6-8 juicy seedless limes
1 (8 oz.) pkg Philadelphia cream cheese*
1 pint ginger ale**
1 pkg. jello instant lime gelatine**
graham cracker crust***

1. Squeeze the juice from the limes into a saucepan. Should get 1 cup of lime juice, OK to add water if you come up short. Some limes are not as juicy as others!!

2. Heat lime juice in a saucepan on medium heat until it is ALMOST but not quite boiling.

3. MEANWHILE, as the lime juice is heating up, WHIP up the 8 oz package of cream cheese until light and fluffy with a mixer (works best if cheese is thawed to room temperature or warmed). Scrape the bowl and mixing whip to ensure there are no lumps and whip a few seconds more.

4. Add the Jello mix into the juice mixture, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.

5. Whip the Jello mixture and cream cheese together until smooth.

6. Add 1/2 - 1 cup ICE COLD GINGER ALE to the Jello/cream cheese/juice mix and whip a little longer.

7. Pour into a cooled 6-inch pie pan and refrigerate 2 hours at 35°F.

7. Garnish with whipped cream, lime slices, mint leaves, or lime zest from the squeezed out limes.

VARIATIONS:

* Neufchatel or fat-free cream cheese can be substituted however regular worked the best.

** Sugar Free Jello works great and no one can tell its sugar free!! Sugar free ginger ale can also be used but may give the pie a slight after-taste. Chilled condensed milk may be used instead of ginger ale, if you are not worried about calorie content. Sprite or 7-Up also works well in this recipe.

*** Finely chopped pecans, walnuts or strawberry slices can be substituted for graham cracker crust.

COOKING ACCORDING TO YOUR TASTE PREFERENCE:

You may find my recipe is too tangy for your liking, you may reduce the amount of lime juice by up to half and replace the difference with water or Sprite/7 Up. I do not like super-sweet foods, and this recipe tastes very limey but not too sweet. You can add sugar, use sodas, etc. to sweeten it up but do not exceed the states amount of liquids.

Also, the amount of ginger ale in step 7 depends on if you want a thicker, more dense pie or if you want a thinner, juicier pie.

Hope you will enjoy!! Please send comments!!

Submitted by: Roger Southard, US Army Food Service