Friday, January 27, 2012

Pucker Up!

That's right.  Pucker up, for this fabulous recipe for Tangy Lemon Bars.  My friend Thea gave me this recipe.  I have made lemon bars a time or two before.  I love anything with lemon in it.  But lemon bars never turned out the way I wanted them to.  Not this time.  The whole thing is whipped up in the Cuisinart.  Starting with the dough.
This gets pressed into a 9 x 13 pan and baked.
The filling is made in same bowl, and no washing is necessary til the end.  Pop the bowl back onto Cuisinart, and make the filling.  Pour into cooled crust, and bake again.  Do you have a microplane?  I am a bit of a gadget lover, both for cooking and sewing.  I have so many gadgets and tools that I love.  This microplane is one of them.  Great for zesting citrus! 
And this gadget is a favorite of mine too.  My Mom got it for me.  It juices lemons down to the very last drop! 
Back to these delicious lemon bars.  After it is baked, it comes out of the oven with a slight crust to the top. 
Dust the top with powdered sugar. Slice when cool, and PUCKER UP. These are fantastic!  I hope you will try them.  Thank you Thea, for sharing this yummy recipe from your Georgia friend!  Here is the recipe:
                                                               Luscious Lemon Bars
Crust:
1 Cup Cold Butter
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
2 Cups Flour
Pinch Salt
Cut butter into cubes and toss into Cuisinart.  Add rest of dry ingredients, and pulse until mixture comes together and resembles peas.
Press into 9 x 13 baking pan and bake in 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.  I took mine out at 18 minutes.
While cooling make the filling:
In same bowl:
4 Eggs
2 Cups Sugar
4 Tablespoons Flour
5-6 Tablespoons Lemon Juice ( I used 6 GENEROUS T of juice )
Zest of 2 lemons ( I zested 4 lemons, because I am a rebel like that )
Pinch of salt
Mix together, then pour over your cooled crust.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  Top will form a crust.
Sprinkle powdered sugar over top.  Cut when cool.  Pucker up and ENJOY!!!
For dinner last night I made a Turkey Pot Pie.  This is so easy, and such a delicious meal.  Also makes a perfect dish to take to a shut in, or someone who is just home from hospital.  It also freezes very well.
Fresh & Easy had their cooked turkey breasts on sale for half off the other day.  I bought this one, and then cubed the whole thing.  Freezing what I didn't use for this meal, in three other separate bags, to use for future meals.  I cubed some turkey, minced 1/2 an onion, very small, cooked a few small potatoes in the micro for 10 mimutes, to cube and add to pie.  I used about 2/3 of this bag of mixed veggies.  I rolled out store bought pie dough and put into pie tin.  I use a large pie pan for this, with deep sides.  Cook two packages of either chicken or turkey gravy.  I had one of each, so used both, no problem.  Using a large bowl, combine your turkey, veggies, minced onion, and cubed potatoes.  Pour cooked gravy over this and mix to combine.  Season well with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.  Pour into your prepared pie dish.
I don't know why I bothered to flute those edges, because you add a second crust to top this.  I roll the crust out to be a couple of inches larger than the pie pan diameter.  Then, using the rolling pin to roll your dough back up onto the pin, take the edge of the dough, and line it up, slightly overlapping the edge of the pin pan, and then using the rolling pin, just roll the dough off, onto the pie.
Take the overlapping dough that is hanging over the edges, and tuck it up underneath the edge of the pie crust on the bottom, and then flute the edges.  I also like to brush mine with some egg wash for nice sheen on the crust when it comes out of the oven.
 I cut slits in the top of the pie dough to allow steam to escape. 
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes.
Allow to set up for 5 minutes or so before cutting into it so that the contents holds shape when you cut.  Serve with a salad and you have dinner!
In other news here at my house, I have been wanting to do some machine quilting.  I have several quilt tops that have stacked up in my sewing room that need to be finished.  I am not a proficient machine quilter by any stretch of the imagination.  But I have done a simple meander on all of the wall hangings and runners I have made.  It takes a LOT of practice to get the correct ratio of hand movement to machine speed, to achieve nice even stitches.  I have a LONG way to go.  But I thought, why not practice by making up all of those small projects I have that are accumulating in my sewing room.  So I have been playing with my machine and got it all set up to do free motion quilting and after I took Noah to school yesterday I came home and got to it.  This runner is one that I made several years ago in a Thimbleberries series class that I took at my local quilt shop.  It has been hanging on my design wall forEVER.  Since it has hearts, I chose to do that one first.
Here I am attaching the binding with m walking foot.  Yes I take my camera everywhere with me.  Don't you?
This next photo, I was trying to take it of all of the machine settings so that if I ever allow a long time to go by between switching the settings for free motion quilting, I would remember where I put all of my dials.  But when I viewed it on my computer, I saw that the dials were all fuzzy, but the photo of Geeps and I that is sitting on the table was in perfect focus.  I thought that was kind of neat.
Here is the runner, or topper, all quilted, with binding attached, but not yet hand sewn down.  I will finish that today. 
One down, a bazillion to go.  Maybe by the time I get to the last ones, my machine quilting will be getting a bit more adventurous.  I did stitch a heart in the corner of this one.  And I found some quilts I had done for the grandkids when they were babies, and I had done their names and dates in cursive, and some echo quilting and simple shapes.  But I am rusty, and need to practice more.
It's Friday people!  Go out and make it a great day!   And have a wonderful weekend!!!
So, what have YOU been up to?????
PS  As I was making the pot pie, and pausing to take pictures, I got to thinking how much easier it would be be to do some videos of some of the cooking techniques that I talk about here on my blog.  Maybe that would be a great way to go for my some Cooking 101 online?  I will need to have Gennifer help to show me how to set that up.  I have a tripod, so it shouldn't be too difficult.  What do you think?  Cooking Class via video? 
XO  Kris

25 comments:

Bethany said...

Your FMQ is so nice !!!!! I have so much trouble doing it that I stopped, even though it would probably be quicker. I guess I should practice again....

Gloria Baker said...

Wow Kris you are amazing love these recipes but especially lemon bars I will try, love lemon recipes!!

Unknown said...

Forget the sewing today. You made two of my most favorite spirit lifters. Love Lemon Bars and Chickie Pot Pies are a soul soother here on a chilly day. Guess I'm going to have to go to the grocery store again. And yes, I, too am the queen of gadgets. Love my microplane. Have a great weekend.

Holly said...

I love lemon bars and these look so good. I love my micropalne too. How did we live without it? Check you out being uber quilty, once again, I am jealous! YESSS!!! Do a cooking video, I miss the sound of your voice.

Jill said...

That pot pie looks delicious! It's one of our favorite dishes!!!

The runner is just beautiful!

Have a lovely weekend!

blessings,
Jill

Casey said...

Yes please a cooking class video!! All your recipes look delish and i need some help in that department. I cook the same meals over and over!
Have a great weekend!!
Casey

NanaNor's said...

Hi, I'm so glad its lunch because you made me hungry.8-) I also loved seeing your quilting, btw what type of machine do you have? I'm going to be sandwiching a top together today-yippee. Have a wonderful weekend Kris.
Hugs, Noreen

Kerri said...

Your pot pie looks so pretty! (and Yummy!) Your runner is so pretty...you just "whipped" it up! You're so talented! YES YES YES to the video!

StasaLynn said...

Thank you soooo much for sharing Thea's Lemon Bar recipe.... my youngest daughter LOVES anything lemon - so I will try it soon. Your quilting skills look pretty darn good to me!

Pam said...

That pot pie looks delicious! I have made your potato soup so I know this will be good too. A video cooking class would be so cool! Love your quilted topper too. You are so talented! Have a great weekend. It has been cloudy here all day. Yay!

Cheryl said...

OMW.....two wonderful recipes!! Great job on the machine quilting that's something I would love to tackle. The picture through you machine is just so sweet!!!

Teresa Kasner said...

Kris, you are so very productive, you make me feel like I'm standing still. LOL! I went to the pool to swim today and the showers were all shut down due to that they were replacing the hot water heaters! Like I'm sure I could swim and walk out with a head full of salt water in my hair. :-) ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

You are such a good cook, Kris! I think cooking 101 videos would be fun to watch. The lemon bars look so luscious and the turkey pot pie looks like delicious comfort food.

I love the quilt piece..you make it looks so easy to do!

Betsy said...

I love anything lemon, the more pucker the better! I'm definitely going to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing!

Sunny Simple Life said...

Okay I am coming to dinner.

Taking Heart said...

I make some really high maintenance lemon bars: 1 box angel food cake mix... 1 can lemon pie filling... mix and bake... sprinkle with powdered sugar. I could eat the entire pan. I've never actually had a REAL lemon bar and now you have me intrigued. I'm a sucker for sour citrus...

Dawn said...

I want some of them lemon bars. I love anything lemon flavor. Reminds me of my childhood, eating lemon drops with my dad and eating moms home made lemon pie. Thanks for the memories:)

~Niki~ said...

Oh I'm coming to live with you Kris, your meals look amazing!
I'm finishing up a baby quilt and will post pics soon. Finally getting some ME time in. ~YA!

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson said...

Oh wow, my mouth is watering now. Lemon bars are one of my most favorite treats. I haven't made them in a while. Think I might need to make them tomorrow after church. Your pot pie turned out so pretty. I think you do an awesome job a quilting. I've never attempted it on a quilt. I've tried it a little just on a practice piece. Talk about pitiful! Sure could save alot of money if I would practice to become better. I'm voting a big fat, 'YES' on the cooking videos. Would love to see you in action. lol!

bj said...

WOW...lots of things here in this one post. :)
Your lemon bars looks so good. Like you, I love ANYthing lemon.
The pot pie looks delicious, too.

I've made a few simple quilts, 9 patch, and quilted them on my mom's olden Singer and only straight quilting. I love making the quilt tops and HATE the quilting.:)
xoxo

Whosyergurl said...

And now my mouth is watering! Your hubby must be in Heaven with you! (The way to a man's heart is through his stomach!)
xo, Cheryl

Ami said...

Just made the lemon bars and OMG are they good!!! I used my meyer lemons from my backyard and are the sweetest lemons I have ever had! So good in this recipe!

annielizabeth said...

Pretty quilt!!

corners of my life said...

I do believe that our menu this week will include your chicken pot pie. A family favorite when the kids were young.

deb said...

Lemon bars are my fav, I surely will be making these..........!!!!!