A recipe now enjoyed world wide originating in the

Florida Keys and Key West . . . Key Lime Pie . . .

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
6 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons grated lime zest
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 to 5 limes)

For the topping:
1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Thin lime wedges and blackberries

Preparation / Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl. Press into a 9-inch pyrex pie pan, making sure the sides and the bottom are an even thickness. Bake for 10 minutes until firm and golden. Allow to cool completely.
For the filling, beat the egg yolks and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 5 minutes, until thick. With the mixer on medium speed, add the condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour into the baked pie shell and freeze.

For the decoration, beat the heavy cream on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until firm. Spoon or pipe decoratively onto the pie and decorate with lime and black berries. Freeze for several hours or overnight.

Note: If you have concerns about raw eggs, combine the yolks with 1/2 cup of the lime juice used in the recipe in a double boiler. Whisk constantly over medium heat until the mixture reaches 140 degrees. Use in place of the raw egg yolks, remembering to add the remaining 1/4 cup of lime juice to the filling mixture along with the condensed milk and zest.

(Recipe courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa - Ina Gartner)

You can now create scrapbook pages directly on the Carnival Cruises website . . . www.carnival.com . . . lots of fun and neat ideas . . . check it out . . .

One of the Carnival Freedom dining rooms . . . the Sun King Dining Room . . . just a sneak peak!

About the Carnival Freedom . . . here and there . . . this and that . . . interesting factoids from the internet . . . it all start's with an architects vision, "Freedom"; a mosaic commemorating the Carnival builds at the famous Italian shipyards, "Fincantieri"; and the end result a beautiful floating palace, lovely day or night . . .

Carnival pre-cruise online shopping . . . yes, they've thought of everything . . . you can get tank tops pre-printed . . . and have bon bons ready for the bon voyage . . . a chocolate fun ship!

Grand Cayman, Seven Mile Beach . . . so serene and peaceful by the sea . . . sun, surf and sand . . . total relaxation . . .

Key West . . . come as you are . . . so much to see and do . . . (pictured above the Truman Little White House) . . . and the shopping . . . Towels Key West, Maskerville Feathercrafts, Key West Candy Company, Grafitti, Wings of Imagination, and Flaming Maggies to name a few . . . and if you get hungry there are many exceptional restaurants for a quick bite to eat or a full gourmet meal such as: Parrotdise, Crabby Dicks, La Te Da, Rooftop Cafe, Mangoes, and of course Atlantic Shores (for boy watching and buffet) . . . so looking forward to this port of call . . .

The famous Carnival Cruise Lines, Whale's Tail . . . the trademark of Carnival Cruise Lines . . . red, white and blue . . . the "fun ships" . . . Carnival Cruise Lines is a cruise line operating a large number of cruise ships. Originally an independent company founded in 1972 by Ted Arison, it is now a branded divsion of the Carnival Corporation a publicly traded company which owns a number of different cruise lines such as Princess, Costa, Holland America and others. Carnival was a pioneer in the concept of cruising for a holiday not just transportation to a destination.

Some pictures of the Carnival Freedom . . . up close and personal . . . I love the one from the top of the waterslide . . . for those of you who sailed with us on the Costa Fortuna you will notice the similarities between this boat and the Freedom . . .

Thank You Everyone!

• We are all booked on the Carnival Freedom ... Balcony Stateroom Empress Deck ... starboard near the back ... Thanks Vacations to Go ... Marlene
• We are all booked on Northwest for our flight from Detroit to Fort Lauderdale, Florida ... we are going down several days prior to the cruise .... Thanks Priceline ...
• We are all booked at our hotel in Fort Lauderdale ... the Fort Lauderdale Grande Hotel and Yacht Club ... Tower room facing the pool and downtown Fort Lauderdale ... Thanks Priceline ...

Now we just have to count the days till . . . Key West, Jamaica, and Grand Cayman . . . sea, sun, and sand . . .

More great deals ... air and hotel from Priceline ... you just can't beat these prices ... hotel for $109 per night in a 4 star luxury hotel on the water with pool and within walking distance to the cruise port and the beach ... plus a water taxi docks right at the hotel which you can ride to Las Olas Blvd and the stores ... plus return air for two from Detroit to FTL for $558 total for two economy ... Wow!

Carnival considers cruise ship dining to be an extremely important part of a cruise vacation and to that end world-renowned chef/restaurateur will create a series of one-of-a-kind dishes to be served aboard the Carnival Freedom. “Georges Blanc Signature Selections” will include a wide variety of gourmet appetizers, entrees and desserts to be served in Carnival’s main dining rooms and Lido restaurants, as well as the reservations-only supper clubs featured on select “Fun Ships.”

Carnival Freedom . . . top deck . . . water, water, water . . . slides, pools, and liquid refeshments . . .

Movies at Night on the Carnival Freedom . . .

Our accomodations will be in a verandah (balcony) stateroom . . . Empress Deck . . . perfect for two "old" queens . . . on the starboard side near the back of the ship . . . in the 743? series of staterooms . . .

Carnival Freedom . . . the ship's stats . . .

Carnival Freedom Inaugural: March 5, 2007

Shipyard: Fincantieri

Approximate cost: $500 million

Registered: Panama

Speed: 22.5 knots

Gross registered tonnage: 110,000

Length: 952’

Width: 116’

Maximum draft: 27’

Guest capacity: 2,974

Crew size: 1,160

Guest Decks: 13

Elevators: 18

Staterooms: 1,487

Penthouse Suites: 10

Suites: 42

Oceanview with balcony: 504

Oceanview without balcony: 343

Oceanview with glass wall (family): 18

Accessible staterooms: 28

Basically the Carnival Freedom is identical to the Costa Fortuna we sailed on last year . . . other than it has a Carnival spin on the interior design of the principal public areas and staterooms . . . so we shouldn't get lost . . . ha, ha, ha . . .

Turtle Beach, Ocho Rios, Jamaica "one love" . . .

Ocho Ríos (also known by the nickname Ochie), Spanish for Eight Rivers, is a town on the northern coast of Jamaica, located in the parish of St. Ann. It is a popular tourist destination, well known for scuba diving and other water sports. Ocho Rios is one of the fastest growing towns in the Caribbean with a population of about 96,000 people.

Ocho Rios was once a fishing village until it was discovered and is now a popular tourist destination in the Caribbean as well as a famous stop for cruise ships going into the Caribbean. It is only second in importance to the tourism industry of Jamaica. It is also a famous destination for beachcombers such as Donna Summer and Keith Richards.

Ocho Ríos is also known as the home of Dunn's River Falls. This is a popular attraction that is visited by thousands of visitors each year. Dunn's River Falls cascades down approximately 695 feet into the sea. Visitors take pleasure in 'climbing' the falls, which are fed by springs located in the hills above, as the water rushes around them. The water at Dunn's River is very warm.

Last time we were here it rained all day and kind of spoiled our trip to Dunn's River Falls so we are hoping going in September we will get sunny, warm weather and be able to really enjoy the experience . . .