I was never a person who had a sweet tooth. I much prefer savory flavors over sweet. That being said, I went to Florida some years ago with my husband. It was the first real vacation we took together. The only other trip was the few days we went to northern Michigan for our honeymoon. We booked a cruise as a treat to ourselves after being married for 12 years and taking no real time for just the two of us. We became parents about 5 years after we got married, and that was a feat in and of itself, so we thoroughly enjoyed spending time with our son. We were never trying to get away from him, and found parenthood to be quite fulfilling for many years… as a teenager, raising him provides its challenges, but I still can find plenty to love about parenting him still. Anyway, I digress…

So, we booked a cruise, and planned on driving down to Florida, staying two nights in the Miami area, then embarking on our 5 night cruise to Turks and Caicos, the private Carnival Island, and the Bahamas. When we arrived at our hotel in Hollywood, Florida, we decided that we would stick around Miami that day, but head down to the Keys the next day. We didn’t realize how far Key West was from Miami until we brought up a map that night, but it was a beautiful drive so we still decided to go. We headed out early enough that we opted for breakfast on the road, at some random joint… We got to Key Largo, and saw a sign for Doc’s Diner. Hey, I love little hole-in-the-wall joints, because they typically have the best food! So we got breakfast, and my husband raved about their pancakes. Well, he STILL raves about their pancakes.

As we kept going, we were talking about what we would want to do in Key West, and at the top of my list was Willie T’s. I had watched some travel videos and Willie T’s kept coming up with their kitschy dollar bill decor, and the backstory, if true, sounded adorable! Also of note were their conch fritters. We heard they were delicious. We also both definitely wanted to get some Key Lime Pie in the Keys, meaning a trip to Key West Key Lime Pie Co.

When we arrived, we parked on Duval Street, got out, and started strolling. It was a great day to walk breakfast off in anticipation of lunch! I absolutely fell in love with Key West. Having lived for plenty of years in Las Vegas with smaller stints working in Yellowstone National Park and on Mackinac Island, I was used to tourism, large crowds, and crazy traffic. I easily could, and would, move to Key West. Don’t think I didn’t look for teaching jobs for my husband. Yes, he was ideologically on board as well, though neither of us was serious.

As we sat down at Willie T’s, we ordered the conch fritters, and a couple of drinks. I had a $1 bill, so I asked for a marker and wrote a brief message on it and they gave me a stapler to staple it up. I absolutely love that I was able to take part in this cute little tradition. After absolutely enjoying the heck out of the food and drink, we slowly started meandering toward the Key West Key Lime Pie Co. When we arrived, we ordered two slices of Key Lime Pie, and went to enjoy them. I had never really had Key Lime Pie, certainly never having any that was noteworthy, but this? This was amazing! It wasn’t too sweet, it wasn’t too tart, it was amazing! I determined that I would have to learn to duplicate it as soon as we returned home.

 A great many of the dishes I have learned to make have come from things I have tried on vacation that I knew were going to be something I would want to have again and on the regular.

The first thing I typically do is find a base recipe (pretty much part of the process every time), but this time, I knew it would have to start with the right lime juice. I did a search, and everything I found pointed to Nellie and Joe’s Key West Key Lime juice (https://keylimejuice.com/)! I found a store in my area that had it and went and picked some up.

The next challenge would be to create the perfect crust. I knew that I had to add more dimension than just using a standard graham cracker crust. I pulverized some almond slices with the cracker crumbs. Then, I added my butter, a wee bit of sugar, and the smallest pinch of cinnamon. I followed the recipe on the lime juice bottle. But, I doubled it for one pie. I added a splash of vanilla. This helps to mild the bite on the lime a wee bit. I baked it until it stopped the sloppy wiggle in the middle. Then, I followed the ‘cool for 15 minutes on the stove top, then refrigerate’ instructions. I made my homemade whipped cream, sliced a lime, and waited until the pie was cool.

I had done it! I had made a delicious, not too tart, not too sweet, pie! It is something that I enjoy making, and only make it enough for it to still be a treat.