What do you do with rhubarb? Make one fantastic cake!

A woman in my mom's Bible study class gave us a bag of rhubarb from her garden. We were planning to make a blueberry/rhubarb crisp but ended up buying Concord grapes instead of blueberries by accident.

Well our mistake turned out for the best because I went searching and found a recipe for Country Rhubarb Cake that was amazzzzzing!

If you look at the reviews, there are some great tips for making this doughy dessert. I would definitely add extra rhubarb and probably reduce the sugar. We didn't bother making the Whiskey Cream topping but served it with ice cream. One reviewer added shavings of fresh ginger to the rhubarb which is something I'd like to try next time.

In a house of "non-dessert eaters" (so they claim), this dish lasted less than 24 hours.

Veggie-packed Quiche

Quiche is a wonderful comfort food, but most recipes are packed with fat and calories. Each fork full typically offers a minimal amount of veggies.

Here's a great recipe for a veggie-packed quiche that tastes fantastic.

Crust:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup butter

pinch salt

fresh ground pepper

5 Tbs cold water

Combine dry ingredients and cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, adding 1 Tbs at a time until it's moist and forms a ball.

Roll out very thin and place in pie plate. Cut off extra edges and crimp. Prick center with a fork and place in oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Quiche:

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

2 cups chopped fresh spinach or small package frozen, thawed

1/2 cup broccolli, chopped

1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 small zuchinni, sliced into thin quarters

1/2 cup almond milk or skim

2 eggs or egg replacer

1 Tbs thyme

1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbs basil

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup mozerella or 2 oz goat cheese

Combine all the ingredients by stirring. Spread in pie crust and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until the top is slightly browned and the middle is firm.

A day for "Slowcooker Chicken Soup"

After a long, rainy week I began looking for a comfort food that was both easy to make and would keep well for leftovers. That's when I saw a post by Nourished Kitchen for a Slowcooker Chicken Soup recipe. Even the pictures look comforting!

I changed the ingredients slightly to use what I could find, but even so it's filling the house with a tasty aroma.

First, I seasoned two large, organic chicken thighs with sea salt, ground pepper, garlic powder, and dried bay leaves (I preferred whole but did not have any). I then covered the chicken with water and cooked it on low in a pot for a few hours. I then added chopped celery, carrots, and a yellow onion. I continued cooking for a few more hours on low until dinner. Towards the end, I will sprinkle in chopped parsley.

I'm planning on serving this tonight with a crusty loaf of french bread from the organic grocery store.

Bon apetit!

Tis the season to can tomato sauce

I love tomato season. There's nothing better than a locally grown, vine-riped tomato that makes store bought varieties pale in comparison.

Today Pat gave me a box of her garden tomatos so I decided to make and can tomato sauce. Pat is a gardening genius with a huge spread of garden-- I could learn a lot from her sucess coaxing vegetables from the soil.

I combined two recipes but here is the basic recipe I relied on.

Homemade Tomato Sauce

10 lbs tomatoes, washed, cored, and chopped

3 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp sugar

I then added some of my own fresh basil and parsley, olive oil, and Thyme.

Just put everything into a large pot and simmer for 2 hours. Then pulse in the blender and return to heat until tickened.

Finally, coat canning jars in lemon juice and fill 3/4 full. Screw lids tightly and place in boiling water bath for 35 minutes.

Not only is this nutritious, but our house smells delicious!



July 4th recipes for Red, White, and Blue fun

Happy 4th of July readers!

It's time again for barbecues, fireworks, and family get-togethers. Pack up the picnic gear, heat up the grill, (if you're here in the South be sure to slather on the insect repellent), and get ready to enjoy the best summer holiday. It's always a great opportunity to sample some of the fresh local produce picked at the peak of ripeness so be sure to visit your local farmers market or vegetable stand!

If you're a busy momma, then chances are you're still trying to pull it all together for tonight. (Don't worry, I fall into this category so no judgement here.) But here are a few of our family's favorite last-minute holiday recipes.

Fresh local fruit

Watermelon never tasted better than now! Slice up a sweet red melon and buy extras for watermelon eating contests-- it's a menu item and party game all in one.

Other tasty fruits include blueberries and strawberries. Walmart has strawberries for only $.98 per container so stock up! (We sliced six cartons and put them in freezer bags to enjoy later this winter.) We enjoy serving our berries with fresh whipped cream. The more talented mommies can make an American flag out of fruit-topped fresh whip.

Corn-on-the-grill

There are a few ways to grill corn. One favorite is to husk the heads and place them in tin foil with butter, salt, and pepper. Cover and place on grill until tender crisp. The second way is to keep the corn in the loosened husk and grill on a rack or to the side of the coals, turning often until tender crisp.

July 4th pudding cookies

A different take on pudding is to make festive cookie. Start by mixing up a standard vanilla (or bananna) pudding recipe. Add red or blue food coloring and spread between two Vanilla cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Juciest burgers ever!

Or... at least that's what the recipe says. This year I'm trying a recipe for the "juciest" grilled burgers from All Recipies.com. The recipe calls for 2lbs ground beef, 1 beaten egg, 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs (I reduced this to about 1/2 cup), 3 Tbs milk, 2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, and 2 cloves minced garlic. Mix together and form into patties before grilling.

The verdict has not come in yet on these, but I love that this site allows other cooks to leave feedback and rate the recipe.

Bon apetit

A strawberry pie affair

Hot summer days are perfect for savoring the sweet taste of pie-- especially since right now we're on the farm. Out here, nearly every meal is followed by a home-baked treat. The Midwestern women are proud bakers and seem to always have something fresh from the oven on hand.

So today I dusted off my pie-making skills and made this creation. All it needs is some whip cream and it's ready for any friends or family that decide to drop in. (Somehow we always end up with a crowd, especially if the word goes that that food is being served!)

Here's the basic recipe for my off-the-cuff creation:
Flaky Pie Crust
2 cups flour
1 stick butter, softened
6-8 TBS water
1/2 cup sugar

Combine the flour and sugar in a chilled bowl. Cut butter into pieces and cut in with a pastry blender, potato masher, or fork until the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Add 2-3 TBS water at a time and stir until the dough becomes soft and pulls away from the edges. Roll into a ball and set on a floured surface. Flatten dough slightly into a disk and sprinkle with more flour. Let sit for 10 minutes before rolling out and placing in a pie plate. Flute the edges, prick the bottom, and cover the bottom of the crust with tin foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until slightly firm.

Summertime Strawberry Pie
4-5 cups berries, cut into quarters
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp water
3 TBS flour or corn starch

Cook berries, sugar, and water over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture thickens slightly and the berries soften. Add flour and continue cooking and stirring 1 more minute. Remove from heat and pour into baked pie shell. 
Bake for 20-ish minutes at 350 degrees until edges of pie are browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Serve chilled with whip cream. 

The sweetness of Spring: Sweet bread and lemon filling

At our house, muffins are a favorite for breakfast. Maddox loves any and every kind of sweet bread and when I can sneak a few veggies into his diet, I won't pass up the chance.

I'm always looking for a great sweet bread recipe. Most I pull up on my iphone from applications I've downloaded but the results have been mixed. I prefer using tried-and-true favorites from friends, so when  I came across Jenet's Zuchinni Walnut Bread I was eager to give it a try. Besides, our garden will soon be brimming with zuchinni and you can never have enough great recipes on hand to handle abundant produce. 

The result was a tasty, moist bread with a nice texture and flavor. Maddox was so eager to try it that I allowed him a large slice with his lunch... then another. He ended up devouring almost half the pan!

Ah well, at least he got a good dose of zuchinni.

The next recipe I pulled out was a lemon meringue pie recipe from a Mennonite cookbook. It's a collection I use for inspiration. The Mennonites are experts when it comes to desserts and baked goods; none of the recipes have left me disappointed.

After our lemon curd didn't quite go as planned, I decided to make just the filling for a tart and tangy treat. The result was delicious!

Pie fillings are perfect for a time-saving treat with fewer calories. Plus whipping together just the filling takes only minutes.

And as much as Maddox loves a homemade treat, this is one I think I'll save for myself-- it's going to be Mommy's little indulgence.

Monday Cravings: sugar free Lemon Curd

Recently I found this recipe for Sugar Free Lemon Curd from Simply Sugar and Gluten Free. I've never had lemon curd before that I can remember, but the tartness of the fruit sounded wonderful. I decided to try and make some this morning.

My plan was to share with readers a picture of my wonderful lemon curd, only mine didn't turn out quite like I'd planned. I substituted stevia and honey for the agave nectar, which was fine, but realized too late that the eggs I'd tried to salvage from our fridge during the power outage had frozen while in safe keeping. The egg whites were none the worse for it, but the yolks remained a solid sphere of yellow. I had to carefully dig out my yolks and discard them.

This made me a little nervous about the results, which turned out to be well waranted. The lemon curd was too thin. It's a tasty treat in itself, but certainly nothing to share with company or curious readers.

I went ahead and picked up more eggs (an interesting story I will post later) and plan to try again.

Hopefully you are more adept in the kitchen, *sigh*

Oreo "Cake Pops" for childrens parties

American Cupcake in London recently posted a recipe for Oreo "Cake Pops" made out of bits of cake and drizzled with oreo-laced icing.

These delicious-looking lollipops would be perfect for a children's party (as long as the children are old enough not to choke on the stick of course). But you could also make these "under-age-5" appropriate by forgoing the stick altogether and just making oreo cake balls.

The recipe calls for boxed cake mix, but for a homemade dessert simply substitute your own favorite cake recipe. Cakes are actually very simple to make! And homemade always tastes better (and better for you with all "natural" ingredients). Of course in a pinch, a cook could purchase a cheap pre-made cake. Our local Kroger always has cakes on clearance for only a few dollars.

And while you're there, check out other inspiring cupcake recipes and photos from American Cupcake in London.

Weekend Recipe: Versatile Chinese Peanut Sauce

This week I made a wonderful peanut sauce as a dip for baked tofu. The recipe I found on http://www.epicurious.com/ was a big winner!

The verstile taste and adjustable texture could go with many different rice, noodle, chicken, salad, or fish recipes. It would even give stir fry a nice finish. I would say though, that if you're not a big garlic fan you'll want to cut the chopped cloves at least in half. For a creamier or thinner consistency, simply adjust the water. For less peanut taste, add more soy sauce. And for a little extra flavor, try adding a few Tbsp fresh chopped ginger.

Whatever you do, this easy sauce is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Chinese Peanut Sauce

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned or freshly ground)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Mix peanut butter, soy sauce and garlic in medium bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup hot water. Add remaining ingredients; whisk to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour or cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chinese-Peanut-Sauce-15580#ixzz1IxxF9nLd

Nutty Quinoa salad

I grew up eating a citrus Quinoa salad my mother found in a cookbook put out by the American Heart Association. It had a wonderful combination of fruit and nuts that was satisfying and light as a summer dish. At our house, healthful eating habits were normal (although my desire to be a vegetarian was outright forbidden by my farm-raised father and grilled chicken-toting mother who later shunned my decision to go meatless by doing things like leaving me a bowl of green beans on Thanksgiving). But over the years, I sort of forgot about this grain.

Recently, I began reading a blog by an old classmate of mine who is also a mother and spent the last few years living in Prague. She often posts sustainable eating recipes and thoughts on motherhood, so when she posted a Rainbow Quinoa salad it inspired me to make the recipe below.

Quinoa is a wonderful, nutritious grain that is amnio-rich and high in protein. It is easy to prepare and cooks much like rice. Simply boil water and quinoa in a 2/1 ratio.

I recently made this salad from what I had on hand. The sweet and tart dressing compliments the salads flavors. My two-year-old (who loves rice but is a picky eater) loved it! Well.. after picking out each tomato.

Nutty Quinoa Salad

1 cup water

1/2 cup quinoa

Chopped tomatos (I used 2 roma tomatoes)

2-3 Tbs chopped onion

1/2 cup garbanzo beans

1 clove garlic

2 Tbs quality mustard

1/2 tsp honey

pinch ground pepper

1 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Bring the water to a boil and add quinoa. Cover and let simmer 15-20 minutes, then remove from heat and let stand. Stir the quinoa and "fluff" the grain. Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, garbanzo beans, and parsley. Stir slightly. Add mustard and honey. Sprinkle with almonds and stir gently.

Can be served warm or refrigerated.

Makes 3-4 servings as a side dish.