Flood of 2013

It's been exactly six weeks since I last posted.

In the morning, I wrote about chocolate cake and thought about a party I planned to attend that evening.

That afternoon, we were told to expect a monumental flood in our community. I started carrying everything in our home up to the top floor.  My husband, son and a friend built a berm like this one across a low point in our back yard.

The army moved in and constructed a berm to protect our neighbourhood.

And thirty-six hours later we were evacuated for five days.

Then we waited. 

We were so lucky, so very, very lucky.  Neighbours on both sides and every home on the street behind us had either sewage or flood damage.  Our home remained dry. I am so very thankful as  many lost everything.  Two hundred homes in our community are still uninhabitable.  

So, what have I been doing since I made that chocolate cake six weeks ago?  Well, we have been tidying, sorting, decluttering, organizing, labeling and containerizing EVERYTHING!  Sigh! What a kick-start to a job long overdue. But, no complaining!!  At least we HAVE a home.

Chocolate Cake

It just occurred to me that today is Thursday.  The weekend is just around the corner.  : )

This little recipe might be what you're looking for if you need to bake a dessert this weekend.  Epicurious credits Leigh McLean and Sweet Dreams Bakery in Memphis.  It was in the September, 1995 issue of Bon Appetit and, since then, you can find it online on multiple blogs. 

Chocolate cake - simple, quick, easy and good.  This recipe doesn't use milk or eggs which is great if your friends are vegan or lactose intolerant.  It's also a very versatile recipe and can be baked multiple ways.  I've baked this cake twice in the past month - once as cupcakes for picnic birthday and last weekend for Father's Day.  

Chocolate Cake

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix together in mixing bowl.

2 cups cold water

1 cup corn oil

1 tablespoon vanilla

Add wet ingredients and mix.

Grease and flour pans.

(I also use parchment paper.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 35 minutes.

NOTES:

*** cupcakes - 22 minutes / 28 large cupcakes

*** two 9-inch round pans - 35 minutes

You can also try:

- three 8-inch round pans

- 9x13 rectangle pan plus one 8-inch round

- two 8-inch square pans or 7x11 rectangle pans

- 10x15 jelly roll pan

If you'd like to reduce this recipe, the University of Nebraska - Lincoln has a great one-page PDF you can print out that tells you what measurements to use if you want to make just 1/3 or 1/2 of a recipe.

Sausages with Cranberry Rhubarb Sauce

It was a marathon and a personal challenge!

So much rhubarb and I was determined to step out of the box and try something other than the usual Rhubarb Crisp.  

Not that I don't like Rhubarb Crisp!  On the contrary, but...

It was time to move on...

... to Rhubarb Sorbet and Rhubarb Strawberry Jam and last night's dinner...

Sausages with Cranberry Rhubarb Sauce

Sausages with Cranberry Rhubarb Sauce

1 - 2 pounds sausages (I used Hot Italian.)

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

Gently saute sausages and red onion (about 5 minutes).

1 cup cranberries

1 cup chopped rhubarb

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

Stir in remaining ingredients.

Simmer (covered) for 30 minutes.

Enjoy the weekend!

Maggie

PS  Have you checked out Weekend Potluck #71 this weekend?  Lots of great recipes!

Maggie's Strawberry Rhubarb Jam - super simple and only four ingredients!

Maggie's Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Chez nous, it's still all about the rhubarb! 

I've had great fun experimenting with Rhubarb Sorbet, salad dressings, a Cranberry Rhubarb Sausage dish and JAM!  : )

I made this Strawberry Rhubarb jam last night - super simple, only a few ingredients and it tastes like summer.  

Note:  It's important to use a skillet... more evaporation with the larger surface area.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

3 cups rhubarb, cut into small pieces

1  1/2 cups strawberries, roughly cut

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup Cointreau

Simmer in skillet for 50 minutes.

Stir every five minutes or so.

This recipe makes just a tiny batch (about 1.5 cups).  

Store in fridge.  Enjoy!

Check out Weekend Potluck # 71
for this recipe and lots of other great recipes.

Rhubarb Sorbet

Rhubarb Sorbet
adapted from Bon Appetit, 1995

Just back from an unexpected trip...

...to a VERY wild garden...

...and SO MUCH RHUBARB!

After some searching, I discovered a very simple recipe for Rhubarb Sorbet on Epicurious.  It's a creation of Chef Bryan Webb and was first published in Bon Appetit in 1995.  

Here's my version (modified from the original)... 

I was very pleased with the results and will definitely try this again!

Rhubarb Sorbet

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup water

juice of 1/2 a lemon

In medium saucepan, dissolve sugar and bring to a boil.

1 pound finely chopped rhubarb (about 4 cups)

Add rhubarb and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes.

Puree in blender; refrigerate until cold.

Follow directions to process in ice cream maker.

Freeze.  Will keep for several days.

Serve small portions with a simple square or sugar cookie.

Check out Weekend Potluck # 71
for this recipe and many other tasty treats!

High Five Vegetarian Chili - only 5 ingredients and it assembles in under 5 minutes!

Sometimes supper has to be quick to put together...

... look after itself...

... be ready to go...

... be able to wait.

This meal was like that.  And it was pretty good. : )

Five ingredients assembled in under five minutes!  

I put last night's dinner in the crock pot, but you could just let it simmer on top of the stove for 10 or 15 minutes if you're making it at the last minute.  

It would be good to take along on a camping trip.  One pot cooking!

Vegetarian Chili

(serves four)

1 pkg. Yves Italian Veggie Ground Round

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

1 can (19 oz./540 ml) mixed beans

1 can (398 ml) diced tomatoes

Saute the Veggie Ground Round and onion.

Stir in the rest of the ingredients.

Simmer for 10-15 minutes on top of stove.

OR

Cook on low in crock pot for 4-6 hours.

Norwex - Vegetable and Fruit Cloth

Have you ever attended a Norwex party?

Home parties are usually "not my thing".  I enjoy the food and company, but what if I don't really want to buy something? There's always that feeling of obligation...

Anyway, several years ago, I DID attend a Norwex home party and picked up this little item - sure glad I did.  It's for cleaning vegetables and fruits without chemicals.  This youtube video tells you all about it.  My cloth has had a lot of use and is still in great shape so a few weeks ago, when there was another party, I picked up a couple more to give to my daughters.

IMHO...

Just thought I'd share,

Maggie