just for fun - Today, July 5th, is National Graham Cracker Day & a Recipe for Ice Cream Pie!

Today is National Graham Cracker Day! All grandparents know about graham crackers . . . or at least that most grandchildren enjoy them! But what is the "history" of the graham cracker? I looked on-line and found the following . . . 

"The graham cracker was developed in 1822 in Bound Brook, New Jersey, by Presbyterian minister Rev. Sylvester Graham. Though called a cracker, it is sweet rather than salty and so bears some resemblance to what Americans call a cookie and the British call a biscuit. The true graham cracker is made with graham flour, which is unsifted and coarsely ground wheat flour.

It was originally conceived of as a health food as part of the Graham Diet, a regimen to suppress what he considered unhealthy carnal urges, the source of many maladies according to Graham."

So, what does one do on National Graham Cracker Day? Consider the following possibilities . . . 

• Enjoy a graham cracker or two with your grandchildren
• Make smores with your grandchildren - invite the neighbors over for a bonfire, make smores and enjoy graham crackers together!
• Have a, "graham cracker scavenger hunt" - hide graham crackers (in zippy bags) around your house and/or yard then let your grandchildren go find them!
• Make ice cream pie with your grandchildren - make an extra one to take to someone who is shut-in.

On this Graham Cracker Day, I thought I'd also share my recipe for Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie!

Ingredients -

• 1/2 cup peanut-butter
• 1/2 bar of cream cheese
• 1/2 box prepared chocolate pudding
• 1/4 gallon vanilla ice cream
• 1 chocolate cookie/graham pie crust

Directions -

• Beat peanut-butter and softened cream cheese together until sooth and creamy
• Prepare the pudding according to the pie recipe on the box - if you are having your grandchildren help you make this pie, this is the perfect thing for them to do . . . of course, you will NEED SOMEONE to eat the remaining pudding . . . a difficult job to do for sure! (When I made this pie Josiah was here and he told me "of course" he would be willing to eat the extra pudding!) :^)
• Add 1/2 of prepared pudding to your creamed peanut-butter and cream cheese and mix until well combined and creamy.
• Add softened ice cream - mixing until smooth and well combined
• Spoon filling into pie crust and put in freezer until ready to serve
• Serve with a bit of whipping cream on top!

Enjoy! :^)