Grandma Larson's Rhubarb Sauce

I love how food can take you back to a time and place like nothing else can. Rhubarb does that to me. It is very nostalgic and transports me about 15 years back, right into my grandma's kitchen on a hot summer day. It was fun to have my mom here in my home, and to watch her make this rhubarb sauce using her mother's recipe and rhubarb from her original plant. What pleasure it brought to then serve it to my kids.I got this recipe from my grandmother who is a champion cook so I don't hesitate in admitting it is wonderful. For you rhubarb lovers, give it a try and you'll be hooked. Serve it over cakes, ice cream, eat it plain or with half and half, make a malt, or even serve it over bread, it is sure to please.

Grandpa told the news once that the secret to his long life is sugar. Here's a way to put a little more into your diet!

Rhubarb Sauce

Rhubarb
Water
Sugar
Jello

Put cut up rhubarb into a sauce pan. Measure water you add to bring level of water even with rhubarb at top. Bring to a boil and then add 1 cup of sugar for each 2 cups of water used. Turn down heat and cook about 5 minutes more. When done, add one small (3 ounce) package of strawberry or raspberry jello for each 2 to 3 cups of water used, depending on how sweet you like it. Let cool or eat it warm. "We love it warm with some half and half added. My sister loves it made into malts. My father loves it with a slice of fresh bread. Actually, rhubarb is best made into pie, hahaha."(Mom).

Limeade Slush

This recipe is from my good friend, Heidi Bartlett. It's a great party punch. So light, refreshing, and completely simple to throw together at the last minute, as most of the preparation needs to be done ahead of time.

8 cups water

3 cups sugar

1 (12 oz) limeade concentrate

2 (12 oz) water

3 (2 liter container) Sprite

Boil sugar and water until sugar is dissolved. Add the concentrate and water. Cool. Pour evenly into 3 Ziploc bags and *freeze. For each bag of frozen mixture, combine with a 2-liter of Sprite.

* I typically like to freeze punch concentrates in a bunt pan, or other decorative shape to provide a nice presentation as it floats in the punch bowl. Don't worry about anything like this for this recipe, however. You will want to break up the ice with a knife so that it slushes up.