Lemon Meringue Pie: Take 1

Childhood memories have always been very peculiar to me. I remember certain things so clearly I could describe colors, smells, or even the pattern on someone's shirt.  Then there are those times I can barely recall anything.  Great big chunks of nothingness. The mind is so strange. Just the other day I was laying next to Madeline as she was going to sleep for a nap and she was talking to me - so we were face to face - and her breath smelled exactly like I remember my Grandma Vivi's breath smelling.  I remember how much I loved that smell as a child.  It was sort of sweet and clean smelling. Then I remembered how much I admired my Grandma and how much I miss her.  The experience surprised me and made me really happy all at the same time.

 A lot of my favorite memories revolve around food.  My Great Grandma Lily, My Grandma Vivi, and my Mom were all very good cooks and you could count on tantalized taste buds when sitting down to a meal at any of their homes. My Mom is still a great cook, but I have certain memories and certain favorite recipes I will never forget.  Off the top of my head: Mom's meatloaf (I still haven't had meatloaf anywhere in the world as good as hers), which was always accompanied by peas and a baked potato or it just wasn't right; her scrumptious Spanish rice and meatballs with bacon and green peppers (drool); homemade braided french bread and breadsticks - I could eat two loaves in one sitting; and that cheesy, creamy halibut casserole - Mmmm! One of my most favorite desserts - Her homemade lemon meringue pie passed down through the generations.  The crust was always flaky and melted in your mouth; the filling was sweet and tangy; and the meringue was the perfect sweetened topping, which was not only edibly pleasing, but aesthetically pleasing. As a child I requested it many times for special occassions.

Anyway, so I got married...


Forever and ever, amen.

and I always imagined making these recipes for my husband and children when I grew up, and passing on the secrets and traditions of our family.  Only, I happened to marry a very picky eater and, unfortunately, he wasn't a big fan of casseroles, seafood, meat with onions or ketchup in or on it, any form of Mexican/Spanish foods, and desserts other than ice cream - specifically PIE.  That pretty much knocked out everything but the breads.

So in the almost 9 years we have been married, I haven't done much traditional cooking.  Our weekly meal plan consists mainly of chicken in several different forms, spaghetti or some other noodley-type dish, and once in a while a steak or some hamburger ("no bun or condiments though for me please," said Paul.) - all with a nice side item of either rice, potato, salad, beans, corn, or - if I am feeling really fancy - some kind of fruit.  Admittedly, he has come a long way since then and will try more things and eat more things and if a piece of rice just happens to touch his meat, he's okay with that.

Considering I was a college girl the first 4 years of our marriage and then I worked full time as a nurse after that, it didn't really cross my mind that I wasn't doing what I always thought I'd do.  It didn't really bother me... I just made what made the man happy. Isn't that what a good wife does?

But then...



Baby Madeline Olivia

Hi baby!

And then...



We moved to Saudi Arabia

All of the sudden, I had, not only a child of my own, but an opportunity to be what I always wanted - a stay at home wife and mother.  This blessing alone had changed everything and my thinking has changed some.  I still, and will always accomodate the tastes and likes of my man.  He is everything to me and I can't fault him for being him.  I wish he liked all the wonderful foods he is missing out on, but he doesn't... and that's okay.  BUT (and that's a huge BUTT), I want to give every choice to my children.  I want them to be exposed to the delicious peppers, and onions, and casseroles, and PIES... there is so much out there to taste my friends, and it is friggin' delicious! 



So, for the first time in my life I am trying to cook more.  I am starting to make those old recipes and trying to bring back the tasty deliciousness of my childhood.  To begin: I am attempting to make my Great Grandma Lily's lemon meringue pie for this upcoming Thanksgiving.  I have two weeks to perfect it and get it just right.  Not until recently did I learn that not only is this the best lemon meringue pie in the world, but it was very important to get "the nod of approval" from Great Grandpa Paul before one was deemed worthy and received the "right of passage" as a lemon meringue pie professional wife and mother. 

My Mom's experience:

"We actually had to make the perfect pie and then take it to Grandpa Paul for the final taste test judgment.  I still remember watching Grandpa staring at the piece of pie I brought him for several minutes and then him putting the first bite in his mouth and rolling it around while breathing deeply in and out... and then I got "The nod." His approval was a crowning moment in my life."

So, even though my guy isn't a pie man, I want my children, my friends, and strangers from all walks of life to say, "Holy crap! This is the best lemon meringue pie I have ever tasted in my entire life... I can die now. Thank you so much Edith... Thank you so damn much!"

Here is my first attempt (I will not be sharing the recipe with anyone other than my family, sorry.):

I started with the crust. The recipe is surprisingly simple and easy. My main concerns were getting it round and wide enough to fit the pan perfectly and making sure it had the perfect balance of strength and mobility so it would stay together and make it into the pan.  It worked: 



The Crust

Then I made the filling.  It took a while for it to thicken, but then all of the sudden it thickened quick and it was a beautiful lemon yellow color and it was sweet and tangy and just right!



The lemony filling

Then I made the meringue.  My main concern with it was that it seal to the pie edge so there is no shrinkage or slipperyness.  Then I tried to do the flippy, swirly design my Mom was always so good at and after much frustration I just made it look messy with a few small swirlies.  Obviously practice and work for perfection is required for this artistic endeavor.



The Meringue



Then I cooked it!  It's not the most beautiful pie in th world, but it looked and smelled like a lemon meringue pie.  And I have to say, pretty great for a first attempt.



My very first homemade lemon meringue pie made all by myself

I was going to just leave it at that and say it was perfect the very first time, but... it wasn't.  I let it sit for a couple hours and then after dinner (steak, rice, and salad - surprise surprise! hee hee) I cut into it.  The filling was way too watery and sort of spilled all over the place in the pan.

BUT!!  The crust was AWESOME.  The meringue was fluffy and sweet and tasted delicious!!  And, although runny, the filling was sweet and tangy and yummy-yummy-yum (just like Moms).  So, I do not have far to go.  After some wonderful tips from Mom I am ready to keep trying.  A couple of practice rounds with adjustments to the filling ingredients and it should be juuuuuust right. Worthy of nods from all over the world.

Can I Borrow Some Baking Soda?

We had a few bananas left over from last week that were looking pretty scary, and I didn't want to waste them, so Mads and I made some banana bread today. Usually I'll either make banana bread or a smoothie if I catch the banana before the mold stage. If it hits mold stage they get tossed.

I used my moms recipe (mmm), which usually turns out really good, but I didn't get all the ingredients out before I started making it (my bad) and when I got to the part where it says to add baking soda?? No baking soda in the house. I checked every cupboard. No car either cause Paul has my car due to some Geo issues.

When I was smaller, living in WJ, UT, I would have had no issue running next door to borrow some baking soda from the neighbor, but times have changed a little. Plus, we really don't know our neighbors too well. I don't think they're home during the day anyway. Kinda sad. Maybe I could have taken them some of my banana bread? I guess it turned out to be more of a banana sponge cookie. It was still okay tasting, but not the banana bread I was so excited for. The real bummer part - Paul doesn't eat banana bread and will definitely not eat banana sponge cookies... so now, I not only wasted the three bananas, but I also wasted 2 eggs, some cinnamon, flour, sugar, vanilla, salt, powdered sugar.... ugh. Baking soda - on the grocery list... check!

I guess I should have made a smoothie?

You know, the last time I spoke to my neighbors was when I was about 8 1/2 months pregnant. They haven't even SEEN Madeline. That's about how often we see our neighbors. The families on both sides are older couples with either no children or children who are grown. This neighborhood is beautiful and big and quiet... sometimes I think a little TOO quiet (I can't believe I just wrote that). Our street specifically is sort of far back into the neighborhood and is a newer area. There are a lot of families with small children in the neighborhood, just not really on our street. I think this summer, when it gets a little warmer, we're gonna try to get out more and get to know our neighborhood and the people in it.

All this thought just because I didn't have any baking soda. Awesome.

I Got A Job!

I graduate from college in 2 weeks and have been applying at hospitals all over the Memphis area in hopes that I would find the right position and place for me as I begin my nursing career.

Of the 7 - yes 7 - hospitals I applied to, 4 actually replied to my online application in a timely manner, and I was able to visit these hospitals and begin the interviewing process.

My interest in the nursing profession started a long time ago. I have always been interested in working in the medical field. When I was a kid I wanted to be a dermatologist then a veterinarian, and finally a "woman" doctor. My passion for a social life in high school severely affected my grades and I barely graduated high school with the required 2.6 GPA (I think that was the cut off point, I really don't remember). After high school, I blindly attended a community college - still searching for a social life and a "man" to marry - with no idea what I wanted to do with my life. The idea of nursing crossed my mind, but discouraging words, rumors that the waiting list for nursing school was too long, and a lack of motivation because - remember, my number one priority was finding a man - temporarily stunted that dream.

So I spent a couple of years, and thousands of dollars I did not have, taking dance classes, failing math classes (only because I didn't do the homework - oh and by the way when I went back to school here in Tennessee I kept a 4.0 up until nursing school) and basically WAITING for something to happen in my life. Not that it wasn't fun, but I wasn't going anywhere when everyone around me was moving on - very depressing.

I eventually stopped spending money on schooling that wasn't going anywhere and that wasn't doing anything but putting me further in debt. I got a job doing customer service for "internet on your TV" and then later for Hunter Douglas taking orders for window treatments from dealers. I loved my jobs but I was still sinking slowly into debt as I would spend money I did not have on an attempt to look better (I had way too many shoes at this time in my life).

***Credit cards in the hands of young, impressionable women who were never taught how to budget or be financially stable are a dangerous thing my friends***

I finally found my soulmate in the oddest place imaginable - the Internet. It was very unplanned and unexpected. My husband Paul is one of the most "together," smart, and spiritually "in tune" people I have ever met. The life that we are making together is one of which I have always dreamed. This oneness of purpose is something that I have never experienced, and I am certain that it is rare. I have been blessed beyond my ability to fathom, and I realize this every day of my life. I know that we were made for one another.

In the 5 years we have been married, I have grown in many ways. I have learned much about who I am and what I want in my life... what kind of person I want to be. It took me a while, but I feel like I actually know who I am. Among the many opportunities I have had since my marriage, I was given the chance to go back to school and do something with my life!

I ate up everything I was learning. I LOVED math. I LOVED English, Sociology, Art History, Nutrition, Anatomy and physiology, Chemistry, and even Microbiology! It was almost as if my brain had been starving for 24 years and had finally discovered a smorgusborg of knowledge. It was divine!

Now, here I sit, about to graduate from college with my Bachelors degree in Nursing. It is a proud day in my life. A monumental day.

After much contemplation, consideration, and deep and serious thought, today I accepted a job at a great hospital here in Memphis as a perioperative nurse. I start May 21st, and will have 8-9 months of orientation and training learning everything about perioperative nursing.

It was a big decision for me, and it took a long time. I was actually offered 3 jobs - all of which were amazing - but I picked the one that I felt the best about.

In the end, if you follow your gut feelings about something, you will never fail. I love my life.

Letter To The Ice Cream Man

Dear Ice Cream Man,

First of all, I had no idea you still existed. I thought you had been done away with years ago because of the growing fear that you were a kidnapper and child molester... so yeah, good for you for still being in business.

I remember when I was a child and the ice cream man would come rolling through the neighborhood. All of us kids would run after him and he would stop, full of glee and the anticipation of customers, only to find that none of us had any money (heehee).

Anyway, it's March, it's hot, it's a great time to be out selling ice cream, I agree. But could you please play SOMETHING other than "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" next time you come through?

Yours,
Edith Annith

Why Are Thier Butts Stuck Together? Ohhh....

I love this time of year in Tennessee because it's not too cold out, but it's not too hot; the birds are chirping at all hours of the day (which can be annoying if you are trying to get some sleep because you have somewhere important to be the next day, but otherwise it is a pleasant and Disney-fantasy-land like experience); and the sunsets and sunrises are unbelievable!

Our apartment complex, in the 3.5 years we have lived here, has gone down the tubes a bit (my car was broken into last April, and in the last month we have received 1 notices of other cars being broken into and 1 notice that a tenant was robbed and harmed in the process and to "be careful and cautious"), but one thing that I love about this place is the trees that surround the complex. They go all the way around, and they are on each side of the road so it's almost like driving, or walking, through a tunnel of flowers in some areas - I love it! It just gets my "Mmm-Ahhh-nature" juices going.

So, today after class I took a moment to get some snapshots of the trees cause they're pretty and it makes me happy.

See how pretty? (click picture for a closer look)

Well, apparently it is mating season for bugs here, specifically mosquitoes, because as soon as I stepped onto the grass to get a close up picture of some tree blossoms a vast multitude of mosquitoes with their butts stuck together exploded out of the grass and enveloped me.

I had disturbed the ultimate mosquito orgy. Yes, I feel gross and itchy now.

This is NOT the first time I have disturbed a mosquito meeting of merrymaking, oh no. As a child I used to go up to Wilderness Girls Camp each year with my church group. We had so much fun during those camping trips. Great memories! One year, we got our tents all set up and then either had to go to a camp meeting or decided to go on a hike (I don't quite remember), and when we got back our tent was filled with what seemed like hundreds of mosquitoes with their butts together!! It was the most bizarre thing I have ever seen.

If you to want to see what moquitoes look like when they mate, click here. Go ahead, no one's lookin', and I promise not to tell that you like bug porn.

Some little known facts about mosquitoes...
- Did you know that only FEMALE mosquitoes bite?

- Did you know that Mosquitoes are more attracted to you if you have just eaten a banana?
- Did you know I had a patient the other day named "Chiquita" and all day I called her "Chiquita banana," when I wasn't in the room, and it was a party?

Lessons of the day - check for mosquito orgies before you sit or step on grass - especially if you live in a highly mosquito populated area - and don't name your child Chiquita.