My "Make-Believe" LEMON PIE!!!

My "lemon fix"... 
without a crust--

It WORKED!!!

I put this in small, middle-sized, or larger dessert holders...

It's what's INSIDE that counts...

 This could be all prettier, IF a curl of lemon peel was added as garnish, but....

since I don't EAT the peel,....  you don't SEE a peel!   : )

While evaporated milk, in its undiluted state, is somewhat comparable in calories to cream, it 'delivers'  about half the fat stuff, etc., and stays readily available in its can on the shelf.  (In my cupboard, the evaporated milk 'lives' cheek-to-cheek with the cans of canned pumpkin-- no big wonder about why that is!)

This 'Cloud' part of this dessert is somewhere between a mousse and cheesecake. This recipe also has low-fat* and diabetic variations* that "are said to be" as good as the original.

INGREDIENTS:

• I of a 6 oz. box Jell-O gelatin ...OR two of the small 3 oz. boxes for a possible combination of flavors. (This time around, I used two small boxes-- both lemon flavored.  Some like this in orange, strawberry, etc.-- I think it's great in 'lemon/lime' combination, also!)
• 2 cups boiling water
• 15 oz. can evaporated milk (chilled to 'cold')
• 8 oz. package of cream cheese -- softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla  

-----
The dessert, as above, can be considered complete, as is.   IF you want something like my 'make-believe' pie taste, you can add a layer of the following:

• 1 large box of Jell-O pudding, made according to directions on the box.  For my 'lemon pie fix', I used a large box of lemon flavored "Cook & Serve Pudding"--the size that needed me to add 3 egg yolks.  (I skipped the meringue part of the instructions on the box.)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Place in refrigerator until it starts to thicken (I pour into 9x9" glass baking dish to speed up the 'chilling').
2. Pour the can of evaporated milk into a medium/large mixing bowl, along with the beaters, and place in freezer to chill.
3. When Jell-O begins to thicken (about the consistency of egg whites) and milk is chilled, proceed with recipe.
4. In a small/medium mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until the sugar loses it's 'grain'iness.  (With a food processor, you can start out with cold cream cheese and add the sugar; then the Jell-O, as stated in Step 5.  It works SO WELL for this).
5. Add the thickened Jell-O to the cheese mixture and blend until well mixed, scraping down the sides often.
6. In the chilled large mixing bowl, beat the well-chilled evaporated milk and vanilla and continue until stiff peaks form.
7. Fold the Jell-O/cream cheese/sugar mixture into the beaten milk and beat at low speed until well blended, scraping the sides of the bowl often. Since the added ingredients might be light colored (depending on flavor of Jell-O you use), it can be hard to tell if the Jell-O is well distributed, so blend thoroughly.
8. Spoon the 'Cloud' into footed (or any) dessert dishes and chill for several hours. (May also be poured into a chilled pie crust.)
9. IF you want to stop at this point, it's all good!  IF you want to add a layer of  pudding on top (as in the photo below), do it when the "fluff" layer is firmed up a bit.

If you plan to save some of this for another day, you can cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper. My smallest dish which is shown front right, above, can be perfectly covered with a wide-mouth Ball canning lid.)

*Diabetic variation: Use sugar-free Jell-O products and substitute 12 packets of Equal for the sugar.  Plus, you can use low-fat versions of cream cheese AND evaporated milk.   

Quite a few years ago, I adapted this recipe from the Natural Health Doc website where it was included in the list of Low Glycemic Recipes.

Veggie and Ham Casserole

This one was called Mother's Ham Casserole-- from somebody's mother, but not mine.  I can see why the submitter said it was one of her mother's favorite dishes.  The blend of vegetables in this pond of creaminess is just... delish!   Because of the potatoes in this, there is a hint of the tastiness that's in a potato soup. Similar, but different (I guess those two words sort of mean the same thing!).

 My 'taste tester' said this is a saver, keeper, repeater kind of recipe!

 I see this recipe being one that can be 'played with'-- 
changing variety of veggies, or meat, etc.

Wish you could get a sniff of this one!  Then,.... a taste.  

After the taste,... a meal!

INGREDIENTS: 

2 cups cubed peeled potatoes
1 large carrot, sliced
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 cups water
....
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons butter
...
4 (more) tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 and 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
...
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
...
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In saucepan, cook potatoes, carrot and celery in water until tender; drain.
2.  In a skillet, saute ham, green pepper and onion in 3 tablespoons butter until tender.  Add to the drained  potato mixture.  Transfer to a greased 1 and 1/2-quart baking dish.
3.  In a saucepan, melt the remaining butter; stir in flour until smooth.  Gradually add milk, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for a minimum of 2 minutes (to cook the flour) or until thickened.  Stir in the cheese until melted; pour this white sauce over the ham mixture in the casserole dish.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs.
4.  Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 25-30 or until heated through and bubbly.

YIELD:  4-6 servings.

This recipe was adapted from one submitted by Linda Childers, Murfreesboro, Tennessee.  It is in my 2005 edition of Taste of Home's Contest Winning Annual Recipes.  Thanks, Linda.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Put your seat belt on (or, better yet, something to at least  restrain your arms from repeatedly reaching out for just a 'little bit more')!!   

This is one of those special kinds of dessert where...

 a 'little' really does go a long way...

A long time ago, I read something like this:  "If you are afraid you might not have room for dessert AFTER a meal, EAT . IT. FIRST!  That might work for this one...   it has cheese, eggs, and fruit.  Sounds like a 'meal' to me-- LOL!!!

I'm wishing I could share a piece of this with my late Mama... she sometimes mentioned, "I could go for a little piece of cheesecake-- I've only had a few little slivers through the years because it's 'rich',... but so good."  (She had it right!)

I wish I could share this with..... YOU!

CRUST  INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans

FILLING  INGREDIENTS:

• 3 of 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar

...

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

TOPPING INGREDIENTS:

• 2 and 1/2 cups peeled and finely chopped apples
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

...

• 6 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping, divided.
• Sweetened whipped cream  (OR, whipped topping?)
• 2 tablespoons  coarsely chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine the first five ingredients; using the flat bottom of something, press onto the bottom of a lightly greased 9-in. spring form pan.
2. Bake the crust at 350 degrees for 10 minutes; set into refrigerator or other cool place for about 20 minutes.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth. (I used my Cuisinart food processor for this.)  Add eggs, one at a time; beat on low (or pulse) just until combined.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour over baked and cooled crust.  Set aside for a moment.
4. Peel and chop apples*

Make the pieces of apple very small.... they don't look small in the photo below, but they are.

5. Sprinkle lemon juice over apples and gently stir to cover all; sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over apple pieces and stir to coat; now spoon apples evenly over filling.**

6.   Bake at 350-degrees for 55-60 minutes or until center is almost set (until not all jiggly in the center).

7.  Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen.
8.  Carefully, remove sides of pan.
9.  Drizzle with 4 tablespoons caramel topping.

10.  Cool for 1 hour, out of refrigerator.  Chill in refrigerator overnight.
11.  Just before serving, garnish with whipped cream.  Drizzle with remaining caramel; sprinkle with pecans.  Serve, and store what's left-over in the refrigerator.

Yield:  12 servings (or, just six servings IF it's your MEAL-- with all the cheese, eggs and apples, would that work?   LOL!)

* To prepare the apples, I use my apple peeler gadget that peels, cores and slices all at the same time  I then carefully remove the sliced/cored apple 'rings' from the rotating rod and set them on the cutting board.  With a knife, I cut down through the 'ball' of slices, working my way around until all slices are done. (Pictured earlier in this posting.)

** You'll be able to put the apples on more evenly if you do use a spoon, as directed.

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M-m-m-m-m-m, this is good!

Going...

Going......

...GONE!

So, what about the other pieces-- the left-overs?  

Below, I'll show you...

I put large individual pieces, which are enough for two servings, into a container and freeze them.  After these are frozen solid (overnight), I'll vacuum pack them.  Dessert for ...'the future'.  Doing this saves me from having to wear the hand/arm cuffs I'd certainly need if they were left to sit in the refrigerator all ready to go-- ready to  go 'down the hatch', that is!!!

This recipe was adapted from one submitted by Debbie Wilson, Sellersburg, Indiana, in the 2006 edition of Taste of Home's Contest Winning Annual Recipes 2005.  Debbie said this was her most-often-requested dessert and it received more compliments than anything else she's made.  Thanks, Debbie.  

(I hope her area in Indiana isn't one that was repeatedly hit with deadly tornadoes over the past two days!-- but, I wish NONE of ANY area had been hit!!!!!!)