Monthly Archives: July 2020

Pink Lemonade Pie Squares

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Summertime is my favorite time of the year, for many reasons. One of them being, refreshing, summer desserts. I love lemons and anything related to them such as, lemonade, key lime pie, lemon squares, you name it. I recently came across a very easy recipe for frozen pink lemonade pie squares, and can I tell you, they are amazing.  All I had to hear was cream cheese, condensed milk, cool whip and Oreos…I was sold! So sweet, yummy, light and refreshing. Anyone can make them.

Ingredients
22 Golden Oreos crushed
1/2 stick butter softened
8 ounces cream cheese softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
6 ounces frozen pink lemonade concentrate thawed
8 ounces Cool Whip
Red food coloring

Instructions
Mix together the crushed Oreos and butter. Press this mixture into the bottom of an 8×8 pan. You can also just use a graham cracker pie crust if you prefer, but the Oreos make it different and delicious.

In a mixer, beat the softened cream cheese for about 2 minutes until it is fluffy and smooth. Add in the sweetened condensed milk (as usual, I added an additional 1/4 can), pink lemonade concentrate and red food coloring (only 4 drops, I made the mistake of using too many and mine came out dark pink) and mix it well. Fold in the Cool Whip using a spatula.  Don’t mix it with the mixer or it won’t be fluffy. Pour this mixture over the crust and freeze for approximately 4 hours. Cut into squares and serve. Should look like this:

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I love easy recipes and you can’t go wrong with this one. Have you ever made frozen lemonade pie?  I would love to hear how you make it.My Signature

When the Cypress Whispers

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Continuing with my book reviews, here’s my next pick…

When the Cypress Whispers is a novel set in the beautiful island of Erikousa in Greece.  Naturally, I was enticed by the story and the cover, as I love all things related to Greece (a slight obsession of mine).  This was the first novel I’ve read by Yvette Manessis Corporon, an Emmy Award winning writer, producer and author. She is currently a Senior Producer with the syndicated entertainment news show, EXTRA. I really enjoyed this book because it connected the author to her Greek roots, and while there is a bit of a love story in the novel, it also speaks of Greek traditions that the author learned from her own grandmother. I am truly looking forward to reading her second novel, Something Beautiful Happened, also set in Greece.

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When the Cypress Whispers: A Novel (Synopsis)
The daughter of Greek immigrants, Daphne aspires to the American Dream, yet feels as if she’s been sleepwalking through life. Caught between her family’s old-world traditions and the demands of a modern career, she cannot seem to find her place.

Only her beloved grandmother on Erikousa, a magical island off the coast of Greece, knows her heart. Daphne’s fondest memories are of times spent in the kitchen with Yia-yia, cooking and learning about the ancient myths. It was the thought of Yia-yia that consoled Daphne in the wake of her husband’s unexpected death.

After years of struggling to raise her child and pay the bills, Daphne now has a successful restaurant, a growing reputation as a chef, and a wealthy fiance-everything she’s ever wanted. But across the ocean, Yia-yia can see through the storybook perfection of Daphne’s new life- and now she is calling her back to Erikousa. She has secrets about the past to share with her granddaughter- stories from the war, of loyalty and bravery in the face of death. She also has one last lesson to teach her: that security is not love, and that her life can be filled with meaning again.

Pickup a copy or download it to your e-reader and enjoy a great read, I promise you will truly enjoy this story.

Have you read any good books lately?  I love suggestions!

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Mini Bacon & Cheese Meatloaves

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Meat loaf is a staple for dinner in our house, we all love it and I have been making it quite often during this quarantine time. A few days ago we were getting pretty bored of all our usual dinner meals, however, I didn’t feel like going food shopping or inventing something new to cook. So, my daughter went on Supercook.com in search of some new recipes. This is a website (and there are many other similar ones) that will provide recipes for you once you input the ingredients you have at home, very convenient. That’s how we found the Mini Bacon & Cheese Meatloaves (as usual I made my own adjustments to the recipe).  The best part is how easy they are to make and they are delicious too!

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
4-5 slices of bacon
1 egg
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup ketchup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of Goya Adobo seasoning
1/2 an envelope of Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, combine beef with remainder of ingredients (except bacon slices).

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Mix until well combined. Your mixture should be firm, but, not too dry. Adjust bread crumbs to form mixture to your liking. Form meat into 4-5 individual loaves. Wrap a single piece of bacon around each loaf. Spread tops with additional shredded cheese to your liking.  My daughter and I love cheese so we decided to add some extra.

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Place on baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes or until meat is done and no longer pink. The final product should look something like this:

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Serve with mashed potatoes, mac and cheese or steamed vegetables and you have a tasty new way of enjoying meatloaf! Have you ever made these mini meatloaves? I’d love to try some different recipes if you have one.

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