My Oh My, Lemon Pie!

We are finally getting to enjoy the lemon tree we planted back in September 2007.  We thought it would grow faster and we'd get to enjoy lemons when we actually lived here all the time but it didn't happen.  So, we'll enjoy them while we can.  It is loaded!

Yesterday I decided to make a lemon pie with a few of the lemons from our tree.  The only problem is you can't find the ingredients here like in the States.  For starters, we don't have ready made pie crusts- of any kind.  I was able to find one just once in Guatemala City and that made me very happy.  I had to make one by crushing up cookies.  Also, you can't find Kool-Whip here.  Sad, I know.  So instead I made some by beating whipping cream and adding sugar to it. The only other ingredients were condensed milk and lemon juice. 

We made this pie a family affair.  We all helped out in making it.  Cruz helped me pick the lemons and then supervised David and I as we did the rest.

I put the cookies in a Ziplock bag and crushed them with a rolling pin.  I thought how much fun that is going to be for Cruz one day to help me.  What little boy wouldn't love to be given permission to beat, beat, beat on something and not get in trouble for it.

I then used the mixer to make the whip cream.  I almost mixed it too much and made butter.

David squeezed the lemons.

He also mixed it all together while I finished the crust.

and here's the finished product. 

Thanks to the Stamps for the recipe and for helping me know how to substitute the ingredients.

Doesn't look too fancy but it sure tasted good!

We had to freeze it for several hours before we could eat it.  This is the pie in our freezer.  Yeah, it's tiny, we know.  This was our freezer for the past three years and we also had the same size while we lived in Antigua.  The only other things in there are a pack of chicken, two packs of hamburger meat, some french fries, toaster strudel, and some frozen mini pizzas.  Not a lot of room for much more.  Also notice the frost on the sides.  That is a pain to deal with too, ha.  We can't wait to be able to purchase a full size, frost free fridge for our new house.  It's going to be soo nice!

Speaking of which, we head into Guatemala City today.  We'll be there for a few days getting a lot of things done.  Among them will be shopping for appliances, a kitchen sink (really), getting Cruz's 4 month check-up and vaccines, getting his Guatemala passport, and attending a welcome party for a new missionary family.   Still no word on when we can move into our house but we'll update as soon as we know.  Thanks for praying for us!

Coban Visit

We decided at the last minute to make a quick run to Coban to get a few things out of our storage there for school.  We needed our notebooks, dictionaries, flashcards, Bibles, etc., as well as a few clothes and odds and ends.  Coban is 4 hours north of Guatemala City.  David was not sure about me making the trip but I really wanted to go.  I propped my feet up and reclined my seat and rode pretty comfortably. 

We stopped every hour to let me use the bathroom and stretch my legs.  On one of those stops I bought a frozen coconut drink that was really good. 

The closer we got to Coban the more excited we got.  It was like going home.  We loved our years living there and will always treasure the memories from there.  When we arrived we were greeted by the McGriff's.  They had me roses on the table.  They know I love flowers!

 I was extra excited to see their dog, Precioso.  We LOVE that dog and I really missed him while we were away.

We also got to see how much our lemon tree had grown.  We could not believe how big it was! 

 That night for dinner we went next door and ate at Casa de Acuna's with Jim and Carol.   

The next morning we met our friends James and Delrae for breakfast at McDonald's before driving back to the City.  It was great to catch up with them again.

Our trip was a short one but a most enjoyable one.  We felt more relaxed there than we have in weeks.  We also had the best nights sleep we have had in a while.  It was refreshing to go and I am glad we were able to do it.

Plant a Tree and Watch it Grow

We wanted to post an update about the lemon tree we planted back in Sept. 2007. We bought it when it was very tiny and have enjoyed watching it grow. We wondered if it would ever produce any lemons, and really wanted it to before we moved!

Well, we got our wish!! We have just a few but we have lemons!! Yah!!

They are small but I intend to pick them and use them before we go.

Click HERE to see last years post about our tree.

When life gives you lemons...

you make lemonade! That is exactly what we are going to be doing for a while. Ms. Fran sent us a bag of lemons today from the tree in her yard. They were huge, and they smell soo good.

After I washed them, I put an egg on top to try to demonstrate just how big they are

This is a photo of our lemon tree we planted a little over a year ago. It was small when we planted it, but it is growing fast. We can't wait for it to start producing.

This is a photo of David when he bought our tree. It made me very happy.

Sergio's older brother, Edwin, was our helper then. He planted it for us.