Mushroom shaped

A mushroom shaped cake for my nephew. When he was little, mushrooms fascinated him for some reason.

Did you know that mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus? The word "mushroom" is mostly applied to those fungi that have a stem (stipe), a cap (pileus), and gills (lamellae) or pores on the underside of the cap. These pores or gills produce microscopic spores that help the fungus spread across the ground or its occupant surface. I actually heard of a scientist harvest fungi from his toes and grow them as mushrooms in the lab and then serve them for dinner. Ewww sounds gross, indeed, but such is the beauty of nature.

Mushrooms are a delicious low-calorie food; an excellent source B vitamins, minerals (selenium and copper) phosphorus and potassium. Many mushrooms have medicinal properties and have been called a miniature pharmaceutical factory.

So while the word “fungus” is mostly applied for a parasite, it can also be a huge source of benefit, like producing penicillin and these gorgeous mushrooms that are also delicious and nutritious.