You Look Like You Need Some Rhubarb
Rhubarb & Strawberry baked oats because it's spring. The window is open!
Quick note from JuJu: Interacting with my content in any way (likes, comments, & sharing) is the best way you can ensure I keep showing up! Thanks for being here :))What’s Been On My Plate
Since my last newsletter, I’ve been busy and a little overwhelmed, but overall, I’m doing well. I’m enjoying watching spring settle in through form of lovely sunlight, flowers, and having meals on my balcony. And the wound on my wrist has sealed and healed, no complaints there. Shoutout to the power of Mother Nature, globs of aquaphor, and good ol’ trusty time. The scar is pretty gritty but I’ve decided that it looks cool because I have no other option.
In other news, JuJu’s Plate officially has a logo!!! I caught a graphic design bug the other week and have been click clacking away, making the logo and graphics for posters to print and hang around town, too. It was quite fun working on everything :)
By the end of this nutty semester, I’ll actually have fulfilled all of the Journalism requirements for my major, so next year, my senior year, will be all about taking as many writing courses I can. Along with my dreaded math GenEd. You’d think I’d be getting a colonoscopy or teeth pulled out the way I’ve been putting it off. Honestly though, 16-weeks of a math GenEd feels like a slower burn than both of those hellish counterparts. Send me your sympathy. I’m a poet and cook. I’m not built for math.
Some Thoughts, Feelings, & Opinions
There are moments you must enjoy
I’ve been in a tizzy about to write here for the past two weeks and then, Monday night happened.
The weather app stated that the day was in the mid 70s though my body’s thermometer begged to differ— I took a walk between my classes in the heat of the afternoon and felt nauseous. The initial warm days of spring always get the best of me. I know this.
I went to my final class of the day, it was a good one, and called my mom on the walk home. She asked how my day was and I told her. I asked how her day was and she told me. The hallways in my apartment smelled the way they do when it gets warm and everyone has their air turned on.
Still on the phone, I changed out of my school outfit— Rag & Bone jeans I’ve had since freshman year of high school and a simple tank top. I slipped on biker shorts, a red T-shirt from a soccer tournament I played at in 4th grade, and black & white Adidas slides I’ve been wearing since that same tournament. Some things I’ve held onto for dear life.
With my outside clothes on, I moved through my bedroom with my neck bent in a strange angle to make sure my phone would stay in place on my shoulder while I spoke to my mom. I began to fill a large bag with miscellaneous items, feeling a bit like Mary Poppins. I tossed my beloved portable camping chair— known in the outdoorsy community as a Crazy Creek— into the bag along with a speaker, my clunky water bottle, a cardigan just in case, and a half-quart container of mashed avocado snagged from the restaurant the day prior. At the time, brunch was over and it was headed for the trash.
I migrated downstairs and hopped on my bike. My mom and I parted ways over the phone, and I began to pedal to the local Co-op grocery store. I was meeting a friend, and we were going to have a picnic.
I arrived and locked my bike outside the store at 6:04 p.m., four minutes after the time we planned to meet. This did not concern me, though, because my friend told me she was running a moment behind, too. I sat on a bench outside the store, underneath a blossoming tree, by my bike. I thought how nice it was to be outside in shorts and a T-shirt.
I watched a man lock his bike by mine and head into the store. I saw a couple come out of the store, the man carrying a 12-pack of local ciders and the woman holding paper grocery bags. They got in their car. A guy I know, not well, came out of the store vigorously noshing on what looked like a cinnamon sugar donut. He didn’t notice me. I shut my eyes for a moment and turned my face to the sky. I thought about how nice it was to be outside in shorts and a T-shirt. Yes, I thought it again. Spring does that to you.
Because I was sitting, I didn’t find the heat overbearing like earlier on my walk. Instead, my legs basked in the thick evening sunlight and the skin on my face echoed with warmth from facing the sky. I opened my eyes as the man from minutes earlier came out of the store with a small sandwich, tucked it into his jacket, and unlocked his bike before skirting off into his evening. I have always been jealous of men and their massive pockets.
I saw my friend from across the street and waved though she didn’t see me yet. I think I may be a premature waver. That wasn't the first time.
We exchanged our giddy hellos and went into the store. We bought cheeses, one hard and one soft— Manchego laced with truffle and a gooey brie. We then purchased a loaf of seedy sourdough bread, prosciutto, one pear, one apple, and a large slice of vanilla cake with a simple buttercream frosting.
With our picnic supplies, we walked up the short sidewalk to the park near the Co-op. My Grandma did her homework at that park when she was in pharmacy school at Iowa all those decades ago.
It appears my friend Elisabeth had a Mary Poppins moment before our picnic, too. Because when we sat down she pulled a honey bear, balsamic vinegar, truffle infused olive oil, chili flakes, napkins, a knife, cutting boards, and forks out of her purse. These are the real women of America.
I turned my speaker on and played music I’d spin whenever I was on-air at the radio station while Elisabeth set her cutting boards on top of my Crazy Creek. It served as a meager table. I sliced our apple and pear real thin and pulled the mashed avocado out of my bag. We sliced the bread into baby-slices, making various combinations and enjoying every bite. Avocado with honey and chili flakes. Soft brie with a sliver of pear and prosciutto. Truffles, Manchego, and a hearty slice of apple.
It had been a few weeks since we’d seen each other last, and there was lots to discuss. We sat there for some time as the long shadows of late evening evolved into a grainy dusk. Pink wispy clouds faded into the night sky. It was no longer so warm; my toes got cold. But it was time for cake. We both agreed, we hadn’t had a simple, sweet piece of cake like that in a while. There are moments you must enjoy.
Elisabeth and I loaded our bags, splitting up what remained of our cheese and bread among the other. There was little leftover. She walked her way home, and I walked back to my bike. I pedaled home in the last light, one hand on my bike handle and the other on my bag. I saw students having Monday drinks on patios downtown, children walking with ice cream in their hand, and a homeless man who called me beautiful. Everyone had a reason to smile.
I’m young and these days are filled with uncertainty. There are times I trick myself, thinking this is just a “now” issue but I’m finding, from speaking to the people I meet, each day is filled with uncertainty. Whether you’re 20, 58, or 84.
There are times when the uncertainties overwhelm my tender mind. But there are also times where the uncertainties feel like a blanket being spread over fresh spring grass during dusk.
Sometimes I am sitting on the ground, a child waiting to be swallowed in the fun blindness of a blanket being tossed over my head while simultaneously, I am standing, an adult holding the blanket at the corners, poofing it a few times before it settles itself on the ground, watching the blades of grass sway as I prepare to get comfortable.
This was Monday, April 15th, 2024. And I’m holding on to every moment.
What Will Be On Your Plate
Strawberry & Rhubarb Baked Oats
Crunchy and toasty pecans glitter the top of this aromatic breakfast while gooey bits of caramelized rhubarb and strawberry are tucked into every bite of this springy batch of baked oats. The texture is fluffy yet dense… a bit cake-like. But that’s the thing! It’s not cake.
These baked oats are packed with fiber, protein, and fruit. Honestly, add vegetables to the list, since rhubarb is technically a vegetable. The batter is made quickly in a blender (easy!) and can be made ahead of time & baked in the morning while you do more urgent things (efficient!). I like making the batter the night before and sticking it in the oven while I shower and get ready for the morning. Then Boom! I’m ready by the time my breakfast is. It’s truly the best way to start your day. Time efficient, nutritious, and a joy to eat.
For everyone who holds an “I-don’t-like-oatmeal” prejudice— this breakfast is for you! This isn’t your average bowl of gummy oats. Just about every time I make my baked oats for breakfast, I’m baffled by how delicious they are. In fact, since testing, shooting, and eating these baked oats just a few days ago, I have made it two other times and am savoring the last few bites of this very breakfast while writing this section. So pardon me if I come off overly passionate with all my oatmeal propaganda, I’m just high off my supply right now.
Since we’ve gotten the oatmeal-promo out of the way, we need to talk about rhubarb. Rhubarb is in season from early April to early June. Rhubarb has long, pinkish stalks which grow from a bush. In fact, rhubarb bushes are commonly grown in many suburban backyards. Not! That you should be rustling through strangers’ yards and stealing their rhubarb. At least befriend your rhubarb-plug first. And if you’re not the extroverted type, you’re in luck, because grocery stores and farmers markets sell this springtime delicacy.
The moral of the rhubarb story is that the rhubarb window is open! The time is now!! She is tart, bright, and gooey when baked.
I bolded “when baked” because if you take a nibble of raw rhubarb, you’ll be met with an incredibly tart taste. So if this is your first time preparing and eating rhubarb, don’t think you’ll be snacking on raw rhubarb with the extras. Use your extra rhubarb and 1) bake more of these oats 2) make rhubarb jam 3) make rhubarb bread 4) make a rhubarb crumble or 5) just figure it out on your own— I can’t help you more than this.
Let’s say you need to feed a family, bring something to a brunch, or you just want to make loads of these oats for future mornings... Great! Just multiply the recipe by 4 or 5 and bake your oats in a bigger pan (8x8) for five or seven minutes longer. Impress everyone, if not yourself, with this tasty dish.
It is time for me to hush and sauce you the recipe. Send me a picture if you make this!
Strawberry and Rhubarb Baked Oats
1/3 cup oats
1 tablespoon Flax seed (optional)
1/4 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
1-2 extra egg whites (optional, use for added protein if desired)
1/4 cup milk
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
splash of vanilla
1/2 cup of chopped strawberries and rhubarb, total
For the crumble:
1/2 tablespoon of softened butter
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp of oat or normal flour
1 tablespoon of chopped pecans
Preheat the oven to 350. Add the everything but the fruit and crumble ingredients into a blender and blend until a smooth batter is formed.
Stir chopped strawberries and rhubarb to the batter. If making the batter overnight, this is when you’ll tuck it in the fridge for tomorrow and resume at step three the next morning.
Grease an oven-safe dish and pour the batter into the dish.
Add crumble ingredients to a small bowl and, with a fork, mash the sugar, flour, butter, and pecans into a crumble.
Sprinkle the crumble over the batter and slide the dish into the oven. I recommend placing it on a baking tray for more stability.
Bake for 26-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!!
From my plate to yours,
JuJu
