Fresh Strawberry Rhubarb Tea Bread

I love this time of year with all the fresh fruit and vegetables coming into season. Sadly not everyone in my house enjoys it as much as I do. Some are not big fruit eaters and others avoid veggies like the plague, even sadder are the few who call rhubarb red celery. 

Yes, rhubarb looks like celery, and yes, out side the U.S. it is considered a vegetable, but according to a U.S. court in 1947 it is a fruit and in my book and fruit worth eating. 
I don't remember the first time I had rhubarb, but I remember the first time I enjoyed it, and enjoyed it so much it left me craving for more. 

Growing up in Southern California, Knott's Berry Farm was a part of my life. 

In those day's it was wonderfully old fashion with Ghost town, General Store,and the Birdcage Theater,

the Goldmine, burro rides,

and Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant.

It's not quiet the same today as it was then, back then all the food was fresh and tasted like your grandma had made it. There was no take out or fast food and the menu was always the same. You had a few choices and one was a side dish with you chicken dinner. 

Feeling experimental and loving cherries, one night I ordered the cherry rhubarb compote. It changed my feelings for rhubarb forever. The sweet tartness of the cherries was only enhanced by the tart flavor of the rhubarb, and I could not get enough. Finding others who shared my cravings has never been easy. When we moved in to our first house in Washington state and I noticed two rhubarb plants I knew it was my time to try to sway my families feelings about the beautiful, tart, red, celery like stuff. I have tried to sneak it into all sorts of things, but I am always found out, until this recipe. The trick is to chop the rhubarb up small and use the smaller tender stalks. Like and tuna salad sandwich without mayo, this bread would not be the same without the rhubarb. It brings a tart, moistness to the bread, that in my opinion can not be duplicated. So enjoy! 

Ingredients:

2 eggs

½ cup oil

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup finely diced fresh rhubarb

¾ cup finely diced fresh strawberries

1½ cups flour

1 teaspoon soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation:

Beat eggs until thick and foamy, slowly adding sugar, oil, and vanilla; 

beat about 3 more minutes. Mixture should be foamy and thick.

Gently fold in rhubarb and strawberries.

In a separate bowl combine remaining ingredients. Sift into rhubarb and strawberry mixture and stir gently, just until blended. Do not over mix.

Pour into a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Bake at °350 for about 1 hour or until wooden toothpick inserted into center of bread comes out clean. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. 

Top with powder sugar glaze.

Mississippi Mud Brownies

These gooey, chewy brownies were introduced to us by Grandma Judy. If only they were calorie free, they would be perfect. The only complaint I've ever had about them is that I don't make them more often. There are three main ingredients, brownies, marshmallows and chocolate frosting. Play with the amounts until you get them the way you like. You may like a thick brownie or extra marshmallows. I have made these with regular marshmallows and marshmallow whip, homemade frosting and store bought, it all depends on what's in the cupboard when the mood grabs you. Get as fancy or as simple as your budget and time permits, no matter, they are always a big hit.

Ingredients ~
basic brownie recipe, or any brownie mix
10 oz bag of mini marshmallows
2 cups chocolate frosting, homemade or brand, it's up to you

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 15x11 jellyroll pan. A 9x13 baking pan can be use, but the brownies will be thicker. If you only have a basic half sheet baking pan then you''ll need to double the brownie recipe, but don't worry about doubling the other ingredients, you should still have enough. Don't worry about having too many, there is no such thing. Mix up brownies following the recipe or box instructions. Pour brownie batter in a jellyroll baking pan and bake at 350 for as long as instructed in recipe, minus 5 minutes. Did you get that? Bake them for 5 minutes less that the recipe instructs. Cover brownies with marshmallows and remember that marshmallows puff as the cook, so don't over pack them onto the brownies or you will have a mess in your oven. Cook for 5 more minutes or until marshmallows are puffy and just starting to golden. remove from oven. While the brownies are still slightly warm top with frosting, making sure to cover every bit. Don't frost too soon or the frosting will all melt. If you forget and frost after they are completely cool you will be OK, but your mud won't be quiet as muddy. I suggest using a pizza knife to cut them with and dipping it in warm water before starting to cut. If your frosting just peels off you waited too long to frost.

Fruit Buckle

Peach Buckle made with home canned peaches

This could be called buckle and there are those who would call it cobbler. I call it Yum! Buckle is batter with fruit added and then a streusel topping added. As the batter of a buckle bakes it rises up around the fruit. Cobblers are made with the fruit mixture first then a biscuit type crust on top. Some buckles have heavy batters and others light; some have lots of topping others very little. This buckle is a light batter that needs no eggs and the only topping is a light sprinkling of brown sugar. It's cheap and easy to make. Any fruit can be used and if you like it can be a combination of fruit. Pick the fruit of your choice, apples, peaches, pears, plums and any berry, you decide. The fruit can be frozen, fresh or canned. Before being  measured, the fruit should be cleaned, drained, pealed and/or cut, all depending on the fruit.  Don't forget the ice cream or whip cream, or both to top it off.  I love this made with summer fruit and served at a barbecue with homemade ice cream or on a crisp fall evening as dessert after a warm homemade soup dinner. Really it's great any time of year.

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup milk

3 cups prepared fruit

1/2 cup brown sugar, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter sides and bottom of a 9x13 or 2 quart baking dish. In a medium bowl combined sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; whisk in milk; add melted butter and  whisk until all blended. Pour mixture into buttered baking dish. Sprinkle fruit on top off batter, trying to distribute evenly, Do Not Mix, Stir or Blend. Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar evenly over fruit and batter. Bake in 350 degree oven for 50 minutes. Sprinkle remain 1/4 cup of brown sugar over top of buckle, then return to over and bake for 10 more minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipping cream.

Gingerbread Man Pancakes

"Run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man."  Oh yes we can and love we every bite!

 

These pancakes are a new favorite at our house. My grandsons will eat as many as I will make them. They're perfect for a yummy Thanksgiving breakfast when the family has gathered. They taste extra yummy served with applesauce and warm maple syrup. I use my wonderful pancake pen my daughter gave me for Christmas last year, a must for every mom and grandma, to draw perfect little men or whatever shape is requested, but if you don't have a pancake pen don't let that stop you from making these for you family.

 They are yummy no matter what shape you choose. I wish I had this recipe when my kids were little and doing the gingerbread man unit in kindergarten, but I have it for the grandkids and you bet we have fun eating them up.

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk soured with lemon juice *
3 Tbs butter or margarine, melted
1 Tbs molasses
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbs ground cinnamon
1/2 ground ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Butter or cooking spray for grilling
Raisins, crannies or chocolate chips for decorating

*(to make sour milk, pour milk into a liquid measuring cup so that you are just about 2 Tbs shy of 1 cup. Add 2 Tbs of lemon juice to the milk making 1 full cup. Set aside the milk while lightly beating the egg and melting the melting the butter. The milk should lightly curdle, or you can always use real sour milk or butter milk.)

Combine egg, sour milk, melted butter and molasses . Sift together remaining dry ingredients and add to egg mixture, stirring just until moist.

 Spoon or using a pancake pen shape pancakes on to hot , lightly greased griddle. Raisins, crannies or chocolate chips can bee used for eyes and buttons. Cook until tops are covered with bubbles, turn and cook other side. Serve with butter, warm syrup and apple sauce. Makes about 3 cups of batter.

Peanut Butter Cookies

There are so many recipes for peanut butter cookies out there, but this is one I keep going back to.

 I usually add chocolate chips because that's how my family likes them, but we like chocolate on almost everything, so the choice is yours. Just before baking peanut butter cookies the tradition is to use a fork dipped in granulated sugar. I like to get creative and use things with fun textures, a glass with a fancy cut bottom, or a meat mallet. You can also use an old fashion cookie press. Not the kind you use like a cookie gun; these are made from wood or glass and you hand press them on the dough before you put it in the oven. The brand or type of peanut butter can make a difference in the moisture and texture of your cookie. Some bands are higher in sugar and so the dough is a moister dough. The less sugar in the brand usually means the more milk you will need to add. If you are using natural or the kind you grind yourself at the store, I recommend adding all the milk. Whether or not you use butter or margarine also makes a difference in the moisture of the dough. Margarine has water in it, making a moist dough; butter is tastier but no added water. It's all in your taste, health and what's in the frig. Your dough should be moist but not gooey wet, but too dry and you have a crumbly mess. The kitchen is one big chemistry lab and you just have to experiment with things a little. Funny how I completely failed at chem, but I do okay in the kitchen.



1 cup butter at room temp or margarine
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 baking soda
3 Tbs milk, as needed
chocolate chips to taste - optional
about 1/4 cup sugar for pressing

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix butter and peanut butter; add brown and granulated sugar. Mix until well blended, smooth and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each egg; add in vanilla. Combined the dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture. Depending on the dryness of your dough add in the milk one tablespoon at a time. The dough should be moist, but not so moist you can't handle it. Fold in chocolate chips if desired. Shape dough into balls using a heaping tablespoon of dough and place on greased cookie sheet. Useing a fork or cookie press or whatever cool thing you want to try, dip that cool gaget in the sugar for pressing and press each cookie ball. Bake cookies in preheated 375F oven for 9 minutes, until just golden.  Once baked remove cookies from baking sheet to a opened brown paper bag to cool. Once cooled cookies should be stored in an air tight container.

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

Made with chocolate chips and dried cherries

These yummy, chewy cookies are one of my favorites. I add different things to the recipe depending on my mood and the time of year. Some of my favorite add ins are raisins, chocolate chips, coconut, granola, dried fruit or a mix of things. I've used a mix from the Winnco bulk section, I think it was called Thanksgiving  or Harvest granola with white and butterscotch chips, craisins, candied walnuts and chopped dried apples. I broke the walnut halves into smaller pieces and it worked great. I think my favorite add in is dried cherries and chocolate chips.

Thanksgiving mix from Winnco

 

 For measuring purposes, I used raisins in this recipe.   

1 cup butter at room temp or margarine

1 cup shortening

2 cups dark brown sugar

1 cup canister sugar

4 eggs at room temp

2 Tbs Vanilla

3 cups instant rolled oatmeal (regular can be used)

4 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup shredded coconut (optional)

2 cups raisins (optional- you can substitute the raisins for chocolate chips chopped fried fruit, chopped nuts or a combinations of all, be creative.)

Preheat oven to 375degrees. Prepare greased cookie sheets. In a large bowl, mix butter and shortening till smooth. Slowly add in both the brown and canister sugars to the butter mixture; add eggs one at a time, mixing after each egg; add vanilla. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl after each addition; mix until until blended and smooth. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and add to butter and sugar mixture.

Fold in raisins. Drop by tablespoon to greased cookie sheet and bake for 9 minutes or just until golden and no longer looks wet. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack, paper bag or paper towel until cool enough to eat then hide them so you don't eat them all at once. Store in an air tight container. Makes about 6 dozen.

Made with Thanksgiving mix and picture taken with bad lighting

Chocolate Revel Bars

I can only make these cookies if I know I am going to have help eating them or I will eat the whole batch. I Love these cookies! They are gooey, chewy, bits of cookie heaven to me.

3 cups quick roll oats

2½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1½ tsp salt, divided
1 cup butter or margarine at room temperature
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
4 tsp vanilla, divided
1 14oz can (1⅓cup) sweetened condensed milk
1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
½ cups walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven at 350. Combine oats flour, soda and 1 tsp salt. In a separate bowl, beat 1 cup butter for 30 seconds, add brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs and 2 tsp vanilla; beat well. Gradually stir dry ingredients into mixture, stir until well blended.

In a saucepan heat together sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, 2 Tbsp butter and ½tsp salt over low heat stir until smooth. Remove from heat, stir in nuts and remaining 2 tsp vanilla.

Pat ⅔ of the oatmeal mixture in the bottom of an ungreased 15x10x1 inch backing pan. Spread chocolate mixture over oatmeal dough. Dot with remaining oatmeal mixture. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool before cutting into 1 by 2 inch rectangles.