Be Bop a Re Bop Rhubarb Pie

I have that little jig stuck in my head from Prairie Home Companion not even sure how it goes? Anybody know what I’m talkin’ about? So as I was putting in the linky link I found out they are having a Rhubarb Tour this summer. Rhubarb funny… Anyway, they are coming to Utah! At Red Butte Gardens on August 19. Not sure if we will be able to make it might overlap with our German vacation this summer. I haven’t had the opportunity to listen to PHC for so long. Sigh. It got inside my head this morning when I decided to go ahead and make myself a little treat for Mother’s Day.

I spied some good looking Rhubarb at the grocery the other day and Strawberries were relatively cheap so why not. Then I did a recipe search on Epicurious the first recipe sounded awesome. Rhubarb Strawberry Pudding Cake! Perfect! I put my own spin on it by adding some ground Cardamom for some flavor flav er spicy spice and because well I just really like Cardamom. I also divided the flour into 1/4 cup whole wheat flour and 3/4 cup all purpose white flour. It’s a fairly simple recipe which is another bonus and motivator for me to post about it. So here it is enjoy…

1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar
2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb stalks (10 ounces)
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries (5 ounces)

1/2 tsp ground Cardamom(optional)

1 cup all-purpose flour (or 1/4 cup ww flour and 3/4 cup white flour)
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Grease an 8×8 inch baking pan or small casserole dish. Preheat oven at 400 degrees

In a sauce pan combine the water, cornstarch, and 1/3 cup of sugar. Add the Rhubarb and heat let simmer 3-5 minutes. Take off the heat and add the strawberries.

Combine all the flour, baking powder, salt, 1/2 c sugar, and cardamom if you opt for it. Stir in the melted butter, add the egg, then add the milk and vanilla.

Put 3/4 of the strawberry/rhubarb mix in the bottom of the pan. Pour cake batter over top and sprinkle remaining strawberry/rhubarb mix over the top of that. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

I’m imagining this would also make an excellent dutch oven dessert for those who love to cook with dutch ovens and coals while enjoying the great out of doors. 🙂

I’m also imagining some Vanilla Bean Ice Cream served along side. OOh Yummy!

On Mother’s Day

My mom is beautiful both inside and out. She is talented, smart, and creative. She is honest. She is a nurturer. She is patient, tolerant, and humble. She loves unconditionally. She is lovely. She is my best friend.

I LOVE YOU MOM!

Pelicans on the Bear River

Last week when I went to pick up the dogs from my parents I took a moment to admire these great birds. Mom and Dad live a short distance from the Bear River which is a wonderful place for migratory birds to gather. Every spring these guy show up for a short time. It’s a nice reminder that spring has sprung and the winter is coming to a close.

Anybody know who this guy is? Go ahead take a guess. I’ll be researching as well. He was hanging out with the Pelicans and I spied a whole bunch (perhaps a gaggle or a flock) of them by the Logan River as well. I think he is beautiful as well. I find myself fascinated by the crane like birds Blue Herons are one of my favorites there is an empirical quality to them. I think I’ve missed my chance to photograph the Sandhills that have been enjoying the farmers fields. Next year…

Back in the Saddle again

It’s been a while since my last update. We took a little trip back to NY to visit with our family and do some house hunting. The family visiting was marvelous. Ellie entertained everyone and showed off her new skills. Gary got to celebrate his birthday three times this year once with Ellie and I out to dinner, once with my parents, and once with his family. He is a well loved individual. We got to visit with all the aunts, uncles, and cousins at Jessica’s wedding. What a beautiful wedding it was! The setting was perfect at a winery up on the hill overlooking a classic New York Finger Lakes landscape. We had so much fun watching the kiddos dance their hearts out and the ladies in the family as well. We also got to enjoy another trip to the Ithaca Farmers Market. Ellie got a fab T-Shirt from the Sundancer Designs Clothing Co. We also picked up some purple asparagus and a gorgeous white bleeding heart for Linda. So fun..

As for the house hunting we did good. We familiarized ourselves with the Ithaca area much better. We managed to narrow down our choices and pretty much came to the conclusion that we are in love with the village of Trumansburg. It is practically Mayberry reincarnate. We also learned that NY’s taxes are unbelievably high and painful. (We knew this, but just didn’t digest it until now) Yikes! We have decided to attempt a contingency offer on a cute little turn of the century farm house just out of the Trumansburg village. It sits on nearly 6 acres mostly wooded with trails and has a lovely distant view of the lake. It is a small house with a few imperfections but oh so cozy and warm and inviting and the property is so wonderful. So wish us luck. We still haven’t gotten any bites on our Timberlakes home for sale here in Utah but we are being patient and just keep trying to put good thoughts out there into the cosmic soup.

Ellie did good on the airplane. She got a bit fussy at times and tired of being held and the tight spaces but no major tantrums. On the way back we experienced the dreaded diaper blow out so we now join the ranks with Kim and Charie and the mile high diaper duty. I had to throw away the onsie and all! Nasty. She actually had quiet a few adventures, 6 plus full days of car rides and car seat confinement, 4 airplane rides, a two hour time change, a bonk on the forehead from a toy, and the porch swing breaking under her and Grandma Marcoccia. Well done Ellie your a trooper.

Picnic at Red Butte Gardens

We decided to come down from the mountains on Saturday and visit the city. We were seeking out spring blooms, green grass, and warm air as opposed to our few feet of remaining snow, mud, and sad looking vegetation. So we packed a picnic and headed to Red Butte Gardens. The daffodils were out in all their glory but all the rest were still trying to come out of their winter slumber. It appeared that they had a touch of a frost as well some of the blooms were a bit haggard. We enjoyed ourselves none the less. Our favorite daffodil we picked out is the white with the orange neck. I also really like the yellow one that was clustery with orange highlights. They also had a great children’s garden that we will have to return to when it is in it’s glory. I would love to see the “Dragon” trellis in its peak I bet the kiddos go nuts over that.

They also had an event showcasing some Bonsai plants. Here are our favorites. The one on the left has been “in training for 80+ years”…

Waiting on Button Holes

Here is my latest attempt at sewing.

It is a shirt for Ellie when she gets a little bigger. I am so in love with the material. It’s a print from Heather Ross. I found it here. I was afraid to cut into it but then just took a deep breath and went for it. I will admit I did struggle making this. It’s hard to work with wee sizes. Attaching the arms and the cuffs were the big challenges. It will be easier the next time around though. I have the material all planned out already. This pattern came from a thrift store shopping trip as well. It’s so retro I love it. Straight out of the 70’s.

It is not complete though, needs button holes. I’m a little intimidated by this task although I’m sure it is a simple thing but I think I will wait until my Mom can bail me out here with her skills. I’m just afraid of putting a hole in the fabric because once you do there is no returning. I have actually made button holes before. I did it on a couple of skirts and a shirt and I did it the old fashion way with out the use of the button holler sewing machine attachment. In fact I think I prefer this but it is tedious to say the least and I’m not so sure how it would turn out on a wee shirt for Ellie.

Here is a look at my next project…

It’s a pattern by Oliver + S. I was directed here by the Chicken and the Momma. I love that the patterns can also be used as paper dolls. Brilliant!

This is the material I’m going to use for the top. Another Heather Ross print. Lovely! Wish me luck because I’m afraid to cut into this one as well. I’m thinking of using an old pair of brown cords of mine for the shorts.

Yes We Can

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY[/youtube]

SLC 5K Race Day

We did it! Gary, Ellen, and I ran the Salt Lake City 5K today. We woke up in the early wee hours this morning to be on time for the 7:30am start time. We met up with Brigitte, Roxanne, Charie, and the lovely Davis sisters (Charie and Rox’s Mom and Aunts) just in time to have a quick chat and good luck pep talk and then it was off to the races. Ellie was all decked out in the trusty B.O.B jogging stroller. She was a little unsure about being in a crowd of people and the crowded shuttle ride to the start line was uncomfortable for us all to say the least. But once we got going and found our pace she seemed to enjoy the ride. She was talking our ears off the whole way. I’ve never participated in a organized sporting event like that and I must say I really enjoyed myself. I think the energy of the crowd helped give me and extra boost because I felt great the whole run no stopping necessary except once to help Ellie get the bunches out of her jacket. We finished just under 40 minutes. I think we did pretty well considering our lack of discipline on the training, pushing a stroller, and having to start in the way back thus causing a few traffic jams and hang ups.

The best part of the whole event was having my husband and baby by my side and reuniting with some good friends. Gary was a good sport all day. He is not a fan of big crowds and he dealt with it well all day. Gary and Roxanne’s husband Ryan were also very good to patiently wait for us and watch over the kiddos while all the ladies gabbed and laughed about the good old times we shared in the various houses we rented in college together. I had not seen Charie since our wedding and I can’t remember the last time Roxanne and I got together. All the ladies got together the afternoon before race day for some catching up. Another good friend Sara came down to join us for dinner. With a group of 9 adults and 7 children ( 4 months, 8 months, 1 yr old twins, another 1 yr old, 2 yr old, and a 4 yr old I think I have it right?). It was a symphony of baby cries, grunts, screams, coos, and gabbing ladies. CRaZy to say the least but oh so much fun. I have truly missed having these ladies in my life and am so grateful that we have rekindled our friendships through our blogs. So glad I got to talk, laugh, run, and just be with you all the last two days. Thank you and I love you girls!