Rice Crispy Treat Cookies

Sometimes I am smart.  I do smart things, like a smart person.  For example, there has been a bag of mini marshmallows I've been trying to get rid of because I can't stop eating them.  How can I get rid of these, I asked myself yesterday.  Ooo, I know!  I'll put them in cookies.  And now, I have a batch of cookies that I can't stop eating.  Problem solved?  No, problem not solved.  I am a smart person.

Oh well, my son and I bonded and I kept him from watching Mike the Knight.  These were his idea, I kid you not.  A chocolate chip cookie with Rice Krispies and marshmallows - a Rice Crispy Treat Cookie if you will!  They are reminiscent of the familiar snack with their gooey crunch.  A bit messy, because I put marshmallows in the dough as well as on top.  You could plop yours on after they've been baked to avoid the mess.  I just love that gooey, melted marshmallow in the cookie as well.    

Also, sorry for the lack of posts this week.  Every day has been "Go.Go.Go" and every night my brain wakes me up around midnight and keeps me up for a few hours with "To-Do List" thoughts.  

Thanks brain!  You're the bestest.  

Rice Crispy Treat Cookies

(Makes approx. 24)

Printable Recipe

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 cups Rice Krispies

1 pkg. chocolate chips

Mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350.  In a bowl with a mixer, cream together butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, and then vanilla.  Combine.  In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Slowly add to wet ingredients and mix until just combined.  Stir in cereal and chocolate chips.  Add roughly 1 cup of mini marshmallows, if adding to dough.  If not, save until after cookies are baked.  Scoop out cookies onto ungreased baking sheet (or lined with parchment paper).  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Immediately out of oven, top each cookie with 2 or 3 mini marshmallows.  Let cool.  

Tres Leches Cake

I don't know very many Spanish words, but I do know that "Tres Leches Cake" means something wonderful.  It means milk, and it means a lot of it - 3 different kinds to be exact - and all of that together means a super moist cake.  And that means bueno, which my computer just tried autocorrecting to Bruno.  Maybe my computer thinks the cake is so good, Bruno Mars should write a song about it?  Or maybe my computer is just a STUPID IDIOT.  Kidding, computer... never break.      

I made this cake for my mom's birthday (which falls on Cinco de Mayo) and it sure was a crowd please.  I used this recipe, because she never steers me wrong.  The pictures are sorta lousy, because I was too busy licking the whipped cream frosting bowl clean.  No bueno, Bruno : ( 

Sriracha Salt

Besides the fact that I don't really know how to say "Sriracha" - I'm obsessed with it.  Now, just yesterday, a friend gifted me a bottle of homemade Sriracha Salt.  WHAT!?!?!?  That was my reaction. Just the smell of it made me do a happy dance in my kitchen (no really, there's evidence of said dance on my iPhone).  She used this recipe, which looks simple enough!  If you're a fan of the spicy condiment, you should probably make a big batch of this salt and put it on everything.  I sprinkled it on my salad last night, DELISH.  Can you imagine a margarita with this stuff rimming the glass?!?  I feel another happy dance coming on... I've gotta go.  

Thank you for the feedback on my new site design!  I'm sort of sick of the "label" section (do you use it?) and I'm trying to brainstorm some new organizational elements.  Ideas are welcome : )    

Cinnamon Roll Cake

A thing called Cinnamon Roll Cake exists in this world, in case you were wondering.  I made it.  And I would love to tell you how crazy delicious it was, but I didn't try it.  I baked it for a Teacher Appreciation Lunch, and I thought it would be rude to present it with a teeny, tiny slice missing.  Hey Teachers, I appreciate you!  But not enough to give you an entire cake?  Yeah, that wasn't going to work.  So I had to fold in the cinnamon sugar swirl and sneak in the gooey, brown sugar filling and drizzle the creamy frosting on top and then give it all away.  Woe is me : (

I used this recipe, and was very curious about the addition of vanilla pudding mix.  You should make it, and tell me what you think.  It's research, for me, so you should probably do it.  (I'm trying to help you out here.)  By the way, if you're a teacher, I appreciate you like crazy!  I wish I could send you all cakes without teeny, tiny slices missing.    

*Update: I snuck into the preschool kitchen and snagged a bite of the leftovers.  Yup, crazy delicious.  I was even told that one teacher had a dream about it last night.  What I like to hear.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Ta da!  A new site!  With the same old dork behind it who says things like, "ta da!" 

It's a work in progress, so bear with me, but I am LOVING the change.  It feels crisp, it feels clean, it feels like me.  (Not that I'm crisp OR clean, in fact, when did I shower last?)  I have to thank Ana at BlogMilk for the template and Alice for designing my wonderful logo.  They were both A JOY to work with and put up with my paranoia along the way (changes freak me out).  I HIGHLY recommend them both if you're doing any web redesign.  

So, what do you think?  Do you like?  Any suggestions as I keep toying with it? 

(image)   

Grilled Roasted Chicken Nachos

This is not a mommy blog.  But I feel it is my duty to share with you how tired I am, in case I need an excuse for writing something stupid or deciding to whip up an ambrosia salad or something.  The thing is, I do not give birth to babies who like to sleep.  And if you do, if your 8-month-old sleeps 12 hours a night, I can't hear about it, or I'll turn mean on you and make up a song that rhymes your name with bad words.  Like, if your name is LuLu I will sing, "LuLu is a PooPoooooooooo."  You get it.  I'm averaging 6 hours of sleep a night and if you think those hours are consecutive HA, ha ha, hahahahahaha NO.  Look, I'm not asking for sympathy, I know this comes with motherhood, it's all worth it, yadda yadda yadda.  But this blog has been therapy for me from the beginning, so it is helpful to write it all down.  Even if I might regret that poo poo part later.

You know what else is helpful?  When Carson comes home with two mystery chickens, and roasts them on the BBQ.  Then he shreds them atop sturdy tortilla chips and places that on a cast iron griddle and places THAT on the grill.  Cheddar and Monterey Jack.  Bubbly, melty, smoky nachos.  A side of his homemade guacamole, sour cream and jalapenos.  Wow they were good.  Perfect summer outdoor food, especially to feed a crowd.  p.s. That picture above looks like the state of Wisconsin.  Do you see that?  Or is that the sleep deprivation working its magic...       

Piedra Azul Tequila + Blood Orange Margarita

One major perk of writing a food blog is being contacted by lovely people who represent lovely products, like tequila.  Piedra Azul Blanco Tequila, to be specific.  It's named after turquoise (la Piedra Azul), which I love, and made from 100% Blue Agave Weber...        

I had planned to cook up a few things with this tequila, but time got away from me (my baby has officially, stopped, sleeping) so instead I started drinking straight from the bottle.  In the name of research!!  I love tequila and typically drink it  straight up and ice cold (with some fresh limes).  What's important to me is a smooth finish - which this had for a reasonably priced alcohol.  But, I figured not everyone enjoys tequila straight, so I also made a delicious Blood Orange Margarita using Madhava Agave Nectar for sweetness, another product I love.  

Hey everyone, I love products hint hint!!

I hope you enjoy your weekends and if you celebrate Cinco de Mayo, pick up a bottle of Piedra Azul and don't forget to party responsibly.  I am a commercial. 

Blood Orange Margarita
(Serves 2)
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup blood orange soda or freshly squeezed blood orange juice
1/2 cup Piedra Azul Blanco tequila
2 T freshly squeezed lime juice
2 T Madhava agave nectar
Limes or blood oranges for garnish

In a pitcher, stir together blood orange soda or juice, tequila, lime juice and agave nectar.  Serve over ice in salt-rimmed glasses (optional).  Garnish with lime or orange.