The Search for Miss Direction: Key Lime Madness with some alligator on the side

Do you have any idea how many key limes it takes to make one pie? Before today I had no clue. After today if I never have to zest or juice a key lime again it will be MUCH too soon. Just kidding. (mostly)

Anyway, happy Fat Tuesday! Hope you caught my earlier post with the pictures of our paczki party this morning. We had little time to savor the treat though as everyone was rushing out of here in different directions this morning. I got Noah off on the bus only to come home to Grant and Mikayla walking out to go on their maple syrup adventure. Grant says he will be posting the pictures and a recap sometime tonight. I didn't have much time to stay at home before I was off to spend a good chunk of my morning helping in Noah's class. I had tons of fun and even managed to work in a quick lesson on paczki to the kiddos I was with :-p

A quick couple of errands then I was back home to tackle laundry and the making of my Marshmallow-Almond Key Lime Pie. Key Lime pie is the official dessert of Florida so there was no way we'd be able to pass it up. Plus, if you've been following along for long enough you know that I never do anything half way. Ever. The thought of buying the pie or one of those pre-made mixes never occurred to me. Nope, in for a penny in for a pound. Hence my earlier pondering on how many limes it really does take. (The whole bag, FYI!) I'm pretty proud of how my masterpiece turned out! While it earned enthusiastic thumbs up all around, I don't think my other half, Thing 1 and Thing 2 should get too used to it.

Fat Tuesday or "Shrove Tuesday" is also a day around the world known for pancakes! So I thought we'd combine a fun Florida treat and celebrate Fat Tuesday even more (I overheard Noah telling his classmates today "Mardi Gras really started in Mobile NOT New Orleans." He is so my kid) with some Key Lime Pancakes. Breakfast at dinner is always a good go to around here and these were no exception. The key lime glaze made them perfect pancakes! I've already been told "You better keep this recipe, Mom."

And if all that wasn't enough fun today, we decided we'd do our Florida craft/project tonight by making some alligators! The alligator is the official state reptile of Florida and while we lived down there, boy did we see plenty of them! We learned that if you steer clear of them, they'll steer clear of you (for the most part) but they do think they pretty much own the place. They stopped traffic more than one time when I was out and about there. And, for those of you interested, Southern Florida is the only place in the world where you can find both alligators AND crocodiles living in the same habitat. Anyway, check out the awesome alligators Noah and the Bean created tonight.

As if today wasn't enough fun we're off again tomorrow. The Bean and I are headed to Toledo to do some shopping and catch some lunch with Aunt Shellie! I am so darn excited, it has been way too long since we got to spend any time with Shell. (Who, in case you hadn't heard, has her very own business! Check it out here and show here some love and support - super proud of her!) And we're trying some more yummy Florida food and (so excited about this I am not sure I will sleep tonight) we are opening our Florida mail. We have mail coming from my favorite Super Mom, Corinne, who along with her homeschooled trio has been spending quite some time putting this together for Noah and Mikayla. (I was so touched I got choked up telling my mom about it. Seriously) I can't wait to share it all with you tomorrow! So until then...

Florida Fun Fact of the Day: Miami Beach pharmacist Benjamin Green invented the first suntan cream in 1944. He accomplished this development by cooking cocoa butter in a granite coffee pot on his wife's stove.

You can't make real key lime pie without a whole lotta key limes

There is nothing like homemade

All dressed up with its marshmallow cream top

Key Lime pancakes - my family is BEGGING for these again. Definitely a recipe to check out if you like key limes or pancakes. The batter has graham cracker in it which makes them super tasty