Craziness & Rhubarb (they go hand-in-hand, right?)

Monday and Tuesday here in my neck of the woods in Minnesota we had temps in the 90's, rare for this early in June for sure, then sometime last night (without the help of a severe thunderstorm) the wind shifted from the South to the North and today it's 59 degrees.  Yesterday the central air was doing all it could to keep me & my family nice and comfortable and today that is turned off and I have a sweatshirt on, I do however, refuse to wear pants, and I have decided my favorite weather is when I can wear shorts & then a sweatshirt - I guess that truly is a Minnesota style! ha.  In the crazy weather, however, my rhubarb is doing well and my mom sent some home with me last time I saw her so today I whipped up the following freezer jam recipe (the only jam this chick prepares) and later today will whip up a famous rhubarb crisp to have with some ice cream for dessert after dinner tonight!  This recipe was given to me by Dee Daly (who used to be the daycare mom to my youngest two (who are now 19 & 20).  This is yummy and if you knew Dee like I do you would know that she loves to bake just like I do!  So without further rambling - here is the jam recipe I just whipped up:

Rhubarb Blueberry Freezer Jam
5 c. chopped rhubarb
1 c. water
Bring these to a boil in a stock pan.  Boil a few minutes.
Add:  5 c. sugar, and bring to a boil again.
Add:  1 6 oz. package of JELLO (you choose:  strawberry, raspberry, cherry)
and     1 can blueberry pie filling.  Bring to a boil again.  Let boil for 7 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Pour into jars or freezer containers.  Let set overnight and then freeze!
P.S.  Today I used Cherry Jello - as that is what happened to be in my jello/pudding drawer!

WINDYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Holy Hannah for a windy day here in Mo-town! Started bright and early this morning and has only been increasing throughout the day.  Like Grant says, can't we get a NICE day without wind for once? Apparently the answer is no. Jessica and Jesse have been in Minnesota since Friday - it has been nice and fun to see them. Last night we all went up to Alexandria for the movie Bridesmaids, if you haven't seen it yet, go!  However, maybe not with your 19 year old son and 20 year old daughter - who I was sitting between- we all looked at each other after the opening scene and said, "awkward" ha!  In honor of Jesse being here yesterday morning I popped the following into the oven, this is one of the only breakfast foods he has ever gotten excited about here at my house!

EGG BAKE
12 eggs
1 c. skim milk
*Beat these 2 ingredients together  in a bowl.
In a 9x13 greased cake pan, pour 2-3 c. frozen hashbrowns, top with cubed ham (2 cups), and then whatever veggies you desire.  (onion, peppers, mushrooms, etc.). Pour the egg mixture over this and top with 1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 -60 minutes.  It will be done when the center is no longer jiggly!

I am off to bake some cookies now!

Tis the season of Rhubarb & Lilacs too!

Across my back yard I have a row of lilac bushes planted - they bloom at various times (so that I can enjoy them as long as possible!) - right now 3 of them are blooming - they win the prize of being the first.  Right in front of the row of lilac bushes sits our little garden spot and in that garden spot is a patch of rhubarb!  I love this stuff.  My eldest daughter used to eat it raw (dipped in sugar) when she was little, now our whole family love my rhubarb crisp - its absolutely the best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.  Said daughter will be in Minnesota late tonight fresh off a flight from San Diego, where she lives now (and where she saw Giada (from the FOOD NETWORK) last Sunday  :)  She texted me right away because she knew her food network junkie mom would be super impressed, and I was!  Tomorrow I am making a pan of rhubarb crisp because I can  :)

Rhubarb Crisp 
8 c. rhubarb, chopped in small pieces
1/2 c. sugar
     Wash and then chop your rhubarb.  Place the chopped rhubarb into a 9 x 13 cake pan.  Sprinkle with the 1/2 c. sugar.  Let set (while you make the topping!)
2 c. oatmeal
2 c. brown sugar
1 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. melted butter
     Stir the dry ingredients together.  Stir in the melted butter.  Stir well (or use your hands to mix!).  Crumble the topping over the rhubarb in your pan.  Bake @ 375 degrees for about 35-40 minutes.  Until your dessert is golden brown and bubbly!

Easy Breezy Day and Strawberry Shortcakes too, yes please~!

Here in West Central Minnesota, where I live it happens to be the third straight day of BEAUTIFUL weather!  Hey, around here that is an accomplishment worth noting.  Sunny, warm (but not hot) and just a slight breeze and birds chirping outside my window too.  Gotta love it!  Gooseberry patch is asking for Strawberry recipes today so this is what fresh strawberries bring to mind in my house, besides just eating them straight from the container (after washing of course!).  This shortcake recipe is the one my late gradma used to use and it was passed on to me by my aunt (thank you!).  I need to get right to the recipe so I can go outside before I have to get some work done!

Strawberry Shortcakes
1/2 c. melted butter
1 egg (break into a 1c. measuring cup) fill the cup with milk
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
Mix all together in a bowl and stir quickly.  Spoon into greased muffin tins.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
Remove from oven.  Cut cake in half and place on plate, spoon fresh whipped cream and sliced strawberries on top! 

Late, especially for me!

Here it is 11:08 p.m. - I am usually sound asleep by now, so that I can wake up at my usual time of 2:30, ugh!  Thankfully that doesn't happen to me every night but enough nights to be a pain in the royal rear, if you get my drift.  I have had to close the past two nights at my part-time BP job so therefore, I was up late checking my facebook (of course!) and thought I may as well hop on over to my blog and type up a post!  We have had sun for two straight days here in West Central Minnesota and it has been fabulous, according to Mr. Weatherman we are to have one more and then 4 straight days of clouds and rain  :(  Not what the farmers I know want to hear, or what I want to hear for that matter.  The college kids I have mentioned in previous blogs are keeping me on my toes with more household food consumption, more laundry piling up and more wondering, What is there to eat?  Here is my Scotcheroo recipe which I made today (before I headed to BP!)

Scotcheroos
1 c. sugar
1 1/3 c. karo syrup (light)
*I use a 3 quart saucepan.  Place over medium-high heat, stir and bring to a boil.  Let boil for 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Stir in 1 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter.  Stir in 6 cups of Rice Krispies.  Spread this mixture into a buttered 9 x 13 pan.  In a microwave safe bowl, pour 1 c. butterscotch chips and 1 c. milk chocolate chips.  Microwave on high for 1 minute.  Stir.  Continue to microwave in 30 secon increments until all melted and will stir together smoothly.  Spread over the rice krispie mixture.  Refrigerate for 2 hours (to let the topping harden!)  EAT (which may mean you have to hide from College students!) ha!

HMMMMMM . . .Chocolate?

I know I posted a blog update yesterday, but for some reason it has vanished!  Technology is good and sometimes to tricky for me, ha!  Anywhooo, I am sure that I was going on and on about our lovely COLD weather and WINDY weather and the fact that my heat had to be turned back to the ON position after TWO whole days in the OFF position.  I know I posted a recipe for Grant's new favorite recipe which is Sausage Biscuits and Gravy - I don't have enough time to post that again now - so will do later - as right now I am thinking I should post this recipe that I found in one of the recent Food Network Magazines!

Chocolate Cream Pie
Beat 8 oz. of softened cream cheese, 1/2 c. sugar, 1/3 c. cocoa powder, 1/3 c. milk and 1 tsp. vanilla together until fluffy.  Spread into a chocolate cookie pre-made crust.  Beat 1 c. heavy cream with 2 tbsp. sugar until peaks form and spread over the cream cheese layer, refrigerate and EAT!  Yum :)

Ups and Downs and learning too~!

Well two days ago it was so warm and humid that I ALMOST turned on the air conditioning.  Now today I have the heat back on . . .its gray, cloudy and COLD.  Such unmoderated weather we seem to experience here in Minnesota.  I wouldn't be surprised if snow shows up in the forecast again, angry, yes, surprised no.  Besides ups and downs in the weather department, they are also in the laundry room, the pile was way UP and day by day I am whittling it down.  Two kids returned home from college for the summer and (somewhat clean freak) mom that I am, I said - throw anything you had with you at school in the laundry room, that was a whole week ago and I am still trying to find the bottom of the pile.  The learning part of this blog is that my last blog post was that I had made my sweet, now 19 year old son, his favorite breakfast, Chocolate chip muffins, he has since corrected me that they are no longer his favorite breakfast but the following recipe is!  I will make this recipe this weekend, because my hubby better be home when I make this breakfast or I will be in trouble!   :)

Sausage Gravy & Biscuits
1 pound ground breakfast sausage
2 tbsp. finely chopped onion
1 tbsp. flour
1 c. milk
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 dash worcestershire sauce
1 dash tabasco sauce
1 tube Pillsbury Grand Biscuits (or you can make your own from scratch!) (however, FYI these are good & easy!)
*Preheat oven to temperature stated on the tube of biscuit dough.  Put biscuits in oven to bake as directed.  Meanwhile:
Crumble sausage in skillet and cook over medium heat, add onion and cook until tender.  Drain.  Stir in flour, add milk slowly and cook until bubbly and golden.  Stir in seasonings and heat through.  Serve over the warm biscuits - I cut the biscuit in half and pour the gravy over the tops of the halves!