Effortless Raspberry Key Lime Pie

There's a certain recipe that's near and dear to my heart -- and that's key lime pie. It was the first thing I could make myself that people complimented me on -- I was 12 in a church garage sale and was selling it for $1 a slice -- it was gone in 15 minutes!!! I don't even remember where I found the recipe (it was 2002, lord have mercy) but I distinctly loved it because even though I didn't have the palate for it at the time, every adult that tried it loved it (now I know what they're talking about!!) Even to this day, it's still a big hit at every cookout! 

One adult loved it in particular -- my mom, who's been on my side long before that garage sale! So in honors of Mother's Day, I finally have mustered up the courage to put my cards on the table and show my "secret" recipe that I've kept since 2002. It's so easy that it'll knock your socks  off -- and you can make it FAT-FREE. YES, FAT-FREE, and it'll taste the same because the flavor comes from the FRUIT. In the summer, I take blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries, toss them with a little honey & water, and heap them on top. Trust me, you'll enjoy -- as well as everyone else.

Servings: 12

What You'll Need:

• 1 tub fat-free Cool Whip
• 6 limes (4 if you prefer a sweet pie vs. a tart pie)
• 1 can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 1 store-bought graham cracker crust



Look at my beautiful, fit mom -- fresh from her workout!!

• 1 container fresh raspberries

The Step-by-Step:

1. Juice the limes in a large-sized bowl.
2. Take 4-5 raspberries and mash them really well into the lime juice with a fork.
3. Using a whisk, mix the cool whip and the condensed milk into the raspberry juice mix.
4. Pour the mixture into the graham cracker crust.
5. Arrange the other raspberries on top, and place the pie in the freezer for at least an hour and a half.
6. When you're ready to serve, let the pie sit on the counter for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
7. Enjoy!!

This one's for you, Mom!
xoxo n

Personal Apple Pies

October is over. So over. In fact, it's 16 days over.
But..... to conclude AppleFest once and for all (I had so much fun!) I had to share with you these Mini Apple Pies! These babies were so unbelievably easy to make, using fresh apple, and also -- only about 100 calories a pop!

Servings: 8

What You'll Need:

• 1/2 an apple
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• OPTIONAL: 1 teaspoon ground ginger (if you dont have these individual spices, or don't want to buy three spices, you can buy 1 tube of apple pie spice! it has all of the above in one.)
• 1 can Pillsbury Crescents (in the refrigerated section by the dinner rolls!)

The Step-by-Step:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Chop the apple into small pieces and place in a bowl.
3. Add the spices to the apple pieces and stir, until evenly coated.
4. Open the can of crescents and unroll the dough. You'll see that it is already separated into triangle shapes.
5. Take a triangle, place about two spoonfuls of apple mixture at the widest point of the triangle.
6. Roll the dough over the mixture, and keep rolling until you're at the skinny part of the traingle.
7. Use a fork to poke three holes into the top of the pie.
8. Place your "pies" on a flat baking pan, and bake for 15 minutes (make sure to keep an eye on them!)
9. Let cool for 5 minutes before eating.

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The apples cook perfectly -- even in the few minutes in the oven, creating great juices and flavors. Best part -- portion control is built in, so you won't eat too much and regret it later. Make these before friends come over, and you'll impress them with your cooking "skills" -- aren't you glad crescents were invented? Shh, I won't tell :)

xoxo n

Also -- if you didn't get a  chance to see my Instagram video, watch it here to see the step-by-step!