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Sunday, February 22, 2009

Dr. Swoboda and King Cake

Great news! The babies finally got onto Dr. Swoboda's schedule! She's a pediatric neurologist at the U of Utah specializing in SMA patients. We were trying to avoid traveling during flu season, but since she can't squeeze us in until the end of April, it all works out. Score! Dr. Swoboda is one of the leading researchers for SMA, and her advice is widely sought after by SMA families. More info on Dr. Kathleen Swoboda: http://medicine.utah.edu/neurology/research/swoboda/

Mardi Gras is this week. Where can I get a King Cake? In the past, we've contacted famous bakeries in New Orleans and they've happily--expensively--Fedex'd us a King Cake. But since that cost no longer makes sense to our budget, I was hoping to find something more local--cheaper. We're working with Jenna to teach her about Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday and lenten Fridays and such, and I thought that a king cake might speak to her the way ash on her forehead wouldn't..... where on earth might I find a king cake locally?

6 comments:

  1. So you're coming to Utah! You'll love Dr. Swoboda and her crew, they're all fantastic. Any chance you want to meet up when you come? I'm only about 45 min. from Salt Lake and could easily drive up - probably With Tabitha and maybe Mariah.

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  2. Hi! Yes! That would be so cool! We'll be staying actually in Park City--is that in the right or wrong direction for you? We're leaving our 5 year old at home, but the twins will be with us, as well as my mom.

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  3. That is so awesome, I can't wait to hear how the appointment goes! I've never heard of a Kings Cake until today when I was watching Ellen. It sounds interesting.

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  4. I'm so glad you got in. That's fabulous news.

    Did you get your king cake? I'd never heard of them before.

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  5. No, we did not a get a King Cake. We heard that AJ's, a local gourmet grocery chain, sold them, but they were sold out by early afternoon on Tuesday. We found some recipes on the internet, though, so maybe we'll try for a belated King Cake over the weekend!

    I'd never heard of King Cakes either, until I met my husband. Catholics in the American south are the only people I've ever met who know what a King Cake is! It's a sickeningly sweet pastry, sloppy with frosting and colored sugar (gold, purple, and green), sometimes with a cream cheese filling, and always with a plastic baby hidden inside. Something about a prize for whoever gets the piece with the baby, or something like that. I've never fully understood the significance of that part....is the plastic baby supposed to represent Jesus? And if so, doesn't that seem a little irreverent? And if not, then what the heck is this toy doing in my piece of cake?

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  6. What is really funny is the King Cakes in France (Galette du Roi) are done after Christmas in time for Epiphany (January 6) not Lent. No frosting, just almond paste or chocolate surrounded by flaky puff pastry. Whoever finds the trinket (here it was a cooking item-rolling pin, flour, butter, chef toque), gets to wear the king crown included with the cake. Quite the honor and I hope your homemade one came out beautifully.

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