My First Rhubarb Dessert

I have been away from cooking for what feels like too long--I think it equates to about 2 weeks. I am back on the wagon again, for a bit.

It's early summer, and here in the Midwest that means rhubarb! Everywhere rhubarb! This year's crop has been fantastic. We had an unusually warm winter which led to an unusually warm spring, and the rhubarb came to life by early May. This time of year I am always reminded of my very first trip here to SD with my husband, then boyfriend, to visit his family. It was the first time I met them Up to that point in my life I had declared I did not like rhubarb and never would. The first thing offered to me was a rhubarb dessert. I remember thinking about what I had been taught, that it would be rude to refuse what was offered, and I wanted to make a good impression. So I cringed and took a bite. If anyone had been looking, they might have seen my eyes light up, then roll back as I realized what I'd been missing out on all those years. That dessert was unbelievably delicious! Who knew, 10 years later, that that dessert would become an early summer tradition and trigger so many memories for me. Naturally, I must share this with the masses! It's an old recipe found in my husband's family cookbook; a recipe my father-in-law's mother used to make, and he's 70 years old, so you know these simple ingredients in just the right mixture can stand the test of time!

Rhubarb Dessert
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bottom Crust:
1 1/2 cups Flour
2 T. + 2 tsp. Powdered Sugar
3/4 cup Butter

Combine. Pat firmly into bottom of greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

In the meantime...
Beat 3 eggs until foamy--about 3-4 minutes. Add:
4 T. Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
2 1/4 cups Sugar
4-5 cups Rhubarb, sliced, diced, anyway you like it

Mix until rhubarb is coated. Pour over crust and bake 35-40 minutes, starting at 375 degrees and reducing to 350 degrees about half way through. Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or Cool Whip. Refrigerate leftovers.

Marriage isn't as easy as I thought it would be. My husband and I have been through some tough times. But foods like this rhubarb dessert remind me of what's good about our marriage, and what's always been good about our life together. We are simple like the ingredients in this recipe, and I think we're just the right mixture. Sometimes we bake up better than others, but in the end we're pretty good together. :)