Jerusalem artichokes and coconut

Bountiful baskets strikes again. I love a good food challenge as long as it is simple, but how simple can it be when I am given Jerusalem artichokes and coconuts? Did almost everyone out there ask what a Jerusalem artichoke was? After an internet search I was able to find a recipe for Lemon Chicken with Jerusalem Artichokes and I am here to tell you it was both simple and tasty. I would make it again in a heartbeat. You know what is not so simple? Coconuts. A little goes a long way and I got two. (Actually three. My Mom sent hers over. Thanks, Mom!) I made coconut milk out of the first and then made some pretty amazing sticky rice with mango. With the small amount of milk I had left I made a shake with mango and pineapple. So good. I decided to make a fresh coconut cake out of the other one and that was a ridiculous eight hour ordeal. Apparently it tastes good, but all I can think every time I take a bite is that the stupid thing took me all day to make. And here is a baking tip...if you are considering making Italian meringue save yourself a chunk of time and buy marshmallow creme. Your sanity will remain intact unlike mine. If you find yourself searching for a semi-challenge, sign up for a food co-op. It has been kind of fun. Kind of.


M helped make the cake, I put it in the oven, and then she went down for a nap. I had it frosted and in the fridge by the time she woke up. When she looked in the fridge after her nap her face lit up and she whispered, "Thank you". For the next four hours she repeatedly opened the fridge and squealed and jumped up and down and was excited to eat her "princess cake". That was the only part of the experience that made a fresh coconut cake worth making.