So, I dug myself into a nice huge crater the size of Alaska a few days ago by telling my Grampa during his hospital visit "If you're good for the doctor, when we get home I'll make you a strawberry rhubarb pie!" That is his favorite kind. My word!!! I don't bake pies!!! Unless sorely provoked... The last pie I made was also a strawberry rhubarb pie, and that was in September 2 years ago, after my Grampa had major cancer surgery.

Rule NO. 1
If all else fails, Grandfathers can always be persuaded with pie... Actually any guy can (I think...)

LOL! Anyways, yeah! So, the only problem with telling my Grampa that, was that I forgot rhubarb actually has a growing season... which starts around July...
And it happens to be April.

Instructions for use:
Put foot in mouth. Bite down hard.

Rule No.2
NEVER... I mean ALWAYS check to make sure pie filling of choice is in season before offering it to a man.

So, Annick's free spirit brain begins to spin "how in the world am I going to get out of this mess..." Here I promised my Grampa something that isn't even growing yet. That is really bad! it will break his heart if he doesn't get it.

Weyall....
I started wondering if it was possible to substitute something for the rhubarb, that was similar in taste, texture, etc.

(snicker)Heh heh heh... Guess what I came up with?

Yep, CELERY!!!!!
Peeled really well, boiled in lemon juice with a few strawberries, until it turns pinkish... then drained and mixed with the strawberries and some sugar. Tada!!!! It really does look &taste like rhubarb... I think (not that I really know)

So, the humor of the situation is that my Grampa is legally blind. So, I'm hoping he won't be able to tell the difference between rhubarb and what-annick-decided-to-put-in-the-pie. Yes.

Now, I'm just hoping that my Grampa will just eat the pie and say "It's good..." Just like usual. What I'm dreading is this " why does the pie taste weird?"

Oh brother... This is going to be bad... Perhaps I should not give up my day job. For real!!!!

Guess I'll tell you later what happened ;)

Until then,
Don't fall off the edge of your chair!!

~Jill (I'll post a picture of the scary pie later...)