Pineapple Icebox Cake, made with layers of Nilla wafers, a blend of cream cheese, pudding and condensed milk with pineapple and whipped topping. I like to finish mine with a little coconut, maraschino cherries and a sprinkle of chopped nuts.

Pineapple Icebox Cake

Can y'all believe that summer is almost out the door? Well, it won't be temperature-wise around here for months yet, but kids around here have been back in school for weeks now and we're already coming up on Labor Day?

Well, are y'all sittin' down? Because last month I shared a Summer Berry Cobbler and today, I already have a dessert again!! I say that, because, if you've been around here any length of time, you know that I'm much more of a savory gal than I am a sweets lover.

Most often simply called a trifle today, punch bowls cakes were once all the rage in the South. Made here with layers of angel food cake, a creamy filling, strawberries and whipped cream, it is a delicious well-received and beautiful presentation for any gathering.

Punch Bowl Strawberry Lush Angel Cake

Punch bowls have a long history in the South and this dessert is a perfect one to ring in spring. Back in the day before hiring a caterer was the norm, families provided all of the food and labor for big parties and family events, and every family had a treasured punch bowl, almost always one that had been passed down a few times.

A no-bake, icebox dessert, layered with a mix of cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk and pudding, sandwiched between sheets of graham crackers scattered with a mix of fresh berries, and topped with whipped cream.

Icebox Cake

Oh my goodness, do I love an icebox cake! They are so easy to throw together, making them great for those, who, like me, aren't especially high skilled bakers, they make as pretty a presentation as any layer cake does, and it doesn't hurt at all that they taste pretty darned good too.

Cherry-O Cream Cheese Pie, an icebox pie made with cream cheese, condensed milk and cherry pie filling.

Cherry-O Cream Cheese Pie

This has always been one of my favorite summer pies and I swear it is literally the easiest pie in the world.

I almost hate to post recipes like this because they are so simple that even if you've never made it before, once you have, you really never need the "recipe" again.

 

Lemonade Icebox Pie made with sweetened condensed milk, whipped topping, fresh lemon juice and zest, gets an extra tangy boost from the addition of a lemonade powdered drink mix.

Lemonade Icebox Pie

The old fashioned version of lemon icebox pie used raw egg yolks in the filling.

I've included that version in the cook's notes at the bottom of the recipe for those of us who are still adventurous enough to make it. It is believed that the combination of the acids with the eggs in the pie filling "cook" the eggs sufficiently, but scientifically I have no idea if there is any truth to that.

I can tell you that many of us southerners love the egg version and have lived on to tell about it, but if you're concerned about the consumption of raw eggs, you can still have that creamy taste with a few shortcuts in the form of this refrigerator pie, which is also mighty tasty.

No Bake Frozen Yogurt Strawberry Pie

A little cool slice of heaven is found in Rose Mary's Frozen Yogurt Strawberry Pie. It's perfect for your next gathering!

Frozen Yogurt Strawberry Pie

Today I'm excited to bring you not only a Featured Reader Recipe, but a Featured Guest Post from a lovely lady I have been corresponding with for several months now.  Rose Mary found herself un-expectantly retired by disability, after a long held career in the retail food industry. Not one to be hampered by that, she turned a passion for food and a love of cooking for others, into a self-published cookbook project to help make ends meet. You can find out more about her cookbook at the bottom of this post.

Coming from a background built upon firm parenting under strong Christian values and humble beginnings, Rose Mary is part of a large and accomplished family. She is truly a delight and joy, and the kind of person who can't help but brighten your day. I know you'll enjoy getting to know her, as much as you will enjoy the delicious recipe she is sharing with us. Please welcome and say hello to our special guest.

Coconut Key Lime Pie with Minty Whipped Cream

A Key lime pie made with cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk and Key lime juice in a coconut graham cracker crust and served with minty whipped cream.

Coconut Key Lime Pie

Coconut Key Lime Pie.

I love lime. I absolutely love it. Pair that up with some sweetened condensed milk and I am in heaven.

Traditionally Key lime pie contains egg yolks and is unbaked, though that is rarely done these days, since most fillings with egg are now baked.

Some say that baking the pie completely changes its flavor and texture though and use pasteurized egg yolks to squelch the fears of using raw eggs in an unbaked filling. Key lime pie also sometimes has an egg white meringue on top, though I prefer mine plain with only a dab of whipped cream.