Monday, September 3, 2007

Rhubarb Cake etc.


Early Sunday morning, I took Scout for a short walk before church. I ended up going to church with several mosquito bites on my face and neck. It is that season.

It was the last 8:00 service out on the lawn for the summer, a beautiful day, despite early sprinkles. At 10:00, two single mothers and their four boys sat all together in a row, redefining family. They both hugged one of the ushers as they came to worship. I mentioned something to one of them about a "reunion" and she replied, "there will be an even bigger reunion next week."

After church, in preparation for our short trip up to Stepson's college in Duluth, I:

1) stopped at Barnes & Noble for a new book, The Ode Less Traveled, by Stephen Fry

2) stopped at the grocery store for a small carton of buttermilk, walnuts and brown sugar

3) put together a rhubarb cake to bring up to Duluth for Stepson (he had lots of rhubarb from working at the Farmers Market this summer)

4) cooked Scout's rice for her evening meal up in Duluth

5) changed clothes

6) packed our bags

7) packed Scout's things, including a cooler for her fresh food.


Then we took off for Duluth, one of our favorite places, where one of our favorite people lives.

In the meantime, I 'm a little preoccupied by some things:

Scout has a sore on her flank that she won't stop licking. I'm concerned. I've been watching it and cleaning it for a couple of days.

I have been working on a Big Project lately; I am disappointed not to be finished tonight. It is turning out to be harder than I thought.

I have a lot at stake in a fall "inreach" we are doing, to get in touch with people in the congregation. I want it to be a success, but feel that I still need more allies.

In closing, here is my recipe for Rhubarb Cake: (from my mom)

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour

Mix in order. Cut fine 1 3/4 cups rhubarb. Fold in with other ingredients. Place in 13X9 in baking pan (greased and floured) and top with 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Bake 40 minutes at 350.

I hear it was delicious.

14 comments:

leah said...

Happy Labor Day! I LOVE rhubarb--my grandmother always grew lots of it; her rhubarb cobbler was my fave. I also love brown sugar, so as soon as I find some rhubard I'll try your recipe. May your inreach be blessed!

Lori said...

Gotta try that cake. Sounds really good.

Scout will be all right. Because you're gonna take care of that sore. Not to worry.

Here in So. Calif. mosquito bites have become a little scarier because of West Nile Virus showing up. Hopefully you will not have that issue.

Barbara B. said...

prayers for scout and prayers for you... and I LOVE rhubarb cake (and rhubarb pie)!

Lindy said...

You Lutherans eat the strangest things... I am starting to really love you. Partly because you care so tenderly for your dog and partly because you are so wonderfully different from me.

Good luck with your projects. They may be hard but we all know you're the gal for the job. Seriously. I'm betting that you've got what it takes... and then some.

Fran said...

I wish you well with your projects Diane, especially your in-reach. I like the sound of that.

Rhubarb! Lutfisk! I learn so much about food on this blog.

Thank you.

Hope Scout is ok, dogs love to keep licking at those kinds of things, don't they?

Diane M. Roth said...

Rhubarb is strange? I didn't know!
but not universally appreciated. My brother has always hated it. I'll always remember the look on his face the day my mother told him, "You're eating strawberry rhubarb pie, you know."

leah said...

I sort of think the idea of adding strawberries must have something to do with trying to cut down on rhubarb's bitter extremities, though I never encountered the combination until I was an adult--my grandmother always did rhubarb by itself, saving the strawberries for shortcake made with just a tiny bit of sugar added to the berries, her amazing biscuits and the heaviest cream imaginable whipped almost into butter. YUM! Makes me think about blogging a few recipes soon.

Di said...

Hang in there on that Big Project. You can do it, and you're bound to bring unique things to it.

Hot Cup Lutheran said...

mmm... doggies will be doggies. Mocha Java seems to think if I don't see it he doesn't have that sore... his went away all on it's own. We wish the same for dear ol' Scout.

lauraj said...

yum, yum ... that sounds delish!

Carol Howard Merritt said...

My husband's going to be your #1 fan, because he's always trying to get me to do something with rhubarb.

I had never seen it before I moved to his hometown in Nebraska. Then, I just looked at the red celery stalks, scratched my head, and thought, "He wants me to make a pie out of this?"

But now, I have a recipe...

Jan said...

Yum!! When I lived in the Pacific NW, I used to bake a rhubarb cake that had 1/2 cup of vanilla in it! Now I can rarely find rhubarb in the store. That looks and sounds delicious. Enjoy!

Diane M. Roth said...

Tribal Church -- let me know how the cake turns out. until Sunday, I hadn't made the cake for about 9 years.
all who asked about Scout -- we're trying to get a vet appointment. If I can't get in tomorrow, I might take her somewhere else.

Rev.OBresky said...

Rhubarb is proof that God exists.