The Easiest Freaking Pie...Ever...in an RV

 Austerity Dinner #7.
I attempted to oven fry a whole chicken that I hacked up. Bob said it tasted ok, but it didn't  turn out the way that I wanted it to, so I'm not posting the recipe. It could be that I started to lose a bit of interest because I am coming down with a cold.

 My potato salad turned out decent enough, though: potatoes, onion, celery, dill pickles, peas and a minced jalapeno. The dressing: mayo, mustard, black pepper, sea salt and garlic powder. Easy enough...just work around the amounts of ingredients to fit the size of crew you're feeding.

 I was digging around in the cabinet, just to see what I could see yesterday...well, I was digging around in the fridge, too. I had 2 blocks of neufchatel that I had bought around Christmas time. I, a lot of times, make this no-bake cheesecake that I came up with after reading an article in a magazine somewhere. I cannot remember what magazine it was or where I was when I read it, but it was many, many years ago. Anyhow, the recipe used canned peaches. I don't really dig canned peaches all that much, so I changed stuff up and tweaked around the ingredients and have made it every way from Sunday since.
The recipe that I have created makes one pie and often times, I make it using orange gelatin and canned mandarin oranges. Canned mandarin oranges seem to be the only fruit that doesn't play havoc with my citrus allergy. Yeah, I'm mildly allergic to citrus: oranges, lemons, lime, tomatoes, pineapple and grapefruit...all my frigging favorite fruits. I don't care...I eat them anyway. I just don't eat much of them. If I cross the line, my body will let me know about it in double time by creating a path of sores all over inside my mouth and down my throat. Sometimes, though, I say...I DON'T GIVE A CRAP!! and I rebel. I get put in ,my place ultra quick with that one.
The original recipe contains:
2 bricks of cream cheese
1 package of orange gelatin (the 4 serving size)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tub of whipped topping (don't use the stuff in the spray can or try to make your own...they don't work as well...I've tried both)
1 can of drained mandarin oranges
1 graham cracker pie crust
Blend the cream cheese with gelatin and sugar until they are thoroughly combined. Fold in the whipped topping until it's combined. Add the fruit. Fold it in. Put this all in the pie shell and freeze for about 3 hours or until set. Let set at room temp for 15 minutes before slicing.
Sound easy enough? I thought so.

 Well, I found this in my cabinet and I had one of those rare AHA moments when you create something that you know for a fact is gonna work out and work out good!

Creamsicle No-Bake Cheesecake Pie

2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese (room temp)...I use the 1/3 less fat kind. I can't tell the difference between this kind and the full-fat kind, so I use the slightly healthier version...not that I'm into all the healthier stuff.
1 (4-serving) size box of orange flavored gelatin
1 (4-serving) size of instant vanilla pudding mix (I had a sugar-free (not sure how that happened) box of French vanilla)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tub of whipped topping
1 can drained mandarin oranges
1 graham cracker pie crust

Blend the cream cheese with the gelatin, pudding mix and sugar until well combined. Fold in the whipped topping and sour cream. Keep folding until thoroughly combined. Fold in mandarin oranges. Put this into the pie shell and stick it in the freezer for about 3 hours or until it has set. Let set out at room temperature for 15 minutes before slicing. Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer.
8 servings

Enjoy...PEACE!