Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie

We came home from Portland a week ago to a huge patch of rhubarb growing in our garden.  It might be the largest growth we've ever had, which is funny considering we were gone for weeks and it didn't get watered.   Mother nature is amazing!  The hearty nature of rhubarb is why the pioneers and homesteaders would bring starts of it when left to go across to the plains.  It served as a vegetable and fruit for them.  For us, it is the perfect tart compliment to my other favorite fruit, the strawberry.

Strawberries are in season and rhubarb is obviously ready to harvest, so this past weekend we made my favorite pie the Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie.  This pie is so simple with only a few ingredients.  It showcases the fruits of the season without the spices that some fruit pies add, which in some cases detracts from the pure summer goodness of the fruit.  My favorite way to eat this pie is cold, ice cold!  The crumble hardens crisp and the fruits are tender and sweet...with a little tartness.  Oh my heart!  

In addition to how delicious this pie is, it is super simple to make.  You can either make your own pie crust or use a store bought crust.  Sometimes it's just nice to keep it simple and buy the pastry already to go.  Here is the rest of the recipe...
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie
2  Cups Medium Sized Chopped Rhubarb 3 Cups Fresh Strawberries, Washed & Chunky Sliced 1 & 1/2 Cup White Sugar 3 Tablespoons Corn Starch
Mix these first four ingredients together in a mixing bowl and set aside.  Preheat your over to 375 degrees. Roll out your pie crust in a deep dish 9" pie dish. Lightly toss the fruit mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Make the crumble.
1 & 1/2 Cup White Flour 1 & 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar 1/2 Cup Cold Butter Dash of Vanilla
Mix the flour and brown sugar together.  Cut in the cold butter using a couple of knives or a few pulses in your food processor.  It will be just right when the crumble looks like the size of peas.  Add a dash of vanilla and toss.  
Sprinkle and spread over the fruit pie mixture.  Bake in over uncovered for 50 to 55 minutes or until the crumble and crust is lightly browned. Remove from over and let cool. Serve with ice cream or fresh whipped cream, but plain is just  fine with this baby!

Now that you have the perfect summer pie, go find your self some rhubarb.  Most Whole Foods stores have it in their produce section now and differently in their freezer section, in case you can't find a patch of it.  I hope you enjoy this "taste of summer in one bite" pie.

Flower Box Wire Embroidery

I have always loved the look of vintage crewel embroidery.   It was popular in the 1970's and typically was stitched on canvas with bright and muted wool flosses.   Big framed crewel pieces are collector items today, and although I loved framed needlework, I also love vintage floral box trays with the wire and wood.  Often they are discolored from years of plantings.  

When we began designing our floral collections for this year, I knew I had to find a way to combine the look of vintage floral trays and embroidery.  I searched for wool flosses that would be hearty and beautiful and asked my very cute carpenter to make something that looked like the old floral seed trays that I collected on a recent trip to the south.

The first Wire Box Embroidery Tray came out of the shop and I squealed!  I couldn't wait to begin "stitching" on them.  They are lightweight and perfectly distressed, even the wire is antiqued.  I began with a basic daisy and a thick DMC Yarn and tied off the first knot onto the wire.  Then I began winding the wool floss around the wire to create the first flower.  I filled it in until it was thick and full.  It was so simple and easy to create a flower.  Holding the lightweight frame was also a delight compared to heavy fabrics.  

I then experimented with all of my favorite embroidery stitches and found a few tricks to use them all in a collection of flowers.  What I love most about this style of embroidery is you can be a free-form as you wish.  It is simply about winding yarns around the wire until you create a flower of leaf or whatever that you love.  

I use a thick Yarn Darner Needle to get my heavy flosses through and if there is a stitch I don't like, I can clip it out and start again without ruining my fabrics.  

You can find our Wire Box Embroidery Frames on our site in several sizes and shapes.  We also offer kits which include the flosses, needles, stitching guides and patterns.  In addition to using these frames for wire embroidery, they can be used as frames for fabric embroidery and for photos or dried flowers or any other use you can imagine.

If you would like to watch a tutorial on how to begin stitching your own Floral Box, you can watch today's Fresh Living segment on KUTV Channel 2.   We will be posting video tutorials on our Tweetle Dee You Tube Channel in the next few weeks!  We are super excited to share these Wire Box Embroidery Frames and Kits with you and look forward to seeing lots of beautiful stitches blooming in your homes.

Belle Prairie Wild Flower Mother's Day Sale

 There are two new Belle Prairie Wildflower Block of the Month kits in the shop today, and they just might be the sweetest flowers in the collection.  Wild Clover and Lily of the Valley are prairie wildflowers painted on these adorable hexies.  Each flower in the collection was chosen because of the meaning these little blossoms have.  

Belle Prairie Wild Clover

Wild Clover symbolizes faith, hope, and love.  If you were lucky enough to find the rare four leaf clover you got a little luck too.  The purple and pink blossoms are so dainty and sweet.  Have you ever walked in a field of wild clover?  I have and can say the fragrance is so sweet, it's no wonder the bees flock to those clover blossoms.  

Belle Prairie Lily of the Valley

The Lily of the Valley flower literally translates to "a return to happiness".  I can imagine these little white and blue flowers were given amount the prairie women in times of trial to bring a little smile and cheer...and a reminder that happier times lie ahead.

The entire Belle Prairie Wildflower Collection is available in kits to paint yourself and already painted.  These blocks are different than our typical barn quilt patterns in that they are a template, which means you place them on your hexie and trace the design onto the board instead of measuring for a grid.  
They are so fun to paint.  I use both tape/sponge brushes and soft watercolor brushes to fill in the tiny little bits of color and curves.  They were a joy to paint and even more, I love the meaning behind each and every flower.  
This Mother's Day weekend Our Shop is celebrating the special women in our lives by giving 20% off all orders.  Use code MOMSRULE at checkout.  The Mother's Day Sale ends Monday at midnight.  
We hope you have a lovely Mother's day weekend and pick up the two newest Belle Prairie Blocks to share a little faith, hope, love, luck & happiness in your corner of the prairie!

Pina Colada Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

What better was to celebrate National Pineapple Upside Down Cake Day than with a festive update to this classic dessert!  I was asked by KUTV's Fresh Living to share my favorite version of my grandmother's Pineapple Upside Down Cake and because I love coconut and anything mini-sized this is what I came up with.

The recipe is super easy and they bake up in less than a half hour, but the most amazing part of this recipe is the Coconut Rum Glaze that pours into the baked goodness and drizzles over the top.  I mean seriously...coconut, rum, and pineapple?  Goodness me!  
Pina Colada Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
One Vanilla Cake Mix 1/2 of Coconut Cream 3 Eggs 1/2 Cup of Crushed Pineapple 1/2 Cup Sweetened Coconut Flakes 1 Teas. Coconut Extract 12 Whole Sliced Pineapple 12 Maraschino Cherries
Mix together all ingredients and set aside.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 12 large muffin tin cups.  Place a dot of butter and a tablespoon of brown sugar in each muffin cup. Break a one inch section out of the pineapple slices and form them in a circle in the bottom of each cup.  Place a cherry in the hole of the pineapple slice.  Spoon the batter in about a quarter inch from the top edge.  Bake for 15 to 20 minuets.
Take out of the oven and poke a few holes in each cake with a fork.  Make the glaze!
1/2 Cup Butter 1 Cup Brown Sugar 1 1/2 Cup Coconut Milk 1 Teas. Rum Extract
In a small non-stick pan melt the butter.  Add the brown sugar and whisk until heated through and incorporated into the butter.  Slowly pour in the coconut milk and rum extract whisk until smooth.  Spoon half of the sauce over the top of each cake and refrigerate for 15 minutes.  Reserve the remaining sauce to drizzle over the top when serving.
Slide a knife around the edges of the cakes and pop out of the muffin tins and place on a plate with the pineapple up.  Drizzle sauce over the cake and garnish with a dollop of fresh whipped cream

There are a few cakes that are our family's favorite and this one is a top three.  It is seriously the best rich, cold, creamy and sweet cake!  I hope you enjoy this updated version of this 1950's classic.  You can watch the Fresh Living segment on the site by following the link.  It's always a fun time when we are cooking together in the KUTV kitchen!

Pinners Conference San Diego

 We have loaded our trailer and are on our way to San Diego for this weekend's Pinners Conference!   We are so excited for this amazing event.  We will have our booth stocked with lots of goodies and will be teaching two classes, our How to Paint a Barn Quilt class and our newest Field of Flowers Hoop-Art Embroidery!  

If you have never been to a Pinners Conference, you will not believe how fabulous this event is.  This is the place where Pinterest comes to life with classes taught by leading experts in every field from food and nutrition, to crafts, exercise, family, home decor, calligraphy, and of course barn quilts & embroidery!  And I can't stop talking about the shopping!!!  So many amazing booths full of the best stuff.  I always come home with something amazing. 

In the How to Paint a Barn Quilt Class we will be painting one of my favorite designs, the Farmer's Daughter.  The kits are $25.00 and come with everything you need to paint your own 16" square of farm style sweetness.  We are also excited to be sponsored by Deco Art!  They will be supplying amazing paints and supplies.  Our How to Paint a Barn Quilt Class is on Saturday at 1:00 PM.  You won't want to miss it!

We are also teaching our Field of Flowers Hoop-Art Embroidery Class on Friday at 2:00!  You all know how much I love embroidery and these workshops are so fun.  You will learn all of the basic stitches and some of the newest trending floral stitches as well as tips for designing your own patterns.  Kits include everything you need to finish your hoop-art and continue stitching more.  

To sign up for our classes and the many other amazing classes go to Pinners Conference and use code TDD for discounted pricing.  For those of you who can't make it to San Diego we are bringing our Pinners Shop to you with a special discount this weekend only!  Use code Pinners30 to get 30% off all orders.  

We hope to see a lot of you there this weekend with your paint brushes in one hand and your needles and thread in the other!  I can't wait for all of the shopping and classes I get to sneak into.  Pinners truly brings Pinterest to life!  See you in San Diego.