The real McCoy

Did you miss me? It feels like I've been gone forever! I had the best of intentions to set up scheduled posts for this weekend while we were out of town, but time, as usual, got the best of me. We headed out for The Actress's wedding and didn't have internet access all weekend. And then we got home Monday night and headed right over to Tat's house for dinner. And of course I swung right back into work again today. Things show no signs of slowing down as our adventures this week begin Thursday afternoon - but I should have some true catch up time on Sunday. Until then, I'll overload you with all the good stuff you've been missing.

Speaking of good stuff, this is a recipe given to me by my friend, the Engineer. I had tucked it away in a dark corner because I'm not a huge fan of lemon desserts. But Thatboy is. And this month is crazy for us, so I thought I'd try to do something nice for him.

TG: I'm making you lemon bars!
TB: Why?
TG: Woah, don't go tripping over yourself thanking me. Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself.
TB: I don't love lemon bars or anything.
TG: I thought you loved lemon desserts (he loves lemon desserts)
TB: Naw, I like my mom's lemon meringue pie.
TG: And lemon cookies, and lemon bars...
TB: Eh
TG: Well don't do me any favors. I'll just leave these on the counter, I'm sure we can find some silverfish who'd be interested.

But it wasn't long before his sweet tooth got the better of him
TB: These are great!
TG: I thought you didn't like lemon desserts.
TB: These taste JUST like little lemon meringue pies! They even have that meringue-y top. What is that?
TG: It's just the filling, it kinda gets crusty when you cook it I guess. Frankly, I thought I had messed up the recipe because it was all crackly.
TB: NO! That's my favorite part!

While lemon bar may not be my favorite, they are definitely a summer staple. These are perfect because the crusty top protects them from the elements, making them perfect for bringing on picnics. And so I'm entering them in Joelen's "Wine and Dine" blogging event!

The Engineer's Favorite Lemon Squares

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp grated lemon peel
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour, butter and powdered sugar. Press into ungreased square pan, building up 1/2 inch edges. Bake 20 minutes.
2. Beat remaining ingredients until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, pour over hot crust.
3. Bake until no indentation remains when touched lightly in the center, about 25 minutes.
4. Cool, cut into about 1 1/2 inch squares.

Serves 9.

Each serving has:

Calories		258.1
Total Fat		11.5 g
	Saturated Fat	6.7 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.6 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	3.4 g
Cholesterol		74.8 mg
Sodium		172.1 mg
Potassium		39.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate		36.9 g
	Dietary Fiber	0.4 g
	Sugars	25.6 g
Protein		3.0 g