Rhubarb Streusel Pie

One of the best tastes of spring is rhubarb pie. Rhubarb is now ready for the pickin' in gardens everywhere, so don't miss out. I have used the same rhubarb pie recipe for ever but this year I thought I would try a streusel topping. Just for a change. You can bake the filling in a traditional double pie crust if you prefer.

Rhubarb Streusel Pie

• 1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell
• 4 cups rhubarb, cut in 1/2" lengths
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1. Combine sugar, flour and nutmeg. Add to eggs and beat. Stir in rhubarb.
2. Pour into pastry lined pie plate.

Topping:

• 1/4 cup oats
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter

1. Mix topping ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over pie.
2. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to 350F and bake about 40 minutes longer...until rhubarb is cooked and topping is brown.
   
   

Serve warm with a scoop of premium ice-cream.

Poached Tomato Eggs

This is one of my father in law's recipes.

In our early years of marriage my mother in law ran Murchies Tea Room in Victoria. Chef Vincent Parkinson was the chef and took this recipe that Dad shared with him, and served it in the restaurant. I'm sure Vince perfected the recipe with his expert culinary skills and taste, but Dad's original recipe is wonderful.

In the menu at the tea house this was called Poached Eggs Oaklane.

Ingredients:

-4 cups chopped tomatoes (I like to use beef steak tomatoes, but any will work)

-1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (or use 2 tsp dried basil)

-1/2 cup butter

-salt and pepper

-4 eggs

-toast, very crispy

Method:

In a heavy skillet, melt butter and add chopped tomatoes. Cook over medium heat until tomatoes begin to cook down. Add the basil and continue to cook until tomatoes are very soft. Turn down and simmer for 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Once the tomatoes are cooked down, crack eggs into the tomato basil mixture and poach to your desired likeness.
While eggs are poaching place a lid over to help set the yolk.

When the eggs are poached to your likeness, using a large flat spoon transfer onto toast.

Serve with fried potatoes, bacon or sausages.

Bread for the Journey

Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
    for our HOPE is in you alone.

Psalm 33:22

So often in our conversations the word "hope" is part of it. I hope you feel better, I hope you get the job, I sure hope I get a better sleep tonight, etc. 

 According to the webster dictionary the meaning of hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. As a Christ follower, I know the meaning of hope is beyond what the dictionary offers. Our hope lies with God alone, that HE is in all our circumstandes, even when we can't see Him or feel Him. Imagine how powerful our prayers are because of that Hope we place in God. Life doesn't always turn out as we hope for, does it? Challenging, unpleasant and unwanted things happen in life. May we find our true HOPE in the Him alone. 

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” Psalm 62:5-6

Roast Beef and Fried Egg Sandwich

Saturdays my mom often made a breakfast style meal for supper, along with a cup of tea. I learned how to make this Sandwich in Grade 8 Home Economics class. Do they still have those classes in school today? I was so impressed that I learned something new and it was something I could actually make for my family, I made it that very weekend. A great way to use up leftover roast beef.
I will give you the list of ingredients, and you make your sandwich according to how many you are feeding. For one sandwich you need  the following -

• toasted bread or bun of your choice
• mayonnaise
• your favorite mustard
• 1 small onion, caramelized (thinly sliced and fried slowly on low heat in a bit of butter or oil until you have a deep brown color)
• 1 fried egg
• leftover roast beef or store bought sliced cooked roast beef that you can purchase at the deli counter
• cheese

Voila, with some pickles on the side that is all you need. Enjoy.

Flash Back Friday ~ Cream Puff Dessert

This cream puff dessert is quite a popular dessert. It serves a crowd and some will want to come back for seconds so you probably won't end up with any leftovers. My sister shared this recipe with me many years ago and I have shared it with many as well. It's like cream puffs but in a pan.

Base:

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup flour
• 5 eggs

1. In a medium sized saucepan bring water and butter to a boil.
2. Mix flour into water and butter mixture and stir until the flour is mixed in and it forms a ball. Remove from heat.
3. Add eggs, one at time and beat until smooth and satiny. This is a bit of a workout on the arm so if you have someone else in the house ask for a hand, or would that be an arm. I use my electric hand held mixer.
4. Spread on a large greased cookie sheet, one that has edges. My pan size is approx 13 inches x 17 inches.
5. Bake in a 425º for 15 to 20 minutes until golden in color.
6. Once baked it will have a bumpy look, don't worry, that is how it should look. With your hand, very gently press those down those bumps just a little. They will deflate on their own a little as well.
7. Cool.

Filling and topping: 

• 1 / 250 g (8 oz) package cream cheese
• 1 box, 153 g (6 serving size) instant vanilla pudding
• 1 3/4 cups whipping cream (whipped and sweetened, I made a small change from the original recipe, instead of 1/3 cup icing sugar I used 3 tablespoons icing sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla)
• Chocolate sauce for drizzling

1. Beat softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
2. Prepare pudding as per box instructions.
3. Whisk together pudding and cream cheese until smooth, spread on cooled base.
4. Top with whipped cream and drizzle with chocolate sauce. Drizzle chocolate sauce in lines up and down the length of the pan then the opposite way to give you that wavy look. Refrigerate till serving time.
5. This is delicious as is but you can add bananas or other fresh fruit if you desire which would be added before the whipped cream.

Apple Caramel Tortillas

A friend shared this easy apple dessert with me. We really liked it. How can you go wrong with an apple dish of any kind? And if you think this is delicious the day you make it, just wait till the next day, it's even better. The tortillas become softer as they sit in the sauce. If you have any leftovers just cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate. You can have it for breakfast the next morning with a slice of cheese instead of ice cream.
I really want to try this with rhubarb and peaches when they are in season.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups medium size apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 flour tortillas (8 inch)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

1. Place chopped apples in a medium saucepan, stir in lemon juice.
2. Whisk together sugar, flour, and cinnamon, stir into apples.
3. Over medium high heat, cook apples, stirring frequently until apples are barely tender. Set aside to cool.
4. Place half a cup of cooked apples on a tortilla. Roll up, tucking in the sides and place in a greased 9" pan. Repeat with each of the tortillas. They will be a tight squeeze in the pan but that's okay.
5. In a saucepan over medium heat bring to boil butter, brown sugar, and water, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes, stir in vanilla.
6. Pour over tortillas and let stand for 30 minutes.
7. Bake in a 350º oven for 30 minutes, or until the tortillas look golden in color.
8. Serve warm with ice cream. Spoon some of the caramel sauce from the pan over the ice cream. 

I

Creamy Chicken Piccata with Mushrooms

This tasty chicken dish is a take off of some dishes I've enjoyed at Olive Garden.  Dare I say this one turned out even better? Basically you can't go wrong with thin slices of chicken dredged in flour and cooked in a cream sauce.

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper to taste
• zest from 1 lime, divided
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• flour for dredging (1/2 cup)
• 2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced or 1 can sliced mushrooms
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1 cup half and half cream
• 1 tsp (chicken) better than bouillon or (1 cube)
• 1/2 tsp fine, dried thyme or more if fresh
• parsley, lime slices for garnish

Method:

1. Hold each chicken breast standing on it's side and slice lengthwise, twice, to make 9 thin slices. This works best if the meat is barely thawed/from frozen. 
2. Season with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of lime zest (about half)
3. In large skillet, melt 2 Tbsp of butter with the olive oil over medium heat. 
4. Dredge chicken pieces in flour and add to skillet to cook each side until lightly browned, about two minutes on each side. 
5. Remove chicken from skillet. Continue with second round if needed. 
6. To drippings in pan add sliced mushrooms, scraping up brown bits, and cook until tender or starting to brown slightly. Add garlic, stirring for a minute and then the apple juice. Cook several minutes, adding bouillon flavoring.
7. Add cream, left over lime zest and thyme according to taste. Return chicken to skillet and simmer for five minutes. Serve with 250 g spaghettini. Serves 4 adults

Rhubarb Meringue Torte

Here is a springtime favorite...with a press-in-the-pan shortbread crust that makes this dessert 'easier than pie'! 

Crust:

• 1 cup cold butter
• 2 cups flour
• 2 Tablespoons sugar

1. Combine flour and sugar; cut in butter until crumbly.
2. Pat into an ungreased 9 x 13 inch pan, and bake in 350 F oven for 10 minutes.
3. Cool slightly.

Custard:

• 6 egg yolk
• 1 cup whipping cream or half and half
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 Tablespoons flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 5-6 cups rhubarb, cut into small pieces

1. Beat egg yolks, cream, sugar, flour and salt together.
2. Fold in rhubarb and pour over baked crust.
3. Bake at 350°F for 45-55 minutes (until custard is set).

Meringue:

• 6 egg whites
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Beat egg whites with salt and vanilla until foamy.
2. Add sugar gradually, and beat until stiff.
3. Spread over custard and bake at 350° F until golden (about 10 minutes).

Serves 12-15

*This is a large recipe...can be halved and made in an 8 inch square pan.

Rhubarb Peach Pie

The first crop of spring rhubarb is being harvested here on our farm.  The early rhubarb stalks are tender and juicy.  If you are as excited about rhubarb as I am, you will pick them before they are fully grown and pair them with frozen peaches from your freezer.    It's a perfect pairing with the tart taste of rhubarb and the sweet goodness of peaches.    I like to make a pie the perfect size for a dinner party and so when the table is set for six, I make a pie that is cut into six.   I made enough filling for another small pie to share.  If you want, you can use this filling in one large deep dish pie.  Also, I like to use a lattice top crust when the filling is beautifully bright. It also helps to know exactly when the center of the filling is cooked.

• pastry  (I used two discs for two shallow 9-inch pies from this recipe that I divide into four discs)
• 3 cups sliced frozen peaches, thawed (do not drain)
• 3 cups diced rhubarb
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons quick tapioca

1. Mix all the ingredients together for filling.  Set aside while you roll out the pastry.
2. Preheat oven to 375 F.
3. Roll out two discs to fit 9-inch pie plates,  trim edges from both pies.  Using all the trimmed pastry, roll out as thin and cut into strips to use for the lattice.  
4. Fill both pies with filling and arrange pastry strips evenly over both pies.  
5. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the crust is evenly brown and the center is clear and bubbly.  

Bread for the Journey - Bev

I love this picture that my husband took recently of a seemingly angry bird!

He looks mad, he's obviously being very vocal and there's no doubt his feathers are ruffled!

In our church ladies' Bible Study we've been studying the Sermon on the Mount 

and there are a few verses there that speak to how we should respond when
 our feathers get ruffled!

Matthew 5:21, 22, 

"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell."

I don't think I've taken this instruction seriously enough.
 Jesus is not contradicting the law that Moses gave but is calling his followers
 to a higher standard than the letter of the law sets out.

Everyone, Christian or non Christian, agrees that murder is a sin and is deserving of punishment.
But we feel justified in calling someone a fool (or worse) when we feel their actions deserve it.
However we as followers of Christ, are called to treat everyone with grace and mercy as He did.
That includes the person who cut you off on the highway,
  the fellow church member who offended you,
your spouse when they've done something you thought was was ill-advised,
 or your child for a thoughtless or rebellious act.
According to this passage, when we react in anger or derision,
we too are deserving of judgment.

This passage challenged me and with God's grace I will be thinking twice
 before reacting in anger or calling someone a fool.
My prayer is that all of us as Christians will be known for the grace and mercy we show to others
especially when our feathers are ruffled!