Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp and Disaster

We built the house fourteen years ago.  I would have never dreamed that we would have to remove all of the tile and redo the floors.  But, that is what has happened.  Over the last year, we have watched the grout loosen and, as the dominoes fell, the tiles loosened.  Of course there was no way to repair it. Of course the same tile was no longer made.  And no, it hadn't been installed properly.

To make a long story short.  What a mess!  Oh the dust!  I can only be thankful that instead of 110° it was 99°.  Every ray of sunshine helped.

I worried my tile selection silly.  After weeks of trying to match what I had, it finally dawned on me to wipe the old tile and color out of my mind and start with a clean slate.  So, I selected something totally different. I worried and worried.  But, it is finished and I love it!

Now you know what I have been doing.  But that isn't the disaster that was waiting for me.

Story number two:  I bought a take and bake pizza.  I set the oven to preheat and went about my business.  Then, there was an awful smell.  I thought that was odd as I hadn't been cooking and I had definitely not been using my oven.  Upon deciding that something was burning, I opened the oven. And, there all lined up neatly were the items from the pantry that I couldn't find!  (I am either stressed or of that age...)  Center stage was the mayonnaise that was bubbling out of the container and all over the oven.  What a mess.  We worked quickly with tongs and a trash can to remove all of the baked pantry items!  Thank goodness I have two ovens!  Dinner happened and with an icy glass of beer!

Thank goodness I had made this Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp a few weeks earlier!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

adapted slightly from Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That? by Ina Garten

Yield: 6 servings

4 cups fresh rhubarb (4 to 5 stalks) 1-inch dice
4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 1/2 tsp grated orange zest
1/2 cup orange juice, fresh squeezed
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)
1 1/2 stick unsalted butter, diced

Vanilla ice cream for serving.

Preheat oven 350° F.

Place an 8 X 11-inch baking dish on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and set aside.

Fruit:  In a large bowl, toss the rhubarb and strawberries, with 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar and the orange zest.  Dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice and then stir it into the fruit mixture.  Pout the mixture into the baking dish.

Topping:  Using your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, salt and oatmeal.  At low speed, add the butter.  Mix until the dry ingredients are moist and resemble crumbles.  Sprinkle the topping over the fruit.

Cover the baking dish completely.  Bake for 1 hour, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is a golden brown.

Serve the crisp warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

This was delightful...a crispy topping covering sweet and tart yumminess!  (If that is a word!)  This is a keeper recipe..quick, easy and certain to please.

I am sharing today at Full  Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's County Cottage.