Rhubarb Strawberry Cobbler

I read this post by The Pioneer Woman and decided I had to try this Rhubarb cobbler. I picked up rhubarb at the City Market from a farmer who could measure a pound better than the scale and took it home to chop and bake.

At my husbands request (and because I bought some VERY ripe strawberries) I modified the recipe to be a rhubarb, strawberry cobbler. It turned out really good. It had a little crunch from the rhubarb. I reduced the sugar because of the strawberries and that kept the sweetness at the right level.

Also, it was pink and who doesn't love to eat pink food. In this picture you can see the beautiful pinkness secured into place by the delightful cobbler.

Of course to serve this treat in style, I had to make some homemade whipped cream. Now I'm not saying that my whipped cream is the best out there, but I've gotten the routine down to culinary science. The secret... put everything in the freezer for about 15 minutes before you start, and use a metal bowl. The metal bowl gets cold fast and stays cold. For some reason the cold really helps the cream to peak and thicken.

Dinner is off to a late start, which isn't surprising when there is so much to do around the house and the weather is so nice to get it done, so to ward off starvation we opted for dessert first!

Red Basil

I picked up a stalk of red basil at the farmer's market last Wednesday. I don't think it's going to make it.

I planted it in the herb pot with my other basil, but the leaves fell off pretty quickly and the trunk is pretty frail looking. I'm not giving up hope because I know how strong basil can be. My indoor basil has been growing like crazy since I turned off the aerogarden light for summer. It's not getting as much light as I thought it would need, but apparently it likes that. Soon I'll have enough for some pesto. Pesto with walnuts most likely instead of pinenuts.

I'm debating buying another red basil, or maybe purple basil, tomorrow at the farmer's market, but I don't know if it's such a good idea.

Today, I'll have to swing by the produce stand at city market for an avacado. I'm not sure what the menu is for dinner tonight, but I saw this recipe for corn and avocado salsa. It looked amazing.

Some things just can't be made at home

Today, I joined our YMCA and started to workout again. I've worked out regularly in the past, but graduation, the new job, the new house, and the new city have got me out of the rhythm. I'm not one to workout at home. I may do a 20-30 minute relaxing yoga practice once a week or so, but I don't like sweating in my own house. I can't stand aerobic tapes where the video is obviously edited in a way so that the exercisers are never sweaty.

I had an epiphany today. I'm almost 25, which is a monumental age, and I am not in the shape I want to be in. I feel like once I hit 25, changing my lifestyle will not get any easier. So now is the time for change. I have six weeks before that big birthday, and it's time to stop and think about my health and the future.

I'll have access to all the YMCAs in Indianapolis. There is one about 10 minutes from my house, and one walking distance from my work. Really I'll have absolutely no excuse not to go, which is exactly what I need.

Tonight, Alex offered to cook dinner. We're having Jambalaya with smoked sausage. It's homemade from the box, and it's one of our favorite simple, but delicious meals. Dave is out of town at the dentist. We aren't sure when he'll be back, but it's kind of nice to have the house to ourselves this evening. It's just Alex and me, and the kittens.