Happy Birthday PIe

Happy Birthday to the guy who is my yin to his yang. 

Charley loves life on Baby Lake. (note sweatshirt) To celebrate the special day, he is enjoying a slice of his favorite pie, Strawberry Rhubarb.  

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Cook's Notes: Since it's mid-May and rhubarb is one of spring's first crops, I thought I would not have any trouble finding it in stores. That proved to be a wrong assumption, as I called four local stores, and they did not have rhubarb in stock. Luckily, a friend rescued me with rhubarb from her prolific garden patch. Thank you, Shirley, for the supply. 
Ingredients:

• Pie crust for a top and bottom
• 1-1/2 cups of sugar
• 3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
• Dash of salt
• Dash of nutmeg
• 3 cups sliced strawberries
• 3 cups cut finely rhubarb
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon or 1-1/2 tablespoons Saigon cinnamon 
• 1/2 teaspoon butter
• 1/4 cup mixture of cinnamon and sugar for top crust

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• In a large bowl combine sugar, tapioca, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add in cut strawberries and rhubarb. Mix well to coat.
• Let stand for 30 minutes and stir occasionally.
• Place one rolled pie crust in the bottom of the pie pan. Use a slotted spoon to drain the fruit juices, then place the fruit mixture on top of the bottom pie crust.
• Dot the fruit mixture with butter and place the other pie crust on top of the mixture.
• Brush the crust lightly with milk.
• Mix a little sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle a couple of tablespoons over the crust.
• Use a sharp knife to cut a few vents in the crust.
• Add foil strips on the outer edge to prevent crust edges from over-browning.

KITCHEN HACK

Replace the foil step by placing one piece from a tart pan set over the pie and proceed with baking.

• Bake the pie for 10 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce the heat to 400 and bake 30 minutes longer or until the filling is bubbling and looks set.
• Wait until completely cooled before cutting so the pie can set up.

Lake life always has its surprises. Currently, we are trying to remove a woodchuck from our property. He has made himself quite comfortable nestled within a rock wall. We are trying a suggested google search home remedy of cayenne pepper sprinkled about. We'll keep you posted.  At least he moved out from underneath the porch.