Happy Birthday Deuce!

Today is my sweet boy's 2nd birthday! Being surprised with him almost 2 years ago is the best gift I will probably ever receive (but don't stop trying honey)!


Thank you for putting a smile on my face every day Deuce!

Key Lime Pie

It's funny how obsessed I have become with key lime pie considering I tried it for the first time only 2 months ago.  On a date night with my husband I decided to try it when nothing else caught my eye on the dessert menu.  I was hooked on this light and refreshing dessert, so it took all of a few weeks before I was trying to recreate this dessert.  

What makes this recipe different is the addition on vanilla.  The vanilla gives a nice hint of sweetness which contrasts the zesty lime nicely. I used regular limes since key limes are not sold near me, so I cheated a bit but whatever. Oh and you must top with whipped cream.

Crust:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs  (around 15 rectangle pieces , I used the honey kind)
5 tablespoons melted butter
4 tablespoons sugar
a few dashes of cinnamon (optional)

Filling:
1 14oz can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon lime zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until completely crumbled. In a bowl mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon and mash with a fork.  Place mixture into pie pan and form the crust.  The mixture will be crumbly so you will need to push down on the mixture to form the crust.  Bake for 5 minutes to set the crust.

Combine all filling ingredients and mix on medium speed until mixture slightly thickens, about 2 minutes.

Pour filling into pie crust and bake for 15 minutes.  Then place pie in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Quoted

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Some inspiring words

Gumbo

Living in the south for almost 4 years I definitely got hooked on southern food.  One of my favorites is gumbo, which I learned can be a very labor intensive dish.  I found a quicker (and much easier) way that tastes just as good.  I usually use sausage and chicken but you can use any meat (or no meat) you prefer.  

1.  Slow cook chicken for 4 hours on high in a slow cooker.  You want to season the water so that the chicken does not come out bland. I use seasoning salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, and some hot sauce (can you tell I like spicy food).  You can use anything to season the water from garlic, onions, etc.  Also, you don't have to slow cook the chicken I just prefer it if I have the time.  
2. Once the chicken is cooked remove from slow cooker and dice up into smaller pieces. 
3. Cut sausage into bite size pieces and cook. 
4. Follow the directions of the Zatarins box to prepare the gumbo (boil water, add rice and meat, and cook for 30 minutes).  

Change in direction

So much has changed since my last post.  Last month we moved from Seattle to New Jersey!

My husband had this sitting on our dining room table as I getting ready to serve dinner. It was a letter saying our offer was accepted on the house we really really really wanted. Needless to say I was beyond happy. This will mark the 7th place my husband and I have lived in 6 years. We have moved around a lot for his job (no he's not for the military). We left New Jersey 6 years ago for Houston, TX and was there for 3 1/2 years, then moved to Seattle, WA for just over 2 years, and now we are back to New Jersey (in each city we lived in temporary housing until we found a home).

Thankfully this should be the last of the moving around. While I am happy to be back in New Jersey of course it is always a little bittersweet moving. I will miss seeing Seattle on a clear day, it is simply breathtaking being surrounded by snow capped mountains, water, and trees. I will also miss going to Hawaii 4+ times a year (hubby had an office there and I made a point to invite myself to as many of those trips as possible).

I have tons of photos to post and will do so soon.

Wedded Bliss

So we finally got our wedding images and can't tell you how amazed we were.  The photographers did an amazing job of capturing the day, and really couldn't be happier with them. 

11.11.11

Here is a teaser photo I received from our wedding.   We got married on 11.11.11 on the beautiful island of Maui. Someone told me there were 400 weddings on Maui alone on that day! Our wedding was perfect, and more than I could have ever dreamed of. I was never one of those girls who had their whole wedding planned out, so I wasn't sure what to expect.  We chose for a simple wedding (our ukulele player Louise was our witness!) but it was beautiful, stress free and the day was all about us which I absolutely loved. 

If you plan on getting married in Maui I would highly recommend all of the vendors I used, they all absolutely exceeded our expectations: 

Photography: Mike Sidney Photography- Harold was our photographer and he was wonderful. We are obsessed with our teaser photos and can't wait to see the rest.

Minster: Rev. Al Alapaki  From the minute you meet Rev. Al you feel like you have known him forever.  Our ceremony was absolutely beautiful and a perfect balance between a traditional Christian ceremony and a Hawaiian ceremony. 

Wedding Planner:  Makena Wedding Planning- I was able to plan a wedding in 3 weeks on one of the most popular days of the year because of Laurie. She thought of everything I did not, all of the vendors she used were wonederful and profession.  Added bonus Rev. Al is her husband.