Strawberry almond filled King Cake

Yes, I realize Mardi Gras is over and now it's full blown Lent, but I can still enjoy my King Cake if I didn't give up sweets, right?

I had a particularly eventful Valentine's Day weekend this year not only because I had plenty of this healthily-filled King Cake leftover from Mardi Gras, but also because I was fostering the sweetest pitbull, Snow. On Valentine's Day, Henok and I had a lovely mid-morning picnic at the park with fresh strawberries, navel oranges, and homemade King Cake while Snow had a great time frolicking / charging around the dog park.

Henok made the King Cake from the classic Mam Papaul's box mix with his own touch. The King Cake came out more bread-like than flaky pastry-like, which is fine with me because I can eat cinnamon bread every day, which I have done the past week. And though the real secret to his King Cake is TLC, I was really impressed by the creativity in his filling. Instead of the usual cream cheese, he simply substituted with fresh local strawberries, raw almonds, and no sugar added muesli. Both of us have outgrown our sweet teeth, so I was very grateful that he went light on the icing.

What a great Mardi Gras present that stretched through Valentine's Day! And hey, maybe if you start hanging out with a dietitian long enough, you'll start thinking like one, too!

It spells LINDA, but it got kind of smushed

Strawberry, almond, muesli filling

My real Valentine, Snow, after a jaunt in Crescent Park