Let me back up a minute. I made a key lime pie for Christmas dinner. It was a special dessert request from an 11-year-old friend. I make a mean key lime pie, if I do say so myself.

While way yummy, key lime pie doesn't seem very holiday-y. At least, I don't think so. Neither did the people at the store where I bought my ingredients. They were cool with the eggs and condensed milk, but were thrown by the key lime juice. They thought I was downright strange.

Pumpkin pie? Chocolate? Apple? Of course! Any one would make a fine ending to a holiday feast. Key lime? In the summer, sure. But for Christmas?

It was a special request, though, so there I was on Christmas morning, baking a key lime pie.

In an effort to make a bit more Christmas-y, I decided to make it green. Key lime should be green anyway, right?

Never having dyed a pie before, I wasn't sure how much food color to add. I didn't have to look any further than the back of the box for a clue.

"Colorful Cakes: Prepare and bake 1 package white cake mix as directed on package, adding 1/2 tsp. Food Color to batter."

Cake. Pie. Same difference, right?

Yeah ... no.

It was one verrrry green pie, which I guess was the point, although maybe it was a bit greener than intended. Of course, I'm not really sure what I intended, aside from festive.

A rich green with red and green sparkly sprinkles on top. It doesn't get much more festive than that. Mission accomplished.

Of course, everybody laughed at me when I told them how much food color I put in.

"A HALF A TEASPOON?!" (You could hear the capital letters.) "Really?" came the incredulous reply over and over. And over.

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" I said.

"It is holiday green," said my supportive if slightly mocking mother, trying unsuccessfully not to snicker. "I've gotta give you that."

Thanks, Mom. Really.

I seriously cannot tell you how green this pie was. My mom compared it to Palmolive dish detergent.

Yum.

I didn't think to take a picture of the super-green pie, which you really had to see to believe. My milk carton, I take a picture of. My pie that's greener than the Wicked Witch of West -- and infinitely more photo-worthy -- I forget. Go figure. I guess I'll just have to make another one.

Of course, now that I've learned my food color lesson -- a drop or two at a time 'cause you can always add more -- I'm not sure I can get away with another pie that color. At least not on purpose.