Fruit Crisp

This is my favorite go-to dessert. My grandma used to make apple, and occasionally peach, crisp all the time when I was a kid. It wasn't until I became an adult that I realized just how quick and easy it is. I have to confess that I tend to make mine more frequently with blueberries because that streamlines the process even more (wash and dump) without the peeling. But today I bravely tried something I had never made before: Rhubarb Crisp.

THE CRISP
1 stick butter (yes, I mean butter - it's way better than margarine)
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. oatmeal
1/2 c. flour (I'm dying to try this with gluten-free flour to see if I can serve it to Brian's mom and sister)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If you are a responsible cook and plan ahead, let your butter soften on the counter before cooking. If you're like me and start baking the second you get the baby to fall asleep or in the exersaucer, it's perfectly okay to put the butter in a metal bowl and let it melt a bit in the oven while the oven preheats - it won't affect the crisp.

With a spoon or fork, mix the remaining ingredients with the softened or partially melted butter.

Sprinkle the crisp mixture over your fruit.

THE FRUIT
5 apples or peaches, peeled, cored, and sliced; or 2 pints of blueberries, rinsed (how easy is that?!)
I've also tried a "Michigan Harvest Crisp" with plums, apples, peaches and dried cherries, which turned out fabulous.

To make a rhubarb crisp, I had a few extra steps: I washed a bunch of rhubarb, sliced it, and put it in the bottom of a 8x8 baking dish. Then, I boiled 1 c. sugar, 1 c. water, 2 Tbsp. corn starch, and 1 tsp. vanilla and poured the mixture over the rhubarb.

Bake the fruit topped with the crisp mixture for 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Easy as pie. No, EASIER than pie.