Strawberry/Rhubarb Pie

Wow this pie goes back to my single days when I dated a guy I wanted to impress, I asked him what he would like for his birthday, "strawberry/rhubarb pie"  so I found this in the Betty Crocker cookbook and went to work.  To make a long story short, he was thrilled with it and gave me his best compliments, "this is better than Marie Calendar's".  I love it too for it's "sweet/tart" flavor and it's one of our favorites in our home, especially served warm with vanilla ice cream, it can't be beat!

               Pat Brough's Pie Crust Recipe
(this is my mother-in-laws's recipe, for the crust, it is a good one)

2c. flour
1c. shorterning                            
1 tsp. salt
Take out 1/3c. flour and put in bowl, add 1/4c. cold water to make a paste.  Then crumble the rest of the flour, shortening, ad salt, using a pastry blender until there are small crumbles.   Now add flour paste and mix.  Roll into ball and put in refrigerator for about 1 hour.  Roll out using a little bit of flour if needed.  The trick is to roll out without working the dough too much.  Put in pie pan.

                                                Strawberry/Rhurbarb Pie
                                                   (from Betty Crocker)
1 1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. flour
2c. cut up rhubarb(i cut them small so you don't get a huge bite of bitter! about 1/4 inch pieces)
2c. sliced strawberries
2 Tbsp. butter

Heat oven to 425 degrees.   Mix sugar, and flour.  Turn half of the rhubarb and strawberries into pastry-lined pie plate; sprinkle with 1/2 of sugar mixture.  Repeat with remaining strawberry/rhubarb, and sugar mixture.  Dot with butter.  Cover with a top crust, I usually use strips from the leftover crust, and sprinkle the top crust with sugar.   Cover crust with foil to prevent burning, and remove the last 15 min. of baking.   Put pie on cookie sheet and place in 
oven.  Bake until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust.  About 40 to 50 min.  **I use frozen rhubarb slightly thawed so not to watery.  I have two rhubarb plants which produces more than I need.  And I will wash and cut them up into 2 c. and freeze so I can just thaw and add.  Dont let it thaw all the way.