Everyone, meet my dad:
His name is Pa.
Well, that's not his real name, but that's what everybody calls him.
Today is his birthday! Happy Birthday Pa! He's turning...old.
Haha, just kidding, Pa, you're not old at all! Anyone who's seen you take on the wild rapids of the Provo River in your kayak, wouldn't believe you're a day over 35...ish.
But really guys, I have the best dad in the whole entire world. I love him so gosh darn much.
And I wasn't even kidding about the kayaking-he's crazy for kayaking, as of late, and he can't get enough of the river. When we went to visit for a week, I think he rode the rapids like 3 or 4 times, while the rest of us only manned-up enough to go once.
Pa is super adventurous. He's always coming up with new hikes to go on. He introduced me to my love of backpacking and the great outdoors.
My dad is the most incredible family-oriented guy I know. He always makes time for family. Last year, mine and Ben's car broke down, and dad drove the 4 hours and 15 minutes to Idaho to help us fix our car. Just for a day trip. And in doing so, he saved us more than 2,000 dollars! Ben is always telling me how impressed he is by my dad and how he'll drop anything to make a family event happen. I honestly didn't notice it very much-because that's just how my dad has always been. I'm so lucky.
You guys, I can't even tell you all the great things about my Pa.
So, here's to Pa, even though he lives too far away to eat this batch. Happy Birthday, Pa! I love you!
Moving onto cooking...
For your crust, start by creaming your butter.
Well, that's not his real name, but that's what everybody calls him.
Today is his birthday! Happy Birthday Pa! He's turning...old.
Haha, just kidding, Pa, you're not old at all! Anyone who's seen you take on the wild rapids of the Provo River in your kayak, wouldn't believe you're a day over 35...ish.
But really guys, I have the best dad in the whole entire world. I love him so gosh darn much.
And I wasn't even kidding about the kayaking-he's crazy for kayaking, as of late, and he can't get enough of the river. When we went to visit for a week, I think he rode the rapids like 3 or 4 times, while the rest of us only manned-up enough to go once.
Pa is super adventurous. He's always coming up with new hikes to go on. He introduced me to my love of backpacking and the great outdoors.
My dad is the most incredible family-oriented guy I know. He always makes time for family. Last year, mine and Ben's car broke down, and dad drove the 4 hours and 15 minutes to Idaho to help us fix our car. Just for a day trip. And in doing so, he saved us more than 2,000 dollars! Ben is always telling me how impressed he is by my dad and how he'll drop anything to make a family event happen. I honestly didn't notice it very much-because that's just how my dad has always been. I'm so lucky.
You guys, I can't even tell you all the great things about my Pa.
- When I come to visit, Pa will go and buy gallons of ice cream, cause he knows how much I love the stuff. We never make a dent.
- The man can fix anything. Literally. You think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. One time, I overheard these guys talking about how their dads were really good at fixing things. The one kid said, "Yeah, my dad even changes his own oil." I honestly felt embarrassed for them! Pa can change oil with one hand tied behind his back and blindfolded (this has never been tested, mind you, but I don't doubt for a second that Pa could do it). Really, he's a mechanical genius. Trust me, I drove an '83 Volvo all through high school, and, while there might have been times where I basically had to hot wire it to start it, Pa kept it in fairly reliable running condition for years!
- He's way frugal...and his frugal ways rubbed off onto me...but because of that, I was able to pay for all of college, and graduate with a chunk of money in the bank, thanks to his example.
- He and my mom paid for my braces. And lots of other stuff for me.
- Pa has an awesome 'stache. It's very impressive.
- He says things like "Honyock." Gosh, I don't even know how to spell that...but it's very old school and hilarious, eh? eh?
- Oh--and here's just a good story: when my dad was a senior, he ran for class president. For his campaign speech, he said, "The year will go with a bang if you vote for Pa!" (except he said his real name, and not Pa) and then he shot off his gun, right there in the auditorium. It was in, like, the 70s, and he lived in Montana, so it flew. And he won!
So, here's to Pa, even though he lives too far away to eat this batch. Happy Birthday, Pa! I love you!
Moving onto cooking...
For your crust, start by creaming your butter.
Then add your powdered sugar and flour.
Mix that until it's crumbly.
Then dump it into your pan...I used a half-cookie sheet pan, and I don't know the dimensions. But a 9"x13" works well.
And use your fingers to gently press it down. Put that into the oven...
And then start on the lemony filling.
First put your eggs in and whip 'em up.
First put your eggs in and whip 'em up.
Then add a little bit of flour.
Some sugar...
And of course your lemon juice and grated lemon rind.
When your crust is just barely starting to brown, pull it out of the oven, and pour your filling on top.
You might need to use a spoon to spread it, so that it covers all of the crust.
See?
Then put it back into the oven and let it cook.
Then put it back into the oven and let it cook.
And, again, when the edges just start to brown is when you want to pull it out.
Sprinkle it with some powdered sugar...or if you want to sound cool, just call it P. Shoog.
But don't put too much P. Shoog, cause you don't want anyone inhaling that. You want the Lemon Bar experience to be a good one...and inhaling powdered sugar just isn't fun.
If anyone needs an additional testimonial about these bars (you know, besides Pa's), you should talk to my friend Petey. Well, that's not her real name, but that's what everybody calls her. Anyhow, she hates all things citrus...but she loves these bars. Because they are so delicately delectable.
Try them, and you'll see what the heck we're talking about.
RECIPE:
LEMON BARS
For the crust:
1/2 c. butter
1 c. flour
1/4 c. powdered sugar
Cream butter. Add flour and powdered sugar, and mix until it resembles course crumbs. Press into a 9"x13" pan, and bake at 325° for 15-20, or until the edges just barely begin to golden. Meanwhile mix the following:
2 eggs
2 Tbs. flour
1 c. sugar
2 Tbs. lemon juice
grated rind of 1/2 of a lemon
Pour over crust. Return to oven and bake for an additional 15-20, or until the edges just barely begin to golden. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cool before cutting.
**If the recipe is doubled, it will fit nicely into a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan.
LEMON BARS
For the crust:
1/2 c. butter
1 c. flour
1/4 c. powdered sugar
Cream butter. Add flour and powdered sugar, and mix until it resembles course crumbs. Press into a 9"x13" pan, and bake at 325° for 15-20, or until the edges just barely begin to golden. Meanwhile mix the following:
2 eggs
2 Tbs. flour
1 c. sugar
2 Tbs. lemon juice
grated rind of 1/2 of a lemon
Pour over crust. Return to oven and bake for an additional 15-20, or until the edges just barely begin to golden. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cool before cutting.
**If the recipe is doubled, it will fit nicely into a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan.