Watch those hostas grow!

It's amazing to me just how fast hostas can grow.  Hostas love cool and wet weather, which is exactly how we could describe our spring here in Wisconsin this year.  Hostas are water loving plants, so instead of fertilizer they just need rain.  These pictures were snapped of my hosta beds just over the past three weeks.

Back Bed

Rhubarb Custard Pie

Rhubarb loves cool weather, so it's been a great spring for rhubarb. I decided to harvest my first batch of rhubarb tonight, and decided to make a rhubarb custard pie. I will admit that I took a short cut and used a store bought pie crust.

1. Cut up 4 cups of Rhubarb.  I always find it easy to chop up the rhubarb if I peel away the flat side of the rhubarb (see the curls to the left), and chop the rhubarb with the peeled side down.  Preheat oven to 375.

2. Place the chopped rhubarb into a pie shell.

3. Make the custard:

• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 TB milk
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Mix together in a bowl

4. Pour mixture over rhubarb.

5. Make crumb topping mixture.

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/3 cup butter
• cinnamon/nutmeg to taste (optional)
• Mix together until crumbly

6. Sprinkle crumb topping on top of pie

7. Place in the oven, it's best to place pie on top of cookie sheet so if it boils over the cookie sheet will catch it.  Bake for 40 - 50 minutes.

8. Take out of oven and let cool, usually best to cool for a few hours or overnight, if you can wait that long.

Wordless Wednesday

Pics from May 7th, 2011