Rhubarbapalooza

‘Tis the season! You’ve got those beautiful flowers planted and seeds in the garden. The best part? The rhubarb you planted 10 years ago is already growing and ready to eat. 

My roommates and I got creative this year, we wanted to utilize the rhubarb growing in our garden, but do something different than rhubarb cobbler. We made Rhubarb Crunch, Rhubarb Cake and Rhubarb and Cherry Jam. [I know, I know, these are not within my food plan, but they are ALL delicious.]

 

Rhubarb Crunch

Rhubarb Crunch

The egg makes this sort of like a rhubarb custard!

Rhubarb Mix Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1 c sugar
• 1/3 c flour
• 6 c rhubarb, chopped into small pieces

Topping Ingredients

• 1/2 c butter
• 1 c brown sugar
• 1 1/2 c oatmeal

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, sugar and flour.
2. Add sliced rhubarb
3. Pour mixture into greased 9×12 baking pan
4. Mix topping ingredients in a separate bowl. Sprinkle over the rhubarb pan
5. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes
6. Eat.

Rhubarb Cake

Rhubarb Cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/2 c butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 c sour milk
• 1 tsp soda
• 2 c rhubarb, diced
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 c flour 
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Topping Ingredients

• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/4 c butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Mix all cake ingredients together and pour into 9×13 pan.
2. Mix topping ingredients together and sprinkle on top of cake batter before baking.
3. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

 

Rhubarb and Cherry Jam

Rhubarb and Cherry Jam

Ingredients

• 1 can cherry pie filling
• 4 c sugar
• 6 or 8 c diced rhubarb 
• 1 small pkg cherry Jello

Directions

1. Mix pie filling, sugar and rhubarb to a boil for 10 minutes, stirring occassionally.
2. Remove from heat and stir in Jello.
3. Can. Or put in Gladware and freeze.

Variation: use blueberry pie filling and raspberry Jello.

 

Not Too Pretty To Eat

My mother insisted it was not right that I make my own birthday cake, and demanded she help. I let her. 

The parents always made birthdays special, one of my favorite traditions was The Cake. My mom would make whatever cake we wanted! And by, ‘whatever cake we wanted’ I mean we got to choose the cake color and frosting color. I always picked angel food. Purple, teal, black, she always made the perfect cake. When I was two, she was still into Wilton cake decorating and was making me a Pink Panther cake. I didn’t want to wait for the cake, so when it was cooling on a rack on the table, I snuck in the kitchen and ate about 3/4 of it. I don’t regret it. And every year she reminds me that she had to make me another cake. Thank you, Mom!

A few months ago my friend Karess sent me this link for a Rainbow Cake. Genius. I feel like an idiot for not thinking of it myself.

Here’s what went down:

 

Separate the batter into X amount of bowls. I choose 5 colors. Also make sure your pans are sprayed well so the cake pops right out.

 

Make your colors! We used LOTS of food coloring - all from your generic four-color box of liquid red/blue/green/yellow. Use as much as you like!

 

Scoop the batter into the pans. Try to make each pan equal. We used bigger spoonfuls, next time I will try smaller. Shake the pans, hit them on the table a few times, to get the air bubbles out. Bake cakes.

 

Add filling! Perfect Cake Filling: 8oz box of cream cheese, 1 package of instant pudding, 1/3 cup of milk, 8oz (1 container) of whipped topping, 4tsp flavoring (optional, use any flavor - I choose raspberry extract)

Frost cake. Decorate. Use lots of sprinkles.

 

Eat.

Eat more.

 

See how delicious the cake looks, and keep eating more.

Stop being jealous, go make your own cake.