when boredom strikes, bake.

I had a problem yesterday -- there was nothing to do. I get twitchy when there's nothing to do; I need some sort of project.

So like any normal person with an entire day to herself and a hint of southern Louisiana homesickness, I decided to make a king cake.

I was promised by the commenters on allrecipes.com (who all swear they are THE most qualified to determine king cake authenticity based on number of years living in New Orleans) that this recipe was the real deal, and I pretty much agree. It definitely tasted more like a king cake than North Louisiana's version (which, while delicious, is NOT a king cake. I know. I lived within 70 miles of New Orleans for over 10 years).

On the off chance you're like me and find yourself thinking, "Why sit in front of the tv all day when I can spend hours making something I can easily find at any local bakery?", then this 20 year old Southern Living recipe is most definitely for you, provided you live in Louisiana and it's ~40 days before Easter.

I'll leave you with this vintage Mardi Gras picture, because I love embarrassing people... especially myself (I'm on the left). I distinctly remember showing our hairdresser a picture of Jessica Simpson and believing she could make me look just like her with a bunch of hairspray and a $1 gold headband. I think it worked!

...That was sarcasm. I need some really ugly high waisted jeans to make that happen.

Happy Mardi Gras!