Keeping It Old School

I've had several friends ask me to start a blog about my adventures in the kitchen and the rest of the insane things I come up with around the house, so now that I have finally taken the time to document my day to day life I can only hope that I am able to shed some new light on some old fashioned recipes while adding a little humor into everyone's day while I'm at it. 


Everyone has always asked me where I learned to cook. Well, to tell you the truth, it wasn't from a culinary school, or books, or cooking shows. I learned to cook incessantly watching my granny cook things from scratch throughout my childhood. My dad was the cook in our immediate family. My mother, sadly, can burn water (it's possible, I've seen her do it). So, I figured for my first recipe I'd share on my blog, I'd keep it old school and make one of my granny's specialties- Lemon Ice Box Pie. 

The cast: Pure Vanilla Extract, 6 egg yolks, lemon juice (freshly squeezed if you're really ambitious), 1 stick of unsalted butter, 2 cans sweetened condensed milk, 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, heavy whipping cream, and sugar (not pictured, it was shy)

In a mixing bowl, combine the two cups of graham cracker crumbs with @two tablespoons of sugar. Melt the butter in a saucepan or microwave and pour into your graham cracker mixture. You'll want the mixture to be moist, but not so much where it falls apart when you start to form your crust. 

Mmmm. Stick to your fork buttery goodness. 

I forgot to mention that this recipe is for a jumbo "pie". My grandmother fed 7 children on a daily basis, so none of her recipes are made for anything less than The Brady Bunch. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Now, dump your crumb mixture into a baking dish. I used a Pyrex dish, but you can use whatever blows your skirt up. Begin pressing the mixture down to form the bottom of the crust. When the bottom is fully covered, take a small glass or fork and begin to form the sides of the crust with the remaining mixture. Pop your crust in the oven and bake for @5 minutes and then allow it to cool while you mix the filling. 

Get the mixer ready, because we're about to have some fun. Begin separating out your six egg yolks. You can save the egg whites for omelets later, right now we just need the unhealthy part for this recipe. After you've separated your eggs, beat them on low until fully scrambled. Don't over beat those poor little egg yolks. 

Add in your two cans of sweetened condensed milk. Do you feel your thighs getting bigger yet? I know, me too. With the lemon juice, I do what my grandmother called "eyeballing" it. I add the lemon juice to taste with this recipe. Some like a really strong lemon flavor and other like a more subtle flavor. I personally love lots of lemon flavor, so I added about 4 tablespoons and about 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. Mix everything together on low so you do not over beat your egg yolks. 

Pour the mixture into your cooled graham cracker crust and pop into the oven for @20-25 minutes or until the center doesn't jiggle when you shake the pan. Note: Please excuse the mess that is my oven. I wasn't blessed with a self cleaning oven and Lord knows I don't care enough to buy spray oven cleaner but once a year to clean it myself. 

After your filling doesn't jiggle when it wiggles anymore, take it out and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes before putting it in the refrigerator. 

While it is chilling in the fridge, you have time to make some homemade whipped cream to go on top of your confection. Honestly, I planned on photographing that process and the finished product, but it didn't last 30 seconds in the mixing bowl once my family came in the kitchen. I'll still tell you how to make it though. Pour @ 1 cup of heaving whipping cream into your mixer bowl. Add in 1/4 teaspoon of pure vanilla and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Beat on high (around a 4 or 5 on a Kitchen Aid mixer) until it begins to form stiff peaks. You can freeze or refrigerate before adding it to the lemon ice box pie or just eat it straight out of the bowl like my family does and save the pie for dessert. Enjoy!