a concoction

I really love a dessert that is a bar. Maybe it's because I was raised in a large family so I'm used to a multitude of meals coming from a large casserole dish. I also like the durability of a bar, which then creates portability. Typically, bars are cut in large squares at bakeries, but any home cook knows they can bring them to a pot-luck and quickly cut them smaller if the crowd grows larger.

Since it's rhubarb season (and it's a short one like pomegranates. Sigh.) it's time for a bar dessert with their best friend, the strawberry. Finding the perfect bar proved tricky. I liked the idea of a traditional pie, without all the oozey messiness that necessitated a plate and fork. A slab pie you say? No, that's more pie crust than I prefer. A crumble? Not bad, but still not what I wanted.

After reviewing a few different recipes, it was time to take action and create a dessert that was a hybrid of a pie, slab pie and crumble. Then these babies came out of the oven and I knew I got it right.

The crust is sturdy enough to be held in one hand, without the fruit and crumble spilling over. The filling isn't dry because the fruit lends off a wonderful sweet juiciness that stays put with a bit of cornstarch. And don't think I forgot about that crumble topping. No way. That buttery oat mixture is the perfect crunch to these tart, dense bars.

Beauty Fixation: January

Long before the movie 'Marie Antoinette' came out I already had a deep infatuation with English & French history during the 1700's. I personally love Historical Fiction novels and read a book about Marie Antoinette (not the one the movie was based on and it was so long ago I really don't remember which one it was- sorry!) and I craved going to France.

The Petit Trianon

Lucky me, quite a few years ago, I was able to go for a quick trip with my parents and sister (one of) to Paris where we toured all the major sites. On our list: Versailles. It was March and chilly but unbelievably worth it. The extensive grounds, ornate detailing, the fact that it's still standing hundreds of years later... it's beautiful, grotesque and spectacular all at the same time. One little area that we didn't go to was the Petit Trianon.- this was Marie Antoinette's little hideaway from court. She was able to host private parties there and "let her hair down". The Petit Trianon had it's own farm and there were various buildings on-site for the farmers and supplies. Only the Petit Trianon has been open for tours because the other building were in need of repair.... (this is where I finally make my point and quit the history lesson) until the Parisian house of Christian Dior benevolently donated the funds to repair the Queen's Hamlet house.

Queen's Hamlet House

Their philanthropy is the source of a new Spring beauty assortment called The Petit Trianon Collection:

** Obsessed. I'm completely infatuated with the entire collection (and let me tell you, that hasn't happened in a long time) and want to own all of it. Of course I don't own a single piece of it, but I want the Porcelain blue nail polish and the 5- color eyeshadow palette. With the horrid Polar Vortex, this Spring collection is just the thing to brighten my day- and maybe yours too. Anything interest you from the collection?