Special Guests

We were excited to host some special guests for a quick lunch this afternoon!  The Baker family is moving from Cary, North Carolina to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  They stopped for a quick visit on the way through to their new home.

We decided to welcome them to the West with a Tex-Mex lunch consisting of hatch chile tortilla wraps, bean dip with veggies and tri-colored chips, and mango salsa.  For dessert, I tried out a new recipe…Lemon-Coconut Bars.  The name just doesn’t do it justice.  They should be called The Best Thing I Ever Ate Bar or Worth It’s Weight In Gold Bar or Completely Fall Off the Diet Bandwagon Bar. 

If you’re looking for a sinfully decadent treat to take to your next potluck, I present to you Southern Living’s:

Lemon-Coconut Bars

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup powdered sugar, divided

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup chopped slivered almonds, toasted

Lemon Chess Pie Filling (see below)

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Combine flour and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until crumbly; stir in almonds. Firmly press mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan.  Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown.

Stir together Lemon Chess Pie Filling and coconut; pour over baked crust.  Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until set. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and cut into bars.

 

Lemon Chess Pie Filling

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornmeal

1/4 teaspoon salt

Whisk together all ingredients. Use filling immediately.

Grace LOVED playing with Brad and Anne while the adults visited.  Now that we live closer to each other, hopefully we’ll plan more opportunities to get together!

Once again, I took no pictures.  I even had my camera sitting out on the counter, fully charged, and ready to go.  I don’t know what’s wrong with me!  I need to wear my camera around my neck, I guess.