Key Lime Mini Pies

In celebration of Mother's Day on Sunday, we had a large family cookout at my parent's house. My mom asked me to make her Key Lime Pie recipe, originally from the PierHouse restaurant in Key West.  She has had this recipe as long as I can remember, and it is by far my favorite Key Lime Pie, perfect for those warm summer nights. However, in true FTH form, I tweaked the recipe to make MINI Key Lime Pies, and I have to tell you, I was thrilled with the results! Here's how to do it:

Get a 12-count muffin tin and line the tin with paper baking cups. I try not to use the foil ones, as they sometimes continue to cook the dough inside after removing from the oven.

Next, prepare the Graham cracker crust with the following ingredients:
2 cups graham cracker cookies (crushed) or 2 cups of boxed crushed graham cracker crust (HoneyMaid)
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted

Combine all the ingredients until well blended.

Next, I filled each baking cup with one heaping Tablespoon of the graham cracker crust mixture. You may have a little bit left over, but just set aside until the next step.

Using your fingers, press the crust mixture into each cup, getting it evenly distributed on the bottom, and 3/4 of the way up the sides of the baking cup. This will actually help the baking cups sit down into the pan, and make sure the crust is evenly distributed. Use some leftover crust mixture to even out the sides of each baking cup. 

Place pans into the refrigerator to chill until pie filling is ready.

For the filling:
4 eggs separated (only the yolks will be used)
1 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup key lime or Persian lime juice (we like the Aunt Nellie's brand of key lime juice, but if you can't find it at your local grocery, regular bottled lime juice will do). Or if you have some extra time,  squeeze juice from fresh limes.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the egg yolks into a bowl and using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg yolks on high until thick and light in color.

Next, add the sweetened condensed milk, and mix on low speed. 

While keeping the mixer on slow speed, add half the lime juice and cream of tartar.

Once that is mixed in well, add the remaining lime juice and mix until well blended. It should be thick and creamy!

Remove the crusts from the fridge, and using a small soup spoon or ladle, pour the pie mixture into the crusts. 

Be sure to fill them up to the top of the crust, as they will condense a bit after baking. 

Bake for 10-15 minutes (mine took about 15-16 minutes, but I checked them often) until the middles are firm. Remove from the oven, and chill in the refrigerator for about 1-3 hours.

Right before you are about to serve them, remove them from the fridge and top with light whipped cream and a lime slice for a pretty presentation!

These got rave reviews, mostly because the crust was thick and it was the perfect size dessert. If you notice in pictures, I actually made 24 mini pies, so I simply doubled the recipe above. And if you want to make a regular Key Lime pie, it is the same recipe and cooking instructions, just simply add the pie crust to a 9" pie pan. Here's to summer baking!!

Missing the 80's....

I was looking through my favorites on Etsy recently, and popped into one of my favorite "shops". Low and behold, I came across one of my favorite memories of being a child from the 80's:

Who else had a plastic charm necklace like this one, with all the clips and bells attached to random plastic figurines??? Totally took me back. The price ($185), however, made me gasp, and wondering if my mom still had mine in my childhood treasures. I found another cheaper one on eBay here if you still don't mind shelling out some dough. But then again, how much is nostalgia worth? And how cool would it look with a black sheath dress and a colorful pair of heels...

Getting Organized

I have a bit of OCD when it comes to clothes and organization. My closet is color coordinated, and my underwear drawer has dividers and things folded. This may change once the baby is born, or it may just get worse... we will see! In an effort to keep things organized in Baby D's room, I picked up a few things at Bed Bath and Beyond this weekend to help keep the drawers organized with her clothes and accessories. If you thought I was kidding before when I said she will be best dressed, check out the collection she already has going.

Socks, pacifiers, hair clips, pacifier clips, and sunnies:

I purchased the clear/green drawer divider on clearance at TJMaxx for $5. I like that the green bottom is rubber, so that these little accessories don't roll all around the drawer.

On the other side, I used a vintage teal chalice to hold her headband collection, and used the remaining space for her hats (a must in sunny Florida!) and her cute summer sandals and shoes. 

At Bed Bath and Beyond, I purchased some spring loaded drawer dividers for two drawers to separate her clothes. I have them grouped by daytime (onesies, tops and legging sets), night time (sleep sacks and pjs) and dresses for each age group. The photo below is actually her big girl drawer with two dividers, as the clothes to the left are 6 months (with the exception of her 3-6 month old Gator gear, ready for football season this fall!), the middle section is for 6-9 months, and the right is 9-12 month old clothes. With the clothes divided, it not only allows me to know what section she really fits into, but will be easier for dad too to know what to dress her in if I am not around.

In another drawer, its more of a miscellaneous mix of baby items. Most of these will come and go in the next few months, but I needed a place to stick them for now in some sort of organized space. I purchased the clear Real Simple 6 Piece Organizer Set to keep things in their place.  I love how these thin clear boxes hold everything, fit nicely in the drawer, and can be moved around later as we change out the contents of the drawer.

Since the room is small, the more organized I can keep it, the better! Stay tuned for the finishing touches and more organization solutions.

Baby Shower Aftermath

Just as I thought I was getting the nursery near to completion, we were given a wonderful surprise baby shower from the colleagues at my husband's office, and this was the aftermath. Actually, this is the organized photo, but you wouldn't know it.

We have been so overwhelmed with our friends, family, and co-worker's generosity these past couple of months... and our baby girl is going to be so lucky to have all these wonderful people in her life. We cannot thank every one enough!!!   

And in other baby news, as I'm sure you will see plenty in more updates later, we have followed a tradition started by my mother-in-law. When she had each of her five kids, she picked an animal for them to collect. My husband Logan collected lions, and for Baby D, we chose hippos. We liked how they were an animal that are often found with lions and gators (what UF grad doesn't have a collection of gators?!), and that they are pretty darn cute too. Has anyone seen the pigmy hippos at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo or Harry the Hippo?! We have started a hippo collection for Baby D, and love that for our surprise shower, they made a diaper cake with lots of hippos!!! It is too precious!

Check back soon (I promise, it will be done this weekend!) for our finished nursery and more cute hippo details.

Cute Baby Shower Favors

I still owe baby shower updates, but wanted to show you two quick baby shower favors. The first is not one from my baby shower, but from one of a family friend who is having a boy:

They took a Styrofoam cup and cut it and hot glued the sides over like a shoe. Next they added a brown and white bow and some blue tissue paper, and then filled the shoe with candy. How cute and simple is that?! I love it!

The other idea was a really cute from one of my showers, especially since it was more about the mom-to-be than the baby! Bourdeaux colored OPI nail polish and a cute saying for my stylish baby-to-be:

From fingerpaints to nail polish... Bottles to Bourdeaux... There's no doubt Baby D will always be the most stylish kid we know!

One of my favorite favors ever!

Have you come across some cute baby shower favors recently? If so, be sure to share!

Maternity Must Haves

Being a first time mom, my friends have been there for all kinds of parenting and baby advice. But I have to say, not many of them have had tips or necessities for those 9+ months of torture pregnancy. I'm being dramatic... I have had a great pregnancy, and thank God everyday for allowing me to get through these months without morning sickness, among other things.

However, there are some amazing products out there that are not maternity based, but should be. And I am finding in my daily rituals that I most likely will use these for years to come, with or without a baby bump. Here are a few things I recommend for the momma to be:

Sleeping:

For some reason, before you give birth, you need as much rest as possible, yet you start getting less and less real sleep right before the baby arrives. As soon as the bump started getting bigger, and the books told me to start sleeping on my sides (how I miss my tummy time!), I knew the only way I could get comfortable would be with extra pillows. However, everyone knows how cramped a bed can be with 3 pillows for each person, plus a beagle who likes to hog the bed. Enter the V-pillow. 

I found this pillow at SteinMart of all places, for under $25, and on Amazon, it is even less! It even comes with its own pillow case, due to its unusual shape. I had seen maternity pillows like this one and this one, but unless you're sleeping alone, there is no way these are fitting in bed with you. I can put this between my knees, or wrap like an L behind my head and under my baby bump. I also use it in the V-shape shown when I am uncomfortable in the middle of the night... I just prop myself up and try to get back to sleep. It really is amazing, and a great all around body pillow. This coming from someone who hates body pillows.

I also hate sleeping with socks on unless it is the middle of winter. However, I have to say that these Dr. Scholls Diabetic and Circulatory socks really help with the puffy toes and middle of the night leg cramps. I picked mine up at Wal-Mart for $8/2 pair. They are lightweight, and super soft, so they don't bother me during the warm nights. And the times that I do wear them, I have less restless legs and fewer leg cramps than the nights when I don't.


Another godsend is something I discovered during a pedicure long ago, Aveda's Foot Relief cream. Lightweight and refreshing, it really helps with tired feet and legs. I put this on every night before climbing into bed, and sometimes even before I put my Dr. Scholl's socks on. It too helps with leg cramps and swollen feet. And a bonus, it has a cooling sensation, and if I get a hot flash in the middle of the night, I just put a little on the back of my neck and on my feet, and I can get my temperature back down and get back to those zzzz's!

Dressing:

I consider myself a pretty fashionable person, but a thrifty one. After checking out the limited selections of maternity clothes, I decided that I could find more reasonably priced dresses at Target, Old Navy, H&M, and TJ Maxx to wear to work and every other day. 

Maxi dresses are a MUST. There are some great colors and patterns out there for spring, and I simply bought a size or two up from my normal.

The black cross-smocked maxi from Old Navy is a definite go-to, as it makes you look slimmer (less pregnant) and offers plenty of support for a mom-to-be's growing cleavage. I pair it with bright flats, or a colored cami underneath. Or I keep things classic black and add a vibrant scarf or colorful jewelry.


Skincare:

Since the day I found out I was pregnant, I have used some sort of shea butter on my growing belly for stretch marks. One brand I like was actually gifted to me by a dear friend: Basq Advanced Stretch Mark Cream. I have only used this when I feel by belly is really tight and stretching, and have saved about half the jar for this last month of pregnancy. The other kind I have used religiously is the really inexpensive but effective Palmer's Shea Butter for Stretch Marks.

I lightly towel off after a shower and then spread this all over my tummy, chest (remember, they get bigger too!) and back while still damp, and let it soak in for a few minutes before getting dressed. I must admit, they are not the best smelling lotions, but the smell goes away after application. I don't know if they really work or if I just have great genes, because I do not have one stretch mark!

Another beauty product, that I have mentioned before, is one I even have packed in my hospital bag.... Kiehls Facial Fuel Under Eye Treatment. There are many uncomfortable nights, and restless sleep, and this helps me looking fresh every morning. I may be slightly addicted to it, and I'm sure once Baby D comes, I will be stocking up on it along with her diapers! I wonder what website I could order both from at the same time.....

So there is my mom-to-be must have list. I completely believe that I will continue to use these products for years, and swear that they have changed my life in some way. I'll try to give an update after Baby D is born to see if there is anything to add to the list!

Bamboo Flatware For A Steal

As you may remember from this post, I have dark brown bamboo flatware that I bring out for special occasions. I just got an e-mail today that Neiman Marcus is offering 25% off select home items, and these bamboo flatware sets are on sale!! They come in 20 piece sets (4 place settings), so for 12 people/place settings, the light bamboo ones are $56.25 total and the darker brown bamboo ones are $78.75. That's less than a pair of shoes for a way to really spruce up your dining table for special occasions! Just wanted to pass on a good deal, or maybe good gift idea for Mother's Day!

Let There Be Color

As part of BlogHer's Life Well lived series, I was asked to answer the question- How do you incorporate color into your look? There is rarely a day that I don't have some kind of color in my wardrobe, even 8 months pregnant. For example, here is what I wore yesterday:

Black low-rise skinny jeans (non-maternity)
Black Pea-In-The-Pod cami
Black and White striped oversized tank from TJMaxx
Gold Michael Kors watch
Yellow vintage wooden bead necklace

I know stripes are not really what pregnant women should be wearing, but I kind of love this top and it is one of the few separates in my closet that still fits! And for the record, I promised no belly shots, but photos from the front don't really count!

I showed this example, because color is so easy to incorporate by just using accessories. You could easily substitute big, bold earrings, or really fun shoes. Speaking of shoes, these also could have worked with my outfit yesterday:

I picked these up at  H&M the other day for $15. Really comfy flats in pink satin.... its a win, win. I was thisclose to going home with these green H&M wedges for $25:

Any of my friends will tell you I have a vast collection of shoes and jewelry. The reason is because they are the easiest accessories to add a punch of color to any black dress or jeans and a white t-shirt. Not to mention, can be found for a heck of a lot less money than a fabulous purse. And a bonus, can be thrown on in the 20 seconds you are running out the door. Great places for inexpensive shoes in great colors are Target, H&M, and often your local TJMaxx and Ross. By spending less money on colorful accessories, you can't feel too bad about giving them away in a year when the color is not in style, or out of season.

Most of my jewelry is actually vintage, that I have purchased at garage sales, vintage stores, and places around the world. Also a few "shopping trips" through my grandmother's jewelry box have produced some excellent colored enamel earrings and brooches from the 60's.  However, if you aren't comfortable with buying second hand, stores like H&M, Forever XXI, and online vendors like Etsy are a great place to find that fun piece for little money.

I love bright prints and clothing pieces, but I have to say that colorful shoes and jewelry are my favorite ways to incorporate color into my daily wardrobe. Even on a gloomy day, or one in which I feel large and uncomfortable, a pop of color seems to liven my spirit and make me feel cute at the least. Try it for yourself, and if you don't agree, check into the BlogHer Life Well Lived site for more ideas on how to incorporate color into your look. Stop by and enter their sweepstakes too for an iPod Touch and $50 iTunes gift card!

What is your favorite way to incorporate color?

Happy Earth Day

We have not inherited the Earth 

from our Fathers,

We are borrowing it from our children.

 -Native American saying

Update: Onion Experiment

So I have been pretty bad at providing an update for the green onions we have had sitting on the windowsill. But after just two weeks, they doubled in size and now they are just out of control...

And we have cut some off and used it in our cooking, and yet we still have plenty. It certainly works, and we will never have to buy green onions again! We will, however, have to put them in a larger container, as these are just not big enough!

What else can we grow so easily? Anyone know of any other vegetables or fruits that are easy to grow?