Lemonade Pie

When I fix this, most people think it's cheesecake. It's so good and so easy! Great for summertime desserts!

1/2 cup cold water
1/3 cup lemonade drink mix
2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese
1 tub (8 oz.) whipped cream, thawed
1 graham cracker pie crust

Add water to drink mix in large bowl; stir until mix is dissolved. Add cream cheese. Beat with mixer until well blended. Add ice cream and blend. Spoon in whipped cream. Freeze, if necessary, until mixture is thick enough to mound. Spoon into crust. Freeze for 4 hours or until firm. Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving. Let stand at room temperature until pie can easily be cut.

Mama's Margaritas

Since it is National Margarita Day, I decided to take Mama's Daiquiri recipe and change it up a little. Mama's Margarita... in a Martini Glass! :-)

Judy’s Lemonade Margaritas

1 12oz can frozen Lemonade Concentrate
1 6oz can frozen Limeade Concentrate
1 liter Sprite
1 fifth Tequila

Mama's Method...

Mix ingredients in gallon pitcher. Freeze until slushy (at least 24 hours).To serve: Stir with large metal spoon (mixture will freeze on top, but the center will be soft). Spoon into plastic glass. Serve with 'spoonstraws'.


Optional Method (pictured)

Mix the lemonade, limeade and tequila in a gallon pitcher until well combined. Pour in Sprite slowly. Gently stir. Pour over ice into salt rimmed glasses. Garnish with a lime twist.

 Artland Polka-Dot 4-Pc. Martini Glass Set (Google Affiliate Ad)

4th of July at "The Cabin"

The Elliott family always has a big BBQ for the family reunion on the 4th of July. Years back it was held at "The Cabin", way back in the swamp behind my parent's and Grandparent's homes. Oh, the memories that it all brings back. The men would get together early in the morning and BBQ a whole hog over live coals. 

That's what we call a "Pig Pickin"!

The women would bring the side dishes. 

I remember Mama and I rolling lemons and making the fresh lemonade.

  At the end of the meal, you could hear

Cousin Mac yelling, "Ice Cream! Come get your ice cream!"

Cousins:

Some of this was before my time or I just missed out on the fun. My cousins, Kathy, Deepy and David remember most of this. I do remember the cabin and the hill going down to it. The hill was so steep that you couldn't see down it until you had crested the top. That hill could be fun, especially if it rained. More than once after a good rain storm, a car would come sliding sideways down it. One year, the kids were sliding down the hill. It was Deepy’s turn to slide. He started down the hill and Kathy noticed a car coming and hollered at Deepy to lay down. He did and the car ran over Deepy. One year, Cousin Kenneth was driving Uncle’s El Camino. He had Tommy, Deepy and David on the tailgate, when he hit a mud hole and threw them out the back.

There was Uncle Louie, who fell out the boat. 

He had to be towed back to the bank because

he was too big for them to pull back into the boat.

There was Cousin Ann trying to teach Kathy how to smoke...

After Daddy put in the pool at the house, we made it a tradition to go back to the house after the reunion and go swimming. Mama used to make a big plastic gallon pitcher full of her poolside lemonade in the summertime. She would put it in the freezer and it would turn to slush. It was like a lemon-lime daiquiri, but slushy not icy. She’d get her raft and a big glass of ‘Lemonade’ and float for hours.

One hot summer afternoon, Deepy and Charlie were swimming. Mama was floating on her raft soaking up the sun. Her lemonade was over by the side of the pool. Everybody was enjoying the water and the lemonade. About that time Charlie said, “Hey, Uncle!” Mama looked up and Uncle (Dargan, who never drank) was walking over to her glass. She paddled as hard as she could, but he already took a gulp. He set it down and said, “Now, that’s the best lemonade I’ve ever tasted! Got any more?” Mama said, “Well, thank you! But Sorry! That was the last glass!”

Mama in the poolhouse... Notice the yellow pitcher

in the freezer, that's her lemonade!

Judy’s Poolside Lemonade

1 12oz can frozen Lemonade Concentrate

1 6oz can frozen Limeade Concentrate

36 oz 7-Up

1 fifth Bacardi Rum

Mix ingredients in gallon pitcher. Freeze until slushy (at least 24 hours).
To serve: Stir with large metal spoon (mixture will freeze on top, but the center will be soft). Spoon into plastic glass.

Judy's Poolside Lemonade... perfect!

Spring Fever

Since we brought our new dog home, I've had no choice but to spend more time outside. YAY! She is a German Pointer and is very laid back, but she really needs a lot of exercise so she doesn't get bored. I haven't been able to cook as much as I'd like, but I've started taking the camera out on our walks. I've been stopping to take a good look around the yard and the fields, noticing what's in bloom and what's budding out... Yesterday I took pictures of the Lemon Balm growing around my fish pond...

If you have your own lemon balm, here are a few recipes for it's use...

Lemon Balm Butter

6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons lemon balm, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped

Combine the butter, lemon balm and chives. Using a piece of waxed paper to help mould, shape into a log. Cover and refrigerate overnight to blend the flavours. May be frozen. Use on seafood or vegetables.

Lemon Balm Spread 

Combine 1/4 cup finely chopped lemon balm leaves, 1 teaspoon lemon rind and   8 oz cream cheese. Use on crackers or to stuff celery sticks.

Lemon Balm Lemonade 

1/2 cup sugar 

3 lemons
1 1/4 cups boiling water
2 large sprigs lemon balm

Peel the rind thinly from the lemons and add, with the sugar, to the boiling water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and then add the chopped leaves of lemon balm. Cool, then add the freshly squeezed juice of the lemons. Stir well, strain and chill. Dilute to taste with chilled seltzer or soda water and garnish with the lemon curls. Serves 2.

Honey and Lemon Balm Biscuits 

1 cup butter
1 cup honey
3 eggs
3 cups self-raising flour
1 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
4 springs lemon balm, chopped


Cream the butter with the honey, add eggs, beat well. Add remaining ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake 8-10 minutes at 425 degrees.


Other interesting uses and facts:



It helps relieve anxiety attacks, palpitations with nausea, mild insomnia and phobias, and when used as a sedative it is good for children. It combines well with peppermint to stimulate circulation, and can also be used for colds and flu and is most effective in the early stages of a cold. The tea is used to treat headaches and tiredness, mild depression, laryngitis, colic and dizziness, and is reputed to enhance the memory. It calms a nervous stomach, controls high blood pressure, relieves menstrual cramps, promotes menstruation and treats insomnia. Fresh juice is used to treat goitre and Grave's Disease. It is especially suitable for children, and makes a good substitute for chamomile. A crushed fresh leaf applied to insect bites eases discomfort. As a poultice it treats sores and tumours. In ointment, it is good for cold sores.

Lemon Balm attracts bees to the garden. Use in Potpourri. An infusion of leaves makes a refreshing skin toner and can be used in rinse water for clothes. A stronger infusion makes a good rinse for oily hair. Use as a facial steam for dry skin and to treat acne. Use in furniture polishes, or just rub a handful of crushed leaves on wooden furniture for a beautiful shine. Rub on a fresh leaf to soothe insect bites. Use in sleep pillows, and add to soaps. Used to bathe discharging eyes in puppies. Used to bring down retained afterbirth in farm animals. It has also been used for farm animals for eye ailments, nervous and brain disorders, heart abnormalities, uterine disorders, to increase milk yield and to prevent miscarriage.

Lemon-Lime Daiquiri... Judy's Poolside Lemonade

Here's another one of Mama's recipes from my cookbook. It is also the subject of one of the stories in my short stories collection in the book 'Crazy People'...

Judy’s Poolside Lemonade

  

Mama used to make a big plastic gallon pitcher full of her poolside lemonade in the summertime. She would put it in the freezer and it would turn to slush. It was like a lemon-lime daiquiri, but slushy not icy. She’d get her raft and a big glass of ‘Lemonade’ and float for hours.

  

One hot summer afternoon, Deepy and Charlie were swimming. Mama was floating on her raft soaking up the sun. Her lemonade was over by the side of the pool. Everybody was enjoying the water and the lemonade. About that time Charlie said, “Hey, Uncle!” Mama looked up and Uncle was walking over to her glass. (Uncle never drank that we know of...and didn't approve of such things.) She paddled as hard as she could but he already took a gulp. He set it down and said, “Now, that’s the best lemonade I’ve ever tasted! Got any more?” Mama said, “Well, thank you! But Sorry! That was the last glass!”

The yellow pitcher in the freezer is Mama's Daiquiri Pitcher.

 Judy’s Poolside Lemonade

1 12oz can frozen Lemonade Concentrate

1 6oz can frozen Limeade Concentrate

36 oz 7-Up

1 fifth Bacardi Rum

Mix ingredients in gallon pitcher. Freeze until slushy (at least 24 hours).

To serve:   Stir with large metal spoon (mixture will freeze on top, but the center will be soft). Spoon into plastic glass. Serve with 'spoonstraws'.

Mama's Note: Uncle (Dargan) got to my glass (before I could) by the pool one afternoon…said it was the best lemonade he had ever had…I told him “last glass…sorry!”

Artland Festival 4-Pc. Margarita Glass Set (Google Affiliate Ad)