Our family recently took a long road trip to Colorado… road trips are not necessarily the most fun thing for me (MOM… in the front seat, passing back and forth snacks, tablets, crafts and picking up garbage all while being squished in the front seat without a place to put her head while she mildly pretends to take naps in between reading a book, snacking on pretzels and occasionally looking out the window) All that being said, this trip might have been the best family vacation we’ve ever had. We rode from Washington to South Fork Colorado in 19 hours… with a few extra hours added on to see the Dinosaur National Monument. Having 2 children under the age of 7 has its sets of challenges in the car, like the ongoing question, “Are we there yet mommy?” said more than 100 times in a 1-hour period… alas, one episode of car sickness out the window at 5:30am, a few little fights and complaints and wines….but for the most part, our kids were amazing.
Once we got to South Fork, a lot of our time was spent fishing, exploring in the snow, driving through sweet little mountain towns and playing games to see who could see the most amount of wildlife on the side of the road. My son was in charge of points… among the huge deer, herds of elk, mountain goats, and buffalo I think we all tied the game between the four of us. I was blown away by the beauty, the silence, the eagles that drifted so peacefully in the sky and our ability to just “be”…. It was exactly what our family needed.
This week’s Play On Project pairing is inspired by Road Trips, Rhubarb, and Radiohead… Rhubarb is one of my favorite things to grow, talk about, and cook with!!! It pairs well with any sweet or savory recipe and it’s also delicious in a simple jam recipe. I LOVE RHUBARB!! I’ve loved rhubarb since I was a little girl picking it out of my mom’s garden. And you are going to love this simple recipe from one of my new favorite bloggers, Grow Forage Cook Fermant!!!
Get ready folks, you will be enjoying the next hour in your kitchen!!!
Rhubarb Crisp
Ingredients
4 cups fresh rhubarb 1-inch diced (4-5 stalks)
3 ½ cups strawberries hulled and quartered
1 ¼ cups sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crisp Topping
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temp
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla together in a bowl. Make sure the cornstarch is well combined.
Pour the strawberry and rhubarb mixture into a 2-quart baking (8×8 square) dish.
To make the crisp topping, combine the butter and flour with a fork. Then add the sugar, oats, pecans, cinnamon, and salt and mix until crumbly.
Spoon the topping evenly over the fruit.
Cover lightly with tinfoil and bake for 40 minutes. Then, remove the tinfoil and continue baking for another 20 minutes.
Remove and let it cool for at least 20 minutes or longer. The strawberry rhubarb mixture will thicken as it cools
I have had an obsession with Radiohead ever since I can remember. The first time I saw them on stage was in San Francisco at the Golden Gate Park Festival and it was absolutely incredible. My friends and I drove up from Los Angeles and I remember at the very end of the show my friend Danny and I got attacked by a swarm of bees trying to exit out of the park. It rained the whole time, and it was just amazing. Their song, Reckoner, is my paired song of the week. I read someone's interpretation of this song and it resonated with me...."The Reckoner is whoever (or whatever) wakes you up from your current perceived reality or dream-state." A perfect description of what woke me from the day to day dreams of our Colorado trip. Its a beautiful song and I hope you think so too.
I picked this song because the word Reckoning really resonated with me. I looked it up and the phrase "Rely on or depend on as in expectation." These sweet little moments with my family in the car, in the mountains, at the dinosaur museum, fly fishing, inside a log cabin, in the snow, and even at our last adventure, inside The Arches National Park, there is a reckoning within my children. The reckoning of my husband and I to teach them the World. To show them all the beautiful things on this Earth. To Teach, To Show, To Grow, and To Inspire. It is with huge gratitude that I walk this life to do just that. And I will start with an epic Roadtrip, some backyard Rhubarb, and with the Incredible band Radiohead.
