Rhubarb Cake and Summer Projects

The kids and I made this recipe today and it was super yummy!!!!!

Our Rhubarb plant is doing awesome this year and has beautiful red color to it. I wanted to make something special with it. ;)



Special Rhubarb Cake
From Taste if Home

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 20 min. Bake: 40 min. + cooling

MAKES:9 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
• STREUSEL TOPPING:
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• VANILLA SAUCE:
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating just until moistened. Fold in the rhubarb. Pour into a greased 9-in. square baking dish.
2. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over batter. Bake 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
3. For sauce, melt butter in a saucepan. Add sugar and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Serve with cake.Yield: 9 servings (1-1/4 cups sauce).

Editor's Note: If using frozen rhubarb, measure rhubarb while still frozen, then thaw completely. Drain in a colander, but do not press liquid out.

On a different Note, we've been busy around here. I've been trying to take the kids swimming as much as possible this summer. I would really like them to develop some skills. I can't really afford lessons for all of them, so I bought a family swim pass and have been teaching them myself. :D 

I also sorted out James's clothes and washed and packed away the too small ones. What a ton of work! Phew!

Then I had Barry dig out the newborn boy clothes. They are soo tiny. I am washing them up and getting very excited to meet our new little one.

Barry has mostly finished painting the sunroom, the doors and trim need another coat. Currently, he is working on tile and hopefully we can get some new carpet, in there before Baby arrives. At least that's my goal. ;)

Our summer squashes are ripe and our raspberries bushes are moving into full production. Soon we'll have raspberries coming out our ears. Mmmmmm.

We've also been making lots of Apricot Jam and drying apricots this week. I love Apricot Jam and so does the rest of the Family. Everybody helped and we filled as many bottles as we could find with the sweet stuff. 

 My Lauren, the pickiest eater I have ever met, snitching Apricots. She eats them with the skin on. I'm really not sure what to make of that. :D

 James keeps me company while I cook the jam....(it takes forever to boil if you don't want it spitting all over you). He is doing great with his summer reading goals.

Snitching another.... Crazy girl.