Summer of '16

Yoga in the park with Graham.

 Cousins, one year apart.

Who doesn't like, "If You Give A Dog A Donut?"

 Spencer's summer of 2016.

A double buckle break in his wrist the first evening he arrived!

 We went to Gail's to celebrate Mom's 87th birthday.

 Ceci and great grandma

 Four generations.

Mom, Evie, Ceci, Denise

Another day of our vacation was spent at Reiman Gardens.

 Graham & Dane beside Iowa State mascot Cy.

So stylish!

The show is titled 

“Nature Connects” 

and is part of the garden’s 2012 Some Assembly Required theme.

Thirteen new, nature-inspired sculptures made from 500,000 LEGO bricks will reside at

 Reiman Gardens April 23 through Oct. 31

 during the gardens' second "Nature Connects" exhibition. 

The first show, featuring 27 sculptures, debuted in 2012.

2012 Lego Exhibit

The boys did see this exhibit in 2012.

 Hanging Corn Spider

I remember many of these during my childhood days on the farm.
We called them garden trappers.
They spun webs in the corn fields and gardens.
This spider scared the little ones.  They did not want to walk under it.

Yikes!

Created by artist Sean Kenney, the colorful sculptures reflect the gardens' 2016 theme, 

"Color," and generally range in size from three to eight feet. Sculptures include:

⦁ Birdbath with Birds, Bees, Squirrel 

⦁ Bonsai Tree 

⦁ Corn Spider 

⦁ Galapagos Tortoise with Darwin Finch 

⦁ Gardener and Grandchild 

⦁ Herd of Deer 

⦁ Hummingbird on Trumpet Flower 

⦁ Monarch Butterfly on Milkweed 

⦁ Pansy Bloom with Bee 

⦁ Peacock 

⦁ Photo Opportunity Face Cut-out Mosaic 

⦁ Roseate Skimmer Dragonfly 

⦁ Wheelbarrow with Tools

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/union/news/reiman-gardens-lego-exhibition

 Lego dragonfly

 Lego Wheelbarrow

World's Largest Concrete Gnome

Here I am, gardening.

But where are my grandchildren?

Spencer is patiently waiting for a butterfly to alight on his hand at 

the Reiman Garden Butterfly House.

We had a busy day... and yes, it was a hot one!

More of Minnesota- Road Trip to Park Rapids & Lake George- Rhubarb Cake & Rhubarb Pie

Rhubarb Pie!
Oh, My!

This is the last day of our trip, so Lisa took us on another tour.
The weather was beautiful and the scenery was spectacular.

We are on our way even farther North.

Park Rapids

It is near Itasca State Park, the source of the Mississippi River, as well as the beginning of the Heartland State Trail. 

The city was founded in 1890 near the Fish Hook River rapids.

(from Wikipedia)

There are many specialty stores for tourists to browse,

and buy.

We stopped in the town of Lake George.

Most of the places here were closed, but we did find this one open.

I made this rhubarb cake after we arrived home.

It was taken from the cookbook I purchased in Pine River.

I am going to work my way through this cookbook.

I am planting a patch of rhubarb this fall, I was so inspired!

Ingredients:

• 5 cups rhubarb, cut up
• 1 box red jello
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cups marshmallows, I had large marshmallows, so cut them up or use mini

Mix up a yellow or white cake mix according to package directions.

Spread over rhubarb mixture in greased 13 x 9 in.  pan.

Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

This is a very simple, yet flavorful dessert!

We stopped here on our way home.

The pastries were exceptional,

and very substantial!

We did purchase some for the long way home.
It was the perfect end of a lovely trip.
Thanks you, Tim & Lisa!

Here is the recipe for the 
Classic Rhubarb Pie.

• 5 cups chopped rhubarb
• 1- 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup minute tapioca
• 1/4 tsp. orange flavoring or 3 Tbsp. orange juice concentrate

Mix ingredients and let stand for 15 minutes.

Arrange pie crust in bottom of pie pan. Add rhubarb filling.  Add top pie crust.

Cut vents in top for steam to escape.

I used a ceramic pie bird.

Crimp edges and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until rhubarb is tender.

Basic recipe altered from The Rhubarb Cookbook I purchased in Pine River mentioned above.

Though used as a fruit, rhubarb is really a vegetable.
It originated over 2,000 years ago.
It was originally cultivated for its medicinal qualities,
and was not until the 18th century that rhubarb
was grown for culinary purposes in Britain and America.
(from The Rhubarb Cookbook)

Rhubarb is rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber.

Pie bird
A pie bird, pie vent, pie whistle, pie funnel, or pie chimney is a hollow ceramic device,
 originating in Europe, shaped like a funnel, chimney,
or upstretched bird with open beak used for supporting or venting a pie.
Pie bird - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pie_bird

This has to be one of the best
Rhubarb Pies
I have eaten.
The recipe is surprisingly easy with a great combination of flavors
of the orange and rhubarb.
Who would have guessed?
Try it.
You'll like it!