Key Lime Bars

Just one last summer-y recipe...

When Garreth and I were in the Bahamas on our honeymoon, I had my first slice of key lime pie and I've been in love ever since.  I still haven't found the perfect pie recipe, but these bars are as close as I've come.  They are very tart, so if you don't love lime as much as we do, they might be a little too much!  

1 cellophane pkg graham crackers, crushed

1/3 cup sugar

5 Tbls melted butter

3 egg yolks

1 1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest (about 2 limes)

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cup fresh lime or key lime juice

whipping cream and key lime slices for garnish

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix crumbs, sugar, and butter, and press into 13by9by2 inch pan.  Bake 10 minutes.  Mix yolks and zest until thickened.  Add milk and beat on high 3 minutes.  On low speed, add lime juice.  Pour over crust and bake until set, about 10 minutes.  Chill 4 hours or overnight.  Serve with cream and lime slice.

Crockpot, Soup & Bisquits!

Yay, I was glad to see a new post!
Erin, here is one of my favorite and easiest crockpot recipes ever!
Soft Chicken Tacos:
4 chicken breasts
1 bottle salsa
Cook on low all day and just before serving stir in 16 oz sour cream. Serve on flour tortilla shells with all the taco fixins.

And my favorite Minestrone Soup recipes (that just happens to be made in a crockpot):
3 c. vegetable broth
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can white cannellini beans (I use two for the extra protein)
2 carrots, peeled & diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 cup diced onion
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp each salt & ground pepper
Combine in slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours, 30 minutes before serving add:
1 1/2 cups pasta (shells, wheels or elbow mac)
1 med zucchini diced
2 cups fresh spinach
Serve with Parmesan cheese.

And finally Buttermilk Biscuits (I have never made these, but I have the best cookbook on the planet and every recipe I try from it is perfect, let me know how they are):
1 c unbleached all purpose flour
1 c plain cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
8 tbsp cold butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
3/4 c cold buttermilk
2 tbsp plain yogurt
Heat oven to 450. Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar & salt in a bowl, add cold butter and use fingertips to blend together until in is course mixture. Stir in the buttermilk & yogurt and stir together with rubber spatula until mixture forms a soft, sticky ball. Transfer to a lightly floured surface & form into ball (careful not to overmix!!) cut into quarters, then cut each quarter into thirds. Place on ungreased baking sheet & bake 10-12 minutes.

Back in business

First of all, have you ever tasted one of these?

It's called a Crenshaw melon, and man, is it TASTY!   

You should buy one immediately, trust me. 

Also, just wanted to put out a few recipe requests.  After a summer of light and easy dinners (yes, sometimes even just corn on the cob, garden tomatoes, and watermelon!)  I'm trying to shift back into "real" dinner mode for fall.  I would love to see if anyone has some yummy recipes for soups and crock pot meals.  Anyone?  Bueller?

Also, I am searching for the ultimate buttermilk biscuit recipe.  If you have a good one, please share!  

Cabo Chicken Marinade

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 5 limes)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp crushed red pepper

salt

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

I mixed it all up last night and marinated it overnight, then grilled it up for dinner tonight.  No leftovers... always a good sign.