Celebrating July Birthdays

A "shout out" to some July birthdays (there are many more) that may have been overlooked on Ever Ready the past month.

• July 4, 1804  Nathaniel Hawthorn  was an American novelist and short story writer. He was born in Salem, Massachusetts, 
• July 18, 1918 Nelson Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.
• July 19, 1834 Edgar Degas was a French artist famous for his paintings, sculptures, prints, and drawings. He is especially identified with the subject of dance as more than half of his works depict dancers.
• July 21,1899 Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economical and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations.
• July 28, 1866 Helen Beatrix Potter was an English author, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist best known for her imaginative children's books featuring animals such as those in The Tale of Peter .
• July 29 Ever Ready, blogger and writer
• July 30, 1834 Emily Jane Brontë was an English novelist and poet who is best known for her only novel, Wuthering Heights, now considered a classic of English literature.
• July 31, 1965 J.K. Rowling  Joanne "Jo" Rowling, OBE FRSL, pen names J. K. Rowling and Robert Galbraith, is a British novelist best known as the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series.

so in honor of this esteemed list not one but two dessert recipes are posted. These recipes were supplied by two guests at a recent lunch. 

Rice Krispies Ice Cream Pie

Cook's notes: All I can say is its decadent and after one bite my son told me I had to get the recipe:)

This is an Iowan dessert from the 50's. The source is Bernie's mother Helen who made the pie frequently for her large family of 11 children.

The recipe make 2 nine inch pies though I'm not sure 2 pies would cover 11 children!

Ingredients:

Crust: Follow directions for making  basic Rice Krispy Bar recipe but use 
6 TB. butter, one 10 oz. package mini marshmallows and 6 cups Rice Krispies
 http://www.ricekrispies.com/recipes/the-original-treats  

1/2 gallon ice cream of choice-pictured above is an ice-cream product called Moose Tracks or be creative and use your favorite flavor. 

  

prepared Sea Salt Carmel Ice-Cream Topping

crushed nuts

Directions:

Divide one prepared recipe of rice krispie bars between 2 pie pans that have been greased well with butter. Put in freezer for 30 minutes.
Divide softened ice cream between 2 pie pans. Freeze until firm covered with foil.
For easier cutting remove pie about 10 minutes before needed. Drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with nuts. 

Strawberry Raspberry Dessert 

Cook's notes: The "marriage" of strawberry and rhubarb are a yummy treat that screams late spring and summer.  This recipe was supplied by Sue L who was looking for away to use up rhubarb from her freezer. The center container on the tray was cool whip and another alternative would be ice cream. 

The recipe originally came from Land O Lakes

Ingredients:

Filling

• 1-1/2 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1-1/2 sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 TB. lemon juice 
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 TB. cornstarch

Crust

• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1-1/2 cups uncooked quick cooking oats
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar 
• 1 TB. cinnamon
• 3/4 cup softened butter
•  1/2 tsp. baking soda 
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Icing 

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 TB. milk (may need more)

Directions:

• Combine strawberries, rhubarb and lemon juice in a 2 qt. saucepan. 
• Cover and cook over medium low heat for 8 minutes or until fruit is tender. Remove cover. 
• Combine sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Whisk into strawberry/rhubarb mixture stirring constantly until blended and thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13 x 9 pan.
• Combine all crust ingredients in a bowl and beat on a low speed until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. A food processor works well for this step.
• Reserve 1-1/2 cups crust mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture into pan. Spread filling evenly over crust. Sprinkle with reserved crust mixture. Bake 30 minutes or until golden on top.   
• Cool bars and drizzle icing over the top.