No Bake Lemon ice box pie

Betty Crocker recipes have always been a go to for me when I need an easy and family friendly dessert.  I have her cookbook from the sixties which I received at my bridal shower.  Her recipes always are easy to follow.  

Enjoy!

Here’s another great summer pie to cool you off.  Light and refreshing this lemon pie requires no baking and can be easily made.

You might even like to take it to a summer pot luck.  Everyone seems to love lemon.

I topped it with Cool whip and dusted it with graham cracker crumbs and a garnish of lemon slices.

Please Note:

I do not use unsalted butter so I do not use additional salt if recipe call for it.

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 1/2cups graham cracker crumbs (10 to 12 whole crackers) 
• 1/4cup packed light or dark brown sugar 
• Pinch of salt 
• 6tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 

Filling

• 8oz cream cheese, softened 
• 1can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk 
• 1/2cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 
• 1tablespoon grated lemon peel
  
  

Note:

1- 8 oz. Container Cool whip or 1 pt. Of beaten heavy cream( optional) to top the pie if desired,

In a medium bowl, mix Crust ingredients. Press evenly into ungreased 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate 1 hour.

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In large bowl, beat Filling ingredients until smooth. Spread evenly in crust. Refrigerate 6 hours or until set.

Serve plain or with whipped topping,

Adapted from Betty Crocker 

Caesar chicken

1. I had saved this recipe from a while ago and while I was grocery shopping yesterday I bought the chicken ,croutons and Caesar dressing( I bought lite Caesar) so after reading the recipe I knew I had to add some ingredient to make it creamy,  FYI I added 1 tsp. Mayonnaise using a whisk to my 1/2 cup lite Caesar dressing and it made it just perfect) .
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4. Fresh green beans, tomato, cucumber and sweet onion with oil and vinegar to complement this meal.  It was delicious!
5. ****The recipe below is from all recipes.com and I made half of this recipe.

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• 1/2 cup Caesar salad croutons, crushed

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

  
  

  Crush croutons, add cheese and melted butter in a medium storage bag..  Set aside.

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  4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (1 1/2 to 2 pounds total)

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup creamy Caesar salad dressing

• 1/3 cup sour cream

• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour

• chopped fresh parsley to taste for garnish

  
  

  If chicken breasts are thick using a mallet pound until desired thickness.

  
  

  Whisk dressing , sour cream and flour together.

  
  

  Coat chicken with dressing mix and place in a sprayed baking dish.

  
  

  Top with crushed croutons and bake in 375° oven uncovered for approximately 25 to 30 minutes depending on thickness of chicken and topping of chicken is browned..  **** chicken should not be pink inside.

  
  

  Note:  if your chicken breasts are larger it may take longer to bake.  *** my chicken breasts are usually pounded thin.

  
  

  An instant read thermometer inserted in center should read 165°.

Adapted from All recipes 

Peanut butter Pretzel crust chocolate pie

This pie was made with a store bought pretzel crust to save time and fewer steps to make a quicker dessert.

ENJOY!

• 1cup finely crushed mini pretzels (about 3 cups) 
• 1/4cup packed brown sugar 
• 1/2cup butter, melted 

Filling

• 1box (6-serving size) chocolate instant pudding and pie filling mix 
• 2cups cold milk 
• 3/4cup creamy peanut butter 

Topping

• 1 1/2cups (from 8-oz container) Cool Whip frozen whipped topping, thawed 
• 1tablespoon creamy peanut butter 
• 1tablespoon chocolate-flavor syrup 
• 3/4cup (from 8-oz bag) Reese's peanut butter cups miniatures, unwrapped

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Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix Crust ingredients. Press mixture against bottom and side of pie plate. Refrigerate 10 minutes.

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In large bowl, beat pudding mix and milk with whisk 2 minutes. Beat in 1/4 cup of the peanut butter. Let stand 5 minutes.

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In small microwavable bowl, microwave 1/2 cup peanut butter uncovered on High in 15-second increments until thin enough to spread. Spread warmed peanut butter over chilled crust. Pour chocolate pudding mixture into chilled crust; spread evenly. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours.

4

Just before serving, spread whipped topping on top of pie. In small microwavable bowl, microwave 1 tablespoon peanut butter uncovered on High in 15-second increments until thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle warmed peanut butter and chocolate syrup on top of whipped topping. Top with peanut butter cups. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie.

Adapted from Betty Crocker 

Interesting facts on Paprika

My interest in varying types of paprika have made me do a post on it.  I really like to add paprika to several of my dishes.

FYI:

Paprika is a spice made from dried, ground red peppers from the species capsicum annuum. Peppers from this group include everything from sweet bell peppers to spicy hot chilis. Native to Mexico, these peppers were brought to Spain in the 16th century.

A few meals using Paprika 

Hamburger and fried potatoes.  Add 1to 2 tsp. For enhanced flavor a color.

Baked Chicken

Add paprika to your basic seasonings to give it a slight bite and awesome flavor and color.

Paprika 

• Pepper Selection: To start, specific types of peppers are used for making paprika. Although these peppers belong to the same family as bell peppers, they differ in shape and size, being longer and thinner. Interestingly, different varieties of peppers can lead to different types of paprika, thus adding to its versatility.
• Pepper Drying: Once the peppers are picked at the right time, they are subjected to a drying process. This step can involve sun-drying, smoke-drying, or oven-drying, each contributing its unique touch to the final taste of the paprika. For instance, the much-loved smoked paprika is made by smoke-drying the peppers, giving it a robust, smoky flavor that sets it apart.

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• Pepper Grinding: After the drying process, the peppers are crushed into a powder, resulting in the final product we know as paprika.

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2. Sweet Paprika: Also known as Hungarian sweet paprika, it’s mainly made from sweet, mild peppers, and is the national spice of Hungary. This type of paprika provides a rich, sweet flavor without the heat, making it a popular choice for various dishes.

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2. Hot Paprika: Hot paprika, as the name suggests, brings a spicy kick to dishes. It includes chili peppers in its ingredients, providing a more fiery flavor compared to its sweet counterpart.
3. Smoked Paprika: Smoked paprika or Spanish pimenton provides a deep, smoky flavor to dishes thanks to the smoke-drying process the peppers undergo. It’s used in dishes like paella for its robust flavor.