" Hot Day, Cool Dessert "

I don't usually do this, share my secret family recipes. As a matter of fact, I am the only one with this recipe.

Well, not the only one in the world as I got it out of a major brand name recipe book. But at least the only one in my family. 

It is a major hit with my family and church members in the heat of the summer. Katie has been requesting it for the past week so yesterday we bought the ingredients and Kate and I whipped it up together this morning.

You have to like lemon. If you don't, I am very sorry for you as you don't know what you are missing! The recipe is as follows:

Lemon Torte

3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (12 squares)

3- eggs, separated

1-Tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

1/4 cup lemon juice (I use fresh)

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

1-cup whipped cream (whipped)

or 2-cups cool whip- thawed (I use cool whip) 

Line a 9x5 loaf pan with 1/2 of the graham crackers

In medium saucepan combine egg yolk (reserve whites in small bowl), lemon peel,lemon juice,1/4 cup of sugar and the salt.

Mix thoroughly. Cook over medium heat until it just begins to bubble, stirring constantly. It will be the consistency of pudding. Let cool.

Beat egg whites in chilled glass or metal bowl until frothy.

Add 1/4 cup of sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.

Fold in lemon mixture and whipped cream.

Pour into pan. Top with remaining graham cracker crumbs.

Chill at LEAST four hours. For longer storage cover with foil.

 

This really is a yummy frozen dessert!

Before we made the Lemon Torte I did manage to get outside by 7:00 a.m. this morning. I did get a lot of weeding done in two hours, but by 9:00 the heat was already starting to bother me so I quit.

My son came by to mow and trim for me as well. It looks so nice, it's just unfortunate that we are having such an awful heat spell right now. Today it was 109 with the heat index and the air was so thick with humidity that it was hard to breath.

Even Katie didn't bother me to go out and "Do something" after walking the dogs. It felt like walking out into a furnace. So I just stayed in the house.

We made the dessert, I cleaned, did laundry and I finished the "Toad Hop Inn"! Now all I need is a bit of rain to soften the ground enough for me to dig. Oh I have plans for this "Inn". If nothing else, I think it will be cute!

The weather people say that it is supposed to be in the 80's all next week! I pray that they are right. This heat is stifling!

I was supposed to do my gardening yesterday but I had the strangest day. Every plan that I had made fell through. Little things kept going haywire. I was trying to show Katie how to pump gas and I messed up and got gasoline all over her pant leg. So instead of shopping while we were in town I had to race across town to get her home and cleaned up. Fortunately I had a sheet in my car and we thew it over her leg. But between the heat (had to keep the windows down) and the smell of the fumes, I was getting sick to my stomach. Katie was fine, just a little smelly!

Then my daughter-in-law, Amy, called to see if I wanted to go to the store and then to the new consignment shop in town. So Katie and I piled in the van with the grandkids and off we went to the grocery store where we had intended on going to in the first place before the gasoline incident!

That was a fun trip. Jack and I shared chocolate doughnut holes while we ALL shopped! My granddaughter, Sarah snuck a package of candy in with my items at the check-out while giving me a KNOWING look!

She almost got in trouble from mom until I told her that I was buying it for her, as I gave Sarah a KNOWING look! We have a special bond. That bond between grandma and granddaughter. No mom's allowed!

After putting our cold items in a freezer bag, off we went to the new consignment shop. It was very nice. The prices were surprisingly low. So I did indulge in a few items even though I really didn't need them.

 

The three wine bottles will go well in either the living room or the dining room. I haven't decided where yet. The glass bottle I just found intriguing. But I really loved the little jewel box. It was only $2.95.

 

This will go in my bedroom which is all Victorian. I love the red velvet inside.

 

I know that some of you have been to my daughter, Ginny's new blog. I wanted to comment on it but couldn't find where to comment. A couple of you had the same problem. So I asked her about it and she said that the comment section is a little "quote bubble" under the headline of the post.

Well Shut My Mouth! I really feel old and stupid now, LOL!!!

She is doing a blog about eating only foods bought at the farmers market for thirty days. Here's the link...

"The Farmers Market Project".

This is something that I would love to do. I don't think that Kate would go for it though. Ginny's market also has meat, fish and dairy.

Ours does not. However I do believe that I could live on fruits and vegetables just fine for thirty days. Katie however, not so much!

I hope everyone has a great weekend and I do hope that nobody else has to deal with this extreme heat.