The View From Mrs. Sundberg's Window

Lifts you right up off the floor, it does

May 12, 2010

Listened to the show Saturday and it was not bad. It's been something of a dreary May with the cold weather and the snow last weekend, and when it's an effort to keep your own spirits up, sometimes you've got to find someone else to give you a lift. Just for a while, anyway, until you've got your own hot air balloon in working order.

For me, this week anyway, it was my friend Richard. Richard lives in the city and collects rocks and animal skulls and driftwood. I met him a few years back in a class at the community center called "The Morel of the Story" on how to find, harvest and cook morel mushrooms. We sat together and when I found out how much he loves to cook AND how he spent much of his childhood on a trampoline, that was that; we became fast friends.

So when Richard called out of the blue Saturday night and told me all about steamed rhubarb, his latest discovery, I was all ears. He told me how he steams the rhubarb in a double boiler, throws it in a blender and blends it up, and adds apples or whatever fruit is in season. Then he adds some bee pollen and flax seed oil, and that's what he's been having for breakfast every morning. He claims it keeps him regular and keeps him going, and that's the truth of it. He also shared his top two secrets for the Perfect Rhubarb Pie:

#1 Add 1 T regular strawberry Jell-O to the flour mixture for color, flavor & thickening.
#2 Add 1/4 tsp orange zest, grated very fine.

And then he asked me what I've been cooking up lately, and how I've been.

The fact of the matter is that it's a rare and fine thing to find people who love what you love and take the time to share it with you. And it's even rarer when they give a pause and ask a question or two. Lifts you right up off the floor, it does, when people care and let you know. Something to consider on a rainy day in May, eh?

Cherry Dump Cake
Here's a sweet and easy dessert for a spring picnic or potluck. Throw it together and head on over to the party.

1 16 oz can crushed pineapple
1 20 oz can cherry pie filling
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 cup or so flaked coconut
1 c. pecans, chopped
2 sticks butter, melted

Dump pineapple, including juice, into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Spread evenly. Spread the cherry pie filling over the pineapple. Spread dry cake mix evenly over all. Then sprinkle coconut and nuts over that. Pour melted butter over all. Bake 1 hour in 325 degree oven. Serve with whipped cream. Enjoy!

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