The View From Mrs. Sundberg's Window

Resist Prohibition

October 9, 2006

Listened to the show Saturday and it was not bad. The show was a real comfort this time around, given the afternoon I'd had. See, Mr. Sundberg slept in Saturday and the kids spent the morning in the woods looking for bears so I got caught up on my housework which I'd put off all week with the leaves peaking and all. When Mr. Sundberg appeared in the kitchen and said he had to go to Minneapolis to meet with a colleague and asked whether I'd go along for the ride, I said, Sure thing. I made turkey and Swiss sandwiches for the kids and they came running when I hollered. We'll be back by 5, I told them, and they grabbed their sandwiches and ran off and Mr. Sundberg and I hit the road.

After a rather lengthy search for a parking spot, we parted ways — he to his meeting ("It'll be an hour-and-a-half, no more," he said) and I to window shop along Nicollet Mall. I wandered along in the sun and the wind and in no time at all came upon what appeared to be a festival, and it was — the "Autumn Brew Review" on Peavey Plaza. I'd guess there were about a thousand people there, and a bunch of tents set up, and everyone was sampling beer in little glasses. Before I knew it, I was whisked along in the crowd and someone asked for my ticket, and I tried to explain I was looking for Marshall Field's and a woman said "It's Macy's now" and someone handed me a glass and that was that. So much for shopping.

I thought I'd give it a go, maybe sample a few beers since I've never been much of a beer person and who knows what I'm missing. So I tried some Irish beer, and some German beer, and a little bit of a local honey beer that I really rather liked. There was one from Colorado that I just couldn't stomach, and another from somewhere out east that made my toes curl. Of course, once I found the tent where I could sample mead and blueberry wine, that was it for the beer.

There were people all around me, all kinds of fascinating, lovely people wearing shirts that read "Resist Prohibition" and "It is what it is" and I talked for a while with the members of the rock band hired for the event. They were taking a break and told me their names and where they were from, and I asked them how they became a band and did they take requests. They said "Sure" and laughed pretty hard when I told them what, in my mind, would get things going.

I'm not sure how Mr. Sundberg found me but he did. He isn't one to get real angry, and he wasn't. "Let's go, my dear. You don't want to miss the show." He took my arm and as we walked, I asked whether I was late. "No, I finished early, and figured I'd find you and sure enough, here you are." The band started up behind us, playing a rather rocked-up version of "The Beer Barrel Polka." Mr. Sundberg smiled. "I don't imagine you had anything to do with that," he said. Well, of course, I replied. Had a bit of wine, too. Blueberry wine. You would have liked it, but not as much as the beer I tried. The one that tastes a bit like green apples and butter with a hint of rotten egg.

I whipped up some bars Saturday night and, Mmm, were they good Sunday morning. You really ought to give them try.

Blueberry Streusel Bars

1 pkg. white cake mix
1 1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup softened butter
1 egg
1 can blueberry (or cherry) pie filling
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Combine cake mix, 6 T butter, 1 cup oats. Mix with a big fork until crumbly. Set aside 1 cup of mixture for topping. To the remaining crumbs add 1 egg. Mix well and press into greased 9x13 cake pan. Pour and spread filling over.

To reserved cup of crumbs add 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup oats, 2 T butter. Mix and sprinkle over filling. Bake 30-40 minutes or until very light brown around edges.

If you wish, mix some powdered sugar, milk, and a drop of almond extract into a thick glaze. Drizzle over.

Serve warm with whipped cream or chill and cut into bars.

Enjoy!

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