Skinny Milk Chocolate Caramel Frozen Pies {2 points+ and Kernel Seasons}

If there is one thing my husband and I love to do, it's go to movies. B.K. (before kid) we went every to see a movie every weekend. Sometimes two.

I still remember the last B.K. movie we saw, In Good Company. I seem to remember it was a cute movie. What I do remember is having to pee, like, three times during it, as I was a gazillion months pregnant at the time.

Since Jordan was born we've been to no more than 10 movies. In over seven years. By the time you pay for a sitter, who can afford a movie?

Back in our movie-going heyday, we lived in Chandler, Arizona, home of the mega-movie theaters. I have fond memories of those theaters, probably because being able to go to a movie without worrying that your phone is off for an hour and a half and someone might drown or get sick or need you was quite nice.

The other fond memory I have of those theaters was that they offered a popcorn seasoning bar. You could get your ginormous tub of popcorn and then add flavor. Like movie theater popcorn, only better.

Alas, movie theaters here  in Sacramento (at least the ones by me) don't have this option.

Something I never thought to do was buy my own. I mean, I stuff my purse with everything else at the movies, why not bring my own seasoning?

So, when the folks at Kernel Season's contacted me about trying their popcorn seasonings, I was so on board. Like, faster than you can say "popcorn seasoning!" I asked, of course, that they send me sweet flavors (although, their savory ones sound super awesome, heeellloooo parmesan and garlic!) because, well, this is a sweet blog. And boy, did they deliver! I got four fabulous seasonings to try: Milk Chocolate Caramel, Kettle Corn, Apple Cinnamon, and Chocolate Marshmallow.

Of course, I couldn't just put them on popcorn, now could I?

{Although I did do that too. And it was gooooood.}

Instead, I made a sweet pie. A frozen sweet pie, flavored with the Milk Chocolate Caramel flavor.

{You could totally use any and all of the flavors. I just used that one. Afterwards I kinda kicked myself for not making a few flavors. Don't make the same mistake as I did.}

Aaaandd...because I went to Old Navy last week to try on clearance clothes and somehow their sizing is all messed up and I'm not the size I used to be, I made these skinny. My husband does weight watchers online, so I input the recipe into his builder using the low/fat-free ingredients I've noted in the recipe, and it told me that these babies are only 2 points+. And they're gooood. Which means I can eat two.

Right?

That's another thing that is awesome about the Kernel Season's flavorings. They are all really low-cal and you don't need a lot to flavor your popcorn, cereal, coffee, oatmeal, or whatever your mind can imagine. So it's a great low-cal way to add sweet flavor without adding pant sizes.

I have soooo many ideas on how to use these. Especially one with the Chocolate Marshmallow. And the Apple Cinnamon. Stay tuned!

I can pretend that the caramel sauce for garnish is skinny too, right?

Good, because, um, I *may* have licked my plate.

Skinny Milk Chocolate Caramel Frozen Pies

by Crazy for Crust

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 6 graham cracker sheets (reduced fat is fine)
• 3 tablespoons butter spread, melted

For the Filling

• 1 cup Cool Whip (I used fat-free)
• 1/2 cup fat free vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 teaspoons Milk Chocolate Caramel Kernel Seasons (or any flavor you like)

Instructions

1. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners. Finely grind graham crackers in a food processor. Add to melted butter spread and stir until combined. Equally divide between each muffin liner. Press to compact (I use the bottom of a shot glass for this step).
2. Stir Cool Whip, yogurt, vanilla, and Kernel Season's powder in a medium bowl. Equally divide it among the muffin cups. Freeze until solid, at least 3 hours.
3. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving. Top with caramel or chocolate sauce if desired.

**Using the fat-free/low-fat equivalents I’ve listed, this recipe works out to be 2 WW Points+ per pie. (Adding caramel sauce will add more points.)**

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Kernel Season's provided me with four bottles of their flavorings to try and review. All opinions are my own. Kernel Season's can be found at major grocery stores as well as Target and Walmart or online.

Butterscotch Pecan Pies

I think I have a new sport I'd like to add to the Olympics: Dough Rolling.

Contestants would compete in events like the Sugar Cookie Dash, Pizza Dough Sprint, and Pie Crust Speed Race.

Not only would baker-letes be judged on time, but on skill and form as well. Scoring would include three parts: speed (out of 5 points), difficulty (a range increasing with additional skill), and execution (out of 10).

If you manage to roll 15 mini pizzas in 30 seconds, you'd get a really good speed score.

If you could roll and cut 5 dozen sugar cookies lickety split, without any additional flour, you'd get high marks for difficulty.

And if you managed to line a pie plate with the perfect crust, no rips, tears, or thin spots, execution would get you a perfect 10.

The one with the highest marks would, of course, win the Gold Rolling Pin.

Picture it: middle-aged women who've trained their entire lives for just this moment, wearing their sparkly red, white, and blue USA aprons and standing in the state-of-the-art kitchen arena. Standing tall as the anthems are played, smiling to the cameras beaming their images back home to their fans and loved ones. NBC would even show the backstory of the participants...

"...she came from nothing to become something. Raised by her grandmother in rural Kansas, Jenny practiced her rolling skills for hours every day. She credits her rise to Olympic fame to her Grandmother, who would have been 100 years old on this very day of competition..."

And every four years they would compete for gold. But, as in any sport, new technologies would be introduced to the baker-letes, products that would become controversial but eventually become standard in the games.

This Roul'Pat would be one such technology.

The first one to use it would win gold for sure.

Because you don't need any flour for dusting.

Thus ensuring a perfect difficulty score.

Roul'Pat is made by the makers of the Silpat. You all know what Silpat is, right? That superfabulous awesome non-stick baking mat? I love mine so much I wish I had 10.

The Roul'Pat is a non-stick work surface that turns any countertop into an ideal rolling station. The back of the Roul'Pat is designed to prevent it from slipping or moving while you're working. It's also non-stick. I repeat again: it's non-stick. So you can roll out dough on it. Make candy on it. Work with fondant or chocolate. Or even crafts. With no additional flour or mess!

Did you hear me people? NO additional flour means NO additional clean-up which is music to my ears. I absolutely hate rolling out cookies and pie crust. I hate the mess it creates.

When I made these butterscotch pecan pies, I rolled out a cream cheese pie crust to sandwich them in.

I rolled and re-rolled and used my cookie cutter and lifted the circles up without any sticking at all.

And then I just wiped off my Roul'Pat with a damp sponge. And my kitchen was clean.

I cannot speak more highly of the Roul'Pat. It actually makes me want to make roll-out cookies, and if you know me, that's endorsement enough.

If I went to the Olympics and competed in Dough Rolling with my Roul'Pat I would win gold for sure.

And so would you!

You know you want one of these awesome Roul'Pats, right?

Come back tomorrow for Crazy Sweet Tuesday...and you just might win one!

~Read More~

Funfetti Piewiches

Morning y'all!

I made some Funfetti Piewiches for you. But I'm sharing them over at Hayley's house, The Domestic Rebel.

Hayley's taking a little blog-cation this week and she asked me to fill in for her. Of course I said yes!

Have you ever visited Hayley? She's crazy good. Her treats are to die for (really, I've actually eaten them) and she's a super cool chick. She's also a a real-life friend of mine.

What is it about funfetti that makes you feel like a kid again? Eating these made me want to paint my nails rainbow and wear a tutu.

{Does that conjure up a visual or what?}

Be sure to go say hi to Hayley and get this recipe. If you like sprinkles and funfetti, you'll love them. And of course you'll love them, who doesn't love sprinkles?

Oh, and don't forget! I'm co-hosting a Facebook Blog Hop going on now! Go join and find some new friends!

Have a great Thursday!

I link up to all of these fabulous parties each week!

Chef in Training, Trick or Treat Tuesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Sweet Treats Thursday, Chic-and-Crafty, Tastetastic Thursday, Sweet Tooth Friday, I'm Lovin' it Fridays, Sweets for a Saturday, A Well-Seasoned Life, Strut your Stuff Saturday, Weekend Wrap Up Party, Weekend Potluck, and all of these too!

Banana Cream Pie with Golden Oreo Crust

Have you ever been to an Apple Store? The first time I went I was utterly confused, bewildered and captivated. Truth be told, it made me feel old and clueless.

Now that Apple is slowly taking over my life (phone, iPad, computer, router...) I am trying to embrace my new mecca.

Recently, on a rare night alone, we went window shopping.

Have you ever browsed at the Apple Store? It's like one of the those tactile playgrounds, but for adults.

At one point while my husband was playing with the Apple TV device, I told him I was going to shop "the wall," acting all cool and stuff because I was using store lingo.

I was captivated by what I found on the wall. Accessories for your iPad. The "Piperlime Accessories Wall" for computers, I guess.

Need to improve your golf swing? There's an app for that! It works with the iPad to immediately tell you if your swing sucks. All for the bargain price of $129.95.

Want the 2012 edition of the clapper? They make wireless devices you can plug into your lamps, fans, etc. and then control with your iPad. Only $99 for the start-up kit and $49 for each additional plug. (I kinda want this one.)

Need something for dad? You can buy a grill thermometer that will sound an alarm on your iOS device when your meat is ready. (Because walking away from your BBQ is a good idea...)

Two of my favorite products are for kids. One is the ColorStudio by Crayola. At first, I was totally stoked and came this close to buying it for Jordan. Until I realized there was a very real possibility I'd find her writing on the iPad with her sharpie...saying "oops, I didn't realize I was using the wrong pen."

Ditto the race cars that can be raced directly on the iPad. That just seems like a bad idea (albeit a cool one) to start with.

{Where's the app that can make dishes do themselves? Huh Apple? You best get on that one.}

And...pretty much everything on that accessories wall costs at least $50.

But it's all totally fun...which makes Apple the smartest people on earth.

Because if something is fun...people will buy it.

Or, in this case, eat it.

Because this pie is fun.

Sure it looks like just a regular old banana cream pie.

But it has a reeeealllly fun crust: Golden Oreos.

Or, crack.

Did you know that a bag of Golden Oreos is magical? It can disappear on its own in two days flat.

This pie is actually a recipe re-do of mine, with a twist. Please don't go looking for the original. It's...embarrassing, to say the least.

But pretty much in that original post, I talked about how I love banana but loathe banana chunks. So my pie has none. I also cook the bananas first in some brown sugar and butter, then puree them. Then I mix it with pudding and whipped cream to create a fluffy, sweet banana filling. Paired with the spiciness of the Golden Oreos this is a perfect cool summer treat.

It's crack pie. Left alone to willpower free devices, you will eat the whole thing. I should know.

And I don't think there's an app to help that. Yet anyway.

~Read More~

Olympic Gold Medal Brownie Batter Hand Pies

I hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July! We had a relaxing, easy day filled with swimming, barbecue, and guacamole. And a delish new drink I can't wait to share with you soon!

America's birthday might be over...but the Olympics are around the corner! Now, I'm not a sports person. You know that. But I love the summer Olympics.

When I was a kid, Nadia was my favorite movie everrrr. Like, I watched it constantly. I practically had it memorized.

All of my friends loved it too. At least, I thought they did, because I made them watch it with me.

One of my favorite playtime activities was spreading out a blue tarp on my front lawn and practicing the floor routine. I would become Nadia...except that all I could do was a cartwheel.

I seem to remember making my friends wear their bathing suits while doing all of this play.

Which may have made them hate me...since our front lawn was literally at the busiest four-way stop in town.

Gymnastics used to be the only sport I thought was worth it's weight in Olympic gold. Now, as an adult, I appreciate more of the sports.

Like swimming. For the eye candy, of course.

Duh.

When thinking of an Olympic themed treat, my mind of course went to the gold medal; the symbol of success at the Games.

{Okay, side note: I will also never hear "The Games" and think of the Olympics anymore...am I right?}

And hand pies go so well with medals. I mean, they're round. Super perfect fit!

I was going to fill them with lemon curd or pie filling. Then I saw this post by Hayley and was intrigued. And then of course, there was brownie batter week...and my mind was made up.

The medals needed a strap, of course. I used Air Heads to mold some. You can use any colors...but I thought red and blue would be perfect.

You know, to root for America. But if you're, say, Canadian...you could just use red.

Just watching the gymnastic trials has gotten me in the mood. I wish I could set up a tarp and pretend to be Nadia.

But then I'd probably break something.

Instead I'll just sit and eat gold medals.

Way easier.

This post is proudly a part of the Olympic Party Roundup by Miss Candiquik!

Olympic Gold Medal Brownie Batter Hand Pies

by Crazy for Crust

Ingredients

• 1 cup brownie mix (dry)
• 1 tablspoon water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 box refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts)
• Cherry and Blue Raspberry Airheads (from a pack of mini Airheads)
• 1 package CandiQuik Candy Coating
• Edible gold spray

Instructions

To Make Hand Pies:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Unroll pie crusts and cut small circles, re-rolling pie crust as necessary. (Depending in the size of cookie cutter, you will get about 24 circles per crust.)
2. Mix brownie mix, water, and oil. Spoon ½ teaspoon of mix on 24 circles. Wet the edges of the pie crust and top with remaining circles. Pinch closed with the tines of a fork.
3. Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet for about 8-10 minutes. Cool completely.
4. To make the medals: Once hand pies are cool, melt your CandiQuik according to package directions. Dip each hand pie in the melts, covering completely. Tap off excess and place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Chill or freeze to harden. Once the candy is hardened, spray with edible gold spray. Chill to dry.

To make necklace:

1. Cut each Airhead into three strips. (If you are using regular sized Airheads, cut them in half first, so you get six strips.)
2. Heat one red and one blue strip in the microwave for 5 seconds. While warm, roll/stretch them to the desired length.
3. Overlap the two colors slightly and roll with a rolling pin to seal them together. Repeat with two more strips and then press the two strips together to make a necklace.
4. Place a small spoonful of white candy melts on the end of the necklace. Press a hand pie to the melted candy and hold until it sticks. Let dry before serving. Keep chilled, or they will stick.

**Other Hand Pie ideas: pie filling, cookie dough, lemon curd, chocolate chips, peanut butter, Nutella…

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How about you? Will you be watching the Olympics?

I link up to all of these fabulous parties each week!

Chef in Training, Trick or Treat Tuesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Sweet Treats Thursday, Chic-and-Crafty, Tastetastic Thursday, Sweet Tooth Friday, I'm Lovin' it Fridays, Sweets for a Saturday, A Well-Seasoned Life, Strut your Stuff Saturday, Weekend Wrap Up Party, Weekend Potluck, and all of these too!

Butter Pecan Pie Ice Cream

Last week we bought a new television. The one in our family room, while still functional, was starting to have pixel problems. As in, I could read the constellations from my couch. And whenever there was a close-up of Gretchen (RHOOC, obvi) her face was covered in teensy tiny black dots, soon to turn into large white ones.

So, we downsized and bought a 47" for the family room. (Yes, I like large TVs. That's all me. The bigger the better. Heck, I'd watch Andy on a movie screen if I could.)

Question was, where to put the dinosaur that was the old TV? I mean, it was still functional, albeit a dot-to-dot in process. No one is going to pay money for it; the part to fix it is more than the cost of the new television.

So we did what all rational, level-headed people do with an old 55" TV. We put it in the living room, right in front of the Christmas tree window. And we hooked up the Xbox Kinect to it.

The Kinect. You know, that video game we got two years ago and hardly ever played? {If I'm not in the mood to move my coffee table and rearrange my family room furniture, I'm probably not in the mood to play a movement video game, clearly.}

So we rearranged the (nonexistent) living room furniture and plugged in Dance Central 2.

And oh my God, you'd think Jordan got a brand new toy.

She didn't stop at all on Saturday afternoon.

And guess what she started doing at 6:30 am Sunday morning? 6:30 am., I kid you not.

She took a break for lunch at noon.

By two she was "resting" with the iPad.

By dinner I had to yell at her to stop with the You're a Jerk so she could set the table.

That child is relentless, I tell you.

All the dancing means she's hungrier. And, I guess, if you dance for six straight hours, it's okay if you have some ice cream.

~Read More~

Bailey's Pudding Pies with Thin Mint Crust {Great Blogger Switch-Up}

I know. Another treat in a jar.

What can I say? They're cute, portable, and single-serving. You can't get much better than that!

I know I'm about a year late to the "jar craze," but hey, I never did follow trends.

I never had a pair of Keds with the blue label torn off.

I never had a pair of hi-top Converse sneakers.

I refuse to wear flats without some sort of sock. Because, um, ew.

While every one in my class was wearing Guess and 5*7*9 and Wet Seal, I was still wearing my Kmart knockoffs.

Actually, the only trend I actually bought into was the pink explosion of 2003. In fact, prior to that winter, I had hated pink. And then, somehow I ended up with a pink trench coat ala Old Navy and a purse with a D on it. I still wear the coat, because pink will always be the new black.

Just like jarred desserts with a crust should be the new cupcake.

~Read More~

Blackberry Cream Pies {in a jar}

One of the earliest memories of my dad I have is of the two of us. On weekends he'd give my mom some time alone and the two of us would go on adventures.

Our two adventures I remember the most, because we did them so much, were looking at airplanes, and looking at boats.

My favorite boat in the dry-dock boat yard was the "naked lady boat." Because, well, she had a naked lady chalk outlined on the side.

But the things I remember most about our outings were Cheetos and orange soda. And occasionally chocolate milk.

I still remember the little store we'd stop and get them at. And I remember the taste of the orange soda.

These Blackberry Cream Pies really have nothing to do with orange soda. Or Cheetos (ew, that would be gross. Or like an episode of Cupcake Wars).

They, however, have everything to do with my dad.  I made them for him, for Father's Day.

~Read More~

Blueberry Pie Fudge

Do you ever get an idea that you are really excited about; one that you really, really want to try out? One that you'll be so excited about it if it works (highlights, yay!) or really bummed if it doesn't (lace jacket? Not in any era, people.)

This recipe is one of those ideas.

Fudge, that tastes like blueberry, that looks like a pie. I have no idea where this idea came to me. Possibly when I was out running, because that's what I do to get through the torture. {I think about fabulous desserts so that by the time I get home I'm totally famished and scarf poptarts because, hey, I just went for a run.}

Then I got an email from a company called Lucky Leaf. Have you heard of them?

They make premium pie fillings for fruit and cream pies, as well as applesauce and apple juice. They make PIE FILLING, yo. I mean, could it have been a more perfect fit? I responded to the email so fast I think I got carpel tunnel.

~Read More~

Crumb Apple Pie {A Recipe Re-do Blog Hop}

So this is a recipe re-do. I made it in the first few months of this blog. And, well, I'm not proud of how the post looks. When Ashton mentioned doing a re-do post and making it a blog hop, I knew immediately that I was going to re-make this pie.

You see, this pie is special. One, my husband loves it. He cannot turn it down (and ate two slices of it).

And two, it's the pie that inspired the blog name. Because we love the crust and the crumb of this pie more than the apple filling and one night, chowing down, the idea for a crust-loving store/site/something was born.

And now, here I am, a few years later, working on that dream.

So this pie needed a new place here on this site. Badly.

Plus, it's always good to re-do some things in life. What would you re-do, if you could?

~Read More~

Frozen Almond Joy Mini Pies

{Yup. Still Almond Joy Week. Woot!}

I love the Dollar Tree. It's awesome.

I mean, where else can you buy cereal, greeting cards, bungee cords, an American Flag, and a pregnancy test for only $5 plus tax?

Although I do have reservations about some of the foods they sell at the Dollar Tree, (perishables? um, no thank you) I love finding hidden gems in the packaged food aisles, for only $1.

Like their maple cookie sandwiches.

Or the frosted animal cookies.

Or like the time I bought the entire shelf worth of Tapatio sauce for Mel's birthday party, whereupon I glued his face to the bottle and made him Mr. Tapatio.

~Read More~

Banana Cream Pie Ice Cream {without a machine!}

{Psst...before we get started...did you enter my giveaway yet? No? What are you waiting for...go enter!}

One of the things I love about living where I do (outside Sacramento) is how close it is to lakes and mountains. Lake Tahoe is less than two hours away, making it super easy to head to the snow in the winter or to the lake in summer.

Last summer we took a couple of day trips to Donner Lake. I think I prefer the beach we went to over the large, overpopulated Lake Tahoe beaches. It was a small shore-front, had bathrooms (a must), and Truckee is a little bit closer than Tahoe City.  And? There's a Dairy Queen in Truckee.

Now, I've talked to you all about my love of Dairy Queen. Many of you are new, and might want to check out that story. Because now, I've passed my love of all things DQ down to Jordan.

When I mention Donner Lake, she mentions stopping at DQ on our way home. Girl after my own heart!

Anyway, back to the point. Last year on our first trip to DQ, the special of the month was a banana cream pie blizzard.

I may have died a little and gone to pie heaven when I saw that. And it tasted even better.

So I knew, one day, I would want to recreate it at home.

And now I have.

Two-ingredient ice cream has been all the rage these days. Last year, I made this ice cream out of Cool Whip and sweetened condensed milk and it turned out awesome (are you surprised I used Nutter Butter's?) I have an ice cream maker, but I love this recipe because it's so easy, versatile, and I can make it (almost) fat-free (using both fat-free Cool Whip and sweetened condensed milk).

This time I kicked it up a notch with banana pudding, chunks of pie crust, and chunks of banana.

It tastes exactly like a banana cream pie. It was exactly how I remembered the blizzard, but more ice-creamy. So. Freakin'. Awesome.

I will be making this again. And, oh, the other pie creations I could make...

And it's okay if you, ahem, eat the whole thing yourself. Because besides the pie crust, it's fat-free! :)

Enjoy!

Banana Cream Pie Ice Cream

by Crazy for Crust

Ingredients

• 1 tub Cool Whip (fat-free)
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (fat-free)
• 4 tablespoons banana cream pudding mix (the powder, not the actual pudding) from a large box
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 refrigerated pie crust (from a pack of 2)
• 1 banana (more if you like lots of banana)

Instructions

1. Bake pie crust (flat) on a cookie sheet in a 350° oven for about 15-20 minutes (watch it after 10 minutes; you want it to be more crunchy than soft, but not burned). Let it cool, then break it into bite-sized pieces.
2. Mix Cool Whip and sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl. Add pudding mix and vanilla and stir well.
3. Slice your banana and cut each slice in quarters. Stir banana and pie crust chunks into ice cream base. Place mixture into a large Tupperware and freeze until hardened (at least 3 hours or overnight). Ice cream has a soft consistency.

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I link up to all of these fabulous parties each week!

Tea Party Tuesdays at Sweetology, Talent Show Tuesday at Chef in Training, Trick or Treat Tuesday at Inside BruCrew Life, Cast Party Wednesday at Lady Behind the Curtain, Sweet Treats Thursday at Something Swanky, Chic-and-Crafty at the Frugal Girls, Tastetastic Thursday at A Little Nosh, Sweet Tooth Friday at Alli-n-sons, I'm Lovin' it Fridays at TidyMom, Sweets for a Saturday at Sweet as Sugar Cookies, A Well-Seasoned Life, Strut your Stuff Saturday at Six Sisters' Stuff, and all of these too!

Peanut Butter & Jelly Tart

Can I tell you something and you promise to stay my friend?

Yes? Okay, ready?

I don't really like jelly. I never have.

I especially don't like jelly with peanut butter, like, in a sandwich. Ew.

Growing up I ate plain peanut butter sandwiches. As an adult I rarely eat peanut butter sandwiches, but I still like them plain. (I'd rather consume my peanut butter in say, a cookie. Or a tart. Or a pie.)

A few years ago I was craving something. Something sweet. and fruity. I really wanted this sweet and fruity thing but I didn't know what it was.

I made toast for breakfast, opened the fridge to get the butter and saw the strawberry jam. I don't remember if I was pregnant or what but I had to have that jam (that I hated) and I had to have it on this piece of toast right now.

So I did. And I liked it.

*Gasp*

So now I eat jelly on toast. Sometimes. When I'm not being boring and just using butter.

But I won't eat jelly on a peanut butter sandwich, no way. Not ever.

I'll save my peanut butter and jelly for this tart, thankyouverymuch.

I actually made this awhile ago...for the teachers on Pie Day. I didn't get any photos of it cut...as it was for giving away. But I did taste a little bite of it when I dropped it off.

And it was good. So...let's change it to "I don't like jelly except in tarts. And on toast. And maybe in cookies?"

So I made this tart and I kinda forgot about it. Then I remembered that the Improv Challenge (hosted by Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker) for April was peanut butter and jelly. Perfect!

Enjoy, and I hope you find some more yummy peanut butter and jelly treats in the hop below. Maybe I'll find more jelly things that I'll eat. :)

Peanut Butter & Jelly Tart

by Crazy for Crust (Recipe from Food Network Magazine, September 2011)

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup peanut butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup strawberry (or your favorite flavor) jam

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9” fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Cream peanut butter and butter with both sugars using a mixer. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
4. Press half the dough in the prepared tart pan. Spread with the jam, leaving a ½ inch border around the edge. Drop about half the remaining dough around the top of the jam, and press the remaining half around the border to seal the edges. Bake until golden, 45-50 minutes. Cool completely before removing ring and cutting.

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And now for the Improv Challenge Blog Hop...




Have a Linky Party you want me to join? Add it HERE.

I link up to all of these fabulous parties each week!

Tea Party Tuesdays at Sweetology, Talent Show Tuesday at Chef in Training, Trick or Treat Tuesday at Inside BruCrew Life, Cast Party Wednesday at Lady Behind the Curtain, Sweet Treats Thursday at Something Swanky, Chic-and-Crafty at the Frugal Girls, Tastetastic Thursday at A Little Nosh, Sweet Tooth Friday at Alli-n-sons, I'm Lovin' it Fridays at TidyMom, Sweets for a Saturday at Sweet as Sugar Cookies, A Well-Seasoned Life, Strut your Stuff Saturday at Six Sisters' Stuff, and all of these too!

Alligator Pie

As a Christmas gift, Jordan's teacher had the kids make calendars. Each month has a theme. April's theme is "Alligator Pie," complete with a song and a recipe.

So I couldn't resist doing this...

Alligator pie, Alligator pie...

If I don't get some...

I think I'm gonna die!

Give away the green grass,

Give away the sky,

But don't you give away my Alligator pie!

(Song by Dennis Lee)

Alligator Pie

by Crazy for Crust

6022090

Ingredients

• 1 box vanilla instant pudding mix (large size)
• Milk amount called for on box
• Green Food Coloring
• Cool Whip
• Graham Cracker Crust
• Chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and white chocolate chips for decoration (or similar items)

Instructions

1. Pour milk and pudding mix into a large bowl. Whisk for 2 minutes. Stir in a few drops of green food coloring and a large spoonful of Cool Whip.
2. Pour into a graham cracker crust (homemade or store bought). Chill or freeze, depending on what kind of pie you feel like.
3. When you are ready to serve, gather your decorations and remove pie from fridge/freezer. (If frozen, you will need to let it thaw a few minutes before the decorations will stick.) Slice and decorate with chocolate chip eyes, peanut butter chip nostrils, and white chocolate chip teeth.
4. Eat the alligator before he eats you!

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Enjoy!




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