Between the many cloudy skies and today’s snowstorm dumping, or should I say blasting, in considerable snow, I felt it was time to make some of my own sunshine/springtime.
A year or so back we visted my husband’s aunt in Arizona, and I was able to mark off my bucket list picking citrus, including oranges, lemons, tangelos, and grapefruit. We just don’t do that here in North Dakota. We also went to Antelope Canyon, saw the Grand Canyon again in the wintertime, drove around Monument Valley, hiked in Sedona and ate the epic ice cream cone. A must when traveling! It was a great trip!
But let’s get back to lemons!
Lemons-
-native to Asia
-rich in Vitamin C
-trees produce lemons all year round
-zest is often used in baking
-tree leaves can used to make teas
-produced mostly in Arizona and California 95%
-hold an average of 3 Tablespoons of juice and 8 seeds
-largest was 11 pounds 9.7 ounces in 2003. That’s about as heavy as a gallon of paint!
-lemon chiffon cake day is March 29th (just missed that one!)
Lemon Bars with a Lavendar Crust
First, you start with 1 cup of butter.
Next, combine butter with 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla and 1/4 cup lavender flowers. Pat into a 9×13 pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Now for the filling! Start with 8 eggs.
After beating the eggs, add 4 cups of sugar, 8 Tbsp. Flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, juice and zest of 2 lemons.
Pour onto baked crust and bake for 35-40 minutes or until filling is set.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and do some fancy cutting and voila!
Lemon Bars with Lavendar Crust
Crust:
1 cup butter
2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup lavender spikes
Filling:
8 eggs
4 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
Juice and zest of two lemons
Crumble and pat crust ingredients into 9×13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Beat filling ingredients together. Pour on baked crust and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until filling is set. Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar! It’s just not lemon bars without it!
Our church had a women’s retreat at the Coteau Des Prairies Lodge in Havana ND. This is the sunrise that met me one of the mornings that we were there. It really is a bucket list vista to see in North Dakota!
From the rising to of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised. Psalms 113:3