Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Until I have my own garden (which hopefully will be next summer!), I am fortunate to have fresh produce from my Dad’s garden. Due to the rainy spring, he hasn’t been able to plant much, so we are unsure of what the harvest will be like this year. His rhubarb, however, is plentiful and I gladly harvested enough for some weekend baking last time I was at my parent’s home.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

by Umami Girl

Ingredients:

For the Filling
1 ¼ pounds rhubarb (about 3 1/2 cups chopped)
1 ¼ pounds strawberries
½ cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For the Topping
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup old fashioned rolled oats
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
8 Tablespoons cold butter, diced
Pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit.

For the filling: Trim the rhubarb stalks and chop them crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces. Place in a large bowl. Trim the strawberries and chop them in half or in quarters if large, add them to the rhubarb. Try to keep the pieces of fruit close to the same size.  Add the ½ cup sugar, the cornstarch and the lemon juice to the bowl and mix thoroughly.

Pour the fruit mixture into a deep pie plate or a small casserole dish.

For the topping: Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, butter and salt in a medium bowl. Using your fingers and thumbs, blend and pinch the mixture together until there is no loose four at the bottom of the bowl.

Sprinkle the topping over the fruit. Bake for about 50 minutes, until browned on top, bubbly and completely cooked through. Cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Carrot Cake

There is something gratifying about peeling carrots. I would put it under the same category as washing fresh potatoes from the garden or mowing lawn. Taking away the unpleasant looking layer and revealing something bright and new.

I especially like anything baked with carrot because it seems healthy, yet satisfies my sweet craving at the same time!

Carrot Cake

from Allrecipes.com, by Tammy Elliot

(I first tasted this cake when it was made by my friend, Aaron)

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

2 cups white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 cups grated carrots

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch pan. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar, and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Make sure the cake is completely cooled before frosting.