Quick and Easy Lemon Pie

Last week at church right by the welcome table, there was a big basket of lemons and a sign that said “Help yourself to some free lemons!” My girls grabbed a few, and on the way home we discussed how we could use this unexpected, fun gift. Should we make lemonade? Lemon cake? Herbed lemon chicken? Lemon lime sorbet?

Lemons always make me think of my Grandma Betty, because she loved lemons and made a lot of yummy recipes with them. I then thought of the special handwritten book of Family Recipes that she gave to me as a wedding gift, and remembered that there was a recipe for a really easy lime pie that just called for sweetened condensed milk and lime juice for the filling. I realized that we could adapt it to make a lemon pie.

The girls thought the lemon pie sounded good because it was a warm, sunny afternoon, and a cool citrus pie is always so refreshing. So, using my grandma’s recipe, the girls and I whipped up this quick and easy lemon pie. This really is the easiest recipe! The pie turned out to be so delicious and really hit the spot. I loved that it took ten minutes to make and only an hour to cool, and then we could dive right in.

We took two shortcuts by using a store-bought graham cracker crust and some Cool-whip, but if you prefer homemade, go for it! Here is Shelby’s recipe for homemade whipped cream.  And this is my Aunt Kay’s 3 ingredient homemade crust. 

Although a lemon pie is a very arbitrary thing, it got me thinking about generosity. My Grandma Betty was generous with her time and love. I’m sure it took SO long to hand write all of those family recipes, but I have a gift that I have now treasured for sixteen years, and I can pass it on to my girls. I treasure her handwriting and the way she signed it “Grandma Spunkie,” which is what I used to call her! She really was the spunkiest, most fun grandma.

And secondly, some unknown person at church was generous with their lemons. They took the time to pick them, make a sign, and display them at church so that many could enjoy them.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Today I want to be a blessing by being generous. Sometimes it’s hard for me to know what I can give to others. So I’m asking the Lord to open my eyes to help me see how I can give of my time or possessions to those in my life.