Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie Recipe

I've been so preoccupied with the holidays that I haven't had a chance to post the recipes I had planned to. Here's a de-lish ice cream pie that I've made a few times for my family. It'll be a big hit!

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie

1 graham cracker pie crust
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. honey
1 qt. vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
1/2 c. chopped cashews (or peanuts)
6 oz. chocolate fudge topping
8 oz. whipped cream

Mix peanut butter and honey. Stir mix into softened ice cream. Spoon half of the ice cream into pie crust. (Work fast, especially if you're making during the warm months!) Sprinkle with half of the cashews. Drizzle 4 oz. of the fudge topping over nuts. Spoon the remaining ice cream onto pie. Sprinkle with remaining nuts and drizzle with remaining chocolate over top. Spread whipped cream over top. Freeze for 6 hours.

NOTES: You can add your own touch; a bit of caramel syrup or mini-chocolate chips, shaved chocolate, shredded coconut, bits of crushed heath bar or peanut brittle even! Have fun and enjoy!

Little Drummer Boy

As if he wasn't noisy enough already, I had to show him how to make his stepping stool into a drum! And boy, did he have fun!

Ian Somerhalder Foundation

Ian Somerhalder Foundation

What are you passionate about? Are you trying to reduce your impact on the environment? Are you an animal rights activist? Are you concerned about our dependence on fossil fuels?

Please join Ian Somerhalder in his quest to raise awareness and money for the causes that are near and dear to your heart.

You may know Ian Somerhalder from the show LOST or perhaps the hit vampire series, The Vampire Diaries. You may have seen him on Larry King speaking on the BP oil spill. Being raised in Louisiana, Ian was shaken by the tragedy and has since been extremely vocal on the issue and many others.

Please help the foundation now by donating or volunteering. You can also help by spreading the word! Just pass this link on to all your friends: http://www.isfoundation.com .

Homemade Pizza!

When my children were small, I decided that I was going to create my own family traditions for the holidays. One of those traditions is homemade pizza on Christmas Eve. It's very simple really. If I'm pressed for time, I buy the pre-made pizza crusts but homemade from scratch is sooo much better! All you need is a good crust, a good sauce and your favorite toppings and then you've got your own homemade pizza! Here's my recipe:

The crust:

4 cups all purpose flour
2 cups warm water
2 envelopes yeast
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Mix the yeast and warm water, then add the sugar. Wait for the yeast to begin to get bubbly. Then start adding the flour until all is combined and the dough is slightly sticky. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and let the dough rise in a warm area for about 30 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a floured area and knead with your hands about 5 to 10 times. Roll the dough to desired thickness and put in your pans. I normally bake my pizza crust for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees before putting sauce and other toppings on. This keeps the dough from getting soggy. It doesn't always get soggy so you don't have to do it this way.

The sauce is a bit more difficult to put down since I actually just throw it together, so if you have a question just give me a holler!

1 (28 oz.) can stewed tomatoes, crushed

2 (28 oz.) cans of tomato sauce

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or 2 teaspoons garlic powder (or both, if you love garlic like I do!!)

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (if you like your sauce on the spicy side!)

1 - 2 teaspoons sugar (if you like your sauce on the sweet side!)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Salt to taste (If your tomato sauce has added salt you may not need to add more.)

Notes: I wouldn't use both red pepper flakes and sugar. Choose one or the other. You can choose to add finely chopped onion and bell pepper, sliced mushrooms and ground Italian sausage. If you like your sauce chunky, leave chunks of tomato, mushroom, bell pepper and onion in the sauce. If you like it smooth, then run your veggies in the food processor with a little tomato sauce before adding to pot. It's just all about what YOU like and tweaking this recipe (or any other recipe) to satisfy your own family's tastes. This sauce doubles as a Spaghetti Sauce so make a batch and then save some for pizza! 

Let your sauce simmer while you prepare the pizza toppings. (It's best if it simmers for at least an hour.)

Toppings:

I use a combination of Mozzarella and Monterey Jack chesses, Parmesan and /or Romano cheese, pepperoni, Genoa salami, anchovies, black olives, mushrooms, bell pepper. You can use whatever your heart desires! 

When your pizza is topped and everyone's hungry, bake it at about 375 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Ta-da! Our Christmas Eve Tradition is alive again! Enjoy! 

Popcorn Cake Recipe - A Family Favorite

I'm going to share a family favorite with everyone who's interested. I don't do that often. Call me stingy. This favorite recipe came from a co-worker back 25+ years ago. If you know me, then you've most likely had this yummy dessert before OR I've given you the recipe. Trust me, this is so yummy your kids will be screaming for more! So, here's the recipe - the first recipe in a series of my favorite holiday (or anytime) recipes. Enjoy!

Popcorn Cake

1 lb. miniature marshmallows
2 sticks margarine
1 lb. M&M's*
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
16 cups popped popcorn
1 small bag M&M's with peanuts*

*Seasonal M&M's can be used for the holidays.

Melt margarine on the stove, not in the microwave. Add marshmallows and let them melt. Turn off heat. Add and mix the rest of the ingredients. (I usually transfer the melted marshmallow and margarine to a large aluminum bowl for mixing in other ingredients.) Put in angel food cake pan that has been sprayed with Pam or buttered. Press mixture lightly into pan. Chill and remove from pan.