I have these weird music moods. I reckon’ they’re sorta like phases I go through where every day of the weekend has a certain music vibe.

Like on Friday nights I just want to relive my high school days blaring 70s and 80s music dancing around the kitchen in legwarmers, lots of neon and a side ponytail on my head with a bottle of Strawberry Hill.  Did you know the top hits of the 80s are now on muzak in the elevators? I’m not even kidding! When did we get..ahem…this “seasoned”? It does however present a great opportunity to embarrass the kids when you realize you know the lyrics to the music being piped into the grocery store. Let’s see how loudly we can sing and Vogue like Madonna down the produce aisle. Hey, I’m trying to find the bright spots to this. Sigh.

Saturdays just seem like the day made for popping the top off of a cold beer and getting your hands dirty in the yard listening to some good old Hank Williams Jr. I love hearing songs about fishing ponds and pick up trucks, and Saturdays just feel like the day to throw on your old cut off blue jean shorts, fry some fish and crank up the country.

Sunday mornings are all about jazz, brunch, bloody Mary’s and gettin’ my Dizzie and Ella on!

This Saturday however, was a tad different. As I went into the kitchen for my weekend cook-a-thon, I came across a station called Lithium; alternative bands from the 90s. How incredibly, appropriately named.  Lithium is after all define by the Urban Dictionary as a mood stabilizer medication used to treat bipolar disorder (manic – depression) and also used as a song title by Kurt Cobain because he was bipolar. Hmm. Made sense to me. So…I cranked it up and started on a seriously spectacular Lemon Buttermilk Pie.

As is customary for a Saturday, Hass had been in the yard getting his hands dirty planting flowers for our spring front porch. He walked into the kitchen, I’m sure expecting my typical Saturday country tunes with Jason Aldean and someone chillin’ and swervin’ on a dirt road. What he actually found on this particular Saturday was me yelling Pearl Jam lyrics into my whisk like a superstar!

“Even flow, thoughts arrive like butterflies
Oh, he don’t know, so he chases them away
Someday yet, he’ll begin his life again, yeah
Oh, whispering hands, gently lead him away
Him away, him away…
Yeah!
Woo…uh huh…yeah, yeah, mommy, mommy….”

“What in the world are you doing?” he asked.

“Pearl Jam baby! Today is all about Lemons and Lithium!”

After watching my behavior, I’m really not sure which way he took that.

Lemon Buttermilk Pie with Saffron

Adapted from a recipe from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more
• 6 large egg yolks
• 3 large eggs
• 1¼ cups buttermilk
• 1¼ cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• pinch of saffron threads
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
• Whipped cream (for serving)
• 1 prepared pie crust, pre-baked

For the crust, I used my faithful vodka crust here, but you can use any homemade or store bought crust.

    

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Blend egg yolks, eggs, buttermilk, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and saffron in a blender until smooth. With motor running, add 2 Tbsp. flour, then butter. Tap blender jar against counter-top to burst any air bubbles in filling and pour into pre-baked crust. Bake pie, rotating halfway through and covering edges with foil if they brown too much before filling is done, until filling is set around edge but center jiggles slightly, 55–65 minutes. Transfer pie dish to a wire rack and let pie cool. Serve pie with whipped cream if desired.

I like listening to Lithium. I love Lemon Buttermilk Pie. Bon appetite y’all!