The Covered Dish - Icebox Lemon Pie

We really have to stop meeting like this. Once again, I’m in my kitchen nook with a cup of decaf in my hand. Reflecting a bit on the past week, and the expectations for the next.
Realizing the days of Icebox Lemon Pie are quickly concluding, as the big round pumpkin closes the dog days of summer. I’m ready to return to my screened-in porch with a good book and a bit of downtime.
I felt the icebox pie might be a refreshing finale for our Labor Day weekend. Before the cinnamon and apples storm into play. This past weekend I made a refreshing shrimp pasta salad for both our home and our sons. For the first time I can ever remember my spouse, Ervin, didn’t care for the recipe. First, there was no recipe! It was simply roasted red peppers, green onions, black olives, spinach and a few sugar snap peas. All added to garlic sauteed shrimp, pasta and a basil enhanced Italian dressing. That’s where I ‘think’ I lost Ervin. There are a couple things he is not fond of, which I am, and that’s lots of fresh herbs in cooking. I’m sad he missed out but the rest of us had no problem enjoying the salad.
A quick tip for you from the shrimp pasta salad. I only had about 3/4 of a cup of Italian dressing left, I reached into the frig for a quick basil enhancer to add to the dressing. It didn’t increase the amount, but it did the flavor, which went ‘pop’. I shot about 2 tablespoons of the fresh ground basil into the Italian Dressing, blending it smooth with a few quick shakes. Because I was short on dressing I also rubbed my pasta with olive oil after a cold rinse and drain, it worked perfect.
Actually; my recipe for the lemon pie would have been a nice partner with the shrimp salad. Usually I do a traditional fresh made graham cracker crust for the dessert.
However; if you flip to page 187 in my 2nd cookbook there is an easy peezy pretzel crust you might like to try against the lemon. I’ll include it at the bottom of the lemon box pie directions.
School has started, it’s once again time for new beginnings, fresh starts and interesting routines. When you are tempted to be overwhelmed look at your expectations for the day and remove ‘something’, to make the day more stress free. Make breakfast for supper,
Grab a roasted hen from the grocer for dinner, bring back the grilled cheese and tomato soup. Lighten the load, read a book and take time for self. Ladies especially; remember good ole’ stress shows, it can age us faster than any a wrinkle ! Enough said let’s look at the pie! Simply Yours, The Covered Dish.

Icebox Lemon Pie
1 can (14 ozs.) sweetened condensed milk
2 (8 ounce pkgs.) softened cream cheese

1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1⁄2 of an 8 ounce container of whipped cream or
1 1⁄2 cups fresh whipped cream with 1⁄4 cup of sugar added
2 drops yellow food coloring, if desired
Crust
1 1⁄2 cups finely crumbled graham crackers
2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 tablespoons melted butter
Prepare crust in a standard 9 inch pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes and
allow to cool. While the crust is cooling, soften the cream cheese and begin to blend it
with the sweet condensed milk. When the mixture is quite smooth, add remaining
ingredients except for the whipped cream. Make sure there are no lumps in the blend.
With a rubber spatula turn in the whipped cream. Spoon this into the cooled graham
cracker crust. There should be enough to give your pie a mounded ‘peak’ look, so it’s not
flat!
Refrigerate for at least 7-8 hours, or it could also be frozen. If you freeze the dish be sure
and set it out a bit before serving to soften for cutting. Put a dollop of whipping cream on
at serving time, lemon zest, or a wedge of lemon with mint. If you’re needed dessert for
more than 8 people double the recipe and make it inside a 9 x 13 pan.
Pretzel crust
1 1⁄4 cups finely crumbled pretzels, good quality
1⁄4 cup white granulated sugar
1⁄4 cup melted butter
Prepare just like you would the graham cracker crust.