Lemon Ice-Cream Pie

Lemon Meringue Ice-Cream Pie (Photo from Southern Living magazine).

This is a recipe I adapted from one in the August 2011 Southern Living Magazine.
magazine, although I did not top my pie with meringue.

I used a ready-prepared graham cracker crust to which I added an edge of vanilla wafers.

For the bottom layer I used a pint of vanilla ice cream that had been softened to spread easily.

Bottom layer of vanilla ice cream.

While the bottom layer was refreezing, I made the lemon curd* and let it cool. Before spreading the second layer, one and a half cups of lemon curd, I placed a row of vanilla wafers around the edge of the crust.

Second layer of lemon curd.

The pie went back into the freezer for an hour and then I added the top layer, a pint of softened vanilla ice cream.  I did not swirl the lemon curd and the ice cream together as suggested in the Southern Living recipe.  I wanted to have three distinct layers in the pie. Nor did I top with meringue, but sprinkled vanilla wafer crumbs on top.  I let the pie freeze overnight before cutting.

Finished Lemon Ice-Cream Pie.

Ready to eat!

This is very easy to make and is quite delicious.  It can be made a day or so in advance.  This recipe is a keeper for me. Hint: It is helpful to let the pie warm up just a bit before slicing.  Leave the pie at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes, and it will slice more easily.  Slice the entire pie, use what you need, and freeze the remaining pieces.  It will keep for at least two weeks, and it will be easy to remove individual slices as you need them.

Remaining pie sliced and ready to eat when needed.  Will keep frozen for at least two weeks.

* Recipe for lemon curd:
 
Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons) (I used Meyer lemons).
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation

1. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, 3 to 4 minutes or until sugar dissolves and butter melts.
2. Whisk about one-fourth of hot sugar mixture gradually into eggs; add egg mixture to remaining hot sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, 15 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats back of a spoon. Remove from heat; cool completely (about 1 hour), stirring occasionally. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Southern Living AUGUST 2011 

Meyer lemons.

March Madness 1955 A Look Back

On Saturday, March 5, 1955, the finals for the Cleveland County Basketball Tournament were played at the City Park Community Center in Shelby, NC. This was before the schools of Cleveland County, NC were consolidated.  I was a forward (Patsy Greene) on the Lattimore High School girls team that defeated the Casar High School girls for the county championship that year.This was my March Madness 57 years ago. I remember it like it was yesterday.

The game was close until the end.  Here's part of the account of that game from The Shelby Daily Star (from my scrapbook).

  

Our championship trophy. From left to right Janice Cabaniss, Mary Helton and me. (A scan from my scrapbook).

Left to right: Sportsmanship Trophy (me), Mary Helton, MVP, Clyde Earl, MVP, Micky Beam, Sportsmanship.

As I look back to this championship game of 1955, I realize there will never be another March Madness like that one for me.

Eat Mor Chikin

The Cow at Chick-Fil-A

The Chick-Fil-A that opened in Cameron Village on Thursday is the first two-story Chick-Fil-A in the country.  Opening day was hectic with large crowds, so Dan and I waited to venture down on Saturday morning for breakfast.  Although we don't eat a lot of fast food, I must admit this Chick-Fil-A is quite nice. 

The exterior of Chick-Fil-A on a rainy Saturday morning.

Lower level dining area.

Friendly staff at order counter.

Dan ready for breakfast.

My whole grain bagel egg, cheese, chicken sandwich.

Painting in second level foyer.

There's a nice view out over the shops of Cameron Village from the second floor.  One can order food at the lower level counter then go up to the second level by stairs or elevator and your food will be delivered there.  We liked the second level because of the view.

View of shops of Cameron Village from second floor.

This is a nice addition to Cameron Village, and I'm sure the Broughton High students will enjoy lunch here often.   Broughton High is about two blocks from here. It is going to be convenient for Dan and me to pop in as well. We're about a mile from Cameron Village.  Maybe we will be eating "mor chikin".

Brunch at Brio Tuscan Grille

Food is everything in Tuscany, and we fell in love with it while in Italy last fall.  I suppose the closest thing to Tuscan cuisine we have here in Raleigh is at the Brio Tuscan Grille. We had brunch there last Sunday.  The bread here is very good and rivals any we had in Tuscany.

Basket of bread at Brio.

My entree choice was the Eggs Oscar: Two poached eggs, a crab and shrimp cake, potatoes peperonata, grilled asparagus, artichokes, spinach and lemon butter. Finished with housemade Hollandaise.  Dan chose Eggs Benedict.

Eggs Oscar.

I really wasn't in the mood for dessert but their Peach Bellini sounded divine, and I let that be my dessert.  This Venetian treat is served frozen with peach nectar, peach Schnapps and Prosecco. Dan chose creme brulee.

My peach bellini.

Dan's creme brulee.

The ambiance of the Brio Tuscan Grille is reminiscent of Italy.  So for a couple of hours on Sunday we pretended we were back in Tuscany.

Decor reminiscent of a Tuscany restaurant.

My Chemo Brain or Why Can't I Remember?

 
As a 22-year survivor of breast cancer, I took special notice when I saw results of a recent study, Your Brain After Chemo.  CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, fluorouracil) was a combination of drugs used between 1976 and 1995 to treat early-stage breast cancer, and it was the treatment I received in 1990.

I had the choice between CAF (adriamyacin instead of methotrexate) or CMF*, and after I looked into the pros and cons of each, my Duke oncologist and I decided on the CMF.  One possible side effect of CAF was heart damage and since I had a slight heart murmur, we thought CMF was the better choice. It was not known then that long-term memory loss was a side effect of CMF.  Still I probably would have risked memory loss rather than heart damage.

I wish I could have participated in this study to see how my memory compared with women who had not received chemo.  In the study, the women who had undergone chemo fared much worse in verbal memory and other cognitive skills than the control group of women who had never had cancer

Unlike some women who had undergone CMF, I did not notice memory problems during or immediately after treatment.  It's been only the last few years that I have had trouble recalling certain words.  Now I wonder are those merely Senior moments or results of my chemo 22 years ago? Anyway my heart is still ticking away just fine!!!

This results of this study were just released by the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Oh my goodness, I just FORGOT, I haven't finished reading Nora Ephron's new book.

I must finish reading this book.

*CMF is no longer used for early-stage breast cancer.