Party and Pie

As a new blogger, I had no idea what a Blogging Party was all about.  I signed up, still not sure if I had followed all the instructions right, and started down the huge list to hop from one blog to another.

I was amazed.  I had no idea.  I was inspired and encouraged.

I couldn't believe the number of blogs and the wonderful women I read about.  My hope for our nation went through the roof.  My creative side was inspired...I found a blog to teach me how to make cheese and one for hand-made soap, both things I have wanted to do for a long time.  I was encouraged by the hearts of so many women and their love for their families and their God.

I didn't know what number of visitors to expect, so any that stopped by my blog humbled me in many ways.  Why would anyone care to read my rambling?   I also saw how much more I needed to learn...isn't learning good for a middle-aged mind?  Thank you for stopping by and your nice comments.

So, in celebration of this party, I am sharing our pie with you today..Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (YUMMY, YUMMY!).  My four-year-old followed me to the kitchen to make a pie I remembered from my teen days.  My mother had adventurously stepped out of her comfort zone to make a strawberry rhubarb pie that I still recall 35 years later.  I don't remember us having it again, but maybe, like my boys, the rhubarb was so interesting and the product so good that it etched long-surviving memories.

My children have always learned at my side in the kitchen.  Usually starting as my four-year-old did, by first learning at their grandmother's side.  She would be at the house after the birth of our newest addition, or just a visit with our youngest two children, and would call them into the kitchen to put biscuits in the oven.  They would pull up a stool (around the age of three) and, after popping open the can of biscuits, she would allow them to arrange the biscuits on the cooking sheet to go into the oven. They entered the cooking world and have never looked back.

The rhubarb was sliced and measured.  This is a perfect way to start introducing math to your younger children.  My son watched as I added the rhubarb and then the strawberries on top, while reading out the measurements (numbers) to me.
The rhubarb took on the sweetness of the strawberries....it mimics flavors.

In celebration of poem month, this was a good time to quote the poem "Sing a song of Sixpence", where blackbirds are baked in a pie. I remembered the poem and later shared with my son, who thought it was so silly and again we counted...there were 24 birds baked in a pie.

Our final results...  my son had experienced math and literature by my side, while introducing a new vegetable....can you tell I have homeschooled for 21 years?  My older son was fascinated by how the rhubarb changed texture and taste.  We all enjoyed the fruit of our labor. We planned on making a different pie each week...sounds like fun for the spring season!  I wore my new "I Love Lucy" apron while we cooked, but I still wiped my wet hands off on my bottom...will I ever learn to use this new addition to my wardrobe?

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
3 cups of rhubarb stalks cut into 1/2 pieces...trim the stringy layers of the large stalks
1 cup of strawberries, stemmed and sliced
1 cup of sugar
3 Tablespoons of corn starch
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of grated orange peel
Unbaked pastry for two-crust 9 inch pie

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix the rhubarb and the strawberries with the sugar, corn starch, salt and orange rind.  Let sit for 10 minutes
Turn into a pastry lined pan.  Top with the pastry, trim the edge, and crimp the top and bottom edges together.  Cut slits in the top for the steam to escape.
Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 30 to 40 minutes longer.  Cool on a rack.
Serve warm or cold......we put whipped cream on top!

ENJOY!!!