An Average Joe in San Antonio

It’s officially summer with Fourth of July right around the corner which means time for picnics, block parties, and get togethers.  I know that a lot of times you might be asked to bring a dessert to one of these functions and you just might not have the time or desire to create something.

You end up going towards the prepackaged cookie section (heck, even if you get the chocolate cookies made in the store bakery, people know that they are still store bought), show up with the dessert that no one touches because it is not homemade, and end up going home with 22 of the 25 store bought cookies that even you don’t want.

There is a simple solution to this, Mama Heath’s famous Lemonade Ice Cream Pie!  Now, I don’t know if the recipe originated with her or not, but I really don’t care.  I always looked forward to summer because that meant it was time for Lemonade Ice Cream Pie.  I mean, it just tastes like summer and is perfect for all the shindigs you are going to.  The best thing yet, it is super easy to make (roughly 10-15 minutes of prep) and all your friends will think it is amazing.  Trust me.

Ingredients:

• ½ gallon of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla (don’t skimp out and get the off brand, you can tell)
• 1 can of Minute Maid Pink Lemonade from concentrate
• 1 large Keebler graham cracker crust
• 1 smaller Keebler graham cracker crust

Step 1: Drive home from the grocery store in the Texas summer heat.  Don’t fret if you hit a couple of stop lights on the way home as this will make Step 2 much easier on you.

Step 2: Get a big mixing bowl and dump the starting-to-melt ice cream in it along with the can of pink lemonade that is equally melted from the searing outside heat.

Step 3: Get a spoon and mix, mix, mix (I guess you could cheat and use beaters, but come on, it is soft ice cream and isn’t worth making more of a mess to clean up).  You will want to mix where two things happen: (i) there are no pockets of pure white or bright pink but instead a consistent pale pink color throughout and (ii) it is pretty creamy and smooth.

Step 4: Dump the mixture into the graham cracker crusts and smooth out the top with the spatula.

(Step 4b: Lick the bowl and spatula clean.)

You want the color to be this light pink; mmmm, I am getting hungry just looking at the picture.

Again, Steps 1-4 should take you all of 10 to 15 minutes and the payoff will be worth it.

Step 5: Put it in the freezer for like 2.5 to 3 hours to refreeze.  Serve and enjoy!

I will admit, just like the Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa recipe for Christmastime, the name does kind of sound gross.  However, you will find that the taste is light and crisp with a little bit of tartness.  The cold is refreshing on a hot summer day or evening – one bite and you will agree that it tastes like summer.

For like 15 minutes of time and roughly $10-$12 worth of products, you will make two Lemonade Ice Cream Pies that will not only be “made from scratch” but also be the hit of the party.

I love Christmastime; it is my favorite time of year because it just seems that people are in a happier mood, you get to spend time with your friends and family, college bowl games are on TV, and there is tons of food everywhere.  The best part about the food is that it all seems to be homemade and seasonal recipes that are familiar to friends and family seem to crop up.

There are several things that I look forward to around Christmas time that my mom will inevitably cook: her world renown green chili queso, chili and cornbread, the chocolate turtle brownies, a big pot of beans, enchilada casserole, cranberry jalapeño salsa and fudge.  These are the things that signal it is Christmas to me.

Seeing that I am out of the house and hundreds of miles away, I often try to make some of these dishes myself before travelling home for the holidays.  While the queso is my favorite of all, you can’t really make it unless you have authentic Hatch, New Mexico green chilis (I have a freezer full that I brought back while visiting New Mexico a year and a half ago).  The cranberry jalapeño salsa and fudge are some of my favorites to make and are typically a hit when I make them for a party, so I thought I would give you the recipes to try them out this holiday season.

Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa

This salsa is sweet with a kick! It really looks like Christmas with the red and green.  I think it is funny because when I set it out at a party, people initially shy away from it because they don’t know what it is.  After I tell them that it is cranberry jalapeño salsa, they usually become interested and try it on a Wheat Thin.  At this point in time, it is tough to keep it in stock!

1 package of cranberries
1 bunch of green onions minced
2 minced jalapeños (de-vein and de-seed if you don’t want it too spicy)
1 cup chopped cilantro
¾ cup sugar
1 tablespoon of olive oil
juice of 1 lime

Place the cranberries in a food processor and turn on low; you kind of want them to be a little chunky.  Mix all the ingredients together and mix up good.  Serve chilled with Wheat Thins; I have found if you let it sit overnight you get a nicer spice as all the ingredients got to mix together.

Fudge

This is always a hit; I don’t like mine with pecans, but feel free to add it in if you do!

4 ½ cups of sugar
2 sticks of Parkay
12 oz Carnation evaporated milk

Put the above on medium heat and bring to a full boil; once there, let it boil for 7 ½ minutes.

Remove from heat and add:

18 oz of Nestle Tollhouse Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
7 oz jar of marshmellow cream
1 tsp of vanilla

Stir all these things in really well.  THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART: After stirring for a while, take a spatula and scrape the top edge of the bowl where some of the fudge is caught but is not really being stirred into the mixture any more.  Be cautious as you remove it to make sure nothing drops in your mixture; wipe it on a paper towel and through away.  This is important because you are getting all the crystallized stuff out of your mixture which makes it smooth.

Do this about three times and make sure you have a consistent color.  Pour mixture into a pan that is rubbed with butter so that the fudge won’t stick.  Let set before you serve (but enjoy licking the bowl).

I hope you enjoy the recipes that are popular from my household.  If you have any that you enjoy and would like to share, send me a message with it and I will post on the site.  Include your name and/or Twitter username (if you want) and a story of why you like your particular recipe!

Hope this can make your Christmas that much more enjoyable!