Little Lemon Tassies and an Award

Our Relief Society is having a quilting bee this evening (I know - isn't that so quaint and cute?), and everyone was asked to bring little treats to snack on while we quilt. I had about half a can of sweetened condensed milk in the fridge left over from when I made Ranch Bean Soup. This milk was, of course, not left in the can, but stored properly in a plastic container. Foods go bad faster when you leave them in the can, and that leads to throwing away food, which isn't frugal at all!

But I digress. I tossed together a few ingredients and came up with these delicious little tarts. I've used this crust before, and am always pleased with the results. Usually we just fill the tarts with jam, but I wanted something a little more special (and something that used the sweetened condensed milk).

Little Lemon Tassies
Crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 large egg

Filling:
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour and sugar, cut in butter, and stir in egg until a dough forms. Press dough into bottom and up sides of miniature muffin tin (makes 24). Set aside.

For filling, mix sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice until well-combined. Spoon into little crusts, about 1-2 tsp. filling per crust.

Bake at 350 for ... um ... I don't really know how long I baked these. I just went until the crust and the filling were nicely browned. Just keep an eye on them, I guess.

These are delicious little treats. I won't admit to too much, but I will say that not all 24 of these little babies are going to make it to the quilting bee this evening. :-)



On to the award!

I want to thank Barbara from Barbara Bakes for giving me this Smile Award. I just recently found Barbara's blog, and was absolutely smitten with her Surprise Cookies - beautiful chocolate cookies topped with marshmallows and chocolate frosting. Now I like her blog even more!

Characteristics for the Smile Award:
1. Must display a cheerful attitude. (not necessarily at all times--we are all human)
2. Must love one another
3. Must make mistakes
4. Must learn from others
5. Must be a positive contributor to blog world
6. Must love life
7. Must love kids

These are the rules:
1. The recipient must link back to the award's creator (http://www.thebabblingsofmere.blogspot.com/)
2. You must post these rules if you receive the award.
3. You must chose 5 people to receive the award after receiving it yourself
4. You must fit the characteristics of the recipient of the award, as posted by Mere.
5. You must post the characteristics of a recipient.
6. You must create a post sharing your win with others.
7. You must thank your giver.

It's nice to know that my blog is being read and enjoyed, and that it makes someone smile. It sure makes me smile to create all the foods and posts that I do.

Here are my nominees for the Smile Award:

1. Stephanie of A Year of CrockPotting - This is the coolest blog ever! Stephanie made a New Year's Resolution to use her crock pot every day in 2008, and so far she's made it 204 days. She never fails to post her recipes and experiences with them, good or bad. And whether the dish turned out fantastic or terrible (most of them turn out great), her posts always make me smile!

2. Bakerella - Bakerella makes the cutest cupcake pops in the blogosphere! Not only does she make all sorts of cute cake ball treats, but so many other delicious baked delights. Every time she posts something new, there is definitely a smile on my face.

3. Michelle of Fabulous Food! - Michelle does something called Around the World - every week she features a menu of dishes from a different country. She has featured Austria, England, France, and Germany. I can't wait to see where she'll take us next!

4. Drew of How to Cook Like Your Grandmother - Drew uses real ingredients to make real foods. He also posts step-by-step instructions and frequent tutorial videos to make sure that anyone who reads his blog will be able to cook just like a Grandmother. He's got a fun sense of humor that permeates his posts and always makes me smile.

5. Jeanette of Jeanette's Kitchen - Jeanette is a woman after my own heart. Her recipes are simple and delicious, just the type of recipes I grew up with, and still enjoy today. She has two kids, the same ages as mine, so I know that her recipes are going to be little-kid-friendly. That makes me smile!

One more picture to smile about: