oh my was this good! doesn't it look like it came right out of your grandmother's kitchen? i have never really been a big fan of meringue pies, i don't really have a good reason for it. i think it's because if i ever had a choice of dessert, i would lean more towards a cake or cookie. not a pie. a lemon meringue one at that. but, i wanted something sweet a few weekends ago and i wanted it to be somewhat low calorie/fat. i don't know if this fits the bill, but in my mind it did. i mean, the topping is essentially egg whites! and egg whites are good for you. this pie was so easy to put together and i had everything in the house to make it. to start, add 1 cup of sugar, 2 tb of flour, 3 tb of cornstarch, a pinch of salt, 1.5 cups of water, and 2 lemons juiced and zested in a saucepan. while stirring frequently, bring the mixture to a boil. add 2 tb of butter. separate 4 egg yolks and 4 egg whites. add a little of the sugar mixture into the yolks to temper them. add the yolks to the saucepan. continue to cook until thick, about 3-4 minutes. add to a baked pie crust ( i used pillsbury). to make the meringue, beat the egg whites until foamy and add 6 tb of sugar. continue to beat until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. spread the meringue over the pie, sealing the edges at the crust. bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. one slice of this light, refreshing pie is 298 calories. not bad for a dessert...
this is such a tasty, healthy side dish. whole wheat orzo with grilled vegetables. when i cook whole wheat pasta i cook it about 1 minute longer than the directions on the box call for. it makes the pasta a bit more soft. i think whole wheat pasta can be somewhat chewy. while the pasta is cooking grill your vegetables. i used summer squash, zucchini, red peppers, asparagus. prior to grilling the vegetables i made a marinade of balsamic vinegar, garlic, dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and allowed the vegetables to marinate for 15 minutes. reserve the marinade, you will use this to dress the orzo. after the pasta has cooked, drain it and then add the marinade to the warm orzo. add the grilled vegetables and toss. adjust the flavor with more salt, pepper or balsamic, if necessary. this is a great side dish with grilled chicken. 
