Traditions

Twelve years ago today Miss Bridgette Michele Bixler was born! And do you know what THAT means? That means that in the Bixler household we had BIRTHDAY CAKE (or in this case, BIRTHDAY PIE) for breakfast!!!! That has been our tradition since the kids were little, and they look forward to it for weeks - they pick their fave for their birthday breakfast and then they get yet another cake for their birthday party!

So, tomorrow we eat oatmeal and fruit....but today we had Meringue Berry Pie!!!!!

MERINGUE BERRY PIE

Crust:

1/2 cup sugar, divided

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted and ground

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Filling:

1 Quart of your favorite Vanilla Ice Cream

Sauce and Topping:

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1/3 cup water

1 pint fresh or frozen raspberries

2 cups fresh mixed berries

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar, almonds and cornstarch; mix well. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar; continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in almond mixture. Spread over the bottom and sides of a greased 9-in. pie plate. Bake at 275 for 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Meanwhile, for sauce, combine sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Gradually stir in water; mix until smooth. Add raspberries; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute or until thickened; set aside. Cool.

To serve, scoop ice cream onto meringue; top with mixed berries and sauce. Serve immediately. Store leftovers in the freezer. Yield: 6-8 servings.