Happy Mothers Day!!

I hope that all your puggies wished you a very Happy Mother's Day.

We had our Mother's Day on Saturday. My kids and folks came over for brunch.

I made these!

Lemon Bars! They came from the Barefoot Contessa website. They were very very good and it made a lot. Here's the recipe in case you're too lazy to stroll on over to the Contessa's Castle. Lemon Bars (Makes 20 Squares or 40 Triangles)
Photo: James Merrell	For the crust: 1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt For the filling: 6 extra-large eggs at room temperature 3 cups granulated sugar 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons) 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 cup all-purpose flour Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

And then I made these!

Also a Contessa creation. These are yummo! They were moist and gooey. The best Macaroons I've ever eaten I got at a little candy stand in Mexico. They were huge and gooey and I've never seen them anywhere like this. These were very close. If you like coconut, try them! Coconut Macaroons (Makes 20 to 22 Cookies)
Photo: Maura McEvoy	14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, or two teaspoons. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve.

We barbequed some spicy Italian sausages. I had some German liver pate and crackers. The boys said it looked like dog food and wouldn't touch it. Mom made some saurerkraut and I tossed a simple salad.