Thursday, July 2, 2015

Key Lime Pie to Celebrate FATAL RESERVATIONS #recipe #giveaway


LUCY BURDETTE: Yippee! Yippee! This week finally marks the publication of Hayley Snow's sixth adventure, FATAL RESERVATIONS. If you started reading this series from the beginning, you might remember Hayley's first visit to the Key West police department. She insisted that she couldn't have delivered a poisoned Key lime pie to the victim because she was afraid of meringue. 

In other words, I was afraid of meringue...

this is one sheet
Since then, Hayley and I have both matured. And we decided to make our first Key lime pie topped with meringue to celebrate FINAL RESERVATIONS. We are also offering one book to a lucky commenter today, so read the post all the way to the bottom to be entered in the drawing.

This recipe is not difficult, but there are a number of steps so read carefully before beginning. (It's not so different from writing a novel--just takes a little planning and a touch of patience, and everything comes together...)

Ingredients for the crust

10 sheets of graham crackers, should measure 1 1/4 cups
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Whir the graham crackers in a food processor until they make fine crumbs. Mix in the sugar and the butter. Press the mixture using the back of a spoon into your nine or 10 inch pie plate. Nine is probably better as my pie was a little low. Bake the crust at 350 for 10 minutes until it starts to brown. Remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 325.

Ingredients for the filling

1/2 cup key lime or lime juice, freshly squeezed
Four egg yolks
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons grated lime zest

Squeeze the limes until you have 1/2 cup of juice. (4-5 regular limes, more key limes.) Make sure to strain out the seeds. 


 


Whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in the sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and lime zest.  







 

Add the filling to the pie crust and bake for six minutes. Remove from the oven and set this aside while you make your meringue.

 



Ingredients for the meringue

Four egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
One half teaspoon vanilla

Using a clean bowl and mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until they hold soft peaks. Gradually beat in the sugar until the egg whites hold stiff peaks and appear shiny but not dry. Beat in the vanilla. 


 
Attach the meringue to the hot pie, beginning by adding globs all around the edge of the crust and smoothing them into a circle. (That's the  technical culinary term--add globs.) 

Then add remaining meringue to the center and smooth or shape into peaks as desired. Bake the pie for another 20 minutes. Cool on a rack. Refrigerate until serving.

And now serve yourself a nice piece of pie and start reading...

 
Fatal Reservations is available wherever books are sold, including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Independent bookstores, and Books-a-Million. 

To be entered in today's drawing, leave a comment about a cooking fear you'd like to overcome...and don't forget your email!



86 comments:

  1. My husband's mother was THE cook by who all family standards were set...so I'd love to overcome the fear that no matter what I try, it won't measure up. So I need to not be afraid to try, and if they don't like it, it's no big deal...jeaniedannheim ( at ) ymail ( dot ) com

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  2. Thank you for posting this recipe. Key lime pie is one of my favorites! My greatest cooking/baking fear is actually meringue toppings. They never turn out like my mom or grandma's used to. servedogmom@yahoo.com

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  3. A cooking fear? My fears come from making a delicious three course meal with all the decorations for family and friends, and...the prime rib roast is way too under cooked...bloody. It seems my oven is unpredictable. kat8762@aol.com

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  4. I don't have any cooking fear; I know there are foods I do not like to cook because I never cook them right, like artichokes.
    jslbrown2009 at aol dot com

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  5. My cooking fear....I have never been able to do pie crusts. I can't seem to roll out the dough evenly and end up with too thick spots on one end and too thin with holes in another. So I just bake cookies or cupcakes instead of pies Kuzlin at AOL.com

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    1. Easiest way to get an evenly rolled out pie crust that is also round is to start with a ball of dough and then being by rolling twice. Then give the dough a quarter turn and roll twice again. Keep rolling twice and doing quarter turns until the dough is the right thickness. You need to make sure your surface is well floured through the process.

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  6. Steak, being vegetarian I can never seem to cook it right (I can manage a roast okay .. bit not steak!). dragonsteeluk@gmail.com

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  7. My fear of cooking is the dish won't be cook correctly or if the food tastes good, someone will complain.

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  8. To be able to cook good pork chops.

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  9. Be able to make good pork chops.
    patti.s@comcast.net

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  10. My fear in cooking is of not getting the scheduling right. You all know what I mean, nothing comes together at the same time.

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  11. This pie sounds delicious! My cooking fear is, well, cooking. LOL. I love baking, but am not a great cook. I can make a few good things. My husband is the better cook. :-) Thanks for the chance to win. I love this series. Dnrocker@yahoo.com

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  12. Cornbread. suefoster109@netzero.net

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  13. Biscuits.....they've been my nemesis since I was in 4-H. When I took Home Ec in High School and we studied quick breads, I was put in the group that was making biscuits and you guessed it, they didn't turn out! dbahn@iw.net

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  14. Using the torch on the top of a creme brulee. I love that dessert, but cannot make it because the thought of taking a torch to the top of it freaks me out. Eva_biediger@hotmail.com

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  15. I love to entertain, but while my best friend does it so effortlessly, my food isn't all ready at the same time and I usually forget something, despite making a list and cooking all day! :) vgeslak@yahoo.com

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  16. Canning. My mother (a dear woman and a wonderful cook) for some reason put such a fear in me about the danger of botulism when I was a little girl that I've never been able to try it, even when my own kids were in 4H and wanted to try canning some veggies to enter in the annual fair. Just can't do it. :) rencw@verizon.net.

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  17. It's not really a fear to overcome, it's a failure to overcome. Merinque! My granny made the best chocolate merinqute pies. The merinques were always tall and beautiful. She beat the egg whites by hand. My mother never had much luck. The meringue would just pull away from the sides of the pie and be a little blop in the center. My meringues at least cover the pie. They look nice and tall and golden until I pull them from the overn to cool and then they lose their height. Another failure I'd love to overcome is pie crust. I have never been able to make pie crust from scratch. All I get is a mess.

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  18. My cooking fear is that I would have over friends for Dinner & something wouldn't be cooked all the way & they would end up getting sick. Thanks for this great Giveawat & Happy 4th of July. Linda May

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  19. Divinity. My dad was a great candy maker. At Christmas, he would make candy for all of the family and friends. He always made it look so easy. I have been able to make most of the candies he did, but divinity always scares me. It's that hardball stage thing.

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  20. Congratulations on the new book baby!
    I love key lime pie, with or without the topping.
    My cooking challenge is pudding. Can you imagine? I can cook most anything, but homemade pudding doesn't want to "pud". It stays soupy.
    I have the same challenge with Welsh Rarebit. It won't firm up.

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  21. I am also fearful of meringue, and as a child, I was not keen on its taste often scraping it off and just devouring the filling...Meyer lemon mostly. But my pallet has matured and so has my cooking skill. Key-lime pie? Oh, such a treat, and add a nice French-pressed coffee for a summer delight! kat8762@aol.com

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  22. I cannot cook fish to save my life. I live in Florida. How sad is that? (not the living in Florida part :) )

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  23. One of the boys that fell into our clutches (my son's friend who we've brought into the Collective) is a C.I.A. trained baker. His yearly tithe to the Thanksgiving dinner always includes a Key Lime Pie, just for ME. I guess It's now my turn to learn how to make one and have him taste test it.

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  24. Would like to make better pork chops. Mine are always dry.

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  25. Well, Lucy/Roberta (and Haley), you aren't afraid of meringue, anymore! Pie crust is difficult, for me, but I might be able to do a good job with this graham cracker crust. I'm looking forward to Fatal Reservations...love the series! patucker54 (at aol dot com)

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  26. I love to cook and bake, and have since I was a child due to my mother's love of cooking and teaching all three of her daughters. I had at least 800 cookbooks at one time and LOTS of recipe cards (long before computer files) and even wrote about food in a newspaper column/columns for years. But I still had one fear if you want to call it that. Once a year, we have a family gathering where I serve prime rib. I mean a whole prime rib or something two. Most everyone likes it rare to medium rare but one member of the family wants his well done. So, I always fear that the rare won't be rare enough and that the one family member will have an entire prime rib to his liking compared to the rest of us. Thank goodness for meat thermometers and being able to finish cooking a big piece for our non rare meat lover.

    Meringue is not a problem but you must have sparkling clean beaters and no egg yolk that got into them.

    Will make a key lime pi later todaye with my grandkids who are here for the day.

    Cynthia
    ceblain(AT)tmlponline(DOT)net

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  27. It is not really a fear, but I want to tackle Julia Child 's Bouef bourguignon from her Mastering the Art of French Cooking" to me that whole cookbook is intimidating.

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  28. Pie crusts are my worst fear---I've never been able to make a good one!
    suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

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  29. My cooking fear is pie. My mother was a self proclaimed pie expert and I didn't care for her pies, and generally avoided pies. My friend wanted to go to a pie shoppe for lunch so I went, ordered pie, and fell in love. Now, I'd like to try my had at them, but don't know where to start.

    llcejka at gmail dot com

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  30. Macarons. I'm afraid of piping and almond flour and ensuing mess. Maybe for Christmas.

    kadiebleu-at-gmail-dot-com

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  31. Cream Puffs. I really want to make them, but then I read the instuctions and there are so many important steps. And then you have to pipe in the filling! The pie looks great!! I love this series thanks for the giveaway!!!! :)
    magicgirl2357@yahoo.com

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  32. Thanks for the Key Lime Pie recipe. I am pretty good indoor cook. My cooking fear is cooking on our gas grill. I always make other family members do any grilling.
    Bettyjo.English@gmail.com

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  33. Thanks for the Key Lime Pie recipe. I am pretty good indoor cook. My cooking fear is cooking on our gas grill. I always make other family members do any grilling.
    Bettyjo.English@gmail.com

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  34. Thanks for the Key Lime Pie recipe. I am pretty good indoor cook. My cooking fear is cooking on our gas grill. I always make other family members do any grilling.
    Bettyjo.English@gmail.com

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  35. Pat (patdupuy@yahoo.com)July 2, 2015 at 11:04 AM

    Fried chicken. Last tried to make it probably 40+ years ago. The outside would look good but the inside would be raw. So, will continue to ignore it or eat out!

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  36. My fear of cooking is making homemade bread. I have always wanted to make bread and all kinds of rolls. I guess the more you try this the better you get at it. I'm still trying to get better. crossxjo@hotmail.com

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  37. I don't really have a fear of cooking, but I am sometimes hesitate to try new recipes if they look complicated.

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  38. My fear is in cooking fish. I don't eat fish, myself, but the rest of my family does and I would love to be able to make different dishes involving fish for them.
    Bski92@gmail.com

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  39. Key lime pie is a perfect summer dessert. Thanks for sharing the great recipe. My biggest cooking fear is making homemade bread. I am good at baking cookies and cakes but I just can't seen to bake a good loaf of bread.
    bhometchko(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  40. I do believe my biggest cooking fear is making Mexican dishes. For one reason or another they just never taste the way I want them to taste! betty6931@fuse.net

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  41. My biggest cooking fear is using a pressure cooker. When I was little I remember it blowing up on my dad, potatoes on the ceiling lol I have never wanted to buy one or use one because of that. darholley1(at)aol(dot)con

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    1. Darlene, there are better than ever safety features built into pressure cookers now. Go get one and have fun cooking!

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  42. My biggest cooking fear is grilling. Of course at my house it was a man's job. So my dad or brother were the ones who manned the grill. This pie looks delicious and congratulations on your release.
    angelhwk68@yahoo.com

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  43. I confess that I've always been afraid to make meringue! I love meringue & I'm very tempted to try your recipe - thanks!
    sharonbabyme@yahoo.com

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  44. Thanks for the recipe. My grandmother made lemon meringue pie with what looked like about as much effort as me making a piece of toast. My mother made eclairs the same way, looked so easy. I'd like to stop worrying that I can't do that.

    No need to enter me in the contest :-)

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  45. I share a fear of meringue with Haley. I will still opt for whipped cream topping for my cream pies to avoid making it.

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  46. I admit it, I have a fear of frying. You read that right: frying. Splatters; what to do with all that oil...eek!

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  47. I have yet to achieve an omelet! No matter how hard I try, follow instructions, watch video techniques, I still manage to bugger it up! :( Maybe someday the omelet fairie will take pity and make my wish come true!

    Kathleen Bylsma h5apby@yahoo.com

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  48. Baking a define cake which would be moist, tasty and delectable. Love this pie since it is my ultimate favorite. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  49. My biggest fear is the meringue ! It never cones out right or it gets to brown. I have no problems baking anything else.

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  50. Being proficient in baking an apple pie. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  51. Sounds like a good recipe to try. I make my husband's favorite lemon meringue pie at least yearly. Not afraid of meringue- only had it fail once & that's because I used an ancient can of cream of tartar!
    The books are fun.

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  52. THE KITCHEN! Can not cook meats to temperature and sauces are runny or congeal. Oh, my cake bake great until I let them rest. The cake deflates, sticks to the pan and unable to serve for bake sale. But, it is delish enough to keep for us. Scared to death of a fryer or a pressure cooker. Have tried them several times, but have been burned by both. I can go on and on. I can cook some. We are not starving. But just not a chef or comfortable in the kitchen.

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  53. This is not really a fear, but I refuse to separate eggs so I won't make anything that requires that. I know it's ridiculous but...
    meeshpsych@aol.com

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  54. I don't like cooking anything slimy like Liver......but this looks delicious above and the best I have ever had was in Florida on the Ocean...Thank you for the giveaway...
    Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com

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  55. Perfect key lime pie recipe. Made it before.

    Would love to win! Get spammed leaving my email so will contact you if I win.

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  56. I can't cook anything over open flame..was burned when younger and really have a hard time even grilling..email is greeneyes2755@yahoo.com
    thx.

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  57. My cooking fear is making meringue! I've never been brave enough to try it...it just looks difficult. Besides, if truth be told, I really don't like meringue. I really like key lime pie and will definitely try this recipe. cking78503@aol.com

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  58. Gravy is my downfall. Runny, lumpy, whatever.
    deepotter@peoplepc.com

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  59. Guess that would still have to be a souffle that doesn't fall. Flat ones just don't look pretty and they sure don't taste that great either! LOL mtrver@gmailcom

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  60. Key lime is my favorite! Congratulations on the new release. Love this series! Cooking fear.... I'm always overly critical of myself if I follow a recipe. Always worry I'll mess something up.
    Scouts579 (at) aol (dot) com

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  61. If I'm being honest, I'm not much of a cook, and fortunately (for the others) I live alone and don't have to worry about much more than popping a pizza in the oven! lol Having said that, new recipes I may try sometimes scare me, if I'm not sure how it's supposed to look. I need to know what the final product looks like, otherwise I'm worried I'm not doing something right. (Especially if it has steps that involve something I am unfamiliar with.)

    kidisitor@yahoo.com

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  62. I like to eat, but I have many cooking fears. I tend to stick to simple recipes and would like to get more daring! robin.christofaro@yahoo.com

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  63. My cooking fear is fish. I am always afraid I won't cook it correctly and someone will get sick.

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  64. Fried eggs are usually a fail. I like them over cooked. Hubby wants over easy. We eat scrambled eggs most of the time. Bobbipad@gmail.com

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  65. I need to learn to bbq. Congrats on the new release.
    lhallson@shaw.ca

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  66. I fear I have is boiling milk too much for a recipe and having it curdle. The pie looks delicious!
    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

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  67. The pressure cooker was my biggest fear! I had visions of tomato sauce all over the ceiling... But one day I just put a roast I the pot sealed the lid and cooked for 50 minutes to produce the best piece of meat I ever have eaten!

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  68. i would love to overcome the fear of making bread with yeast!

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  69. Mine is the pressure cooker. I was in my first foster home and the mother had the pressure cooker going and it exploded while i was in there. Terrible so whenever my hubby uses one i go outside until he is done and he tells me when he is ready to fire up . He knows the fear of them i have.

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  70. I made a major mess while trying to make bread in my bread maker. Raw dough went into every mechanism and the machine was smoking. It got all cleaned out but I'm really leery about ever using it again. areewekidding@yahoo.com

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  71. I made meringue once, almost 30 years ago, for pies that I brought to a church picnic. They were weepy and sad, and I never claimed them as mine. I need to try again, because this recipe sounds delicious.
    mgb1965 (at) gmail.com Thanks for the chance to win!

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  72. I think I am afraid to try to make cheesecake again. I've tried and it just doesn't come out right. I don't want to totally give up and buy the pre-made stuff but I shy away from ever making cheesecake at all.
    pattymarsh31@gmail.com

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  73. Thank you so much for this recipe! This may end up being the dessert for this 4th of July. My fear when it comes to cooking is grilling. It's kind of sad since my mom is the grill mistress of the family. Thanks for the chance to win.

    robbfan141729@yahoo.com

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  74. I think I still have the biggest problems with meat, getting it done right and not tough. Thanks for the recipe! And the chance to win!

    ElaineE246 at msn dot com

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  75. Yummy recipe. Thanks for the giveaway.
    jawdance@yahoo.com

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  76. The fear I most want to overcome is deep frying. I have always felt wary of hot splattering oil.
    little lamb lst at yahoo dot com

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  77. i'm kind of scared of meringue myself!
    Woofmew@aol.com

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  78. Making anything that ends up under my nails - eww!

    Kellijo23@gmail.com

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  79. Afraid of making meringue too. Zeta@iwon.com

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  80. Thank you so much for sharing all your cooking concerns--you are all brave and we love having you visit Mystery Lovers Kitchen. Wouldn't it be fun if we were all in a giant cooking class and could learn every one of these recipes together?

    I wish I could give away a book to each of you, but I did randomly choose 2 names--Sue Foster and Abby Fabian. Hope you all enjoy Hayley's next adventure! xoxo

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