What I Wore Wednesday

You know that Tim McGraw song, "Indian Outlaw"? Yeah...well, that's what this shirt reminds me of...so, hope you enjoy. 

So...being home for Spring Break usually means a shopping trip to Kohl's. And, what's more fun than this little bright zig zag shirt...poncho? It's so fun. And comfortable. And, my new glasses...had to wear them of course :) And, you can't really see my geometric earrings very well, but they are new & fabulous as well.

outfit rundown:

Zigzag Shirt: Kohl's

White undershirt: Downeast
Earrings: Mudd for Kohl's

Navy skirt: Hand me down (originally Anne Taylor)

Brown boots: Forever Young Shoes

key lime bars

I made delicious key lime bars over the weekend for a family dinner. I was excited to have an excuse to make this recipe I saw on Pinterest a while ago. Here are some pictures of the process...although you really should try it out for yourself ;)

crust made with graham cracker? NO. animal crackers. trust me. it's good. 

Press the crust into an 8x8 pan & bake approx. 15 minutes

Then you make the yummy filling & pour it in the crust.

Bake that baby for 15-17 minutes.

Sprinkle with toasted coconut...and chill 

Enjoy. And try to eat just one... ;)

Full recipe (from Mel's Kitchen)

*Makes 16 bars

INGREDIENTS:

Crust:
5 ounces animal crackers (about 2 1/2 cups animal crackers)
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
Pinch salt
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
2 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 tbsp grated fresh lime zest (from about 2 limes)
1 can (14-ounce) sweetened condensed milk
Pinch salt
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 3-4 regular limes or 20 Key limes)

Garnish (optional)
3/4 cup shredded coconut, toasted

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, adjusting an oven rack to the middle position. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, letting two opposing edges hang over at least an inch or so. Grease the foil with cooking spray.

For the crust, process the animal crackers, sugar and salt together to fine crumbs in a blender or food processor. Drizzle the melted butter over the crumbs and pulse to incorporate (or stir together in a bowl with a fork). Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press the crumbs into an even layer. Bake the crust until fragrant and golden, about 15-18 minutes.

For the filling, while crust bakes, in a medium bowl, stir the cream cheese, lime zest and salt together until combined. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk until smooth (you can use a handheld electric mixer, if you want). Whisk in the egg yolk and lime juice until combined.

Pour the filling evenly over the crust. Bake the bars until the filling is set and the edges just slightly begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, 15-17 minutes.

Let the bars cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Then cover the pan with foil and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil overhang and cut into squares. Sprinkle with toasted coconut if desired. 

music monday.

here are some favorite tunes this week:

"Somebody That I Used to Know" -- cover by Walk Off the Earth
         ...cool things with the guitar.


"Lovers Without Love" -- Joshua James


"Fine By Me" -- Andy Grammer (in love with this song? maybe)


"Come Thou Fount" -- John Allred (loving this version)


I hope you enjoyed some of my recent music picks!

snapshot sunday.

**Excuse the poor image quality. But....remember this post about wanting big glasses?

Consider me the proud owner of an oversized pair of glasses that I would've made fun of my mother for wearing when I was younger. Boy, how times change! 

I think I'm in love with them :) 

Happy Sunday!

high five for friday.

Maybe i'll start the "five things Friday" bandwagon. My sister Jen also does it every week. Well, with that said, here are my five things!

1. Spring break is here. That means no class. Seeing my family. Having summer job interviews. Road trips. Shopping. Eating yummy food at home (where I don't have to pay for ingredients...hehe). And just enjoying a little time off. It's been a busy semester.

2. I wish I could share with you the beautiful songs I've been listening to lately, but I'm saving them for "music monday." So, check back then! Needless, I've been playing guitar with some super talented people lately. I love to share my talents & see others' talents as well. It's amazing what everyone has to offer.

3. My senior thesis & "Twitter experiment" is now underway! What a relief. The Mass Media & Theory class has been one of my toughest, but I'm glad that it's gone (mostly) smoothly up to this point.

4. This week's weather was a little extreme. From 60 degrees one day to literally 18 degrees & snow the next day. That's Utah weather, I suppose. I'm happy to say it's supposed to be back in the 50s today, which means maybe I can pack some capris & sandals for my trip home.

5. Currently admiring these shoes from Payless. Super cute, right? I'd love to wear either...so I mean, my birthday is in 8 months...not a good excuse. Dang.

What five things are making your Friday??