Lemon Sour Cream Pie

The Bag Lady has been baking up a storm this week. Sunday was her dad's b-day, so we all made the journey for a surprise party. It was fun, this surprise actually worked, he jumped about a foot in the air! The Bag Lady's papa is a master baker, well known throughout the baking industry, so when we were asked to bring dessert it was no small task. Ironically enough, Grampy doesn't eat sweets, but he does enjoy tart flavors.

This pie is delectable. The sour cream makes it smooth and creamy without being heavy. It's a custardy delight with a satin finish. The lemon gives a refreshing zing, perfect for a spring or summer gathering. In fact, it was so good, that Grampy had TWO slices. Now that's saying something.

Lemon Sour Cream Pie

One pre-baked pie crust
1 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbl corn starch
1 cup milk
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup sour cream

In a medium sauce pan mix sugar and corn starch. Add milk and stir until smooth. Add egg yolks and whisk over medium heat, bringing to a slow boil. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter and lemon. Cool to room temperature. When cool stir in sour cream. Pour custard into baked pie shell and refrigerate for 6-8 hours.

Book Debut Report

A big THANK YOU to all of the friends, family, and passersby that stopped by the bookstore last Saturday! It was a joy to see you there. We would also like to thank the wonderful manager and the staff of Deseret Book in Bountiful. The book debut was a huge success! Upon entering the store, you were greeted not only by the classic scent of Lion House Rolls, but also Caribbean Chicken, Garbanzo Beans in Coconut Milk, and MUFFINS! Radiating charm, The Bag Lady roamed the floor, disbursing bag meal knowledge, and signing copies of her book. Father and myself manned the tasting table, where we were able to help over 100 people have a yummier afternoon. The air was a buzz with excitement. Shoppers sat at tables to taste the food as they perused the recipes and tips in the book, excitedly sharing their new-found treasure. Oh, and don't forget the giveaway! The first round of entries is in (the mill won't be given away until the end of the book tour in Aug.) It was a fun afternoon, in fact, it can be summed up in a few words: "Yummy, yummy, yummy, yummy, Super FABULOSO!"

The Bag Lady in all her glory.

Awww, isn't he cute in his apron?

Working the tasting table.

Smile! You're on Bag Meal Camera!

The Bag Lady in action!

If you missed the book debut, we would still love to see you at a later signing. Please check the side bar for The Bag Lady's touring schedule.

Suburban Chicken Coop Design

Suburban Chicken Coop Designs, "It's in the Bag-A New, Easy, Affordable, and Doable Approach to Food Storage" By Michelle and Trent Snow. Copyright Cedar Fort Publishing May 8th, 2010. Images, pg. 186-189, reproduced with permission of Cedar Fort, Inc.

Side-West

Side-South

Side-East

Top-East

South West

North

North East

Interior

Bottom South West

Book Debut and Samples too!

Just a reminder friends, join us this Saturday at the Bountiful Deseret Book (directions linked on sidebar) from 2-4 pm! The Bag Lady will be debuting her book and gracing us with her samples! If you need further enticement, here's the menu of the yummies: Garbanzo Beans in Coconut Milk, Caribbean Chicken and Rice, Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip and Crumb Muffins. You'll also have the opportunity to enter to win the shiny new Blendtec Kitchen Mill. In addition to The Bag Lady, Trent Snow, co-author of the book and designer of the suburban chicken coop will be making a guest appearance. You may even cross paths with yours truly. (I'll probably be hanging out by the muffins) So come on down and get your book autographed! We'd love to see you there!

GIVE-AWAY!!

The Bag Lady has partnered with Blendtec, the makers of K-tec Blenders and Kitchen Mills, to bring you the opportunity of a lifetime! Here's the history behind the magical partnership. The Bag Lady has 2 different mills. Her very first mill is a stone mill that runs off electricity or a hand crank. She thought this was the best mill to ever grace the earth, however, it weighs as much as an elephant and we are all suspicious that father herniated his back moving it. One day, she asked him to move the mill upstairs once again. He said he couldn't at the moment and asked if she could wait. A few days later, in fit of romanticism the likes of which Casanova could not compete, he presented her with a package. What do you think was in that fine package? A glorious Blendtec Kitchen Mill. It is light enough for a child to carry, has stainless steel blades, and can produce coarse to super fine flours. It's versatile too. The Bag Lady grinds grains, beans, and lentils in her mill. From her first grinding she dreamed of spreading this good news to foodies and fellow grinders around the world. This dream eventually led to her team up with Blendtec, and YOUR opportunity of a lifetime.

If you come to any of The Bag Lady's book signings AND say "Hello," you'll have the rare opportunity to enter to win a shiny new Blendtec Kitchen Mill ($299.00 value)--ABSOLUTELY FREE!

Let's get down to the nitty gritty.

Details:

1. Enter drawing at any of Michelle’s It’s in the Bag book signings.

2. No purchase necessary to enter.

3. Must be at least 18 years old to enter.

4. One entry per person.

5. Contact information will not be sold or shared.

6. Drawing will be held on August 15, 2010.

7. Winner’s name will be posted on:

www.bagmealtestkitchen.blogspot.com & www.Michelle-Snow.com

Cherry Rickey

Quote from The Bag Lady, "If there's one thing I love more than a good Coke, it's a Cherry Rickey..." This recipe is a blog exclusive, and cannot be found in the upcoming book. Think of it as a spring gift for all you faithful readers.


Cherry Rickey
2-3 Tbl Cherry Syrup*
1 Cup Sprite
1/4 Lime
Maraschino Cherries
Ice

Fill glass with ice and 1/2 cup of Sprite. Add syrup (2 Tbl is normal, 3 if you've had a REALLY rough day.) Add remaining Sprite, squeeze in 1/4 of lime and give it a swirl with a swizzle stick, knife, straw, bamboo skewer, long teaspoon, bent coat hanger, anything with stirring capabilities will do. Drop in your squeezed lime rind and a maraschino cherry for garnish.

*Mere mortals get their cherry syrup at the local grocery for around $3/cup. However YOU can buy assorted gourmet syrups and flavorings at DaVinci Gourmet. That's where we get our syrups, the average price is $7 for 3 cups.

Trivia!

Last post we told you the saga of cooking for the cover, but there's more to the story. If you look at the far right picture, you'll see The Bag Lady's vegetarian chili. Notice the tureen it's in. The tureen is practically an antique! It's at least as old as The Bag Lady herself! As a little girl, she remembers her mother taking it to "Dime a Dip" dinners at the church. Back in the good old days, the church would get together for fund raising dinners. Everyone would bring a dish and you would go around paying a dime for each scoop of your dinner. Now the tureen has been passed down to The Bag Lady. It's only fitting that it appears in her book. It's a symbol of her heritage. Her food, preparedness, and "other cool stuff your mama never told you" heritage.

Look to the left of the chili, see the hot cereal? Isn't it in a nifty bowl? That bowl, came from China. I know, I know, I'm sure you have lots of dishes that were made in China. That's not what I mean. This bowl literally CAME from China. I spent a brief stint teaching English in China with my best friend. Both of our mothers like dishes, so being dutiful daughters, we set out to bring them home some authentic china. The problem came when we left the school and traveled through the country on our own. We had the option of shipping our bags ahead, but if you think the baggage handlers in America are rough, try a freight train. By the time my shipped suitcase and I reunited, it was missing a handle and several wheels, think what would have happened to dishes. Knowing this, the only logical solution was to pack our dishes across the country, ON OUR BACKS. We had a good 50 lbs of china, easy. By bus, by train, by three wheeled death car we journeyed! Across cities and down country sides we sojourned! Many days and several nights our dishes traveled! Braving jostling crowds of sardine packed people, rocking train cars, squatty potties, and pick pockets we made it to the airport. Where we finally checked our china...as a carry on. Eventually we made it home, unpacked tenderly, and presented our gifts. Every piece was perfectly intact.

Now direct your gaze to the beautiful pink pancake and blue tortilla plates. One can only imagine all that those dishes mean, the places they've been, the people they've seen. You see, we found those beauties at Deseret Industries--our local thrift store. They were the $1 special.