Curried Cauliflower Recipe

TheBestOfBridge.com

Lunar Rhubarb Cake

An amazing rhubarb cake recipe that came from a co-worker a few years back.  I love rhubarb and have always wanted a plant in my garden but have never had the good fortune.  Luckily I have friends and family in rural New Brunswick who are very happy to donate bag fulls of this tart spring fruit.

1/2 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups chopped rhubarb (1/2 inch pieces)
1 tbsp flour

Method:  Cream butter and sugar until smooth and creamy;  beat in egg and vanilla.  Sift together 2 cups flour, soda, and salt.  Add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, making 2 dry and 2 liquid additions.  Toss rhubarb with 1 tbsp flour and mix gently into batter.  Spoon into greased 13 X 9 cake pan and smooth surface.

Topping:  1/4 cup softened butter, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar.  Blend together all ingredients and sprinkle evenly over batter. 

Bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until the cake has risen and browned and comes away from the edges of the pan and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. 

Makes about 18 servings.

FACT: did you know that Canadian all-purpose flour is pre-sifted??  No need to get out that old-fashioned sifter, I didn't for this recipe and the cake came out extremely light and fluffy!

Rhubarb Facts

Wordless Wednesday - Banana Boat Breakfast

Pray for Luke

Luke Martens is a lively 3 1/2 year old. At birth he was diagnosed with an extremely rare disorder called Mosaic Trisomy 22.

Jody from Mommy Moment has put together an auction to raise funds. We really need YOUR help to make this a success!

The money raised will first be used to get the medical tests done (about $700), if we raise more we would love to be able to bless the Martens family with funds to get some of the things she mentioned such as physio equipment and ASL training.

Items at the auction are:

• Free registration at the "I am Unique!" online teen girls Bible Study that starts Fall 2010. This is valued at $30.00
• A Mark Slither and Slouch bag (in black) and a Mark Citrus Bloom Fragrance Mist. This is valued at $48.00
• A $25.00 gift certificate to KIOKKO's collection of chic baby accessories.
• A beautiful crocheted hat for newborns-three months from MOMMAFO. This is valued at $12.00
• An 8x10 (unmarked) print from Pominville Photography. This is valued at $25.00
• An 8x10 (unmarked) print of your choice from NuggleMe Photography. This is valued at $25.00
• A toy from Organic Baby Toys by Dandelion, which is being donated from Nils-Online. This is valued at $40.00
• A wooden jumper giraffe from Nils-Online. This is valued at $18.95
• A lovely handmade incense holder (from Germany) from Nils-Online. This is valued at $110.00
• An Imaginators Membership for 1 year (this is only available to NYC and Hoboken area in the USA, which is being donated by Creative Sitters. This is valued at $225.00
• A Label Out Loud Essentials Combo Pack by Mabel Labels. This is valued at $48.00
• A $25.00 gift certificate to Discovery Toys (this is only available to Canada), which is being donated by Angela Orfei.
• Alphabet Crafts ebook from No Time For Flash Cards. This is valued at $8.00

 The Auction is on now at http://www.mommymoment.ca/2010/05/auction-for-luke.html

These are some great items so check out the details . If you're unable to participate in the auction, they also have a Donate Now button on the side bar.

Wordless Wednesday - Caught Red Handed!!

Family Heritage.ca - New Brunswick and Nova Scotia Genealogy

Family Heritage.ca - New Brunswick and Nova Scotia Genealogy

Brownies

So..husband's gone away on business...kids are in bed..feelin kinda bored..feelin kinda hungry.. feelin kinda like BROWNIES!!!  Except I don't make them often so I don't have an old standby AMAZING recipe.  I have a can of cocoa and a box of Bakers unsweetened chocolate squares...looked up a few recipes on the net..not really impressed.  So I pulled out the box of Baker's chocolate and ALAS there is a recipe for brownies right on the box...JACKPOT! 

BAKER'S ONE BOWL BROWNIES

4 squares Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup butter

2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup flour
1 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans (optional)

1. LIGHTLY grease a 13x9 inch baking pan.

2. MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in a large microwaveable bowl on MEDIUM 2 minutes or until melted.

3. STIR sugar into chocolate until well blended; mix in eggs and vanilla.
4. STIR in flour and nuts; spread in pan.
5. BAKE in preheated 350 degrees F oven for 30-35 minutes or until done.  DO NOT OVERBAKE.  Cool completely.  Makes 24 brownies.

(source: Box of Baker's unsweetened chocolate)

NOTE: because I am such a chocolate/peanut butter fanatic, I happened to have some chopped peanuts on hand so used those in place of the pecans  AND I iced with a peanut butter icing.

PEANUT BUTTER ICING

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

2 tbsp soft butter

1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup icing sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

1.  Cream together the peanut butter, butter and vanilla.  Blend in icing sugar.  Stir in cream until you get a nice spreading consistency, using more if necessary.

(source: Rebar modern food cookbook)

TASTE TEST:  Yum...crispy on outside, moist and chewy on inside.  Peanut butter frosting was good too, except I spread it on while brownies were still warm..hence the melted icing look in the picture:)  Oh well...I never said I was a professional.