Our Family Heirloom Lemon Bar Recipe

As many of you may know, the only way to get Grandma LaVallee's amazing lemon bar recipe in the past was with a box of my homegrown lemons. In honor of my lemon tree that sadly could not be moved, I've decided to share the coveted Lemon Bar recipe today. I'm not sure if I'll leave this post up indefinitely, so be sure to print yourself a copy. 

Without further adieu, here is the recipe for the best lemon bars I've ever tasted. 

Grandma LaVallee's Lemon Bars

crust:

1 c. butter

1/2 c. powdered sugar

2 c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

Combine above ingredients in a bowl and press in the bottom of a 9"x13" pan.

Bake for 20 minutes at 325 degrees.

filling:

4 eggs beaten

2 c. sugar

4 Tablespoons flour

4 Tablespoons Lemon juice

Zest from lemons that you juiced. (yellow part of peel only)

Mix together above ingredients.  Pour over hot crust right after you take it out of the oven and return to oven at 325 degrees for an additional 20 minutes or until filling is set when you jiggle the pan.

Dust with powder sugar. Cool. Cut in squares and serve.

Please enjoy. This one is very special.


~The Lemonista

A Shrimp Boil For The 4th of July or Anytime!

Whether you're preparing a festive feast on the beach, entertaining out on the deck, or enjoying a good 'ol backyard picnic, a shrimp boil is a fun simple meal that your guest will LOVE!  Trust me. If you can boil water, you can make this meal. 


In my humble opinion, the secret to a great shrimp boil is this stuff:

Zatarain's Crawfish, Shrimp & Crab Boil
I find this at my local grocery store in the spice section but if you can't find it, just order from the link I've added above.

Okay, let's get started!  You will need the following ingredients:


Fill a large stock pot with 2 quarts of water (or about 1/2 way full).  Add one whole lemon, cut it quarters, 2 tablespoon salt and 1 bag Zatarain's seasoning.


Thought you'd enjoy seeing a few lemons I picked from my tree.  Sadly my lemon season is over now, so no more lemons until Christmas but aren't these purdy?


Add desired amount of small red potatoes and boil 15 minutes.


Add ears of corn (1 for each person) and smoked sausage/kielbasa that has been sliced on the diagonal.  Allow to boil for 10 more minutes.


Add fresh or thawed raw shrimp (deveined) with tail shells on and boil 5 more minutes.  I like to use big shrimp when I'm making this dish.


Shrimp are cooked once they turn pink in color and the meat is opaque.


Turn off heat.  Strain contents of pot and discard Zatarain's seasoning bag and cooked lemons.


Melt a stick of butter and drizzle half of it over your shrimp boil.

.

Serve the other half of your melted butter in a dipping bowl.
Arrange your shrimp boil on a platter or just pour down the center of the table on clean newspaper.
Garnish with fresh lemon slices.


I also provide ketchup and hot sauce.  Oh, and don't forget a waste bowl for shells. 

This meal is fabulous served with ice cold beer or fun retro flavored sodas displayed in metal buckets!

Shrimp Boil
*There really aren't exact amounts here.  I generally just add what I think will get eaten ;-)

1 box Zatarain's Crawfish, Shrimp & Crab Boil seasoning.
2 quarts water
2 tablespoons salt
1 whole lemon cut in quarters
1-2lbs small red potatoes
4-8  1/2 ears of corn
1 whole Polish Kielbasa smoked sausage, slice on the diagonal
1-2lbs raw shrimp, deveined with shells on
1 stick butter, melted
more fresh lemon slices for garnish

Fill a large stock pot with 2 quarts of water (or about 1/2 way full). Add one whole lemon, cut it quarters, 2 tablespoon salt and 1 bag Zatarain's seasoning. Add desired amount of small red potatoes and boil 15 minutes. Add ears of corn (1 for each person) and smoked sausage/kielbasa that has been sliced on the diagonal. Allow to boil for 10 more minutes. Add fresh or thawed raw shrimp (deveined) with tail shells on and boil 5 more minutes.  I like to use big shrimp when I'm making this dish. Shrimp are cooked once they turn pink in color and the meat is opaque. Turn off heat.  Strain contents of pot and discard Zatarain's seasoning bag and cooked lemons. Melt a stick of butter and drizzle half of it over your shrimp boil. Serve the other half of your melted butter in a dipping bowl. Arrange your shrimp boil on a platter or just pour down the center of the table on clean newspaper.
Garnish with fresh lemon slices.

I'm off to the beach on Friday.  Hope everyone enjoys a fun and safe holiday.


~The Lemonista

Who's Up For Another Lemon Giveaway???

If you'd like a box of my homegrown lemons delivered to your front door, just become a follower of my blog and leave a comment on this post!  I'll draw a winner this Friday 1/28/2011.    The winner will get a bakers dozen of my fresh lemons and a copy of our family heirloom lemon bar recipe. 

YUM!


Good Luck!

~The Lemonista ;-)

The Great Lemon Giveaway!

Okay ladies (and gentleman too), This is my one and only lemon giveaway before Christmas!
I am offering up one bakers dozen of my homegrown lemons to the winner of this drawing.  These are the lemons that have been featured in the past on the Matilda Jane blog.  You have until Monday 12/20/2010 noon MST to enter.  All you need to do to participate is be a follower of my blog and leave a comment on this post.  I will announced the winner Monday afternoon and these will ship to you first thing Tuesday 12/21/2010 via priority mail.  They should be there in time for Christmas! 
Oh, and I almost forgot that the box of lemons will contain Grandma LaVallee's fabulous lemon bar recipe. 
Good luck to all!


The Lemonista

Santa's Sleigh Lands On My Banana Cake & The Lemon Report!

We had dear friends over for dinner last night and I decided to make my second most requested recipe--Banana Cake!  This is an old fashioned buttermilk cake that is rich and moist.  The butter cream filling perfectly compliments the fresh sliced bananas hidden inside.  I thought the fluffy white whipped frosting would be excellent for a snowy Christmas theme, so here's what the cake looked like when I finished....


I baked the cake in a loaf pan, cooled completely and them cut it horizontally in two.  Next, I spread a layer of butter cream icing and added a layer of fresh sliced bananas on top.


Place the top of the cake back on.


Frost the entire cake. 


I use the whipped icing from the bakery supply.  It's HEAVEN!


Pipe decorated edges ( if you choose).

Add Santa's sleigh and his tiny reindeer.  Purchased at Fancy Flours for $2.50!  In order to give Santa and his reindeer a vintage glam, I dusted them with Wilton's edible white shimmer powder (made to decorate fondant).

Sprinkle the entire cake with Wilton's Edible glitter to look like sparkling snow. 

Watch your children's eyes become alight with wonder. 

 
I've had requests to see my lemon tree.  Well here she be as of December 5, 2010.  I think we are right on track for the lemons to be ripe for Christmas and looks like a bumper crop this year! 

The plan for today is to get our Christmas tree and then decorate the inside of the house.  We have the outdoor decorations up.  Check out these outdoor ornaments I bought at Costco!  I hung them from our front porch with fishing string.


Even the cupola with weather vein got a red bow this year.  Grin.


I hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season.  Look at this rose my husband photographed in our garden this morning... Swoon.  This sort of beauty makes me think that a white Christmas may be a wee overrated.

The Lemonista's Banana Cake

Cake
6 Tablespoons softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup mashed very ripe banana
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar.  Add banana, egg and vanilla.  Sift flour, soda and salt.  Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk.  Beat until combined.  Pour into a greased loaf pan that has had the bottom lined with parchment paper.  Bake 50-55 min at 350 degrees.

*Or Bake in a 7" X 11" cake pan at 350 degrees for 28mins.
*Or double this recipe and bake in a 9" X 13" cake pan at 350 degrees for 33-36min

• Cool cake completely. 
• Remove parchment paper.
• Cut cake in half horizontally for loaf pan. (If using larger cake pans, cake cake in half and stack)
• Spread bottom half of cake with butter cream (recipe follows). 
• Layer on fresh sliced banana.
• Place top half of cake over the filling/banana slices.
• Frost entire cake.
• Decorate. 

Filling
3 Tablespoon soften butter
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoon whole milk or cream
3/4 tsp. vanilla.
1 whole regular banana peeled and sliced.
Blend together butter and sugar, add cream and vanilla. Whip until fluffy. You will have some extra filling.  Feel free to eat with a spoon. 

Enjoy,

The Lemonista