Randi's Raspberry Rhubarb Pie and Other Culinary Adventures

I've been cooking up a storm recently. Fall just feels like a time for cooking to me. And while some of my kitchen excursions ended better than others, I thought I'd document them nonetheless. (*nonetheless and nevertheless are two of my favorite words...just thought I'd share.)

You may recall this post, (click here to read Ode to Rhubarb Pie) from last summer when I came across fresh rhubarb at Brookshire's. The pie in that post was not only my first attempt at cooking with rhubarb, it was also the beginning of my refining of the perfect rhubarb raspberry pie recipe. I resurrected the idea of a rhubarb raspberry pie a couple of weeks ago in preparation for entering the FBC Farm Fair Bake Off. Miraculously, I found frozen rhubarb at both Kroger and Brookshire's, so I see many more rhubarb recipes in my future. :) Sadly, my perfect pie didn't win (I was beaten by a friend and winner or not it was sold as a fundraiser so I can hardly count it as a loss :) I did, however, get my secret recipe down. Being that it's a secret, of course...I'm not telling. I would be glad to make you one anytime if you want to come visit. And assuming I can find rhubarb again when you do.

Pie Attempt 1-two weeks ago Pie Attempt 2- last week

And... my final perfected pie-last weekend! I also made these pumpkin cookies again this year. They're becoming a fall tradition. They're very easy and are more like little cakes than cookies. Recipe can be found here.Another recipe I made from the Libby's pumpkin website is their pumpkin soup:Which I served with my own chicken salad recipe with alfalfa sprouts on fresh baked multi-grain bread. Truly yummy.This is what I put in my [cold] chicken salad:

chicken (usually grilled or a rotisserie chicken...either brings extra flavor)

mayo with olive oil or a mixture of sour cream and plain yogurt

chopped almonds

chopped celery and onion

shredded mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper to taste

And back to the subject of pumpkin...since I was on a pumpkin streak with the cookies and soup, I also made a pumpkin chocolate chip bread which was really more like a cake. It's extremely dense and moist. Here's my recipe:

1 box Pillsbury pumpkin quick bread

to which you add:

1 cup water

2 eggs

1/3 c applesauce

1 pkg instant pudding (pumpkin spice, vanilla, cream cheese- any of these will do)

1 bag chocolate chips

Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean!
Evidently, I forgot to photograph this. :(

The MOPS meeting before last was my table (or planet)'s week to bring breakfast and since I signed up to bring a "sweet pastry" I invented the following simple cream cheese and cream cheese raspberry danish. You need the following:

Pillsbury Crescent Roll Rounds, Ready-to-eat Cheesecake filling, cake and pastry filling or jam or pie filling (I used raspberry, but any fruit will do), and powdered sugar and vanilla.

All you do is bake the crescent rounds as directed, then pressin the center with a spoon as soon as they come out of the oven. Once they're cool, put a dollop of cream cheese filling in the dents and top with fruit filling. Then you'll need to make a glaze with powdered sugar, water, and vanilla and drizzle your danishes. Super easy, right? And they were a pretty big hit, too. I had very few left.

Lastly, I got one of those "Amish" Friendship Bread starters (I put Amish in quotes because it calls for a package of instant pudding and if the Amish are using instant pudding now, I've been misinformed) Anyway, I got it from my friend Rebekah at MOPS last week so I've been feeding it and mashing the bag and Sunday (at last) was baking day! Instead of portioning out several starters I just portioned out one for me to keep and made a double batch with the rest...which means I had four loaves of this stuff. Actually, I only have two loaf pans so to be more accurate I had two loaves and two round breads because those two had to be baked in casserole dishes. Which, by the way, works just as well! So if you live in close proximity to me and would like (a) a loaf (or round) of bread next time I bake (which should be on or about the 10th- next Tuesday) or (b) a bag of starter of your own, please let me know. I'd be happy to oblige with either one. I'm not sure how long I'll keep a starter going of my own, but I'm hoping at least to make it through the holidays!

Well, that covers a portion of the things I've cooked lately, though it doesn't really delve into the actual meals. And there've been some of those, too. I'm on a crockpot kick these days.

But that's a post for another day.

In the meantime...Bon Apetit! :)