Fresh Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

     I'm trying out a brand new recipe today. I got it from my mom and she found it in her hometown newspaper. So when I was over at her apartment caring for her I decided to write it down and give it a try. After all I've been looking for some recipes to use the rhubarb that I have in my garden.

   This is the first year that I could use my rhubarb. I had just planted it last summer and I guess the golden rule is to wait a year before picking it. Anyways I finally got to use it. I also had to go to my mom's old house and take a little from her plants before she sells her place.

    I like the rhubarb at my mom's house because it is the thicker stalks. I think it makes better pies than the thinner rhubarb. So I did take one of the plants from her yard and planted it in my garden. Of course I did ask her permission first. I think she liked the idea that I would have one of her plants growing in my garden now that her house will be gone soon. So now I've got a little variety with the rhubarb.

     Anyways I had plenty of rhubarb to make some coffee cake and little something more that I'll share at another time. My family couldn't wait until it was done baking this morning. It did smell good and I too was anticipating eating this coffee cake for breakfast. The wait was worth it. The cake has delicious flavor and was very moist. We all had two pieces. Too yummy!

     The recipe say to serve warm with whipped cream, but I did not have whipped cream available and felt it was not necessary for breakfast. Now if I was serving it as a dessert then I would definitely top it off with some whipped cream.

Fresh Rhubarb Coffee Cake
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C white sugar
2/3 C oil
1 egg
1 C buttermilk or sour milk
2 1/2 C flour
1 t salt
1 t soda
2 C chopped fresh rhubarb
1/2 C chopped nuts ( I used pecans)
1 t vanilla
1/4 C butter, melted
1/3 C sugar

Combine sugars, oil, egg and  milk. In a separate bowl combine flour, soda, and salt; stir into egg mixture. Stir in rhubarb, nuts, and vanilla. Pour batter into a greased 9X13 pan. Drizzle butter over batter; sprinkle with 1/3C sugar. Bake at 325 for 35-40 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream.

Rum Punch

Rum Punch

     Awe Yes! These past few days have felt so great. It has felt like summer has finally come. Now that summer is here it's time for sitting outside on the deck and enjoying a cold drink.

     Now some of you may just like to have a cold lemonade. And that's all good, but some of you like to have an ice cold beer and that's good too. But if I can at all persuade you to try something new try this drink. I guarantee you will like it.

This drink will make you feel like you are in the tropics. Or at least you can pretend for a while that you are in a nice tropical place. We drank these drinks when we visited Florida on our trip and we loved them.

     I watched the bartender carefully so I could replicate the drink at home. It is super easy to make and only one bartender had a little twist of their own that I'll share with you.

     So what are you waiting for go get some ice and read on to make this fabulous, refreshing drink.

Rum Punch
orange juice
pineapple juice
Malibu Rum
grenadine

Fill a glass with ice. Mix equal portions of orange juice and pineapple juice together in the glass. Add a healthy shot of Malibu Rum and then drizzle some grenadine on top and stir. Now it's time to enjoy your drink!

* the bartenders twist was to add a little bit of sprite to the drink.

Strawberry Mango Salsa

Strawberry Mango Salsa

     I just got back from a little vacation down in Florida. I was loving the sun, the heat and the beautiful ocean, not to mention the food and drinks. It's such a different feel when one is in Florida. Everyone is kicked back and relaxed. Seems like everyone is happy. And who wouldn't be if you could sit by the ocean and soak up the rays with a cold drink in your hand. Simply paradise.

     I'm kind of stuck on the whole tropical food and drink thing right now. So I decided to make some Strawberry Mango Salsa. Fresh fruit is so plentiful in Florida that it's a shame not to keep enjoying those same great dishes even though I'm back in Minnesota.

    It seems that everything you eat or drink is fresh. The drinks are fruity and refreshing and the food was fresh and flavorful. I started out with this salsa because of the yummy fruit flavors. It is sweet with a hint of cilantro and onion it makes it hard to stop eating. This salsa would be good with cinnamon flavored tortilla chips, but regular chips are just as good.

     The next few posts will be focused on the great food that I had on vacation, so prepare yourself for some great tropical and seafood type dishes over the next few posts. But for now enjoy this salsa. I'm sure you're going to love it.

Strawberry Mango Salsa
2 mangos
1 lb of fresh strawberrys
1/2 red onion, diced
cilantro, chopped fine
tortilla chips

Clean and cut mango into small pieces and put in bowl. Clean and dice strawberries and add to mangos. Chop 1/2 a red onion into small pieces and add to fruit. Chop cilantro fine and add to bowl. (I just eyeballed the cilantro. Add as much as you like.) Mix together and then put in the fridge to marinate.Stir salsa before serving and enjoy with tortilla chips.