Iowa recipe: Rhubarb dessert

This recipe for rhubarb dessert is in many of my old church cookbooks, in one variation or another.  It's basically a "dump" dessert, just pile the ingredients on top of one another and bake.  I wasn't exactly sure how it was going to turn out, having never tried it before.  It ended up looking and tasting like a rhubarb cobbler.

First you put a layer of cut-up rhubarb on the bottom of the pan. Then a layer of sugar, another layer of strawberry gelatin and another layer of yellow cake mix. Pour water over it all, and that's it. Very easy.

I would recommend serving this dessert right away, because it starts to get a little soggy the next day.  Here's the full recipe, if you want to give it a try.

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Rhubarb dessert

• 4 C. fresh chopped rhubarb
• 1 C. sugar
• 1 (3 oz.) package red gelatin
• 1 small size yellow cake mix (like Jiffy)
• 1 C. cold water
• 1/2 C. butter 

Spread rhubarb in an 8x10-inch pan or baking dish. Sprinkle the sugar over rhubarb, then gelatin, followed by the dry cake mix.  Spoon the water over the cake mix layer.  Melt butter and drizzle over all. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Serve warm or cold with whipped topping or ice cream.

Joy the Baker's blueberry muffins

I'm a big fan of the Joy the Baker food blog, so I bought her debut cookbook this spring.  I waited until blueberries went on sale before I tried her recipe for browned butter blueberry muffins. 

I had a little trouble making the crumbly topping (it was all flour and not a lot a butter, for some reason), and I think I may have underbaked them a bit.  But they are a nice, light muffin, and I enjoyed eating them as a quick breakfast before I left for work.  How great is it that blueberry season is almost here!

May 2012: Odds & ends

It's been another busy month, and I can't believe Memorial Day weekend is already here.  Thought I'd share a few of my latest discoveries.

The Ames Main Street farmers market opened in early May.  I bought a few herb and tomato plants from the local vendors.  It's a nice farmers market close to home, and I don't have to fight all the crowds at the Des Moines farmers market.  (Have you been to the Des Moines farmers market lately?  I hear the crowds have been crazy big this year.)

Another plus: My favorite ice cream booth from the Des Moines farmers markets, Sweet Treats, also has a stand at the Ames farmers market.  I ordered one of my favorites flavors, maple pecan.  

I was shopping for groceries at Hy-Vee in West Des Moines recently, and I found these amazing Milton Creamery cheese curds for sale at the deli counter.  The sign said that the cheese curds are only delivered to the store once a month, so I was lucky to snag them.  These cheese curds are so fresh, they squeak when you chew them!

I picked up another favorite at the local Fareway grocery store: DoBiz cookie dough. Back when I was a freshman at Iowa State, my friends and I would make regular trips to the DoBiz cookie shop in Campustown. The cookie shop is gone, but you can still find the cookie dough at Hy-Vee and Fareway stores in the Ames/Des Moines area. Sometimes it's nice to make cookies without making a mess in the kitchen!

In my garden, I picked the last of the radishes before the weather turned hot and dry.  I picked them small because the weather turned dry and hot, and the radishes were already starting to go to seed.

We've also been enjoying salads with our homegrown lettuce and spring onions. I'm so glad I bought this Oxo salad spinner last year.  The lettuce stays fresh for a really long time when left in the spinner and placed in the fridge.

The irises have stopped blooming now, but they were pretty while they lasted.

I like to get up early on the weekends and go for a long run or bike ride, then eat a big breakfast that fills me up all day.  My husband made the best breakfast the other day; I just had to take a picture.  Love the toast with my homemade Concord grape jelly.

One last garden photo:  The pink lady peonies I bought at the Iowa Arboretum last year bloomed this spring, and they were even prettier than I imagined!

Now I'm looking forward to a long Memorial Day weekend.  Hope you enjoy the holiday!