Recipe: Sour Cream Raisin Pie

Very old pie you just don't hear about anymore. The base recipe is over 100 years old, I had to tweak the meringue due to most people just not knowing how to make it without more information. Plus I cheated and used store purchased crust.

1 8" pie crust (refrigerator section of grocery store)

1 cup Sour Cream

1/2 cup seeded raisins, finely chopped

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

pinch of salt 

1/2 cup sugar  + 1/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

3/4 tsp cornstarch

Pre-bake the pie crust according to instructions on box. 

Separate the yolks from the whites on the eggs, reserving the whites on the side for the meringue.

  Beat the egg yolks and mix with the sour cream, raisins, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and sugar. 

Cook until thick, stirring constantly so as not to burn. 

Pour into pre-baked pie shell.

Mix the 1/3 cup sugar with the 3/4 tsp cornstarch in a small bowl. 

Prepare meringue with the 3 egg whites by mixing on high speed while slowly adding the sugar/cornstarch mix until stiff peaks form.

Pour meringue over raisin mix, filling crust to the very edges.

Bake at 400 degrees until slightly browned.

Giant Mesquite Bugs

Adonis Blazingstar

Adonis Blazingstar

Mentzelia muliflora

Spruce Cone Cholla

Spruce Cone Cholla

Pine Cone Cactus

Pinecone Cactus

Tephrocactus articulatus var. diadematus

Grows to a height of 18-24 inches.

Likes full sun, sun to partial shade. I keep mine in partial shade.

Hubbard's Silk Moth Caterpillar

Syssphinx hubbardi

Hubbard's Silk Moth Caterpillar

Green and purplish in color with silver spikes. The larvae feed on Wright's Acacia, Mesquite, and Catclaw. They fluoresce under UV light. This one was found while excavating a trench in 2014 in the Altar Valley. The caterpillar goes under ground to pupate.

For more information and photos of the life cycle visit: Bugguide.net

Grapes in the Garden

Perlette Seedless Grape

Vitis vinifera "Perlette"

Does not need a pollinator

Light: Full Sun - 6+ hours of Direct Sun

Water Usage: Semi Moist

Bloom Time: Spring

Growth Rate: Fast

Average Size: As trained

Cold Hardiness: 10 to 0 degrees F

Pruning: Prune while Dormant

Fertilization: Early Spring

If desired one of these varieties can be used as pollinators: Black Monukka, Cabernet, Chardonnay, Emerald, Flame, Gewurztraminer, Ladyfinger, McCampbell, Merlot, Perlette, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Seibel 9110, Thompson, White Riesling, Zinfandel.

Prickly Pear Cactus

Cholla Cactus

One of the tallest Cholla we have ever seen.

Counted four bird nests inside this one Cholla.

A Cholla Blossom

Desert Tortoises

On one hike in November, 2015, we found three dead tortoises. 

Arizona Sunsets

Trailing Windmills

Hibiscus denudatus

Hibiscus denudatus

Common Name: Desert Hibiscus, Paleface, Rock Hibiscus, Naked Hibiscus

Spanish Name: Tulipan

Blooms March through November, after rain.

Horned Lizards

Photographed November 2015

Um, ah...........nothing to see here. Move along...........

An Afternoon Hike

I got my chores done. Dan asked, "Can you check the weather forecast? Is this blowing in a storm". I looked up Accuweather on my mobile device and found two cooler days with the temperatures and then the temps heading back into the 70's. No rain. Dan starting in about how it was a shame to be staying inside on such a beautiful day and so out in the hills we went. It is November and the temps are in the low to mid-60's. Just gorgeous. 

Very few flowers still in bloom. These Rock Hibiscus were starting to seeding out.

 I also noted a few purple Trailing Windmills.

This Cholla caught my eye..........had to be one of the largest I have ever seen. 

A Saguaro that we call 'Variegated", not sure yet about what causes this. All I can tell you is this arm has been like this for about six years. We have only ever seen three total out of the thousands upon thousands of Saguaros.

Sad, we found three dead desert tortoise shells on our hike. 

A few prickly pear fruit left.

I counted four birds nets in this one Teddy Bear Cholla. 

FINALLY, found a shed antler! 

Pulling it out for a photo...........say that is a different colored rock on the right.

Sure enough, a core or crude scraper, probably from the Hohokam Indians.

Almost stepped on this little guy. He/she is cold.  I kicked the rock off the top of it, accidentally, then noticed it just before putting my foot down.

Such a little cutie. I built a shelter for it, since I was the giant that destroyed it's last home. 

Another rock that is out of place.

Turned out to be the base of an arrowhead.

Heading back to the truck. Dan now notices that huge cholla and yells for me to over to him for a photo. I'm tired Dan.

Dan found an old shed stuck way in the brush.

 This antler has been out here awhile.

 Back to the truck just in time for the sun to set.

Amazing.