Key Lime Pie

• - 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• - 3 tablespoons white sugar
• - 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• - 3 eggs
• - 1/2 cup key lime juice (approx. 12-15 key limes)
• - 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• - 1 pinch salt
• - 1 pinch cream of tartar
• - 1 cup heavy whipping cream
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• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Mix graham cracker crumbs with sugar and melted butter. Press into 9 inch pie plate and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
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• Separate 2 of the eggs, placing the two egg whites into a mixing bowl. Reserve the yolks in another bowl. 
• To the yolks, add one whole egg, lime juice and sweetened condensed milk. Whisk until smooth. With clean mixer blades or a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until stiff, but not dry. Fold whites into filling mixture. Pour filling into partially baked crust.
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• Bake in preheated 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 10 to 15 minutes or until set. Let cool at room temperature, then freeze 4 hours to overnight. Just before serving, whip cream to form stiff peaks. Serve decorated with whipped cream and lime slices.
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Orzo Pasta Salad

- 1  10 oz box of orzo pasta, cooked and drained
- 1  15 oz can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
- 1/2  cup sliced green olives
- 1/2  cup sliced black olives
- 1  6 oz jar of marinated artichoke hearts
- 20-30 slices of pepperoni, quartered
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 3/4 cup Italian salad dressing
- s&p to taste
- 10-15 cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)


Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Can be served room temperature, or cold. If salad is made ahead of time, add tomatoes before serving.

Valentine's Day Lovebugs

Follow recipe directions for Oreo Truffles. Refrigerate truffles for 1 hour in between each step to ensure candy coating is firm.

Make a 1 inch oval shape for the body, and a smaller round ball for the head.

Form the body by gluing the head on with melted chocolate (almond bark).

Dip the body in melted red candy coating.

Dip the head in melted chocolate candy coating. 

Decorate lovebugs by drawing a wing line down the middle of the body and spots with melted chocolate candy coating. Draw faces and/or antennas with melted white chocolate.

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

- 4-6 slices fully cooked bacon, crumbled
- 16 oz. tub of sour cream
- 2 c shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 oz cream cheese
- 2 tbsp hot sauce
- 1/3 c chopped chives or scallions
- 1 tbsp seasoned salt

- Mix all ingredients in bowl and chill at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with waffle or steak fries.

**not my picture**

Fried Jalapeno Slices

- 4 medium jalapeno peppers
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 eggs
-1 cup Corona (any beer)
-1/2 qt vegetable oil for frying

 Slice jalapenos into 1/4-1/2 in pieces. Mix flour, salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, eggs, and beer in small mixing bowl. Batter will be thick. Using a fork, dip jalapeno slices into

 batter and drop in preheated oil 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.

 Eat plain or serve with ranch dressing.

Skillet Spaghetti

- 1 box spaghetti
- 1 lb mild Italian sausage, browned and drained
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 sm red onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup black olives, sliced
- 1 cup green olives, sliced
- 2 halves roasted sweet red pepper, chopped
- 40-50 slices hot pepperoni, halved
-1 jar spaghetti sauce, any flavor

Boil pasta in heavily salted water, 5-7 min. (It is the only time you have to actually flavor the pasta.) Brown sausage in heavy cast iron skillet and drain (leave about a tbsp of grease in skillet). Add veggies to skillet and cook about 7 min.

Add in spaghetti sauce and cook another 5 min or until sauce starts to bubble.

Add cooked pasta to the sauce, and add one cup of pasta water. Toss together, and let simmer 5 min. 

Oreo Truffles

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened

1 pkg.  OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 4-1/4 cups), divided

1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Milk Chocolate, melted 1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S White Chocolate, melted 

**if using only milk chocolate, use 2 pkgs.

-Mix cream cheese and 3 cups cookie crumbs until well blended.

-Shape into 1-inch balls. Dip in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.

-Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator. Makes roughly 4 dozen truffles.