Who's that bird?

If you know me...you'd know that I'm the gadget girl in the kitchen.  If they make it I've probably got it or tried it.  My friend Kati gave me a gadget for Christmas that I didn't have yet.  She gave me this small porcelain bird that you put in your pies while they bake to allow the steam to escape.  I put the little blue bird to the test today in a strawberry rhubarb pie.  

I enjoy making most things from scratch but one place I do cut corners is pie crust, I've made pie crust from scratch a couple times but it takes a while to do.  I find it easier to use Pillsbury ready made pie crust and the taste to be comparable to scratch made crust.  

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2 c sliced rhubarb, fresh or frozen

2  c sliced stawberries, fresh or frozen

1/4 c tapioca 

3 tbsp sugar

1/2 c honey

Honey is my new secret ingredient in my fruit pies.  I had it in a blueberry pie at a baby shower this fall and loved the taste.  It really preserves the flavors of the fruit in the pie but adds just a hint of sweetness.  

Mix rhubarb, strawberries, tapioca, sugar and honey together in a large bowl.  Grease a 9" pie plate and line with your bottom crust.  Fill with fruit filling and top with second crust, folding edges of crust around the edges.  Using a fork, seal the edges.  If not using a steam bird like I did, cut several slits in the top crust to allow steam to release from the pie.  Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with course sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.  At 45 minutes my top crust didn't quite look cooked enough so I left it in for an additional 10 minutes which was a little too long because the filling started to bubble and cracked the top crust in places.  So stick to 45 minutes for a perfect pie.

Peek a boo!!!

So yummy...you can really taste the sweetness of the strawberries and honey with just a little bite from the rhubarb.  Great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.