice (fresh fruit, walnuts, etc.)

Peel the bananas, cut into 1inch chunks and freeze for at least 2 hours.  When frozen, toss the bananas into a food processor or blender with the vanilla.  Mix until creamy, it will take a few minutes.  Serve immediately and top with fruit or nuts if desired. Makes 4-6 servings.

Refreshing Spring Rolls
This is one of my family's new favorites.  We stuff them full of fresh veggies, herbs and light proteins like grilled shrimp or tuna.  Get creative, you can stuff them with just about anything you would put in a tortilla wrap, except they are lighter and are great served cold.  Here's my favorite combo.

1/2 lb shrimp
6 Rice paper wraps
1 cup grated cabbage
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup grated cucumber
6 fresh basil leaves chopped
6 fresh mint leaves chopped
2 T rice vine vinegar
2 tsp. sesame seeds

Grill or saute shrimp (add a bit of sea salt & lemon juice if desired).  When cooked chop into bite size pieces and place in refrigerator to chill.  Mix cabbage, carrots, cucumber, herbs, vinegar and sesame seeds in a large bowl.  Let mixture marinate.  When shrimp is cool to the touch, stir the pieces into the mixture.  Prepare rice paper wraps as directed on the package and fill with approx. 2 T of the mixture, roll them like a tortilla wrap closing both ends.  Serve immediately or refrigerate for a later meal.

You could also try a light twist on a Cesar wrap with grilled chicken, chopped romaine hearts, red onions and a dash of grated Parmesan cheese.  My daughters favorite is wild caught canned tuna with avocado, tomato and sriracha (a Japanese hot sauce).
Experiment with different dipping sauces as well.  I like to make a homemade carrot, ginger dressing, but again you can get creative.

Infused Water
Instead of sports drinks or sodas that are full of sugar, sodium and artificial flavor, try infusing your water with the good stuff.  Fill a pitcher with filtered water, add chopped fruits, veggies and or herbs and pop it in the fridge for all day flavor. Toss in as many ingredients as you like and let the fruit steep, no muddling, mixing or blending needed.  The water will take on the mild flavor and scent of the fruits & herbs.

Here's a few combos to try,:
Watermelon & mint
Cucumber & basil
Lime & cilantro
Peach & mint
Apple & Lemon

Infused water is great for entertaining too.  Ice cold water in a glass pitcher with color coordinated fruits and herbs can be a beautiful part of the decor and a great way to encourage your guest to stay hydrated.

TIP: If your craving carbonation, drop your fruits & herbs at the bottom of your glass and pour in sparkling water.

I hope your family enjoys these recipes as much as mine does! Have a great summer!!!

Summer Recipies

I know it has only officially been Spring for a few weeks, but in Southern Louisiana, summer sneaks up quickly.  I wanted to start compiling my summer recipes and tips now, so mother nature can "Bring on the Heat"!!!  I will add to this blog throughout the season as I find new recipes and activities for the kiddos :)

ENJOY!!!!

ALL NATURAL BUG SPRAY
This one is a must!  Whether your at the ball park mid summer or on your back porch, Louisiana mosquito are vicious.  I love this recipe, it's super easy and inexpensive.  There are no preservatives so you'll need to reapply often, but there's also no chemicals or harmful ingredients so smile as you drench the kids in it.

1 part Witch Hazel
1 part Apple Cidar Vinegar
citronella and or geranium essential oil (add about 3 drops per cup)

That's it!  Put it in a large spray bottle for home and grab a few of the travel cosmetic sprayers to keep in the car and purse.  If you're going to the woods, dip a bandanna in the mix to tie around your head or neck.

ALL NATURAL CITRUS MARGARITAS
This mostly fresh juice cocktail is perfect for get-togethers, weekends on the river and beach trips.  Super yummy, not too heavy on the liquor and won't rack up a million extra summer calories.  Plus you can make it ahead of time.

Tip***I like to freeze the juices first for a frozen concoction.

1 gallon fresh orange/satsuma juice (100% pure juice!  best if you juice it yourself)
1 cup fresh lime juice (straight from the lime, NO concentrate)
1 cup fresh lemon juice (see above note)
3/4 of a small (750ml) bottle of tequila (more or less depending on taste & remember the ice will water it down some)
Raw sugar (add a bit to the mix or use for garnish around the rim of your glass)

Toss it all in a blender and pulse.  Add ice here if you like frozen margaritas or serve over ice later.

Get Growing

I love this time of year.  Spring!!!  The weather's getting warmer, my car is a lovely shade of pollen and it's time to start playing in the dirt.  Over the last few years I have been creating an edible landscape in my yard... fruit trees, veggies and a mobile chicken coop.  This year I'm expanding with a larger mobile chicken coop and yard, a greenhouse for winter veggies, grapevines and another raised garden bed that gets partial sun for those hot summer months that tend to scorch my late bloomers in an effort to have veggies year round.

Here's the almost finished chicken coop (I need to add another nesting box and attach the wheels) and the new greenhouse.

I am a busy mom and I don't have a naturally green thumb.  But if I can do it, anyone can.  Odds are that many of you will plant something this spring... grass seed, flowers, shrubs and/or decorative trees.  Why not plant things that are edible instead?

Check out www.growfoodnotlawns.com for some great ideas and photos, especially for small suburban areas.

Fruit
Fruit trees, shrubs and vines that are native to your area are the easiest way to add homegrown produce to your diet.  Most fruit trees are relatively small trees and can be pruned to fit smaller spaces.  It's not instant gratification, but many produce some fruit in the first year you plant them, since you will most likely buy a 2-3 year old tree.  As they grow, they will produce more and more and once they are planted they need very little maintenance.  Here's a list of the trees we have. Some of these trees were planted by my parents as long as 20 years ago and are still thriving, others I've planted over the past 3 years.

Satsumas, Lemons, Baking Pears, Plums, Loquats, Mayhaws, Peaches, Persimmons and Figs.  We also have blueberry bushes and blackberry vines.

I think everyone in south Louisiana should have a satsuma tree.  They produce tons of fruit and aren't real picky about where they are planted, they just need full sun and decent soil.  The fruit is amazing, it's a little smaller and less acidic than oranges and peel really easily, they are great for juicing.  They produce fruit all winter when there's not much else growing and stay green year round.
The blueberries are my other favorite fruit bearing plants for this area.  They are fast growing and produce fruit often in their first summer.  There are lots of varieties to choose from.  You'll want to plant 2 of the same type so they can cross pollinate.

Here's a picture of my young peach tree and blackberry vines starting to put on some blooms.

This year, I'm getting brave and trying some new fruits... raspberries, muscadines and avocado.  The muscadines are a native grape so they should do just fine, but the raspberry vines and avocado tree might need a little more coaxing to grow in our climate.

Eat & grow your veggies
For most of my childhood, my father planted a spring vegetable garden.  I don't remember eating the homegrown veggies nearly as well as I remember the work!  Tilling, weeding, picking, more weeding and more tilling all through the south Louisiana summer.  My sisters and I hated that garden.  The tomatoes were awesome but it didn't make up for the sunburn, ant bites and calluses.  Unfortunately, I think many people have had similar experiences and may think veggies are more trouble than they're worth.  But if done right, vegetable gardens can be easier to manage than your flower beds.

Raised beds are a must for our area, where weeds can look like something from "Little Shop of Horrors" and much of our soil has been depleted.  A raised bed can be designed in any shape or size and you don't even have to have a box if your on level ground.  You'll just need to remove or cover any existing grass (newspaper or garden cloth works well) Then add 6 inches of top soil and a natural fertilizer like manure.  Plant your seeds or seedlings and cover with a mulch.  Water only as needed and wait for your homegrown dinner.

Check out Back To Eden Film, a great documentary on how to grow veggies with little effort, minimal tools and no chemicals.  It's not magic or rocket science, just giving your garden what it needs to grow naturally.   A must see for novice and experienced gardeners http://backtoedenfilm.com/

Container gardening can also be a great way to add veggies if you have no lawn, but the smaller the container, the less water it can store so you'll need to water often during dry, hot months.

Here's my newest raised bed and some large pots that I use for herbs. The raised bed is 4'x9'.  My big kids (Brennan & Zoe) planted peas, beets, spinach and lettuce from seeds and a few green onion sets, pepper plants, dill and sage. Then my 4 year old dove into the bed, rolled around in the dirt and kicked through the freshly planted seeds, I guess that was his way of pitching in :) Gardening CAN be fun for the whole family.

Another easy way to get started is to simply mix vegetable and herb plants into existing flower beds.  Cherry tomatoes, banana peppers, basil, cilantro and chives all blend in well with flowers, small shrubs and decorative grasses.  Bonus, herbs can help control pests.
If you're new to gardening stick with just a few hearty varieties of vegetables that will give you lots of bang for your buck in a relatively small space, like heirloom tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and herbs.
Every year I try a few new "exotic" varieties, sometimes they do well, sometimes not so much but we have the space to give it a shot and I don't get upset if the weird rainbow colored squash vine takes up an entire planting box and produce 2 hard inedible vegetables.  

My goal this year is to produce at least half of our fruit and vegetable needs, which may be tough since we eat so much of them, but I'm going to do everything I can to give my family the best food possible.  I'm encouraging all of my friends, family and clients to plant something edible this spring, just one fruit tree or a few vegetable plants can make a huge difference in your family's health.  And once you've had a home grown tomato, you'll never want one from the grocery store again.

Another helpful site....

LSU Ag Center's Vegetable Planting Guide- http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/lawn_garden/home_gardening/vegetables/home_garden_crops/Louisiana+Vegetable+Planting+Guide.htm

Happy Spring Planting!!!

Mardi Gras Madness

It's carnival time here in Louisiana. Mardi Gras Balls, parades and parties are in full swing.  With all the celebration comes king cakes, gumbo, jambalaya, poboys and more soul foods that us southerners are known for.  Unfortunately, us southerners are also known for our expanding waist lines.  Yep, I said it, we're getting bigger and less active here in the Gulf region.
Don't get me wrong, you won't see me pass up a slice of Randazzo's cream cheese filled king cake or some grilled oysters with a lemon butter sauce.  However, there are lots of ways to celebrate without having to invest in a new, larger spring wardrobe.  Here's a few...

Commit to your exercise- My group fitness classes get a big pop with New Year's resolutions, but the biggest increase in gym participants and personal training comes soon after Fat Tuesday when all of a sudden we realize that we've eaten our way through half of New Orleans and warm weather is only weeks away.  Start now and/or be diligent through the season.  A bonus of exercising through the holiday is having more energy to score the big beads :)

Run with the party crowd- The race season starts now.  5K, 10K and 1 mile fun runs can be found locally just about every weekend.  These can be really fun for the whole family or make a day of it with friends.  Especially, this time of year, races include live bands and fun post-race activities.  If you've never participated in one of these races, have no fear...you can do it!  It is perfectly acceptable to walk, jog, run or any combination to reach the finish line.  A lot of "racers" are there for the sheer fun of it, they deck out in great costumes, decorate jogging strollers and more.  So grab some friends, throw the kids in a wagon and go for a brisk walk with a thousand of your neighbors.  Check out http://runningintheusa.com/race/List.aspx?State=LA for local races and registration info or visit your local sporting goods store.

Prepare for hungry masses- Whether your hosting festivities or just taking the family to a local parade, prepare good munchies and pack lots of water.  You don't have to deprive yourself of all treats but starting with healthy snacks will keep you and the kiddos from ravaging something on a stick.

Yeah, yeah, you know all this stuff already...The real reason for this post is my health"ier" King Cake recipe, which I have coined my "Queen Cake" recipe.  It's a bit labor intensive since it's made totally from scratch, but totally worth it.

For the Dough
1/2 cup almond milk (you can use cow's milk if you must, but try the almond, it's sweeter and healthier)
2 T. butter (ahhhhh! butter! Relax, it's very little, but you could sub olive oil or applesauce)
1 pkg active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water
1/4 cup pure cane or raw sugar
1 egg or 2 egg whites
1/4 tsp. finely ground sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 3/4 cups whole wheat or gluten free flour

1. Scald milk. Remove from heat and add butter (or oil).  Allow to cool to room temperature
2. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water with 1/2 tsp sugar.  Set aside until creamy
3. Once yeast is bubbly, add cooled milk mixture.  Whisk in eggs.
4. Stir in remaining sugar, salt and nutmeg.  Beat flour in 1 cup at a time.
5. When dough becomes stiff, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead until smooth and elastic.
6. Lightly oil a large bowl.  Place dough in bowl, roll to lightly oil all sides.  Cover with plastic wrap and let    rise in a warm place for 2 hours or until doubled in size.

In the meantime....
For the Filling
1/2 cup pure cane or raw sugar
1/2 T. ground cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds *optional*
1/4 cup whole wheat or gluten free flour
1/4 cup currants, raisins or dried cranberries
1/4 cup applesauce
1 plastic baby or token

1. Combine all dry ingredients.  Pour applesauce over mixture and stir till combined.

Once the dough has risen...
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Lightly oil a large cookie sheet
3.Turn out dough on wax paper.  Roll into a large rectangle approx. 1/4 inch thick.
4. Spread filling evenly along one long edge then use the wax paper to roll dough like a jelly roll.  Bring the ends together to form an oval.
5. Place ring on oiled cookie sheet.  Make slits 1/3 of the way through the dough every inch.
6. Let ring rise 30 minutes
7. Bake for 25 minutes.

For the Icing
This ones up to you.  I like to drizzle the top of the cake with 1/4 cup local honey then sprinkle with dried fruits like golden raisins and cranberries then decorate with beads and other festive, non-edibles.  You could sprinkle with colored sugar or make a powdered sugar icing.

*Don't forget the baby!  Push the baby or token in from the bottom of the cake while it's still warm.

TIPS-
*Feel free to double, triple or quadruple this recipe to make multiple cakes at a time.  You could even freeze the uncooked cake for a later date...just be sure to defrost completely before baking.

*Even if you're not following a gluten free diet, a rice flour or almond flour will be closer in texture to a typical King Cake, as the whole wheat flour is denser and has a darker color.

*The texture of this cake is more like a scone than a doghnut or cinnamon roll, but still supper yummy!

HAPPY MARDI GRAS!!!