Friday, May 31, 2013

Lemon Bars: A little of my mom's kitchen

Lemon Bars
(Only two ingredients needed!)

1 box angel food cake mix
2 cans lemon pie filling (42 oz total)

In a large bowl, mix the dry cake mix and both cans of pie filling together. (Mixer not needed. This can easily be done by hand.) Pour into a greased 9x13" baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until starting to brown.
Cool on wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy.


When I was little, my mom was always cooking something, and almost everything was from scratch. As I grew up, I learned a few of her recipes (like gravy from scratch, fried chicken, and pinto beans), but the vast majority of the recipes died with her, because they weren't written down. They were in her head, and didn't have the measurements you see on recipes now. Her measurements were a pinch of this, a smidgen of that, enough liquid until it feels right or looks right. Being a teenager, this made no sense to me because I had to follow a actual recipe, but this was how she learned to cook from her mother. She also learned how to cook on a wood burning stove.

Yes, you read right.

My mom was born into a family of sharecroppers in Arkansas. So while grandma and grandpa were out in the fields, she took care of her younger siblings and either started the cooking or did it all herself. I sometimes wonder if this is why she really didn't want us (her own children) in the kitchen, because she had to do the cooking at a young age.

My mom made it to the ten grade before she quit because she had to help support her family.  I was actually the first generation in her family to graduate from high school and go to college and earn a degree.

By accident or by fate, I came across the above recipe at Merlin's Magickal Mistress. The lemon bars look and taste like one of the treats mom made, and the smell takes me back home for a little bit.

Happy Dance!!!

A little something of mom is back and I wanted to share it with you.

Thank you Judith for posting the recipe at your blog and for giving me permission to repost the recipe.