Juju's Juleps

2 cups cold water
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice about 2 lemons
1/3 cup sugar
4 mint sprigs
1 quart ginger ale

Combine the water, lemon juice, sugar, and mint in a bowl. Let the mixture set for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid into a pitcher. Pour in ginger ale. Serve the juleps over ice in tall glasses.

Ray's Mud Pie

20 whole chocolate graham crackers
6 Tbsp melted butter
1 quart chocolate ice cream
1/2 cup chocolate fudge topping
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered hot cocoa mix

Seal the graham crackers in a large bag. Crush. Add melted butter. Pour into mixture into a 9 inch pie pan. When the crumbs have cooled, press them into bottom and sides of pan. Freeze the crust for 20 minutes. Scoop half the ice cream into a bowl and let it soften for about 10 minutes. Then spread int in the chilled crust. Dig 8 holes in the ice cream and fill with fudge topping. Freeze the crust for another 10 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips into remaining ice cream. and then spread it over the pie. Return the pie to the freezer. Beat heavy cream for 3-5 minutes to thicken. Add cocoa mix and beat for 2 more minutes. Spread the whipped cream evenly over the pie and sprinkle on the remaining cracker crumbs. Wrap up pie in plastic and freeze it for 3-4 hours.

Louis's Alligator Cake

10 inch bundt cake
16 oz white buttercream frosting
Green food coloring
Large marshmallows
4 malted milk balls
Gummy spearmint leaves
Green M&Ms
White yogurt-covered pretzels

Cut the cake into 3 equal pieces. Slice one of the pieces in half at a 45 degree angle. Arrange the cake pieces on a tray or platter to create a curvy alligator body. Use one of the angled halves, placed cut-side down, for the tail. Slice the other angled half into 4 equal pieces for feet. Stir drops of food coloring into the frosting until you have a deep green. Frost entire cake. Cut the marshmallows in half and place the halves on the cake for eyeballs. Press malt ball up against for pupil. Press 2 more on nose for snout. Press gummy leaves and m&MS into frosting along the body for scales, and add leaf to foot for toes. Break yogurt pretzels in half and stick them into frosting along the side of the cake to create teeth.

White Chocolate Candy Cane Cheesecake This cheesecake is absolutely wonderful! If you are looking for something to do with your leftover candy canes, this is it. The peppermint flavor is wonderfully muted by the white chocolate, and this is without a doubt the creamiest cheesecake I have every eaten. The original recipe, given to me by my late mother-in-law, was for a raspberry white chocolate cheesecake (also wonderful), and I have adapted it here for Christmas using candy canes. I have no idea where she got the original recipe, so unfortunately I can't give anyone credit there, so if anyone knows where it came from, please let me know. White Chocolate Candy Cane Cheesecake 2 cups graham cracker crumbs 3 Tbsp. sugar 1/2 cup butter, melted 5 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs 1 Tbsp vanilla extract 12 oz white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly 3/4 cup crushed candy canes (more on this below) 1 cup whipping cream 2 Tbsp. confectioners sugar additional white chocolate for garnish Crush the candy canes into chips. When you do this you will end up with some chips and some powder. Use a sieve to sort the chips from the powder and save the powder. You will use both the chips and the powder in the cheesecake. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stir together the first 3 ingredients and press them into a lightly greased 9 inch spring form pan. I lined mine with parchment and greased that too. Bake for 8 minutes and allow to cool while you mix the cream cheese mixture Beat the cream cheese at medium speed with electric mixer until creamy. Gradually, add 1 cup sugar and continue mixing until well combined. Add eggs one at a time mixing after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Add melted white chocolate and mix until combined. Fold in the powdered portion of the candy canes. Spread about 1/3 of the cream cheese batter into prepared crust. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the candy cane chips over the batter leaving a 3/4 inch boarder of cream cheese around the edges. Repeat with the second 1/3 of batter and chips. Top with the third 1/3 of batter and save the remaining chips to sprinkle on top. Bake for 50 minutes or until cheese cake is almost set and slightly browned.Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Run knife around edge of pan to release the cake before removing the sides of the pan. Whip cream and confectioners sugar together until stiff peaks form. Garnish with whipped cream, remaining peppermint chips, and white chocolate curls. I added a little edible glitter, too.

Pink Yink Ink Drink

1/2 pint fresh or 1/2 c. frozen blackberries, thawed
1 c. milk
6 fresh strawberries
1 tsp. honey


Put the blackberries in a blender and puree them. Pour into a large glass. Put the milk, strawberries, and honey in the blender and blend. Strain the mixture. Pour the strawberry mixture carefully on top of the blackberries.

Silly Sammy Slick's Sodas

8 oz juice
8 oz club soda


Pour the juice into a 16 oz glass. Pour the soda in next and watch it foam.

Valentine Parfait Cupcakes




1 box Betty Crocker Supermoist devil's food cake mix
1 can Whipped Fluffy frosting
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
2 tsp. shortening
Decor Hearts

Heat oven to 350*. Place paper baking cup in 24 muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed on cake mix box, using water, oil, and eggs. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups filling 2/3 of the way. Bake 20-25 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes;remove from pans to cooling rack and cool completely.
Pipe frosting on top of each. In small microwaveable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and shortening uncovered on HIGH 1 minute, stirring once halfway through. Drizzle melted chocolate over frosted cupcakes;sprinkle with hearts.