Rhubarb Cake Supreme - Total Yummy, Sweet, Goodness!

My parents have a pretty good sized garden in the back, and have always had several Rhubarb plants that have thrived there year after year.  The starts came from my Aunt Ruth I believe - probably in the 70's is my best guess (maybe 60's?  Mom?  Amanda? do you know?)  

So, each summer I like to eat a little bit since I can't find it here in Texas.  And...if I ever did find it - I doubt I'd want to pay the price for it.  My guess is it would be expense, and not taste nearly as good as it does fresh from the garden. 

So, without further ado, I'd like to share the recipe we used this summer:

Rhubarb Cake Supreme

Here's what you need:

6 cups rhubarb cut into 1" pieces

1 3 oz. box strawberry Jello

1 cup sugar

1 package yellow cake mix

3/4 cp. butter, melted

1 1/2 cup water

Start by cutting the leaves off the top of the rhubarb (unless you bought it from the store - then the leaves are probably already removed).  Discard the leaves.  Wash the stalks and cut them into 1 inch pieces.

Place the rhubarb in a 9x13 inch pan.  (Good job for little helpers!)

Mix the dry Jello with the 1 cup of sugar.  

Sprinkle the Jello and Sugar over the Rhubarb.  (Nothing complicated here folks!)

Sprinkle the cake mix over the Jello/Sugar mixure (Again, easy-peasy!)

Now, drizzle the melted butter over the cake mix. (Staying with me?)

Pour the 1 1/2 cups water over that and pop it into a 350 degree oven.  Bake for 35-40 minutes.

This is the cute little oven we used at my parent's house.  It's not an antique - but sure is cute, huh?

And, Voila!  Here you go - Rhubarb Cake Supreme - extra delicious with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top.  Hope you likey!

Vintage Sheets Flying in the Wind

What a pretty picture, huh?  Love it when I find a good stash of vintage sheets - and a bonus was the cute little green suitcase.  These sheets will make the softest pajama pants and shorts anywhere!  And - you can't beat the summer sun and wind for a fresh smell!

 Not sure what I'll do with the funky - ugly- piece of orange and brown fabric there - but, I'm thinking retro apron??  We'll see.....

Plain or Fancy? Antiques in Indiana

Well, since I was in Indiana for nearly all of July - I have a few more pictures to share.  My parents have been in the antique business for a long time - over 25 years?  Something like that.  They have a shop at the "Summitt Hill Farm" homestead - called "Plain and Fancy Antiques" - and attend several shows around the Northern Indiana region.  Here is a link for more information on Plain and Fancy as well as several other antique shops in the area.  And another....

Wanna come inside?........

I'm digging this lamp....shame it wouldn't fit in my trunk ;(

I've always liked this peach picture.  Seems like it would fit right into my house in Texas, huh?

A "toaster" - in case you didn't know

I love old photos, I wonder why no one ever smiled?  Must have been the corn cobs in the outhouse......;(

Unfortunately, I don't get to bring home what ever I want from the shop.  Living 18 hours away has it's disadvantages.  It's fun going through stuff though and learning where each piece came from and lots of time - just what the heck it was used for.  

My Indiana Home

As many of you know, I have just returned from my trip to Indiana.  Each year I like to take the kids up to visit their grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends, and friends who are just as good as family!

This is a picture of the house I grew up in.  The picture hangs in my parents' dining room now - but it was taken in the late 1800's.  We believe that these are most likely the people who built the house.  It was built around 1890.

Here is a current picture - nothing too drastic has changed.  The front porch was expanded around 1940. Then my parents enclosed it in the late 60's.  They also added an additional room towards the back in the 1990's.  They have been in this house for over 43 years.  The land around the house used to be an orchard, and you can find a few fruit trees still scattered near by.  My favorites are the Montmorency Cheeries - they used to provided buckets and buckets of cherries, which I picked, pitted, and ate like crazy as a kid.  Now, the trees have seen better days, and the few cherries they produce are eaten up by the birds.  

It's a great old house - I've wished lots of times that the walls could talk.  I would have loved to have seen the interior as it was in the 1800's.  Now that I live in my much, much newer suburban home in a large sprawling metroplitan area in central Texas with every convenience close at hand - it takes a little getting used to, going home each summer.  The air conditioner, when needed (which isn't very often in Northern Indiana), doesn't begin to cool the upstairs.  The best produce is right outside the back door in my parent's garden- not down the freeway at Central Market.  If the kids want to run barefoot in the grass, they don't have to watch out for fire ants, snakes or scorpions!  Want to smell the country?  Just walk out to the barn and give "Bubba" the horse an apple to crunch and scratch his ears.  But it's best to wear your boots around the horse apples on the ground though.   

These are just a few more pictures I took around the house.  I'm sure I'll share more later - feels great to be back in Texas.....but there are some things I miss about my home in Indiana.

"Bubba"

"Yep - beans fresh from the garden - and they are delicious!"