Pink Celery, Bitter Apples.

I made my very first rhubarb-inspired dessert tonight, and I could not be more happy with it.  After seeing so many gorgeous recipes on various crafty-mama blogs, I finally decided to try it, if only for the adventure of cooking something I'd never done before.  

Winston stood in the kitchen while I minced fresh ginger (he smelled it and got it on his nose!), pears, and finally the rhubarb.  Thinking ahead, only slightly, as I was already elbow deep in the recipe, I tasted it raw.  I remember eating a strawberry-rhubarb pie at my maternal grandmother's house as a child and HATING it.  Could it have been because my Mama warned me it would be awful?  I think probably so.  I took a tiny bite and was shocked at how yummy it was.  Imagine a very unripe green apple and that is both the taste and texture of uncooked rhubarb.  Winston ate three bites of it raw and wanted more, but I stopped him.  Silly boy.  He is the picky eater of the family and was standing there eating something completely out of his comfort zone with glee!

I added orange zest and half of the juice from one orange, then topped it with oats, almond cookies, turbinado sugar, and butter.  It was so, very, extremely delicious.

Even with my impending, 3-days-in-the-making-headache, I am overjoyed at this simple little dessert.  Even more so, I am utterly amazed that Winston devoured his portion, when normally he is so hesitant.  This, combined with his newly acquired, and still developing emotional regulation is leading our relationship back to the very lovey, silly place it was when we was a baby.

I have so much more to say, about the book I'm reading, what I fed my parents when they were here, my crazy body...  But the head-bone hurt looms and I'll be back tomorrow...

PS:  The main recipe came from The Fussy Eater's Recipe Book, with a few alterations from Jamie Oliver's newest cookbook.