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Fourth of July Ice Cream Pie

Fourth of July Ice Cream Pie

Posted on Categories FoodLeave a comment

Want to impress your friends at your July 4 cookout or party this year? Try this Fourth of July Ice Cream Pie! Think crunchy cookie crust with thick scoops of ice cream on top. But the best part is that a melted chocolate marshmallow mixture is poured on top before refreezing. And what makes it so festive is the sprinkling of red, white, and blue M&M’s on top! So easy, and you will bring your pie pan home empty, because everyone will want to try a slice.

Ingredients

1/2 box vanilla wafers

vanilla ice cream

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup mini marshmallows

1 cup evaporated milk

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

red, white, and blue M&M candies

Instructions

1. Make crust

Place a layer of vanilla wafers in the bottom and on the sides of a pie pan.

2. Make the sauce

Over low heat melt chocolate chips, marshmallows, and evaporated milk.

3. Make the pie

Arrange scoops of ice cream over the vanilla wafers in the pie pan and pour sauce over the top.

4. Add the toppings

Sprinkle nuts (optional) and M&M’s over the top. Refreeze for about 30 minutes.

Fourth of July Ice Cream Pie
Print Recipe

Fourth of July Ice Cream Pie

A crunchy cookie crust layered with scoops of ice cream then topped with a delicious melted chocolate marshmallow mixture and sprinkled with red, white, and blue M&Ms on top! Yummy!
Prep Time20 minutes
Freeze Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dessert recipes, Fourth of July, ice cream dessert, ice cream pie, Independence Day, summertime dessert
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 598kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/2 box Vanilla Wafers
  • 1 carton Vanilla Ice Cream
  • 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup Mini marshmallows
  • 1 cup Evaporated milk
  • 4 – 6 oz. chopped pecans
  • 1 small bag M&M candies Red, White, and Blue colored

Instructions

  • Line a pie pan with a layer of vanilla wafers
  • Melt marshmallows, chocolate chips, and evaporated milk over low heat.
  • Arrange scoops of ice cream over the cookie layer in the pie pan.
  • Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the ice cream.
  • Sprinkle nuts and candy on top.
  • Freeze for about 30 minutes.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 598kcal

Day 5 of Our Wild West Adventure (Part 5 of a 6 Part Series)

Posted on Categories Travel & AdventureLeave a comment

Cindy Baker

Day 5 was our big hiking day in Yellowstone National Park. On the way to Biscuit Basin we stopped at the popular Painted Pots exhibit – but not before we stopped to watch a black bear look for fish in the river.

Black Bear
On the way to Fountain Pots
Fountain Paint Pots

According to the informational sign at the entrance, this vat of bubbling mud contains the perfect ingredients to create mud pots: heat, gases, water, volcanic rock, minerals, acid, and even living microorganisms! Heat loving “thermophiles” consume some of the gases and help convert them into sulfuric acid. The acid breaks down rock to form clay – clay that mixes with water in mudpots.

I would not recommend trying to get a facial in this!
The coloring is caused by minerals and bacteria.
Fountain Painted Pots

After our stop at the Painted Pots we parked at Biscuit Basic and enjoyed looking at even more geological wonders on our way to the back of Biscuit Basin where our trail head was for our hike to Mystic Falls.

At Biscuit Basin

The Mystic Falls trail is categorized as an easy 2.4 mile out and back trail with a waterfall view. That sounded harmless enough, but what we didn’t know is that there is another Mystic Falls trail that is a much longer and MUCH steeper loop. Guess which one we did on accident? Yep. And living below sea level did not prepare us for the altitude either. So we ended up doing a 3.5 mile loop up a very steep mountain. But we had fun, and the views were spectacular!

Insider Tip: When hiking in Yellowstone always bring water, bear spray, and wear lots of sun screen and bug spray – unless you really like mosquitoes.

We hiked pretty high up but saw some awesome views!
One of the Views From Our Hike
Mountain Wildflowers

When we finally saw the waterfall it made the hike worthwhile. So magnificent! And the river below was so beautiful and peaceful. We took our shoes and socks off and soaked our feet in the cool water. There is nothing more peaceful than hearing a rushing stream, feeling the light breeze, and seeing spectacular beauty everywhere you look.

Mystic Falls
View of Mystic Falls from the River Below

Back in West Yellowstone we cleaned up from our hike and hit the town for all of the Fourth of July celebrations. This little mountain town goes all out to celebrate with activities all day, ending with fireworks. There were fundraisers, kid’s games, food, live music, and the cutest parade ever! Fundraisers included the Fire Department Benefit BBQ, Pie on the Porch, and even the Seventh Annual Buffalo Chip Chuck (I cannot make stuff like this up)! I was expecting a few kids with their parents on bicycles for the parade, but wow! It seemed like the entire town was in that parade! They handed out American flags to all of us watching, and people on the floats threw candy out to the crowd – yes, they actually had floats. It was an iconic piece of Americana to be sure.

To see some of the parade live watch here:

What are your favorite travel memories during the week of July 4?

Fourth of July in Salida, Colorado

Posted on Categories Travel & AdventureLeave a comment
Great little mountain town to celebrate the Fourth in. Salida, Colorado goes all out with a parade, music, food, and fireworks. It was awesome to sit by the river and listen to live music, walk around the crafts booths, and eat delicious pizza.

The Colorado mountain town of Salida sits in the middle of the state, literally in the “Heart of the Rockies,” about 2 hours from Colorado Springs and 3 hours from Denver.It is close to beautiful Buena Vista, where I worked at a camp when I was younger. The town and the people are very welcoming, and we found it to be a perfect romantic couples getaway. There is so much to do, and much of it was free!

Located in central Colorado in the Upper Arkansas River Valley, Salida has more than a dozen 14,000-foot tall mountain peaks, more than any other Colorado region. The visitors site describes Salida as an outdoors paradise with year-round activities—at non-resort prices—that includes an almost complete A-to-Z adventure list: archery, biking, camping, climbing, fishing, four-wheeling, golfing, hiking, hunting, kayaking, picnicking, rock hounding, skateboarding, skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, and a world-class zipline tour.

Not in the mood for zip lining? No problem. We enjoyed taking a leisurely stroll along tree-lined streets and into the downtown area where the century-old redbrick buildings had everything from casual food to fine dining and several art galleries displayed local arts and crafts. This small town of only about 5500 residents was included in the guidebook America’s 100 Best Small Art Towns.

There is an extensive bike and trail system along the Arkansas River. A short drive out of town takes you to ghost towns, mining camps, and reminders of Salida’s railroad transport past. Mt. Princeton Resort and Spa offers day passes for bathers, spa services, and lodging accommodations. We did not do this, but we did drive up there to look around, and it looks awesome!

The region has surprisingly mild periods of weather since the mountain ranges along the Continental Divide sort of calm the fierce storms that come from the west. This phenomenon is the origin of the term the “Banana Belt.” Coming from Memphis, Tenneessee where our summers are ridiculously hot and humid at times, we were loving the low humidity and nice breezes by the river. We are so happy we stumbled upon this neat little mountain gem. In fact, U.S. News and World Report Magazine called it “one of the top ten affordable retirement communities in the US.” It’s no wonder Salida has been called the “Gem of the Rockies.”

What is your favorite Fourth of July memory? Do you have a favorite place to visit on this holiday? Write and let me know!