Lemonade Ice Cream Pie

     It's very hot in your kitchen.

     It's really hot and humid outside.

     You only have 10 minutes to make a refreshing dessert...(but have time to freeze it if needed)...

...and you're expecting company!

     It's easy to put food on the grill, to keep from heating up the kitchen with a hot oven or range, but what about dessert?

     For those of you who are whole foodies, or real food connoisseurs, this recipe is NOT for you. This contains 5 or 6 ingredients, depending on whether or not you make your own graham cracker crust.  None of these ingredients are "healthy" or "whole foods," except for the filtered water.  Sigh.

     I was preparing dinner recently for some friends who would be coming over to spend some time with us, and it was really hot outside.  We do have air conditioning, but during the hot days of summer, we really try to minimize our use of it.

     I had a hankering for a frozen lemony type of pie, but I couldn't find a recipe for it.  Someone, somewhere, at some time, had made a frozen lemon pie that was supposed to be very simple to make, yet very good.  Well, here it is!

     I decided to make a triple batch so that I could freeze the extra two pies and have them on hand for additional guests we'd have visiting us during the hot days of summer.  This was very handy, because we had unexpected out-of-town company a few days later, on a hot evening, and I had something appropriate to share with them!

Quick & Easy Lemonade Ice Cream Pie

• 1/3 cup Country Time powdered lemonade mix (regular or pink - it comes in a canister)
• 1/2 cup filtered water
• 1 pint softened vanilla ice cream (if tripling the recipe, just buy one "square" or "round" of regular ice cream)
• one 8-oz. container of Cool Whip
• 1 graham cracker pie crust (larger 9 oz. size)

     Stir the lemonade mix with the water in a large bowl until dissolved.  Add softened vanilla ice cream and stir until smooth.  It should have the consistency of Cool Whip or whipped cream.  Stir in the Cool Whip until combined.  Pour into pie shell and freeze at least four hours.



     I would like to try to redo this recipe so that it is much more healthful.  It's easy to decide to use 1 cup whipping cream and whip it stiffly to add to the pie, as well as making my own graham cracker crust with graham crackers and real butter, but I may have to work a bit in experimenting to get the lemon flavor consistent with organic evaporated cane juice crystals and organic lemon juice. 

     Maybe that will go on the list of "things to do after my children graduate from high school!"