Sweet Saturday

Lately I have been embracing my southern heritage by cooking OMP some of my mom's favorite recipes. When I was a kid, we would spend our summers in Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head South Carolina. It was wonderful to spend the days playing in the ocean, go with my mom in the afternoon and get shrimp right off the boat, only to have a shrimp boil at night. For my southern friends, ya'll know exactly what I am talking about-for those of you who are unfamiliar with the shrimp boil, let me introduce you.

Shrimp Boil
Grab a couple pounds of shrimp, deveined
Cut up a smoke sausage/kelbsa
Shuck some corn and cut it in half
Throw in some red potatoes
Now for seasonings-a bay leaf, some fish/shrimp old bay flavor and 1/2 of a cheap beer.

Throw the veggies into a pot of boiling water for about 7 minutes, then add the kelbsa for another 7 minutes, last throw in the shrimp until it turns a nice pink. Drain, throw some butcher paper down and dig in. Man, that is some good eating.

Now, you are saying-Pam, that ain't exactly sweet. Where's the dessert? Well, I'm getting there. My mom would pick up some fresh limes (preferably key limes) and make up the best Key Lime pie you have ever had. I decided to make bars, incase I wanted to cut a slice and take in on the run with me. I do have to keep up with three dogs ya know.

Key Lime Bars
Ingredients
1 cup and 2 1/2 tablespoons finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 large egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
2/3 cup fresh Key lime juice
1 cup sweetened condensed milk, (14 ounces)

For the pie crust (once it chills, it will be more cookie like and not as pie crust grainy)
Make crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a small bowl. Press evenly onto bottom of an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Bake until dry and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.(Leave oven on.)

For the filling

Make filling: Put egg yolks and lime zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on high speed until very thick, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add condensed milk in a slow, steady stream, mixing constantly. Raise speed to high; mix until thick, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add lime juice; mix until just combined.
Spread filling evenly over crust using a spatula. Bake, rotating dish halfway through, until filling is just set, about 10minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours

Let me tell you! I could eat the whole pan of these! They are so good! Just the right amount of tart.

Goodness me! I am so sleepy from my yummy dinner and dessert. I think I need to stretch out on the couch and "rest my eyes" for a little bit. Here's to your sweet sleepy Saturday.

Feel Good Friday!

Oh my goodness! I am late today with some Friday feel goods.  I'm sorry everyone-I've been busy enjoying the weather. Now that the sun is setting and the dogs are chasing bugs I can tell you a few good things I've enjoyed today.

I keep changing the theme in my bedroom. Right now I want it to be vintage cowboy/cowgirl. This little girl would be so cute for pillows on my bed. Emmajb8 did a great job!

I started thinking more about my cowboy theme and remembered that Sew Lovely Embroidery has cute little cowgirl patterns! I think, wait, I know I need them! If cowboys aren't your thing, they have other designs that will put a big smile on your face.

I love the ladies over at Kind Over Matter. They can take me from grumpy to happy in less than 2 seconds. They recently told me about a great site, Pugly Pixel. Her thoughts of life around her are just as sweet as the pictures she takes. Plus, he has two dogs that are the silliest little beast. Oh yeah, she has great freebies on her blog. She rocks the party!

It's Pete as a puppy! Well, not really but it's what I imagine him to have looked like and that makes me very happy.

There ya go, a few things to get your weekend started. I am going to head back to my tropical oasis and enjoy the last of the sunset, maybe lay down and look at the stars while the pups run all over me. Yep, life is pretty close to perfect for this old girl. Pretty close.

Tie One On Tuesday!

A lot of you may think that sometimes I drink my dinner-Ha! I wish! No, I like to have a little nosh with my cocktail. Pairing the right food with your cocktails is a must. You certainly wouldn't want a pizza with your martini would you? Of course not, you have more class than that. Here are a few pairings that will impress your guest.


Whiskey cocktails~
If you are a whiskey drinker, think of foods with strong flavors. Lamb, sausage and smoked salmon are perfect meats. If you are pairing with cheese, again, think smokey or sharp. A dark chocolate, or a dipped espresso bean is a wonderful after dinner treat with a nice Scotch.

Vodka Cockails~
Because of it's nondescript taste, vodka is really just a vehicle for whatever it is paired with in a cocktail. A nice Peppercorn cocktail would be great with sushi. Sweeter, spicy vodka is wonderful for pork-maybe spare ribs,or pecan pie. Try a wonderful Lavender vodka cocktail with soft cheeses such as Brie or Havarti.

Rum Cocktails~
This is OMP's favorite! I'm sure he will tell you that rum will go with everything. Since we like tropical drinks, I would pair a nice BBQ rib or chicken with a pineapple rum cocktail. Spicy Thai cuisine heats up as the rum flavors cool down the palate. Of course, any seafood is amazing with rum.

Tequila Cocktails~
Everyone knows that Mexican food is great with tequila but there are so many other options out there. Tequila with a wonderful dark chocolate truffle is a crowd pleaser-you have the contrast of the salty tequila with the bitterness of the chocolate. Seafood is another great flavor, especially shrimp. As far as cheese goes, a mild hard cheese would be best with a slightly sweet flavor, nothing too overpowering.

Okay, is it just me or are you starving now? My mouth is watering for a yummy cocktail and some good food. Take chances with your pairings. Try foods and desserts that generally aren't thought of with traditional cocktails. Think of the way the main ingredient tastes and build a meal around that. Okay that's enough for toady. I have to run, I think I hear the dinner bell ringing!

Love That Leading Man

I was trying to figure out just what to write about tonight-going through my DVD collection-More zombie movies, eh, not feeling it. Kung Fu movie-meh, no high kicks for me. I am in the mood for one of my favorite leading men, James Cagney. Not only could Cagney play the "tough guy" but his dancing and singing were well known throughout the movie community, dating back to his vaudeville days.

Cagney was best known for his tough guy persona. Both Public Enemy and Angels With Dirty Faces cemented him as a cinema bad guy and turned him into a cash cow for the Studios. He received his first Academy award nomination in 1938 for Angels With Dirty Faces for his leading man role. His portrayal of Rocky Sullivan is haunting. Straddling the line between good and evil-eventually falling for the wrong side.


A few years later Cagney stared in Yankee Doodle Dandy. The studio took a gamble on putting him in the role of George M. Cohen, the American composer, singer, & dancer. The movie tells the life store of George Cohen and his contribution to American music.Cagney finally got to show off his very talented feet to his growing public!

Cagney's last movie before his death in 1986, was Ragtime. He played the police commissioner in this turbulent tale of turn of the century music and the racial uprising it brought. The movie was up for 8 Oscars and has been considered one of his greatest roles. The music is as haunting as his performance.

I get a little sad when I see a James Cagney movie. He chose roles that touched something in all of us, the working people of society. These were roles that the average working stiff could relate to. He himself was a hard working man but he made everything look so effortless. He was a gentleman who believed in his work and continued doing so right up until his death.

Sweet Saturday

Boo! I just picked the last of my raspberries. I always get a little sad when I can't just go out and pick my food off the vine. Since I had a few more cup of raspberries, I hunted down the last of my pie crust and decided to make Raspberry tarts. You could really do these with any berry or fruit, depending on the season.

Rasberry Tarts
Ingredients
Pie crust-I used store bought crust. I'm lazy!
2 cups raspberries (you could use blueberries, blackberries)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Roll out pie dough and cut out circles measuring about 4 inches in diameter. Line the muffin mold with cupcake liners and then place the dough around the liner, basically making another cup. Don't forget to punch a couple of holes in the bottom of the dough so it doesn't bubble.
Divide raspberries among the pie shells, filling them about 1/2 full
Beat cream, sugar, eggs and vanilla together. Pour mixture over berries, filling the shells about 2/3rd full. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the cream has set.
Cool completely before removing them from the molds.
Serve with a dollop of whip cream.
The main thing to remember about this recipe is not to let the custard burn and make sure your berries are dry. If they are damp, they will ruin the custard.

I didn't have whipped cream, so, to indulge even more, I added ice cream with a cherry on top-cause that's how I roll.

Feel Good Friday!

Whoa Boy! Am I sweaty! Just last week I was freezing my butt off and this week I am melting. While I slip into my bathing suit, throw the dogs into the kiddie pool and find my sunscreen, enjoy these happies.

This is a custom piece done by nanaCompany. The little scarf on the bird is killing me with it's cuteness! Check out her hand stitch set-trust me you will have sugar overload from all the sweetness.

Have you been over to Stitch School? My friend Becky turned me on to this blog and I LOVE IT! She has wonderful easy to follow tutorials, free and for sale patterns.

This necklace is so dainty. A Box for My Treasures has wonderful vintage inspired baubles to make you even prettier than you already are.

Ahhhhh, much better. All cooled off, the dogs are completely soaked and I think I need a snow cone.

Dancers, Hearts and Flowers! Oh My!

I love the little  Fraulein and Frederick dancing around in this embroidery pattern.This adorable apron embroidery and pattern is just perfect for serving up some frosty mugs. Unfortunately their legs got a little chopped, I have faith that you can wing it!