Welcome to My Kitchen

Odessa seems to be overrun with skunks this year. Monday of this week I saw three skunks, all in different areas of town. To my way of thinking, that is three skunks too many. Eradicating skunks is probably not a kitchen subject, but de-skunking dogs, other animals and items, could be. Ingredients for a good de-skunking solution are mostly found in the kitchen.

Leanna Schafer’s dogs had an unpleasant meeting with a skunk several years ago. She found this recipe on About.com. We ran the recipe in the September 1, 2011 column, and now seems a good time to reprint it.

De-skunk Solution

1 quart hydrogen peroxide

1/4 cup baking soda

1-2 tsp liquid soap

warm water

If at all possible set up a washing station outdoors.

In a disposable plastic bucket combine first 3 ingredients, mixing well. Add a little warm water if your dog is large. Solution will fizz. Use immediately.

Place a little mineral oil on your dogs eyes to protect. DO NOT wash the dog first, works best on a dry coat. Using disposable water proof gloves, promptly begin cleaning your dog starting with the most affected areas, massage the solution deep into the dogs coat. Allow the solution to remain on the dog at least 5 minutes, longer if strong odor persists. Rinse your dog well with lukewarm water. Repeat as necessary until odor is gone.

Dry your dog and give them a treat. (That is what the recipe says. Personally, I think they have won the Bad Dog, No Biscuit Award)

On a more pleasantly fragrant note, Kathie Donahue brought Rhubarb Oatmeal Bars to a recent quilters gathering. She based her recipe on one she found at http://www.foodnetwork.com by Ree Drummond, for Strawberry Oatmeal Bars. Kathie cooked sweetened rhubarb until enough moisture evaporated to make it the consistency of preserves. I’ve printed the recipe here as it appears on the website. My observation is that you could use any flavor of preserves in this recipe.

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

1 3/4 sticks salted butter, cut into pieces (7/8 cup) plus a little more to grease the pan.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 jar (10-12 ounces) strawberry preserves.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, butter a 9x13 inch baking pan and set aside.

Mix together the butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. ( I used a pastry blender for this step) Press 1/2 the oat mixture into the prepared pan. Spread with the strawberry preserves. Sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture over the top and pat down lightly. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely and then cut into squares. Yield: 24 squares.

Note: I used 3 cups sliced rhubarb, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice for filling to make Rhubarb Oatmeal Bars from this recipe. Mix it all together in a small saucepan and let it stand about 30 minutes until the juice begins to run. Cook over medium heat stirring often until thickened. You may add a drop or two of red food coloring if you like. Use in place of the strawberry preserves.

Several years ago, Dolores Graedel shared a requested recipe which we printed at that time. There was also a recipe for Rhubarb Pineapple Pie on the same page that she gave me. If you like the sweet-tart flavors of rhubarb and pineapple, you are sure to like this pie.

Rhubarb Pineapple Pie

1 unbaked pie shell

2 cups sliced rhubarb

1 1/2 cups crushed pineapple with juice.

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Combine rhubarb, pineapple and lemon juice in a large bowl. Blend together, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle cornstarch mixture over fruit mixture and mix well.

Combine egg and sugar in a small bowl; add to fruit mixture and mix well. Turn mixture into pastry lined pie dish. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Yield: 6-8 servings.

The cool wet weather we enjoyed, (well some of us enjoyed) means we have fresh spinach flourishing in local gardens. Now we have been blasted over by a few 100 degree days and a cool spinach salad sounds appealing. But, when you went to pick your spinach, you discovered that a number of earwigs and other garden insects have taken cover from the heat in your lush crop. Do not despair, pull the spinach and lay it on the lawn in a shady spot. Using a spray nozzle on your garden hose, spray spinach with water to remove any obvious dirt and insects. Then fill a tub or sink with cold water and add a tsp of salt per gallon of water. Plunge the spinach into the salted cold water and let soak 5-10 minutes. This will do in any remaining pesky bugs and they will float clear of the spinach. Drain spinach and rinse well in more cold water. Drain well and use in salads or other recipes immediately or refrigerate for later use.

Sweet Onion Spinach Salad is one of my favorites, and it is quick to make on a hot day.

Sweet Onion

Spinach Salad

1 bunch spinach, washed, drained and trimmed of tough stems.

1 can (8 ounces) Mandarin oranges, drained, juice reserved

1 medium sweet onion, peeled and sliced thin

1 cup real bacon bits

2 Tsp balsamic vinegar

3 Tbsp mayonnaise

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Combine spinach, mandarin oranges and sliced onions in a large bowl and toss to combine. Combine Mandarin orange juice, mayonnaise, balsamic vinegar and pepper in a small bowl and whisk together until smooth and blended. Just before serving, add bacon bits and dressing and toss well to evenly coat. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Share your favorite summer recipes by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, email: therecord@odessaof

fice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Dill makes a fragrant addition to summer bouquets.