Tuesday, April 2, 2013

The Story Behind...Pink Lemonade Pie

 
This yummy pie will certainly make an appearance
on our table during any Holiday season.
It's so easy, you'll wanna make it yourself!
Scroll to the bottom of the blog post for the recipe, if you don't wanna read my VERY interesting story behind the recipe.
*wink wink*
 
 From the time my husband and I met until we were married, it spanned almost four years.  Four long years with me in Arkansas most of that time, and he in Indiana.  The two desserts that I remember being served around his family table most often during that time, were Denver Crunch and Cherry Delight.  Ironically I have never made either of those desserts.
 We eat them at his family gatherings often.
  They are still favorites. 
 A couple of weeks after we were married I asked him what he wanted for dessert after Sunday dinner, you know the roast, mashed potatoes and gravy stuff.  "Pink Lemonade Pie!", was his response.  "What in the world is Pink Lemonade Pie", I asked.  When he told me, I remember hardly being able to imagine a dessert so simple.  "That's it?  That's all there is to it?",  I questioned him.  "Yes! Really, that's it!" he said. So I made it, and it has become one of our family favorites.
 I've made this for holidays and birthdays and other special occasions...even youth group fund raiser pie auctions!
 
So here it is in all its simplistic glory!
 
You start with a graham cracker pie crust.  I like to make my pie crust because I think it is yummier than the ones you buy already made in the little prepackaged pie pans that you find right there by the box of graham cracker crumbs, but it really doesn't matter.  Just do whatever works for you, and no one will care or be the wiser.  The graham cracker pie crust police won't come get you.  The evidence will all be eaten up before they get there anyway, if they should follow their nose to your yummy delicious dessert...just so you know!
 
 
 See! Ain't it purty? 
 Only I'm not gonna say ain't again in this post, because my mother told me it was low class, and this is definitely not a low class dessert...just so you know.
 Pour six ounces (that's half of a 12 ounce can...just so you know) of Frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate in a large mixing bowl. You can find the frozen lemonade concentrate with all the other frozen juice, in the grocery store, usually...just so you know.  Thaw the concentrate first though, or it won't pour...just so you know. 
 To this add a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk. 
Just pour it in there, and then leave a little teensy bit in the can to eat yourself. 
Unless your kids are standing over you beggin' to scrape the can.  Then be a good momma and let them have it. 
But no fighting over what's left in the can...just so you know. 'Cuz that might be low class.
  I'm not sure.  My mother didn't say. 
But she did say it wasn't nice to fight...just so you know.
 Stir those two ingredients together.  See, isn't it pretty? I'm so proud.  I didn't say "ain't"!
oops
 It's all sort of pinkish.  At this point you can add a couple drops of red food coloring if you want to make it more pink.  My husband's grandmother would do that. And since she did it, it is perfectly fine to do it too if you want to, because she was amazing...just so you know.
 At Christmas time I tried adding color with some neon food coloring and accidentally added purple. 
 It was funny. 
Well, I thought it was funny anyway.
 But as the old saying goes, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!" 
 So somehow I mixed and matched my colors and still came up with pink lemonade pie filling. 
 It was sort of like mixing paint, only yummier...well, I guess it's yummier, I have never tasted paint as I'm mixing it...just so you know.
This time, I didn't add any food coloring. 
 Next, fold in a small carton of Cool Whip. 
 This amount of filling will fill one large pie plate of pie crust. 
 If you want to make a dessert to fill a casserole dish (which I have done many times for larger "audiences"...people eating at my house) then use a large container of Cool Whip. 
There is no need to double the other ingredients...just so you know.
 Pour the filling into your pie crust.
 Smooth is all around and pop it into the freezer until you are ready to eat it.  You may want to take it out of the freezer about 30 minutes before serving it so that it is easier to cut...just so you know.
Then slice it, serve it and enjoy it...just so you know!
  But I probably didn't need to tell you that, did I?
This has been a family favorite for many years now.
Only, I'm not old enough to say "for many years now".
But I just did and I guess it might possibly be true.
Well, at least the family favorite part is true.
The "for many years now" part, hhhmmm I struggle with that truth!
 
Enjoy!
 
Here is the recipe all condensed and easy like for those who don't want to sift back through my rambling, just to make a simple little easy peasy pie.
 
Pink Lemonade Pie
 
1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust already made
1 6 oz. can of  Frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 carton Cool Whip
 
Mix together lemonade concentrate and condensed milk.  Fold in Cool Whip.  Gently spread the filling onto the graham cracker crust.  Freeze until ready to eat, thawing approximately 30 minutes ahead.  Eat and enjoy!

Rachel

P.S.  You are more than welcome to pin this recipe to your Recipe Board on Pintrest.  I just ask that you kindly link the pin to this blog, the source from which it originated.
Thank you so much!

~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm linking this recipe to one of my favorite bloggers,  Thistlewood Farms
Hop over there for more glorious and fabulous recipes for your holiday festivities.

4 comments:

Ana said...

Now this is my kind of recipe...easy, fast and delicious :-) Thank you for sharing it with us Rachel. I enjoyed reading this post very much. Hope you and your family had a wonderful Easter.

Hugs,
❤Ana

Karla Cook @ Roads to Everywhere said...

Just so you know... the first (and maybe only) time I made this recipe, I used 12 ounces of the pink lemonade concentrate because I wasn't paying attention. It turned out, shall we say, QUITE tart! I don't advise doubling the concentrate... just so you know. ;-)

Donnie said...

The recipe sounds so very delicious. Your way of thinking and sharing is most interesting. Love reading your blogs. Have a wonderful day.

Anonymous said...

Rachel is MY little sister- just so you (everyone reading this) knows!! Great job!! Paul