By May approaches. Spring is at its most extravagant — the foothills are green, the river is high from snowmelt, the lilacs are blooming in every yard, and the air has that quality that makes you want to stand outside and breathe deeply and remember that breathing is a privilege, which it is, always, but especially in May, and especially if you once had cancer and once couldn't breathe without coughing.
Mother's Day is coming. Mason is being secretive — whispering with Brett, hiding something in his room, the universal signs of a child planning a surprise with the stealth capabilities of a marching band. Lily is also being secretive, though her version of secrecy involves telling me "I'm making you something but I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT" approximately forty-seven times a day.
I've been thinking about dating again. Jen's happiness with Dave — steady, comfortable, the kind of partnership that makes you believe partnership is possible — has softened something in me. Not urgency. Not loneliness. Just... openness. The door that was locked is no longer locked. It's closed. But it could open. If someone knocked the right way.
I haven't done anything about it. I haven't downloaded apps or accepted setups or done anything besides think. But the thinking is new. For two years, the thinking wasn't possible. For two years, the only space in my life was occupied by cancer and divorce and children and recovery. Now there's a small space — an alcove, a nook — where a person might fit. Not a large space. Not a desperate space. Just a quiet opening where someone could stand if they were patient and kind and not in a hurry.
I made a strawberry shortcake with the first strawberries from the garden — just six berries, small and red and perfect, sliced over homemade biscuits with whipped cream. It's a spring dessert that uses the least amount of ingredients and requires the most amount of quality, because when you only have six strawberries, each one has to be perfect, and mine were. Grown in my garden. Picked by my hands. Served to my children. Perfect.
Those six strawberries from the garden — small, red, and grown entirely by my own hands — made me want to stretch the moment a little longer, to let the sweetness of them carry into something I could share beyond just that afternoon. This Easy Strawberry Lemonade Freezer Pie felt exactly right: it asks nothing fussy of you, it rewards quality ingredients the way spring rewards patience, and it tastes like the kind of thing you’d eat on a porch with people you love when the lilacs are still blooming and the air is still doing that thing it does in May.
Easy Strawberry Lemonade Freezer Pie
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 4 hrs 15 min (includes freezing) | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2–3 lemons)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced, plus more for topping
- 1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
- 1 (9-inch) graham cracker crust
Instructions
- Blend the strawberries. Place sliced strawberries in a blender or food processor and pulse until you have a coarse puree with some small chunks remaining. Set aside.
- Beat the cream cheese. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add condensed milk and lemon. Pour in the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat on medium until fully combined and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Fold in strawberries and whipped topping. Gently fold in the strawberry puree and 2 cups of the whipped topping using a rubber spatula until just combined — a few streaks of pink are perfectly fine.
- Fill the crust. Pour the filling into the graham cracker crust and spread evenly. Dollop or spread the remaining whipped topping over the top.
- Freeze. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until firm.
- Serve. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before slicing. Top with fresh sliced strawberries and serve cold.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 390 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 52g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 240mg