| Since spring is finally here, sort of | | | | 1 package (8 ounces) strawberry flavored |
| (it snowed here in Denver on Easter day, | | | | cream cheese |
| sigh), I thought I would share one of my | | | | 1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla flavored |
| favorite strawberry recipes with you. It | | | | pudding |
| is a pretty easy recipe that does not | | | | 2 cups cold milk |
| even require any baking. Start to | | | | 1 (6 ounce) ready-to-use graham cracker |
| finish, it takes about 20 minutes. As I | | | | pie crust |
| do at my baking site, I am going to | | | | 1 pint of strawberries |
| share with you here the story behind the | | | | Prepare the vanilla pudding according to |
| recipe. | | | | the package directions. (Put the pudding |
| Cream Cheese Strawberry Pie | | | | mix and the milk into a bowl and whisk |
| Strawberries are my favorite fruit. I | | | | together for 2 minutes.) Allow it to set |
| always have them around when they come | | | | for 5 minutes. I usually use this time |
| into season in the spring. It always | | | | to start washing and cutting the |
| brings back memories of going to pick | | | | strawberries. I typically just cut them |
| berries with my family in the summer. We | | | | in half for this recipe. Once the |
| would all pile in the car with buckets | | | | pudding has set, place the cream cheese |
| and ice cream pails, eager to taste | | | | in a medium sized bowl and mix with an |
| fresh summer berries. We would go to one | | | | electric mixer for 30 seconds at low |
| of the nearby berry farms that had acres | | | | speed. Add the pudding to the cream |
| and acres of berries. I remember it | | | | cheese and mix for about one minute on |
| seemed so huge to me as a kid and I | | | | low speed. Put the mixture into the pie |
| could not believe how many rows upon | | | | crust and put it in the refrigerator for |
| rows upon rows there were. All of us | | | | 10 minutes. Continue washing and cutting |
| kids of course ended up eating just as | | | | the strawberries while the pie is in the |
| many berries as we picked. There is | | | | refrigerator. Place the strawberries on |
| nothing that has quite as much flavor as | | | | top of the pie. Store any leftovers in |
| a strawberry fresh from the field, warm | | | | the refrigerator. |
| with sunshine. Makes me want to go hunt | | | | Enjoy your spring (and your berry |
| down a local berry farm so I can share | | | | picking adventures)! |
| that memory with my daughter! | | | | |