By Mid-May. The factory called Tuesday afternoon: the line reopens June first and I have my full-shift status restored. The notice is a relief. The unemployment will close out two weeks after my first paycheck. The household budget gets back to something resembling normal in three weeks.
Sunday I made candy cane cake balls because Mama and I had been working through Carol’s 1990 holiday-cookie sub-section of the box across the past four Sundays and the candy cane cake ball card had come up next. The dish is normally a December-Christmas cookie. Making it in May is the kind of off-season-bake that Carol herself would have approved of — Carol had been the kind of grandmother who baked off-season when the kitchen wanted something a calendar would not have suggested.
The cake balls: a from-scratch vanilla cake baked, cooled, crumbled into fine crumbs, mixed with white-chocolate frosting to a dough consistency, formed into balls, refrigerated firm, dipped in melted white chocolate, drizzled with red-tinted candy melts, and topped with a small piece of crushed candy cane (I had a sleeve of candy canes left from December in the back of the pantry). Three dozen cake balls from one batch. Mama had four. Dustin had five. I had three. I gave eight to Mrs. Henderson at five PM Sunday afternoon. I gave six to Aunt Linda at the same time when she dropped off the small bag of fresh-cut peonies from her garden that she had been bringing weekly across the lockdown.
Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min (plus 1 hour chilling) | Servings: 10–12
Ingredients
- 2 packages (3 oz each) ramen noodles, uncooked, broken into pieces (discard seasoning packets)
- 1 bag (16 oz) coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)
- 1 cup shelled edamame, thawed if frozen
- 1/2 cup sliced green onions
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- Dressing:
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- Toast the noodles. Spread broken ramen noodle pieces and sliced almonds on a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir frequently for 3–4 minutes until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- Make the dressing. Whisk together vegetable oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, garlic powder, and ground ginger in a small bowl or jar until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Combine the salad. In a large bowl, toss together the coleslaw mix, edamame, green onions, and sunflower seeds.
- Dress and toss. Pour the dressing over the slaw mixture and toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Add crunch last. Just before serving, fold in the toasted ramen noodles and almonds so they stay crisp. If making ahead, keep the crunchy toppings separate and add them at the last minute.
- Chill and serve. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors come together. This salad holds well for several hours, making it ideal for potlucks and backyard gatherings.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 210 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 22g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 320mg