I have to admit that when I moved to North Dakota from San Francisco my stuck-up big city self didn’t think I would ever meet anyone as interesting, funny, smart, or intriguing as my Bay Area posse but five years later I reflect on our North Dakota tribe and —look at that! Here they are.
The friends we’ve made here have brought us meals when babies were born, watched our kids as if they were their own, offered up company during those excruciating long winter days.
I also can’t imagine what it would be like for people to move here not from San Francisco, but really, truly another part of the world. We have friends from Mongolia (no problem with the winter there), Honduras, and Malaysia and a dear, dear friend from Jamaica who I honestly can’t belive lasted through this past winter without running for dear life from this place.
She is sensational, brave, and strong, so its with the upmost love that I share her hilarious entrée to North Dakota. A little over a year ago she came to Valley City to interview for a new diversity position at the University where my husband works. She had been in the United States for a few years, but mainly in Florida so was unfamiliar with winter in any form.
She had flown into Fargo the day before and had driven the rental car the hour drive to Valley City. The day of her interview was miserably cold and they were predicting a storm. She had given her presentation and was scheduled for a lunch meeting and then an interview with the President of the University, but people started worrying about the storm to come and that she might not be able to get out in the morning and make it back to Fargo in time for her flight. The hiring commitee decided to cancel the lunch and have her go ahead with the President’s interview then head back and spend the night in Fargo instead of staying in Valley City.
No one was really telling her much except that she should hurry to meet the President and then get out of town. She agreed, but was becoming concerned with everyone’s frantic behavior. She arrived at the President’s office and he quickly ushered her in saying “I heard sleet is coming, we’d better make this quick.”
At that point she was very nervous, now on top of the inherent nerves that come with a job interview she also had to worry about the dangers of SLEET! ‘What the hell is sleet?!’ She thought. ‘Is this some code word for the North Dakota KKK?!’ They must be really bad if the President is acting so anxious. Oh, shit! The Sleet is coming!’
She quickly wrapped up the interview, high-tailed it back to her hotel, packed up her stuff, and headed back to Fargo where she would spend the night before catching her flight the next day. When she woke up in the morning the rental car was covered in a thick sheet of ice. She went inside to ask the front desk what to do. The guy behind the front desk responded, “Oh yeah, we got a lot of sleet last night. Then looking at her quizzically “You’re not from here are you?”
But here’s the incredible thing about Nadja—she took the job.
She took the job.
And I’m so glad she did, because I need someone who can make me laugh with their quasi-KKK stories and we can sit down and share a slice of key lime pie and talk about how crazy life is that from opposite sides of the world, we both ended here.

Key Lime Sour Cream Pie
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse This pie is so easy and amazingly delicious that I just had to share it with you in time for Memorial Day. The pie can be made up to a day in advance, but don't top with the sour cream until you are ready to serve.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 12 whole crackers)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup key lime or regular lime juice (preferably fresh squeezed)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F and arrange rack in the middle.
- If you are using whole graham crackers, break them into small pieces and place them in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse until crackers are broken into crumbs. Add sugar and butter and pulse again until well mixed. If you are using store bought crumbs, just mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. If you don't have a food processor you can place the whole graham crackers in a resealable plastic bag and bash them with a rolling pin until they are broken into crumbs, pour the crumbs into a bowl and mix with the sugar and butter.
- Transfer mixture to a 9-inch pie plate and evenly press into the plate with your fingers. Place the crust on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until it starts to brown on the edges. Remove from oven and let cool completely before filling.
- Lower oven temperature to 325°F.
- Combine sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, eggs, and lime zest in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Pour into the cooled crust and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
- When ready to serve, combine sour cream and powdered sugar in a bowl. Spread evenly over the pie with a spatula, slice and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 183Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 101mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 3g
PIN IT FOR LATER!

Hahahah the Sleet are coming! That’s hilarious. I’m so impressed she took the job after that whole experience. Holy cow, what a weather change from Jamaica to North Dakota! My husband’s from Minnesota and I grew up in Idaho, but we currently live in LA… I miss the snow, but it’s also nice to not have to worry about sleet!
PS: This pie looks delicious — and you take such good photos! I’m jealous 🙂
Thanks Tara! Yes, she’s a trooper! You have to make this pie…..soooooooo good!
This pie is GORGEOUS!!! I can only imagine how incredibly delicious this is!
Thanks Heather!
Um, yes please! I love the idea of sour cream cutting through the sweet-tart key lime flavor!
It is the creme de la creme!
Awesome pie!
I was faced with a Costco-size bag of limes and there’s only so many mojitos a girl can make. This pie was the perfect opportunity to give those limes a good home. It’s the type of pie where you keep sneaking into the fridge for just *one more* little sliver. It was a a MASSIVE hit with my significant other, too. Now every time he even sees a lime, he says “hey, remember that key lime pie? You should make that again.”
Thank you so much Beth!
Your story made me giggle lol but thanks for sharing this recipe, Key Lime Pie is my mother’s all time faaaavorite 🙂
Thanks so much Cindy! I LOVE key lime too!! Reminds me, I should make this again. 🙂
Funny story. I originally from south Florida graduated from VCSU and wouldn’t have changed the experience for the world. Go Vikings!,,
No way, that’s crazy! Small world, right?!