Monday, Monday
I attended a long yet very informative real estate sales meeting this afternoon. My broker, Navona Hart (Real Living Cornerstone) requires everyone on our team to attend these bi-monthly knowledge and esteem builders. We talked briefly about an article featured in LORE magazine about Valerie Fitzgerald, an agent who built her success by previewing houses on the market in the neighborhoods in which she wanted to work and relaying her personal opinions to her clients. She along with a fellow agent, Debra Ziven, has a book coming out in early 2009- I plan to add it to my summer reading list. If the article is any indication, I'm sure it will make an excellent read.
Yesterday was Father's Day. I found the perfect gift for my dad at one of my new favorite antique stores, Victoria Antiques. It's about 45 minutes from Farmville but well worth the trip. My father is a country boy through and through. Growing up, I can remember him drinking everything from cavity-causing sweet tea to belch-inducing Coca-Cola out of a frosty Mason jar. No matter how much my siblings chided him about it; he never traded in his jar for a more civilized drinking glass. So naturally, when I saw this, I had to buy it.
To celebrate the occasion, I also baked a Key Lime Pie. I love all things citrus. Sometimes I think the summer is almost bearable as long as I can taste lemons and limes at their peak. For those of you that share my love of baking, here is the recipe courtesy of Southern Living.
Key Lime Pie
1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs
2T sugar
6T butter, melted
3 large eggs, separated
1 (14oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup fresh Key lime juice
1T lemon juice
2t grated Key lime rind
2T sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1T powdered sugar
1/2t vanilla extract
Garnish: lime slices
Combine first 3 ingredients; press onto bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan.
Chill at least 1 hour.
Whisk egg yolks; add condensed milk and next 3 ingredients, whisking until smooth.
Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy; gradually add 2T sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Fold into yolk mixture; spoon into prepared crust.
Bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack; cover and chill 8 hours.
Beat whipping cream at high speed with electric mixer until slightly thickened; add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until soft peaks form.
Remove sides of springform pan; add whipped cream around the top of the pie decoratively. Garnish with lime slices.
*Regular (Persian) lime juice and rind may be substituted for Key lime.
