Wordless Wednesday.... Rhubarb

What is it?........................ Rhubarb

Where does it grow?......... All over the United States

How do you prepare it?... There are several ways, but it is mostly used in desserts.

What does it taste like?..... Tart and tangy

Have you ever tried it?...... Yes


What recipe would you suggest using this mystery Ingredient?.....

Rubarb Cherry Crisp

INGREDIENTS:

FILLING: 1 1/2 cups white sugar 4 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup cold water 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling 1/2 cup grated coconut 4 cups chopped fresh rhubarb 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

CRUST: 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup rolled oats 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup margarine, butter or coconut oil 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the rhubarb, cornstarch and sugar. Stir in the water. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly. Stir in the cherry pie filling, coconut and vanilla extract. Set aside
2.	Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3.	In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar and salt. Cut in butter until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Press 2 cups of this mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish. (Needs to be a glass baking dish, not metal) Spread the rhubarb mixture over the crust. Stir the chopped nuts into the remaining crumb mixture, and sprinkle over the top of the fruit.
4.	Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is crisp and golden. Serve warm topped with ice cream or whipped topping.

Make-Over Monday... Mixed Greens & Pear Salad

Since we will be celebrating "Earth Day" this week... We thought that here at the Pantry we should dedicate this week to all the wonderfully eatable things that we enjoy from the Earth itself. So to start the week off we thought we would offer you a salad... (Everything in it comes from the Earth!)

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. bag fresh baby spinach leaves
• 10 oz. bag mixed baby greens
• 1-1/2 cups frozen baby green peas,  (thawed- not cooked)
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
• 1 cup fresh ripe pears or apples (thin sliced)
• 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans (whole halves)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Combine first 6 ingredients in glass a large salad bowl. In small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper and whisk to blend well, pour dressing over salad, toss gently to coat and serve immediately. Serves 4-6 

Super Saturday School... "Let's Shake Up Some Butter!"

Shake your way to fresh butter and buttermilk ~ Prep Time: 10 minutes ~ Total Time: 10 minutes

 

Ingredients:

• Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
• A Jar with a lid (baby food jars work great for kids)

 

 

 

Preparation:

1. Fill a jar halfway with heavy cream and screw the lid on tight.
2. Shake the jar up and down until the cream thickens and begins to stick together.
3. Open the jar and pour any remaining liquid, this is actually buttermilk. Everything else is butter.
4. Fill jar with 3 tablespoons of cold clean water and shake the butter in cold water for a few minutes to work out any remaining buttermilk.
5. Sprinkle with a pinch salt, shake and enjoy.
6. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Fruitful Friday.... "Do You Garden?..."

If you are like us and love to garden, then you probably either have already planted a few things or have itchy fingers and toes to do so. And if you really love to garden then you probably do so for several different reasons... Am I correct?.

This is the case for us. We love to garden... for many reasons! We think the fresh goodies that we gather tastes better, it helps to add to the Pantry with little expense, and it fills our soles with pride and enjoyment when we see what we have created. Many years ago, I got into Heirloom gardening with my Tomatoes and I still use that method today. Since we have moved to the south, we have started venturing more into true organic gardening. We use to think that if you grew a garden and didn't spray for bugs that was Organic Gardening, but we are starting to discover that is not entirely and true and fair statement.

So with that in mind, we would like to invite you to check out some fun and new ways to give your garden a face lift. Whether you are a long time gardener or new to the whole ground playing thing... Here are some websites and information that we have found very helpful in our gardening ventures.

ORGANIC GARDENING

FARMERS ALMANAC

BETTER HOMES & GARDENS

MARTHA STEWART - GARDENING

SMALL SPACE GARDENING

HEIRLOOM GARDENING

Wordless Wednesday .... "Grits!"

 We have a Winner!!!   Jeanette (Forest Ranger) said... Grits? "Gross!"
( lol....She says....
I don't grow it!
I don't prepare it!
Tastes nasty!
I've tried it, but don't like it!
I don't eat it!!!)

TODAY IS "WORLD GRITS DAY"...  a small town in South Carolina called "St. George" started and hosts the World's largest Grits Festival every year on April 14th. Just in case anyone is interested in a little history lesson.... check out the WORLD'S GRITS FESTIVAL


 What is it?........................
Grits! (White Corn Meal)

Where does it grow?.........
Grits is a food of native to America in origin that is commonly grown in the Southern States. It mainly consists of coarsely ground corn.

How do you prepare it?...
Grits can be served hot or cold and as a base for a multitude of dishes from breakfast to dessert, depending on the additives. Additives can include salt and butter, meats (especially shrimp on the east or Gulf Coast), cheese. It is also common for people to have sugar on their grits. Grits can also be fried like polenta.

What does it taste like?.....  

A lot like cream of wheat or really soft corn bread

Have you ever tried it?......
Yes... We use to eat it often during the winter as hot cereal. But since we have moved to the South we eat it a lot prepared many different ways.

What recipe would you suggest using this mystery Ingredient?.....
Cooking it like oatmeal or cream of wheat and serving with milk (cream), sugar, cinnamon and dried cranberries.

"Tuesday's with Dorie"... Swedish Visiting Cake

Awesome cake!  Very tasty as a breakfast cake or as a quick dessert for unexpected company... We were out of Almonds, so we used fresh chopped pecans. Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!

You can check out other fans and fun recipes at  "Tuesday's with Dori".

Barefoot Bloggers - Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies - April 9th

Yummy Cookies! They taste just like my Grandma's old fashioned "Boiled Raisin Oatmeal Cookies". They are very moist and chewy. 

I love the whole oatmeal in them.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups pecans
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 1/2 cups raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the pecans on a sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to cool. Chop very coarsely.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together into a medium bowl. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the oats, raisins, and pecans and mix just until combined.

Using a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop 2-inch mounds of dough onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with a damp hand. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer the cookies to a baking rack and cool completely.

Wordless Wednesday .... "Tilapia"

 

What is it?.........................
Tilapia

Where does it grow?......... 

North America & Africa (warm fresh water)

How do you prepare it?....
Anyway you like it... Grilled, Baked or Fried

 

What does it taste like?.....  

It is a very mild white fish with not very many bones.

Have you ever tried it?......
Yes... We eat it about once a week, because Tilapia is low fat, low saturated fat, low calorie, low carbohydrate, low levels of mercury and a low sodium protein source. It is also an excellent source of Phosphorus, Niacin, Selenium, Vitamin B12 and Potassium.

What recipe would you suggest using this mystery Ingredient?.....
We love it in a fish sandwich for Lunch. We lightly bread a Tilapia Fillet fry it for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until white and flaky. Cut Fillet in half and place both halves in a caramelized hamburger bun add a thin slice of cheese, some tarter sauce and a little bit of shredded Lettuce. Enjoy!!!!

"Tuesday's with Dorie"... Mocha Walnut Marbled Bundt Cake

Okay.... Well.... Honestly....Very disappointing from our end. We are not "Mocha Lovers", so we left out the coffee but added extra chocolate flavor. We still found it to be very tasteless and disappointing... even after we frosted it with a white chocolate cream frosting. So we think we will scratch this one of the list! Sorry Dorie Fans....

You can check out other fans and fun recipes at  "Tuesday's with Dori".