Great Grandma's Rhubarb Bread...or Something Like it

I was walking around the market and I found, to my pleasant surprise,  that rhubarb is officially in season...I know, it's an exciting time of year.  So, I ventured into my kitchen shelves and discovered a recipe for rhubarb bread that I am told my Great Grandmother made all the time.  I went to work, modifying the recipe a bit, but it was Nanny Miriam's at heart, and it turned out great.

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cup Rhubarb

1 Cup Sliced Strawberries

1/2 Cup Crushed Walnuts

1 Cup Milk

Teaspoons Vanilla Paste

Tablespoon Lemon Juice

1/2 Cup Pear Sauce*

1/3 Cup Canola*

1 Egg

1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar

2 1/2 Cups Flour (broken up however you please, wheat, soy, white, etc.)

1/2 Cup Oatmeal

Teaspoon Salt

Teaspoon Baking Soda

*Note:  Pear or Apple Sauce Can be substituted for Vegetable/Canola Oil to cut fat.

Instructions

In a bowl, mix milk, lemon juice, vanilla paste and let sit for 10 minutes

In a separate bowl, mix egg, sugar, pear sauce and oil.

In yet another bowl, mix flour, oatmeal, salt and baking soda

Mix the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture, alternating with the milk mixture.

Cut Rhubarb and Strawberries

Fold rhubarb, strawberries and walnuts into batter.

Preheat Oven to 325

Spray two bread pans and add batter

Topping Ingredients

Tablespoon Butter

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Tablespoon Cinnamon

Topping Instructions

Melt Butter, add sugar and cinnamon and mix.

Spread topping on top of batter and bake for 45 minutes.

Music:  Ben Harper - Strawberry Fields Forever