Over the River and Through the Woods

Over the River and Through the Woods.....to Grandmother's house we go!

We all remember that song, though it isn't normally sung during summer time, however in our family it is! Summertime for us means a trip to see Grandma in South Dakota. My Grandma is 97 years young and we've been spending the 4th of July at the family farm since I can remember.

Our family gathers from all over the United States; East Coast, West Coast and plenty of family still living in the heartland; Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa just to name a few. If someone does not make it in person, they are there in spirit! I've had people ask...Why would you go to South Dakota? Because we have a blast! We visit, bbq, eat, swim and boat. It's a perfect way to unplug and not unusual to have 35-40 people for breakfast, lunch & dinner.

We return every year because it's full of good old fashioned family fun!

This year was no different, except we were the first ones to arrive. Super fun because I was able to spend time with Grandma when it's a little quieter and we really had the opportunity to sit down and visit. Because we were the first ones to arrive, Grandma gave us the task of making pies. Specifically rhubarb pies (YUM!). Now if you've never tried rhubarb, then you're definitely in for a treat! To me, the girl without a sweet tooth - rhubarb offers the perfect balance of sweet and sour. This is what a rhubarb plant looks like.

The plants have long stalks and when they are ripe, they turn pink & red. When you pick rhubarb,  you pull them out from the ground and cut the leaves off and discard them. The leaves are actually poisonous, but the stalks edible and very tart. Just chop the stalks into ½ inch pieces to prep them for baking.

I confess....we cheated....after all, we were making enough pies for thirty-five people....so we used store bought pie dough. So please don't tell! 😉

If you'd like to make your own pie crust though, here's my family recipe and it's excellent! Click here

Crimp the top and bottom pie crusts together to seal in the juices. You'll also want to cut some slits in the top to vent the steam.

Sprinkle them with a bit of cinnamon and sugar. When they cook they will be sweet, golden and crisp!

Slice of pie anyone?

The recipe is simple; rhubarb, sugar, cinnamon, butter and flour - so tasty!!! I truly believe simple is best. Often times things get overcomplicated, but this is perfect! Please click here for the best Rhubarb Pie recipe!

If you haven't had a chance to read the previous blog, you can click here for the recipe for a Golden Cadillac Cocktail and be sure to stop by Make Your Wishes Known.