This is most likely the easiest recipe I’ve ever published! Yet it sounds like, and the result looks like, the most exotic one. The hardest part is actually just slicing the babka itself!

The first few pieces of Babka French Toast that I ever made. Notice how flat and crispy they are. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one at the top of this recipe.

The impetus for this recipe was that I recently bought way too much babka for Rosh Hashanah. So I tried to figure out something different to do with it, other than just eat it plain. And, being the laziest person on earth, I wanted it to be easy. And then it hit me—Babka French Toast! I know that’s not conventional, but when have I ever been? But I was convinced it would work. And it totally did! (With a bit of experimenting, I have to admit.)

I wanted to give you the recipe today because Yom Kippur, the highest Jewish holiday, begins tonight; it’s when many of my people fast for about twenty-five hours. So this is good to keep in mind for Sunday’s brunch, when it will taste especially delicious.

Of course, babka has been most readily available during these Jewish holidays, but you can always find it somewhere, especially in bakeries. (No worries if you’re not a fan of chocolate—babka also comes in cinnamon, apple, cinnamon raisin, and sweet cheese varieties at certain places. Or you can bake one yourself, although I’ll never be coming up with a recipe for one of those!)

This is four different sizes of the Babka French Toast pieces just about done frying, all crispy and delicious! Photo by Karen Salkin.

Making Babka French Toast takes a bit longer than usual French toast, because of the hard-to-slice-properly nature of the confection, and keeping it on the fire longer than usual so that it gets nice and crispy. (Trust me—you don’t want “fluffy” with this one—you definitely want flat and crispy!)

But it’s worth the bit of extra time. Mr. X has only loved one of my creations more—my English trifle. But he’s eaten this recipe five or six times recently, declaring it “absolutely delicious” each time. (And by the way, Mr. X, who’s not of my ethnic persuasion—but has often played a Jewish guy on TV, so that fools people—doesn’t even like babka! But he went nuts over this brunch dish!)

This makes 8 slices of delish French Toast. And, as usual with my recipes, you do have a few choices on the ingredients. Let’s get to it.

I used Kosher salt because that’s always best for baking, which this is akin to.

CHOCOLATE CHIP BABKA FRENCH TOAST

INGREDIENTS:

The 1 staple:

8 not-too-thick slices of the babka loaf [Note: It has a tendency to crumble, so don’t make it too thin, either.]

All the ingredients. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Choices:
1/2 cup any kind of milk (I used almond milk a few times and soy milk a couple of others, just because those are the varieties I had on hand at the time)

eggs: either 2 large ones or 1/3 cup of liquid egg whites, (which is what I used)

1/4 tsp. any kind of salt, except for a savory variety, such as seasoned. (But Kosher salt is usually best for anything akin to baking.) Just don’t overdo it!

frying pan lube (I always use canola oil spray, but you can use a different oil spray or 2-3 tablespoons of unsalted butter per every 2 slices, if you prefer)

METHOD:

The basic babka soaking in the liquid mixture. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Combine the eggs, milk, and salt in a flat enough dish to soak 2 slices in, but with sides to keep the liquid in it

And then, just soak the slices, 1 or 2 at a time. Do both sides, but not for long. Use a spoon to the get the mixture into all the little crevices that babka features.

Put a big frying pan on medium heat, and either spray the oil or melt the butter.

Then just fry the soaked babka as you would any French toast! But make sure to keep squishing them down, on both sides, as you go along, to make sure the liquid is burned out of the slices, (otherwise they’ll be very soggy in the middle,) and they get as crispy as possible. They’re so much more delish that way!

The babka starting to fry. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Unless you have a gigantic pan, fry only 2 normal size slices at a time, or 4 smaller ones. (Don’t use a griddle if you’re using butter because it will drip off the sides, of course.)

PRESENTATION:

You can always top it with powdered sugar to make it look a bit prettier or professional, but really—as Mr. X says to me when I don’t know whether or not to add more make-up to my look—no need to gild the lily.

I eat mine with whipped cream, while Mr. X likes his either plain or with just a bit of maple syrup. We added raspberries on top one day, and that made the Babka French Toast even more fun. (The finished product is in the pic at the top of this recipe. Photo by Karen Salkin.)

And that’s it! Easy-peezy.

If you’re of my ethnic persuasion, I wish you an easy fast tonight and tomorrow. (And then this delicious brunch the next morning!)

After the long holiday week-end of what I’m assuming was excess for most of us, (at least it was for Mr. X and me—chili dogs and chocolate-covered churros, anybody?,) I figure we all need something better to eat right about now. So it’s the perfect time for me to share my recipe for this delicious, easy enough, and predominantly healthful meal.

Just-out-of-the-oven Crunchy Baked Oatmeal. Photo by Karen Salkin.

I’ve tried making this fun brunch dish several different ways, all with pretty much the same high amount of success. So I’m, as usual, telling it to you the way Mr. X and I like it best, with many choices for your own preferences along the way. (I usually like exact directions, but in this case, some of the flexible ingredients are all up to you!)

This is actually a really easy dish to make—the only time-consuming chores are chopping the nuts, apple, and carrot.

It’s one you should experiment for yourselves. You don’t even really taste the carrots and apples, but they’re basically necessary to help hold it all together. So please don’t let dislike of those two ingredients stop you. (Mr. X really doesn’t like carrots, but he loves, loves, loves this dish!)

But please do experiment with different amounts of everything else, depending on if you like it harder or a bit more liquidy, sweeter or more savory, coconut-y or not, etc.

After trying sooo many different iterations of this recipe, this is the one that works best for Mr. X and me. You can always share your own adjustments in the Comment below.

CRUNCHY BAKED OATMEAL

INGREDIENTS

All the ingredients. Photo by Karen Salkin.

FIRST GROUPING

1 and 1/2 cups any type of milk (It’s really just for the wetness, but I prefer almond milk, for the health value.)

½ cup orange juice

1/3 cup liquid egg whites (But 1 large egg will do just as well.)

3/4 cup maple syrup (I prefer the real thing, but even an inexpensive “imitation” one will do. I often use sugar-free, to ensure the dish is 100% healthful. If you’re not a fan of maple flavor, excellent alternatives are honey or agave syrup, and even any type of sugar will do. But I heavily suggest maple syrup. And adjust the amount for how sweet you like the dish.)

3 tbsp. melted margarine or butter (Unsalted is best, but if you have only salted on hand, try leaving out the salt itself.)

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt (The big grains of kosher salt are best for this recipe, but if all you have is regular salt, go for it.)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract [Note: Measure the above three non-liquid ingredients first, so you can use the same teaspoon for all four.]

SECOND GROUPING

2 ½ cups old-fashioned oats

Chopped/ready ingredients. Photo by Karen Salkin.

1 cup chopped apple (About 1 medium)

1 cup chopped carrot (I use 8 or 9 fat baby ones, but if you have only normal sized ones, try using 1 large one)

½ cup crasins (Or raisins, if you prefer)

½ cup chopped nuts (Walnuts are best for health purposes, but you can use whichever you like best—pecans are my second choice)

½ cup shredded coconut

TOPPING

Just a bit more chopped nuts. Actually, whole or halves make it look better, especially if it’s for company.

DIRECTIONS

Most cooking and baking directions say to pre-heat the oven first, but I never do, until I have the dish ready to go in. You never know if a phone will ring, or if you’ll have to run out and buy an ingredient or two in the middle of the preparation, or the kids will need you—who knows. So waiting a few extra minutes is nothing compared to how bad it would be if you left it on during an emergency. But in this case, set the oven to 375° when the mixture is ready to go.

Mixing the liquid ingredients. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Spray an 8×8 baking dish with pan spray.

In a big bowl, mix together the milk, orange juice, maple syrup, egg, melted butter, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, and vanilla. [Note: Sometimes the melted butter gets a tad hard when it’s mixed in with all the liquid ingredients, but it’s okay. Just break it up a bit; it will melt again in the oven.]

Then add the oats, apple, carrot, raisins, nuts, and coconut, and mix it all up.

Ready to go in the oven; it just needs to be topped with whole or halved nuts first. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Pour it into the oiled-up baking dish and top it with more nuts, whole or halved look best, but chopped will do, of course.

Bake for about forty-five minutes, until the top is as dark as you like it. We sometimes put it under the boiler for a minute or two, but keep your eye on it if you do that, as well.

It’s best served warm, so go for it in a few minutes.

NOTES

A serving of the Crunchy Baked Oatmeal, with liquid whipping cream poured on top. Yum! Photo by Karen Salkin.

For maximum deliciousness, (though it pretty much negates the healthfulness of the dish,) I pour liquid whipping cream all over my bowl of it. Whipped cream is a festive second choice. If it’s not sweet enough for you, you can always add more maple syrup to your own serving. (And then remember to adjust the recipe to your own liking next time.)

On re-heating: This recipe makes about four good servings. So if you have any left over, just put it in the fridge, and microwave the next day. The top won’t be crispy anymore, but it will be almost as delish.

The basic hand-chopper. Photo by Karen Salkin.

About chopping: I hate chopping, but for this recipe, I just cut up the carrots and apples and then chop them in a hand chopping jar. I do the nuts first, so they don’t get wet, then the carrots, then apples. Make sure not to pulverize any of it—you want the ingredients a bit piece-y. [Note: You can grate the carrots and apples instead of chopping if you’d rather not taste them in there, but I prefer to chop because we love the little crunches.]

E-word note: As many of you know by now, I detest everything about what I refer to as “e-words,” so that’s the moniker I use for the things chickens lay. I can’t even say it or hear the word. But, since this is a recipe, I didn’t want any of it to be confusing for INAM newbies, so I bucked-up and channeled being a grown-up to write the whole word out for you. You’re welcome.

Now go make this Baked Oatmeal already and enjoy!

To counteract all the recent sadness in the world, (especially in the celebrity deaths category—oh my!,) I figured I’d brighten the mood a little with this recipe I came up with in the last month; it’s a delightful bit-out-of-the-norm brunch treat. I thought of saving it for the next National French Toast Day, but that’s not until November, and I didn’t want you to have to wait that long to try it. Plus, I figured that you might still have some leftover eggnog that you’re wondering what to do with, (that stuff is good for a loooong time!,) or that you may be able to find it on sale at this time of year.

The basic finished dish, before I adorned it with whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Even Mr. X loved this dish! He said it was beyond restaurant quality–he deemed it to be as excellent as the fare at our absolute favorite breakfast place of all time! I cannot tell you what a compliment to this recipe that is.

And it’s quick and easy, to boot. The only slightly time-consuming activity is waiting for the actual French toast to brown on both sides, so it’s a tad difficult to make several servings at one time, (unless you have a giant griddle, of course.)

The full recipe is not one I’ve seen anywhere else; I had to just basically brainstorm it. Here’s the background of why I chose to do this recipe now: I wanted to buy eggnog for the recent holidays, but I knew that Mr. X and I just take a couple of sips, leaving most of it to go to waste. I had already experimented with Eggnog French Toast years ago, so I figured this was the time to perfect it, (which I did.) Using eggnog eliminates all the mixing together of the liquid that you dip the bread in, therefore making this a super easy dish.

The delicious completed Artisan French Toast with Orange Syrup. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one at the top of the page.

But then I had to figure-out exactly what kind of bread to use, and I knew that I wanted to top it with something special, (even though Eggnog French Toast is special enough on its own.) At the same time, I had been trying to figure-out what to do with all the little oranges that Mr. X and I keep buying and wasting. So I did a lot of research on how to make them into some form of topping that would go with the bready dish, and combined a few into one perfect one. And voila—here we are! So let’s get to it already.

ARTISAN EGGNOG FRENCH TOAST WITH ORANGE SYRUP

INGREDIENTS

FRENCH TOAST ITSELF (It’s only two ingredients!!! How easy is that???)

Artisan bread. Photo by Karen Salkin.

I chose artisan bread, (which is kind of a light beige thick bread,) because I like thicker bread for my French toast; I eschew sogginess. But you can use any bread; some might change the flavor a bit, but I’m sure it’s all good.

One container of eggnog, even the “lite” variety, new or leftover

ORANGE SYRUP

3/4 cup granulated sugar (I think Stevia or the like will be fine, as well.)

1/2 cup orange juice, fresh or otherwise. (Just make sure it’s real orange juice, and not some blend.)

2 tablespoons butter or margarine (I think unsalted might be best, but it’s such a small amount that it really doesn’t matter. I used salted margarine, and the recipe was perfection.)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste (Even imitation is fine. I used Mexican Vanilla Blend.)

Several mid-size oranges; the number depends on how many slices you’re making, how big the oranges are, and how much you love oranges! (And how many you want to use up!) For ten slices, which is five servings, I used four clementines. But I could have gone with even more because we love them!!!

DIRECTIONS

Before anything else, peel your oranges, separate the segments, and remove as much pith (the white stringy stuff) as possible from the pieces.

Then make your syrup, and let it just simmer while you start the French toast.

ORANGE SYRUP

The finished “syrup.” Photo by Karen Salkin.

Mix the sugar and orange juice a bit in a medium frying or sauté pan over high heat for about two minutes, until it combined well, but don’t really stir it, except a bit at the start.

Then mix in the butter and vanilla extract until the butter is melted.

Stir in the oranges, and…that is it!

Let the mixture simmer on low heat while you ready the toast. If it starts bubbling, just turn it off, but leave it on the burner—it’s hot enough at that point.

FRENCH TOAST

Just the already-spiced eggnog poured into the perfect size vessel. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Pour some eggnog into a flat dish, big enough on the bottom to accommodate one slice of bread. The amount of liquid depends on how many slices of toast you’re cooking. Remember—you can always add more nog if needed.

Then toast your bread. Do not skip this step! It’s my little invention to make super-sure it does not come out soggy in the end.

Then gently dip it into the eggnog for just a few seconds, covering both sides and using a spoon to make sure the sides of the crust are covered, as well. But do not let it linger in there!

Quickly put it in a hot frying pan or on a griddle, which has been oil-sprayed and already on medium heat. I used a pan that accommodated two slices at once, so I could serve them together. Make sure to brown both sides well, with several turns if necessary.

How crispy I make the individual pieces of French toast. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Put two slices on a plate, spoon the syrup over them, remembering to include lots of oranges, and serve.

I topped it all with store-bought whipped cream, and to make it that much more fun, I topped that with rainbow sprinkles, which always enlivens everything!

Happy French Toast-ing!

[Note: Yes, for those of you who noticed and are shocked, I did write the real word instead of my usual “e-word.” It actually did make me a bit sick each time, but since it was just part of the word, as the beginning of “nog,” it was a tad easier for me. But I had to make the sacrifice so you would know what I’m talking about!!!]

In the past year and a half, due to the pandemic, I had to learn how to cook! Will wonders never cease? And, according to the very picky Mr. X, I’ve become pretty good at it, (an assessment I unabashedly agree with.)

The final stage of the sauce. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one at the top of this article.

So, to get you all ready for National Pasta Day this Sunday, I’m sharing another one of my recipes with you. (You can find the rest of my creations in the Recipe section of this e-zine, and if you’re looking for a vegetarian way to celebrate the day, here’s the link to my one for the most delicious Checca ever: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/recipe-karens-checca-pasta-recipe-with-a-lot-of-choices.)

My also-delicious Turkey Bolognese is a mash-up of a few other recipes I’ve seen for the dish over the years, refined by some of my own innovations, making it the perfect pasta dish. I’m sure it would also be excellent with ground beef in place of turkey, but after I had my mini-stroke six years ago, (the anniversary of which is also this Sunday, by the way,) I was told to not eat red meat anymore, so it’s been chicken and turkey and pork for me since then. (Sorry to my vegetarian readers, but there’s no way to make Bolognese without meat, unless you use the fake stuff, and in that case, I cannot guarantee how tasty that will be.)

Okay, here goes:

TURKEY BOLOGNESE

INGREDIENTS

1 pound of any kind of pasta, but penne, rigatoni, or rotini work best. (Do not use angel hair, though—the sauce will overwhelm it.)

1 pound ground turkey, the leaner the better. (I use 97% lean.)

The chopped veggies. (The celery and carrots are together in one bowl, as they will be for eternity!) Photo by Karen Salkin.

1 regular-size white or yellow onion

1 normal-sized carrot or 7-9 baby ones

1-2 stalks of celery, depending on how much you have to cut off the ends

4 cloves of garlic

2 15-ounce cans of plain tomato (or spaghetti) sauce. (If you make your own sauce, even better, I’m sure.)

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Salt and black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Karen Salkin finely chopping the carrots. (You know she’s really working hard by the lack of nail polish!) Photo by Mr. X.

First, chop all your vegetables. I always feel more is more in this recipe because it gives it more crunch, and…it makes the dish more healthful. So more veggies is always a win-win! Chop the onion normally, finely chop the celery and carrot(s), (if you’re using a big carrot, peel it first, which is why I use baby carrots!,) chop the basil leaves a bit, (unless you just tear them up as you pick them off the plant,) and mince the garlic. (If you hate mincing as much as I do, no worries–it does not have to be perfect.)

When that’s done, get cooking!

Heat the oil for a few seconds over medium heat in a frying pan that’s large enough to accommodate everything except the pasta. (If you have one large enough for that, too, go ahead and use it if you like.)

All four chopped veggies, (except for the basil,) sautéing. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Then add the onion and garlic and sauté for five minutes.

Next add the chopped carrots and celery, and sauté another five minutes.

This is the only tricky part: Make sure the ground turkey is fully defrosted if it had been frozen. [Note: If it ever smells funny once defrosted, just throw it away. If you’ve already started the sauce, just go with it as vegan.] It’s best to break the turkey up a little before adding it to the pan; that will make it easier to break-up more once you add it. So add it to the cooking veggies and break it all up into small “pieces.” Cook it until it’s all brown, with no pink meat left.

The turkey having been chopped up a bit and added to the pan. (Remember–turkey is a while meat.) Photo by Karen Salkin.

When it’s all browned sufficiently, drain the grease off. Yes, some of that liquid will be olive oil, but it’s best to have as little fat as possible left, so some of the oil will have to be sacrificed. It’s for the greater good! [Notes: I use a splatter screen and drain it into the flat container the turkey came in, but some of you old cooking pros may have a better method. And remember to shut the burner while you do this, please, to avoid disasters such as fires and burns. And, just as importantly, remember to turn it back on a minute later, when you’re heating the sauce!!!]

Then add the two cans of tomato sauce, and decrease the heat to medium-low. Simmer for at least fifteen minutes, stirring often. (I leave the splatter screen over the top loosely.)

While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. [Note: You don’t want the pasta to be done before the sauce, while, conversely, the sauce can simmer longer than fifteen minutes.]

The finished product, mixed together in the big pasta pot. Photo by Karen Salkin.

When both components are ready, stir the chopped basil leaves into the sauce, add a bit of salt and pepper, as you like it. But remember to not over salt—the pasta should have some, as well, and you can always add more when you eat it, but, of course, you cannot subtract any!

When both sauce and pasta are ready, drain the pasta, (do not rinse!!!,) and put it back in the pot. Pour the sauce over it and mix well. (Alternatively, if your pan is big enough, you can add the pasta right into the sauce.)

And that’s it! I eat mine as is while Mr. X always sprinkles parmigiana cheese over the top. Either way is perfection, (if I do say so myself.) (That’s Mr. X’s bowl on the right, in the pic at the top of this page.)

You can enjoy this recipe any time, of course, but I hope this helps you to have a Happy National Pasta Day on Sunday. Mangia!

I was going to pass on paying tribute to this particular National Day, because I’ve already shared my magical Strawberries and Cream recipe in previous columns, (usually ones about Wimbledon,) but then I remembered that this e-zine happily gets new readers all the time, so here we are.

I’ll give you the whole very-detailed-but-incredibly-easy recipe again in a minute, but first let me reveal a couple of other ways to celebrate National Strawberries and Cream Day.

A version of Bavarian Cream Jello.

If, like me, you have some crazy eating rules, (like my loving cherries, but hating cherry-flavored items, or in this case for some of you, conversely loving strawberry-flavored items, but not actual strawberries,) here’s the link to a different strawberries and cream dessert you can enjoy today, with nary a real strawberry anywhere in it: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/recipe-bavarian-cream-jello.

It’s my famous Bavarian Cream Jello recipe, made with strawberry Jello, of course! I’ve been whipping it up since I was a little girl, and people have always loved it. But why is it famous, you ask?  Because I actually “cooked” it on TV! Back in the day, when I was doing my cable television show, Karen’s Restaurant Revue, I had the fun and privilege to cook on a few TV shows, but the most memorable one to me was doing this Jello dish. (The whole story is in my article with the actual recipe, so, if you’re curious, you can read it there.)

Strawberries being tested for worms. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Secondly, before you do anything with strawberries today, you may like to view my educational experiment from last summer, when word was going around that all strawberries contain little white worms. Since I had just bought a batch of the red berries for my annual Strawberries and Cream consuming, I was understandably concerned about the situation. Here’s how my foray into food science went: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmhsAI5f16U&t=3s.

And now, finally, it’s time for the main event—my Strawberries and Cream recipe! So that you don’t have to take even one second to look it up in my archives to the right of this page, and to welcome all my new readers, I’m going to give it to you in full again.

The amounts are for two to three servings. Yes, you can eat it all at one time, but please keep in mind how caloric it is, because of the cream and sugar.

So, this is what you do for the most delicious dish you’ve ever tasted!:

Getting ready to put it all together and enjoy. (This is how low an entire basket of strawberries should be in its overnight container.) Photo by Karen Salkin.

Buy just one regular-size container of ripe strawberries, no matter how small it looks at the store.

The night before you plan to enjoy this delicacy, rinse all the berries in cold water, and then core the green stem and attached white innards. (I actually own a strawberry huller that does that job, but a very small knife should do fine, as long as you’re careful.) After the coring, I rinse them in cool water again, just to be safe. (I refer you again to my worm-possibility video.)

Cut each berry into about four pieces, and don’t wipe up the red liquid that’s accumulating on the chopping board.

As you go along, place the cut strawberries and residual juice into a tall, thin-ish cylindrical container, (about the height of a spaghetti holder, but a bit wider,) preferably plastic, but glass should be all right, as well. (The pieces will be closer to the bottom than to the top.)

An individual dish of strawberries before the heavenly cream is added. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Next comes the only real thinking part, because I don’t measure any of the components of this recipe. I add twenty-to-twenty-four packets of Sugar In The Raw, which is the only sweetener I can vouch for to use in this recipe. I have a feeling it will work well enough with white sugar or maybe even Stevia, but not brown sugar—that will give it a different taste. There’s really no way to tell if you need more or less right away, because it has to marinate overnight. So, the first time you make this concoction, you won’t have an exact measure for your taste. But it’s better to make it less sweet from the get-go because you can always add some to your bowl in the morning, although it won’t taste exactly the same as it would if marinated overnight with the rest of the batch. [Note: Twenty-four sugar packets equals one cup, which is waaaay easier than opening all those tiny wrappers!]

Then gently stir it all around a bit. I find a long plastic chopstick works best for this task, but a thin wooden spoon, or a long “milkshake” one, will work, too. Cover the container, either with its real cover or just a piece of plastic wrap secured with a rubber band, and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Add this much cream to the dish, and start swirling! Photo by Karen Salkin.

When you’re about to eat it the next day, just stir it gently again, and then get ready to delight in the best concoction in the whole world!

This is the process to put it all together for optimum enjoyment: Pour some of the berry mixture into a low shallow small bowl. I love a medium-sized glass Pyrex sherbet-type dish. Make sure you get half berries and half berry “juice.”

Next comes the best part: very slowly pour in heavy whipping cream. No other kind of cream will do!!! (I buy one pint for one container of strawberries, and usually even have a tad leftover!) And then sit back and feel your mouth water as you see it all swirl together. (I’m having trouble getting through writing this without drooling on the keyboard, as a matter of fact.) Continue swirling and then savor small spoonfuls and enjoy!!!

The overhead view of the strawberries and cream starting to be swirled together. (I’m sure your mouth is watering right now!) Photo by Karen Salkin.

You can enjoy this deliciousness anytime, especially as a luxurious summer breakfast, or a classy poolside snack. But with today being National Strawberries and Cream Day, there’s no better time for this delicacy, right?

I allow myself to have this supreme treat only once a year, while watching Breakfast At Wimbledon, (which is the moniker of those famous tennis Finals,) because it’s soooo calorie-laden. But now that I know about this special day, I plan to have it today, as well. (Believe me—I could eat Strawberries and Cream every day!!!)

I hope you’ll all love this beautiful refreshment as much as I do. And Happy National Strawberries and Cream Day, everybody!

I invented Asparagus Stix quite by accident. The first time I attempted to cook asparagus, (which was during the pandemic, because I rarely ever cooked anything before it, except for, as Mr. X says, “big spreads” for parties,) I actually messed-up the delicate spears, big time! It’s supposed to be so easy to cook asparagus, so how could I possibly have done that? They looked like none I’d ever seen anywhere before!

The finished product! Delish Asparagus Stix! Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one at the top of this page.

But we tried them, anyway, and…they were soooo delicious! Crispy and perfectly salty. The next time I made asparagus, I did it the correct way—plump and tender. But Mr. X asked where the ones we had the first time were!

That’s when I realized I had to cook them my own way. And now, after many other perfect batches of Asparagus Stix, (a title I coined,) I knew I had to share my uber-simple “recipe” with you! (And just in time for Thanksgiving next week, to boot!)

I put “recipe” in quotes because it involves so few steps. But, in case, like I do, you need people to talk to you like you’re a blonde, I’m giving you every second of my process. (If you don’t need all that, here’s my big secret in one simple phrase—burn, baby, burn!)

ASPARAGUS STIX “RECIPE”

What a pack of skinny asparagus looks like. Those light-colored bottoms are what you either snap or cut off. Photo by Karen Salkin.

~ I buy four “packs” of skinny* asparagus at a time, for just one meal for the two of us. They can last in the fridge for a week or so before I cook them, if need be. (But it’s always better to use them within a few days.) *[Skinny asparagus: This is not the thick kind you find in most supermarkets.  You can usually find it in thrift food stores, or sometimes in ethnic ones. Or Farmer’s Markets. You can still make the Stix with that thicker, probably higher quality, kind of asparagus, but we like it better with the thin spears. They get really crispy when done the right way.]

~ If you’ve never cooked asparagus before, you’ll need to know this part, which I just learned myself: snap off the bottoms! You’ll feel the natural break in each spear. But watch-out—it’s addicting! Even Mr. X likes to do that part! (But do not despair if they don’t snap at first. This happened to us just once, possibly because they were so fresh that time. If need be, just lop off those rough bottoms with a sharp knife, and continue from there. After you do that, they may actually still snap a bit more as you go along in the process.) For this recipe, it doesn’t matter if the spears get really short, so don’t panic.)

The first layer, with the foil “lip” at the top edge. Photo by Karen Salkin.

~ Rinse them off. I wash one pack at a time, really well. I use tepid water, since I’m a germaphobe and am cooking them right away, but cold is probably fine, as well.

~ Cover a big cookie sheet with tin foil, and fashion a little “lip” on all sides.

~ Arrange the spears in rows on the sheet. Try to not overcrowd them, but, if you use a quartet of bunches, as I do, they will overlap a bit. Just do your best. (They shrink as they cook.)

~ Do a bit more than a sprinkle of olive oil over the lot of them; the better quality oil, the better the taste. But you do not want to drench the spears, or you will be smelling burning oil for a long time to come. (This is also the reason for the tin foil “lip,” so that the oil doesn’t spill down all over the oven.)

All four bunches of asparagus, cut, rinsed, and ready to go in the over. Photo by Karen Salkin.

~ Then sprinkle Kosher salt all over the spears. I suggest you do it from your hand, rather than the salt container, to control it better. The amount depends on how much you like salt.  Start with less than you think, just in case.

~ Here’s the one tricky part: Most asparagus recipes suggest you use a 400 degree oven for about a half hour. But, they’ll be fine if you have to cook them with another dish that requires a higher or lower temp. You just have to adjust the time and keep an eye on them. (But remember—you are trying to crisp them up.) I usually wind-up cooking them for about an hour, whether I use 350 degrees or 425!

~ No matter which temperature you use, take the tray out in the middle of your timing, and gently turn the spears, or just move them around a bit, so they each get enough oil and salt. They will be much, much smaller than when you put them in, so don’t freak.

What they look like halfway through cooking. Photo by Karen Salkin.

~ Do not go by what you, or anyone else, thinks the time should be. Just when they look crispy enough to your liking, take them out of the oven and try to keep your hands off them before you can serve them to everyone else! Even the little ones that look burnt are delicious!

You know how people usually serve vegetables as a side dish? Well, I find myself making the main dishes, (like chicken, turkey meatballs, and cornbread casserole,) as just an excuse to also make the asparagus! What a turn-around for me! [Note: The pic at the top of this page is Asparagus Stix as my favorite part of a very healthful meal!]

Why not try-out my Asparagus Stix later this month for Thanksgiving? At least you know you’ll have one fun dish that day!  Just let your guests know that you made them this way on purpose because, trust me, they are not an Instagram-worthy visual! [If you do make it, please let me know your results in the Comments section below. No judgement from me, no matter how they turn-out.]

Happy crunching!

Tomorrow is National Guacamole Day and I figured I should give you a heads-up for it by sharing my excellent and very easy recipe for the delicious dish, so you’ll be all ready to celebrate! Am I right or am I right?

A serving of the festive finished product. Photo by Karen Salkin.

The weird thing is that I’m not a fan of avocados. But I do love me some good guacamole, which is a more recent development in the scheme of my life. Having grown-up in Brooklyn, I never even heard of the dish! Or the fruit. (Yes, avocado is a fruit, not a vegetable! Trust me, I know. After the recipes is the funny reason I learned that fact when I was in my twenties.)

About a year ago, I happened upon a recipe for guacamole, which I made once. And it was delish. I had forgotten all about it, since I didn’t often cook before the pandemic, but in the past six plus months in lockdown, I’ve had to make everything for Mr. X and me. (We had a delivery one time, and then did drive-thrus and pick-ups the few times we left the house for the market. Other than that, every single dish has been made by yours truly. I could work in a restaurant at this point!)

So, without wanting to risk my life by running to a store whenever I need an ingredient or two, I’ve had to adjust all my recipes to fit what might be on hand. And in this case, the simpler one is equally delicious to the fancier one! Perhaps even better!

So, here are both my guacamole recipes, with the easier one first, (which is the way it always should be, in my opinion.)

KAREN’S BASIC EASY GUACAMOLE, TWO WAYS

INGREDIENTS FOR THE EASIER WAY

the “meat” of 3-5 medium avocados, (which means peeled with the pit removed)
juice of one lemon or lime, or just an equal amount of bottled lemon or lime juice
1/2 teaspoon any salt
1/2 medium onion, diced (any color, but red, really purple, are the most fun)
1/2 can of diced tomatoes, drained and cut up a bit more
1 clove garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS FOR THE EASIER WAY

All you need for the easy guacamole recipe. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Scoop the avocado pulp into a bowl, and mix with the lemon/ lime juice. Mash.

Add the salt.

Fold in the onions, tomatoes, and garlic.

Let it sit at room temperature for one hour before enjoying.

Okay, in case you’re desperate for the fancier way, here is that recipe. But, I swear, the easy one is the best guac I’ve ever had!

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FANCIER WAY

the “meat” of 3-5 medium avocados, (which means peeled with the pit removed)
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 medium onion, diced (any color, but red are the most fun)
1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
2 any kind of regular (not cherry) tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS FOR THE FANCIER WAY

The fancier recipe.

Place the scooped avocado pulp in a bowl.

Add the lime juice and gently toss to coat the avocado.

After all the avocados have been coated, drain the leftover juice and reserve it for later.

Add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash.

Fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic.

Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice.

Let it sit at room temperature for one hour before enjoying.

A plate of tomatoes and avocados.

Now, as promised above, here’s why I know the avocado classification. (It’s actually considered to be a berry! A large one, but a berry nonetheless.) In my twenties, I had a vegetarian roommate. At some point, she decided to be a fruitarian. (I know—that’s very odd.) All she would eat is fruit. Duh. So for variety, she feasted on tomatoes and avocados, which felt more like vegetarian offerings to her. She refused to listen to any of us who told her how unhealthy of a diet that was.  Then one day, an older British gent suitor of mine took her to lunch with us. And at one of the most famous, expensive, show business places, to boot. He was aghast when she ordered just a plate of tomatoes and avocados. As she explained her crazy fruitarian diet to him, he let out a loud hearty laugh. And then, to both my horror and pleasure, he bellowed, “So that’s why your skin is so bad!  Your diet is all acid!” That did it. It was just a couple of days until she gave up that nonsense. But I think of that episode every time I look at an avocado!

While Passover is still going on this year, I figure some of you might enjoy my recipe for something fun to do with your leftover matzah, (which you probably bought in bulk before all the sequestering, and now you’re stuck with it since you couldn’t host a seder last week.) And it’s such a good one that next year, you’ll buy extra matzah just to make my Tower of Matzah with!

What the finished Tower of Matzahs should look like. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one at the top of this page.

First, here’s the background on the whole saga:

Sometime in the past few years, I noticed a recipe someplace for an interesting dessert using matzahs. So I bought a box of whole wheat ones last year, but never got around to making it.

So now, in these times of being stuck in the house, I’m trying to use all the foods I have on hand. I take the order to stay at home very seriously, (as we all should!) After a brief search, I found my box of year-old matzahs, (which were still good, by the way—the flatbreads themselves were still in the plastic covers in the sealed box,) but could not find the recipe.

So, after scouring the internet for a good dessert recipe using matzahs, I put several together myself to come up with this perfect no-bake one.

Just a small part of the mess I made while putting together my Tower of Matzahs! And those little bits are chopped almonds pieces, not dirt. Photo by Karen Salkin.

And let me tell you, making it with less-than-perfect ingredients felt like a disaster! My kitchen looked like several chocolate cream puffs had exploded.  But on I plugged, with the opposite of high hopes for it.

I made my Tower of Matzahs on the afternoon of the first night of Passover, for us to try-out after dinner. But the dinner I made was so filling, and surprisingly delish, that when Mr. X said to leave the dessert until the next day, I was more than happy to accommodate him. I did not want a failure after my dinner triumph.

So, it was with the greatest trepidation that I finally brought it out of my auxiliary refrigerator—I didn’t even want to look at it! But I was pleasantly surprised. I thought it looked exactly as it should—slightly crooked and with thick chocolate on top with some of it dripping down the sides. But I was so scared to try it—I had images of Mr. X spitting it into the garbage because of the year-old matzahs and wrong ingredients.

But—drum roll, please—it was absolutely delish!!! And filling! We’ve enjoyed one smallish slice each night since then. And it’s equally delicious every time.

So, without further ado, I’m giving you my recipe, with alternate ingredients at each juncture. It sounds sooo much more complicated than it is, trust me. If I can make it, with my limited ingredients and equipment, anyone can. (A special shout-out to one of my proofreaders, and Master Chef, Patty Rampino Marotta, for all the recipe and ingredient help, and encouragement!)

TOWER OF MATZAHS

INGREDIENTS

DRY INGREDIENTS

8-12 normal size matzahs

1/2 cup of chopped almonds (I have a feeling pistachios might be fun, as well.)

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM (which you should make first, before the ganache, if you’re using just one mixer)

As whipped as the half-and-half got! Photo by Karen Salkin.

*2 cups cold heavy cream  (Do not use half-and-half—it does not whip, no matter what the internet tells you! If that’s all you have, though, mix it with very softened, not hot melted butter, and try to whip it that way. Or mix it with whipped cream from a can and try to whip that mixture. But if you use that canned substance, lessen the sugar—just taste the cream first to determine how sweet it already is.)

1/4 cup powdered sugar. (Or Stevia. You need the consistency of powdered sugar, not granulated in any variety. I didn’t have powdered sugar, so I used Stevia because it’s also powdered, and it still tasted perfect—you would never taste that it’s not sugar.)

1 tsp. vanilla extract (If you’re an almond lover, and have almond extract on hand, that’s okay, too.)

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (But not more than that.)

Alternately, mix those last three ingredients into one 8-16 oz. tub of non-dairy whipped topping, and continue from there.

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup heavy cream (Half-and-half can be used for this part, very easily.)

THE ONLY PARTS YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY “MAKE”

What the top of one round of layers should look like, only with stiffer real whipped cream. (It all worked, even like this, though.) Photo by Karen Salkin.

First make/mix the whipped cream. Put the heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon into a large bowl, and then beat the mixture with a hand mixer until soft peaks form.  [Note: I used half-and-half, so it never got fully whipped. I just used it in the still-liquidy form for its part in the assembly. It looked awful, but still tasted great.]

Then make the chocolate ganache: Place chocolate chips in a large bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the heavy cream (or half-and-half) to a simmer, (meaning—don’t let it boil,) and then immediately pour it over the chocolate chips. Let it sit for about ten minutes, then beat with the hand-mixer or just manually whisk it until most of the chocolate chips have melted. (I had some of the chips only half-melted, and they added a great bit of texture to the finished dessert. But if you like your ganache to be smooth, just make sure it is!)

HOW TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER

Put a drop of the chocolate ganache on a plate or platter big enough to hold the tower flat.

Then place one matzah on top of it. Spread some ganache on top of it, followed by the whipped cream. Then sprinkle some of the chopped almonds over that, making sure to distribute them out to the ends and not solely in the middle.

Then just follow suit with as many matzahs as you’re using for your tower. (I used ten.)

But do not put the whipped cream on the top matzah! Just use up the rest of the ganache and drip it down all the sides. And no worries—it’s supposed to look messy!!! (Because I say so!)

Sprinkle more almonds all over the top, in as artistic a manner as possible, and that is it!

What it should look like when you cut a piece. Sort-of like tiramisu, (but without the coffee I hate!) Photo by Karen Salkin.

Put it in the refrigerator for at least four hours, but even more will be great. The longer, the better. You want to be able to cut it easily with a knife and have the crackers be soft, not at all matzah-like.

If you have extra whipped cream, which has held up, serve it along with the Tower.

*Final note: Out of desperation, I did try to whip half-and-half, to not much avail. It did get a tad aerated, which is good, and I did manage to drizzle it over each layer of ganache. While it didn’t become an actual layer itself, that creamy mixture did add some flavor, necessary moisture, and creaminess to the final product. So just go for it, if it’s really all you have in that category.

And Happy Sweet Treating! (Let me know how it works-out for you in the comments section below.)

I’m about to share my recipe for the most healthful, most delicious pancakes ever! But first, I have two brief pancake stories, of course.

PANCAKE STORY ABOUT MY MOTHER

The finished, unadorned product! Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one at the top of the page.

When I was in New York visiting my little mo once, I announced that I was making her fresh blueberry pancakes. She said she was so excited about that! So I went out and bought the freshest blueberries to top them with, along with the most expensive whipped cream I could find. I even had to buy a frying pan for the occasion! (My non-cooking mother’s kitchen was not exactly chef-ready.)

I slaved over a hot stove, and then proudly presented Maybelle with the first pancake, topped with fresh blueberries and whipped cream. She oohed and aahed and declared it to be the most delicious thing she’d eaten in a long while. I was sooo proud of my culinary prowess. But then, as I was delivering her second pancake, I noticed that she hadn’t even eaten her first one at all, so what could she have possibly been raving about?!

It turned-out that she was basically using the pancake as a plate, and eating just the blueberries and whipped cream! I asked her why she was doing that, and she very calmly told me, “Oh, I don’t like pancakes.” Oysh.

PANCAKE STORY ABOUT CLARENCE

My much better pancake customer was my beloved Clarence, the Singing Dog. For the last few years of his life, he and I would have chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast every day. (No wonder I gained weight then! And no worries, dog lovers—Clar Dar did not get any of the chocolate!)

The second I got out of bed and walked into the kitchen, he’d come to the edge of it, all excited and banging the floor. We sang a pancake song as I made them, (remember—he was the famous singing dog on TV!,) and then he’d run ahead of me to the coffee table in front of the TV for our gourmet breakfast. I’d tear off tiny pieces of my pancake, and put them on a plate for him, with a bit of whipped cream, of course! And he would go nuts with happiness.

But the second he was done, he would flat-leave me, and go back to bed with Mr. X. And you know what? My pancake breakfast with my precious pup was the highlight of my day, every day! And his, too, of course.

Now, with those happy memories, I celebrate National Pancake Day with you, by sharing my most healthful breakfast recipe. I hope you love them as much as Clarence loved his.

RECIPE FOR BANANA-PEANUT BUTTER-CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES

The  way it should look for company. Photo by Karen Salkin.

This makes about nine pancakes, of varying sizes, (which are rarely pretty, so please be aware of that, and don’t curse the ones you make,) but I swear, it’s really perfect for just two hungry people who are not eating anything else for that breakfast or brunch. (Mr. X eats about six of these in one sitting, with no butter or syrup—just plain, while I eat three, drenched in whipped cream! With a big glass of skim milk. And sometimes we just leave them on a plate in the kitchen, and snack on pieces of them throughout the day, cold!) If you’re alone, just halve it.

And the third best part, (after their health value and deliciousness,) is—they are incredibly easy to whip up!!!

INGREDIENTS

These are all healthful, good for you ingredients. (Even dark chocolate chips!) There’s no added sugar, and not even any dairy! Yes, that is correct—these are made with no butter or milk. [Note #1: According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, e-words are not dairy!] [Note #2: You may be able to make them vegan by substituting applesauce for the e-words, but I’ve never tried that. I just think it will work.]

So here they are:

4 very ripe bananas

4 e-words, or the equivalent in e-word whites, (which is what I use, for extra health value.)

1 cup of quick oats (not to be confused with regular oatmeal; quick oats are different, but just as good for you. And you can get a canister of them at dollar stores!)

½ cup of peanut butter (I use chunky because I like that bit of extra crunch.)

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup dark, or semi-sweet, chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Mash the bananas.

Add in the e-words, the oats, and the salt, and mix well.

Mix in the peanut butter, and make sure to mix the whole thing really well. The batter will never be smooth, (nor should it be,) so don’t even try to make it such. It’s fine the way it is. Just make sure all the ingredients are blended enough.

Now mix in the chocolate chips, just so that they are distributed throughout.

Spray whatever pan you’re going to make the pancakes in with cooking spray. (Just make sure that it isn’t garlic-flavored!)

The batter just beginning to cook. Photo by Karen Salkin.

This is actually the only semi-hard part because this batter doesn’t stay together like regular pancake batter does. Whether you make one large pancake at a time in a frying pan, or two to three on a griddle, just make sure that each one is an easy-enough size to be able to turn over.

I put the batter in from a ladle, so I can control the size of all of them. You have to really watch them because they don’t bubble-up on one side as regular pancakes do.

When you think that one side is done, very—and I do mean very–carefully turn them over. I actually use two spatulas working in concert, to get it done without making too big a mess. (Just make sure your pancake turners are big enough to accommodate whatever size your pancakes are.)

The pancakes with one side done. Photo by Karen Salkin.

As soon as you turn them, kind-of push them down so that the inside gets cooked really well. You may see some raw parts on the now-exposed side, so if that is the case for yours, just turn them over one more time to get that little bit more done. And that’s it! You’re done!

And now just enjoy them. I promise you—you do not need butter or syrup on these. If you’re making them for company, I would put a couple of banana slices on top with a swirl of whipped cream and perhaps a sprinkle of chocolate chips or a drizzle of chocolate syrup. (Or caramel or marshmallow. You can experiment with toppings.) But that is it. You need nothing else except for a fork. (And, for me, a glass of cold milk!)

A note: If you’re not a chocolate or peanut butter lover, you can always make some modifications to the flavors in this recipe. But you must keep the basics for it to still be healthful. You can substitute blueberries for chocolate chips, and leave out the peanut butter. A tad of vanilla, cinnamon, or cocoa powder can be added. Experiment to your heart’s content. (And please let us know what worked for you, in the Comments section below.)

One last note: I cook-up the entire batch at once, and keep the plate of pancakes covered until the last one is done, so that Mr. X and I can eat together, as opposed to eating one at a time. They taste just as delicious a few minutes (or even hours) later, as they do fresh off the griddle.

Now enjoy! And Happy National Pancake Day!

Here’s yet another one of my own culinary creations, with no help from the internet, that’s for sure!!! And just in time for my birthday on Monday!

On Thanksgiving this year, Mr. X and I were going to the house of friends who not only own two restaurants, but also a catering company! So, of course, I never make any food to add to the festivities because they have it all pretty well covered.

We usually also go to them for Christmas, so for that occasion, I bring a goodie bag of fun gifts for the guys. But Thanksgiving is a different story. It’s more about the food and giving thanks, rather than giving gifts. So, this year, I really wanted to participate in the actual feast.

The Cotton Candy Cake, featuring its main components. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Knowing I could not possibly make any side dishes as good as theirs, I opted to make a dessert. There’s always room on a table for extra sweet treats, in my humble opinion, and I noticed that another guest had done so a time or two before, so I decided to go for it.

The only problem is that I forgot to think of what I was going to make until…after noon the day of! The dinner was called for 6PM (which is way too late for holiday meals, in my experience, but this time it worked in my favor because it gave me time to concoct something.) I knew it had to be special and festive, to fit the occasion. And I didn’t want to make a usual Thanksgiving dessert, like pumpkin or pecan pie, just in case someone else brought one.

And, at that point, I had no time to go shopping, so I had to go with what I had on hand. And, shockingly, I had two giant tubs of none other than…cotton candy! And what is more festive than blue and pink cotton candy??? The answer is…nothing.

Sidebar: Even though I’m not a fan of that basically all-sugar confection, it does hold a special place in my heart. When I was in the circus, after I did my star turn as The Divided Lady in the side show tent each afternoon and evening, I put on a vendor jacket and sold cotton candy in the Big Top!!! (I know—how versatile of me, right?) So even just looking at that pastel fluff brings back fun memories for me.

Now back to the story of this cake, followed by the easiest recipe ever!

Photo by Karen Salkin.

I have to admit that the end result did look like a gender reveal cake for someone who was having boy and girl twins, which is not at all a bad thing—it makes it truly a cake for all seasons. That versatility means that I had to share it at the beginning of this year, (and right before my own January 14th birthday, in case you didn’t get the first paragraph hint,) so you can use it whenever you need to. And whenever you have a plethora of cotton candy on hand!

So, armed with that festively sweet treat, and knowing that I always have boxed cake mixes in my pantry, I sat right down and searched the internet for easy recipes that featured those two ingredients. And, even after an hour and a half of searching, I found…nada. Nothing. Nil. Zilch.

Yes, there were several answers to the many different ways I asked for “easy recipes with boxed white cake and cotton candy,” but they were all very complicated, and most had sooooo many ingredients, some being things even a pastry chef doesn’t have at his or her fingertips!

With the clock ticking, I had to make an executive decision about what to do. And I knew the only solution was to come up with my very own recipe. And you know what? It was a raving success! It was not only delicious, and easy enough, but beautiful, as well. (And we all know that in Los Angeles, what’s on the outside may be even more important than what’s on the inside. Not my philosophy, but just sayin’.)

The dessert table. Okay, let’s be honest–which one looks like the most fun? Karen’s Cotton Candy Cake, of course! Photo by Karen Salkin.

One woman at the fete actually gasped when she laid eyes on it! She thought it looked so professional that she asked Mr. X, “Does Karen make this all the time?” She was shocked when he replied that it was my first time. I’m so happy that I did that little bit of eavesdropping. (And they were still raving about it at the Christmas dinner, over a month later!)

Okay, so here it is–my basic recipe, followed by one alternate way to do it.

COTTON CANDY CAKE

INGREDIENTS

Boxed yellow or white cake

Whatever the box calls for—e-words, water, milk, oil, whatever

2 packages of cotton candy in 2 different colors (I used pink and blue)

DIRECTIONS

Bake the cake as directed on the box.

Let it cool completely—and I do mean completely—for at least a half hour. This is the most important part! (I”ll explain in a minute.)

You can “frost” it on either side.

With a butter knife, cut nine little holes (three each in three rows.) Again, make sure the inside of the cake is fully cool, as well.

DON’T DO THIS NEXT PART UNTIL YOU’RE ABOUT TO SERVE IT!!!:

Stuff little pieces of cotton candy into the holes, alternating row colors. Then surround the entire surface of the cake in the alternating color of cotton candy. It will stay there on its own—do not use any “moisture” to “glue” it on!

And that’s it!

Just make sure the cake is totally cool and dry before you begin adding the cotton candy. If there’s any moisture, the cotton candy will get damp and melt!

ALTERNATE WAYS TO DO IT

You can cut it into bars before you attach the cotton candy, if you choose.

You can mix the cotton candy into white frosting, and frost it that way. It will still be pretty, just in a different way. And there will still be the cotton candy flavor, but the fluffy substance itself will disintegrate into the frosting. If you swirl it in gently, it will still look pretty, though.

Happy Sweetness!!! (And no need to make one for me for my birthday—I can bake this one for myself. But all other efforts will be totally appreciated!)