Like me, you’re probably over winter, unless you live somewhere warm and tropical. Spring is starting to show its face here in Virginia, just peaking around the corner. The grass is sprouting up and there are tiny buds on the trees. I know all too well this is only a teaser. Winter is still lurking. I’m reaching hard to pull spring closer. I’m adding flowers to the house, dressing in cheerful colored clothing, and eyeing the jellybeans at the grocery store😉 I’m longing for the spring harvest that isn’t ready yet. I needed a bright and happy pie this week, one that would remind me of the sunshine and reflect that radiant glow back at me. ARIZONA’s Lemon Pie would surely be the answer to the long winter blues.🍋☀️
We had crossed through the Grand Canyon State on yet another move. It was brief, but enough time to see the diversity of the land, from the lush pines and mountains of beautiful Flagstaff in the North to the barren, cacti laden desert of the South. We were traveling during the summer with temps of 100+. It was hot and intense, I can imagine that heat now, the warmth feels good. We saw signs along the way for Barringer Meteor Crater in Winslow, this wasn’t part of our mapped out trip,but we decided to go off the beaten path anyway. It was quite a ways down off the main road and the sky was beginning to darken. If you’ve never experienced a summer storm in the Southwest, it comes in fast, charging with full power. The clouds quickly caught up to us, the rain so heavy it was blinding. Thankfully desert storms don’t last long🌈
Lemon Zest and lemon juice so much lemony flavor in this pie
no way am I going to let my edges burn ;)
We weren’t expecting much when we arrived at the meteor crater. It wasn’t until we stepped out onto the rim and could appreciate its scale that we were in awe. There was no way from a distance you could imagine it’s impressive size. One mile across and 560 ft deep, this dent was put on the Earth 50,000 years ago when a meteor crashed through the atmosphere. It was a memorable trip for the whole family, and a reminder that sometimes we need to steer off course to experience the cool things life has to offer.🌎
Practicing my stencil on a tortilla, is that weird?
paper doilies make great pie stencils
With such a diverse climate throughout the state, Arizona is home to a wide variety of crops, including lemons. Lots of sunshine and fertile soil create the perfect growing environment for the sour fruit. Arizona is one of the leading states in lemon production and lemonade is their official state drink. Like the red and yellow rays on the state flag symbolizing Arizona’s spectacular sunsets, I wanted the beauty of the Southwest to shine through this pie. With only a few ingredients, the lemon flavor is intense like the Arizona sun. It reminded me of a lemon bar, but in pie form and even better. This pie is packed with a citrusy- sweet flavor, I couldn’t help but smile as I savored each bite. Arizona’s sun-kissed Lemon Pie was exactly what I needed to brighten up my week☀️🍋
My family checking out the crater
That Arizon Sky
Originally Published February 28,2020