By: Madison Jones, Pie Bar Woodstock
Spring has finally sprung! The days of freezing temperatures and surprise snow showers are gone (at least we hope they are this time), and now is the time to look forward to warm breezes, blooming buds, and the pretty pastels of the season.
Spring may be my favorite season, closely tied with Fall pending the weather. Though some mornings can be a tad chilly, when the afternoon sun is shining bright and gentle gusts of fresh air blow past me there is nothing I'd rather do than just sit on my back porch with a good book and a glass of sweet (and I mean sweet) tea or ice-cold lemonade (or a little bit of both if I'm feeling bougie).
While Spring doesn't have very many heavy-hitting holidays like Fall and Winter, I have always enjoyed Easter more than I think most kids do, but not for the reason you might be expecting.
When I was younger, I could always look forward to my mom picking out cute, new Easter outfits for me and my brother. Usually from The Wooden Solider or Gymboree, they were always in baby pinks and blues with little bunny rabbits or baby chicks embroidered on them. They were accompanied by shiny, new Mary Janes and crisp, clean white socks that would most definitely not make it to the next year.
Of course, there were the Easter baskets. My parents- I mean the Easter Bunny always made sure to fill our little name-embroidered Pottery Barn baskets with chocolates, toys, books, maybe a new Veggie Tale DVD (I was very much a child of culture) or, one year, brand new baking supplies that now lie dusty somewhere in a kitchen drawer (I must admit I don't know how to use most of them, nor did I when I was gifted them).
But I think the thing I looked forward to the most was the food we ate for Easter Brunch! After church, my parents, younger brother, grandparents, aunt, and uncle would usually gather at our house to eat. Honey Baked ham, scalloped potatoes, trays of fruits and veggies that my mom would try to make look like a bunny (an idea she saw on Pinterest. You all know the phrase that follows), buttery rolls, and some kind of a sweet, typically a toss-up between carrot and hummingbird cake, adorned our little, white-tiled kitchen table. If the weather was nice we'd set up lawn chairs in the backyard. If not we hang out in the living room. No matter what, I always ended up with a good food coma.
The past few Easters haven't looked exactly the way they did when I was younger. My mother has officially deemed my brother and me "too old" for Easter baskets (I'm still a little offended), we've said hello and goodbye to family members, and, due to the "virus that must not be named", we haven't seen others in what feels like ages. But the one thing that has remained through it all is the food. Though we aren't feeding as many mouths, my mother always makes sure there's plenty of food for us to enjoy (and, now that my brother is a teenager and eats enough for two to three people, he more than makes up for the lack of family present). Most exciting for me is that this year, I'll be the one providing dessert.
This has become a routine in our house. Anytime there's a holiday, birthday, or special occasion, I am charged with providing pie, and I have never been more excited to do so than this Easter!
This year's Easter special is one of my favorite Pie Bar pies, the Lemon Bar! There is nothing I love more than sweet and tart flavor combinations and lemon has to be my favorite citrus.
I once had someone describe the Lemon Bar as "sunshine in a pie" and I don't think I have ever heard a better descriptor than that. Sweet vanilla custard mixed with fresh zested and juiced lemons makes for a bright, refreshing flavor in every bite! (Insider tip: Pop a slice, or a whole pie, in the freezer and you'll have the pie equivalent to a frozen lemonade!) The Lemon Bar may not be as flashy or eye-catching as some of its compatriots, but the bursting flavor more than makes up for it! With its light, airy custard and tangy zest, it is a great conclusion to any meal, brunch, lunch, dinner, heck, you can even eat it for breakfast for a zesty wake-up call (it's fruit, it's healthy!). Pair it with one of our delicious quiches and you have yourself the ultimate Easter brunch right at your fingertips!
So, get your Easter baskets ready, your eggs painted, your bunny ears out, and join us on Saturday, April 16th and Sunday, April 17th at either our Woodstock or Marietta shop for a sweet Easter treat!