Rhubarb Muffins with Oatmeal Crumb Topping

After trying to figure out how to use my extra rhubarb, I decided upon these rhubarb muffins.  Oh how I love a good muffin at any time of day!  These muffins are a perfect mixture of tart and sweet. 

Rhubarb Muffins with Oatmeal Crumb Topping

Ingredients:
Muffin:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups 1/4-inch-diced rhubarb (7-1/4 oz.)

Topping:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons oatmeal (any type but instant)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil baking cups.

Make the muffin batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt and whisk to blend.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Lightly stir the sour cream mixture into the dry ingredients with a spatula until the batter just comes together; do not overmix. Gently stir in the diced rhubarb. The batter will be thick.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups, using the back of a spoon or a small spatula to settle the batter into the cups. The batter should mound a bit higher than the tops of the cups.

Make the topping: In a large mixing bowl, combine all the topping ingredients except the butter. Cut butter into mixture with a pastry blender or two butter knives until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.  Generously top muffins with the topping.  Lightly press the topping into the muffin batter.

Bake the muffins until they’re golden brown, spring back most of the way when gently pressed, and a pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully lift the muffins out of the pan—if necessary, loosen them with the tip of a paring knife—and let them cool somewhat. Serve warm.

Recipe Source:  adapted from Fine Cooking, topping recipe from Food.com

Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes

Pancakes....SIGH.....Pancakes.  It's no secret that I love them.  I love the soft, perfect texture.  I love the versatility of the pancake.  You can create so many different flavors to top it with or mix in with it.  Heck, I even just love eating the batter plain.  Maybe love isn't a strong enough word...but I am utterly and completely infatuated with pancakes.  So is it any surprise that pancakes are my kids favorite breakfast ever?  I am always creating new types of pancakes.  In fact, I have a whole list of them I need to blog about.  (It's on that long "To Do" list that never gets done.)  Here's to me getting around to posting my beloved pancakes.  These Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes are amazing!  I can eat them plain without toppings they are so good.  It's a perfect summer meal especially made with fresh picked strawberries.  Delish!

Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup white cake mix
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/2 cup crushed strawberries
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons milk
2 oz. softened cream cheese

Directions:
1.  In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cake mix, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Then, mix in the egg, crushed strawberries and milk. 

2.  In a small bowl, stir the softened cream cheese until it is smooth and creamy.  (You don't want any lumps in it.)  Mix the cream cheese into the batter.  (I don't like my pancakes super dense so if the batter seems too thick just add a bit of milk.)

3.  Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium high heat.  Spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake on the griddle.  Cook until you can see the pancake bubbling and the other side is browned.  Flip with a spatula and cook until the other side is browned. 

4.  Keep warm and serve with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, strawberry syrup, strawberry puree with powdered sugar, or anything else that floats your boat.  Enjoy!

Makes about 8 pancakes.

Recipe Source:  Kimmy's Creation

Linked to:  Sweets for a Saturday

$250 Cookies

Hands down, one of the best cookie recipes ever!  I use this recipe all the time and people love it.  Sometimes I leave out the Hershey bar and nuts and add in Heath crunch bar pieces or M&M's instead.  Other times, I don't ground up the oatmeal.  I just put it in whole.  Any way you dish it, people will love it.  It really is a recipe that is universally loved!

$250 Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups blended oatmeal (blended oatmeal: measure and blend in a blender to a fine powder)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
12-ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 ounces of Hershey chocolate bars broken into chunks
1 1/2 cup nuts, chopped

Directions:
Cream butter and both sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda.  Add chips, candy bar, and nuts.  Refrigerate for one half hour.  Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on cookies sheet.  Bake for 6-10 minutes at 375 degrees.  Makes 56 cookies.

Recipe Source:  My wonderful Mom

Linked to:  Foodie Friday, Sweets for a Saturday

Parade of Pies

I love summer!  It is my favorite season of the year.  Why?  Because I love the sun and everything that goes with it, from swimming to fruit picking.  I love making pies from fresh picked fruit.  Here in Oregon, we are so blessed to have every type of fruit farm available for picking during the summer and fall.  I love it!  So here's a parade of fruit pies for some happy baking this summer. 

This Fresh Peach Pie will knock your socks off!  The filling is a cream cheese, whipped cream mixture topped by peachy delight!

This pie was my favorite growing up.  This Banana Cream Pie is unbeatable!

This Raspberry Cream Pie is now probably my favorite pie ever!  You can't eat just one piece. 



Mmmmm....Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with an Oatmeal Streusel Topping...need I say more?



This is the Blackberry Cream Pie, a knock off of the Raspberry Cream Pie!  A huge crowd pleaser!

Happy Baking!!!  Enjoy baking some delicious fruit pies!

Dill Dip

Most days of most weeks, I have the same dilemma.  What's the side dish gonna be?  I write out the menu plan for all our main dishes for the week, do all my grocery shopping, and feel all prepared, right?  Right? Wrong!!!  You'd think I'd learn, but I think my baby boy stole that "Things you should have learned by now" brain cell from me when he was born.  So every week, it's...What's the side dish going to be?  Granted it usually incorporates veggies so that narrows down the list.  But sometimes, I just don't want anymore plain ol' green beans or sauteed mushrooms which are my kids favorites.  I want somethin' for the momma!  I found this dill dip recipe from my mom and decided it was mommy night.  It was veggies and dip time.  Soooo simple, right?  But something we usually never have because the Chase-ter can't eat the hard veggies and the girly just licks off the dip and leaves the veggies.  This dip was delightful though.  I thoroughly enjoyed it even if the kids didn't. 

Dill Dip

Ingredients: 
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayo
2 Tablespoons parsley flakes
2 Tablespoons onion flakes
2 Tablespoons dill weed
1 teaspoon seasoning salt

Directions:
Mix all ingredients and chill for several hours or overnight to blend flavors. 

*You can use light mayo and light sour cream for this.  If you are serving a family of 4, I would half the recipe. 

Recipe Source:  Mi Mamacita

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Oatmeal Crumb Topping

There is nothing like a sweet, warm, fresh berry pie!  A la mode this little baby and you've got yourself a completely fantastic dessert.  This pie was so easy to make and tasted so, so good.  I just love rhubarb desserts!  So I do have a tip on using rhubarb that my mom gave me which I love.  Any of you had the problem with rhubarb being too crunchy or hard for the dessert after it is cooked?  Now, thanks to my mom, I always pre-cook the rhubarb before I put it in the pie or any dessert.  I cook it in the vegetable steamer in a pan for 6 minutes until it is softened.  I've found that if I do this, the rhubarb ends up soft and perfectly blended in with the dessert.  Ya know what I'm sayin'?  Cooking it before hand has been a perfect solution for me. 

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Oatmeal Crumb Topping

Ingredients:
Pre-cooked Pie Shell

Pie:
2 cups strawberries, sliced
3 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1/4" pieces
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch

Topping:

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons oatmeal (any type but instant)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions: 
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.  Fill a medium pot with a little bit of water (just enough to steam the rhubarb).  Place a vegetable steamer inside the pot.  Put sliced rhubarb in vegetable steamer, cover with lid, and steam rhubarb for 6 minutes or until tender. 

3.  In a large bowl, mix together the rhubarb, sliced strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch.  Mix until well blended.  Pour the filling into the pre-cooked pie crust. 

4.  Make the crumb topping: In a large mixing bowl, combine all the topping ingredients except the butter. Cut butter into mixture with a pastry blender or two butter knives until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.  Spread the crumbs over the top of the pie filling. 

5.  Put foil around the edges of the pie crust so that the edges don't overcook.  Cook the pie on the center rack for 45-60 minutes at 400 or until the crumbs are a deep golden brown.  (My oven cooks hot and was done at 45 minutes maybe even less.)

6.  Now cut yourself a monstrous piece of warm pie, load it with ice cream, and enjoy!  ****Kimmy's disclaimer--Doing this everyday is not good for your diet.  There....now I've cautioned you. 

Recipe:  My little creation

Linked to:  Made it on Monday, Full Plate Thursday, Sweets for a Saturday

Garlic Lemon Chicken Kabobs

These kabobs were zesty and refreshing.  It seems a little loco to describe meat that way, but I thought the lemon marinade with this chicken made it just that.  It was really yummy.  The marinade was so simple to make too.  Definitely a great and easy dinner.  Serve it up with a side of marinated, grilled veggies and you have a perfect summer dish. 

Garlic Lemon Chicken Kabobs

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¾-inch pieces

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.

Prepare a medium fire in a grill. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 20 minutes before use.

Thread the chicken pieces onto skewers and discard the excess marinade. Lightly oil the grill grates. Place the kabobs on the grill, cover, and cook until the chicken is opaque throughout, about 8-12 minutes, turning once or twice during cooking. Transfer to a warmed platter and serve immediately.  Makes about 4 skewers.

Recipe Source:  Annie's Eats

Linked to:  Made it on Monday, Full Plate Thursday