Acini De Pepe Salad aka Frog-Eye Salad

I was first introduced to "Frog Eye Salad"by my husband's family. Thinking it was like the typical Utah Fruit/Jello/Surprise Ingredient Salad, I was a bit wary. It wasn't until a few years ago that I even enjoyed eating fruit, let alone fruit mixed with other things but this salad is yummy. I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't include any odd ingredients such as jello, miracle whip, bacon bits, etc. In fact none of the ingredients are odd or exotic and the combination of flavors is one that reminds me of summer BBQs. I got this recipe from my mother-in-law, who found it years ago in a neighborhood cookbook. I was a little surprised that the recipe calls for eggs because I never would have guessed, but they are cooked and I couldn't even tell they were in there after I was made aware of their presence. I made this salad this weekend for my brother's graduation / sister's goodbye party. I was craving it a few weeks ago but I waited until now to make it because I didn't want to have to eat the whole thing myself.

Acini De Pepe Salad aka Frog-Eye Salad

Ingredients 

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup pineapple juice (drained from cans of pineapple) 

1 tablespoon flour

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 cans pineapple tidbits

2 cans Mandarin oranges, rinsed and drained

1 pint of whipping cream

1/4 tsp salt 

12 ounces Acini de Pepe (found on the pasta aisle)

Optional Ingredients

-1/2 bag of mini marshmallows

-strawberries (if you use them, press them with a paper towel so the color doesn't bleed into the pasta)

-grapes, sliced in half

Note: This recipe should made the night before so that the first steps have time to sit overnight.

1. Glaze: Mix sugar, pineapple juice, flour, egg yolks, and lemon juice in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat until thick. Stir constantly.
2. Cook Acini de Pepe in salted boiling water according to the directions on the box. Drain and cool thoroughly.
3. Once the pasta is cool, mix with the glaze and refrigerate overnight.
4. Mix whipped cream according to package. I don't add any sugar to mine because I don't think it needs it.
5. Add drained fruit and whipped cream to the pasta mixture right before serving.

The Year My Birthday Cake Caught on Fire and a Recipe for Ice Cream Cake

     We celebrate two birthdays in our family this month and so there is a lot of cake at our house right now. Usually my husband orders my cake from an amazing local bakery, but this year I wanted to do things differently. I decided that I didn't want a traditional cake so that if I later decide to deny the fact that I am no longer in my twenties, I am able to do so because after all we didn't use a "cake." (I am of course totally joking.)  

     My request was a giant, warm, and gooey chocolate chip cookie with ice cream on top. The key part of my request was warm. Now it was probably common sense that we should have waited slightly longer to place the candles into the cookie after it was removed from the oven. Ten minutes was apparently not long enough because many of the candles melted into the cake. But to compound things even more, this was the year that I insisted that every single year of my life was accounted for with a candle. By the time the candles were lit, and Happy Birthday had been sung, my cake was on fire. Luckily I blew the fire out with my birthday wish and though the cookie was slightly burned and waxy, it wasn't the end of the world because we just cut around those parts and the ice cream (one of our very favorite brands and flavors) more than compensated. 

     It is my husband's tradition to have an ice-cream cake every year. While Baskin Robbins ice cream cakes are delicious, they are so darn expensive and so I make him a homemade ice cream cake every year. It is the easiest thing in the world to make (my four year-old helped) and is quite delicious. I always receive compliments on the cake and it is a keeper recipe in our family.

To make the cake you need the following ingredients:

1 Quart of Ice Cream (flavor of preference, he always requests Rocky Road)

-1 Package of Oreo Cookies (knock-off brands will work also.)

-1-2 T butter (Butter amount may vary depending on the size of your cake. Use enough that the Oreo crumbs will stick together.) 

-Frosting (Store bought or homemade, I prefer the homemade because I think that it tastes much better. If making home made you will need cocoa powder, powdered sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla.)

Instructions are as follows:

1. Allow your ice cream to thaw for about twenty minutes on the counter. Don't allow it to melt completely but it needs to be soft enough that it can be molded.

2. While ice cream is thawing, line a cake pan or round pan of choice with plastic wrap.

3. In a blender or food processor, grind the Oreos until they are fine crumbs. You probably won't need the whole package of Oreos, but it will really depend on the size of pan you are using.

4. Melt butter in the microwave and then mix into the Oreo crumbs. Set Aside.

5. Spoon ice cream into your lined pan and smooth out. Next dump the Oreo crumbs onto the top and pat with a spoon or spatula until firm. 

6. Place cake inside the freezer for a few hours until the cake is firm and the ice cream is once again solid. (About 3-4 hours usually.)

7. If making homemade frosting, prepare the frosting using your recipe of preference. I always use the Chocolate Butter cCream Frosting Recipe from the Better Homes & Garden cookbook. 

8. Gently remove the cake from the pan and place right side up on a plate. (It should be easy if you wrapped your pan well. Remove plastic wrap.

8. Using a spatula, spread the frosting on the cake until covered and smooth (as much as possible.) Note that room temperature frosting will spread much easier than cold frosting. 

9. Decorate with desired sprinkles, etc.

10. Place in the freezer until ready to serve.