DIY: Rice Crispy Treats

You may be asking why I would post about something so easy to make. I ask the same thing every time I walk past the pre-made cookie dough, in pre-spooned little balls. Many cookies and sweets are super easy to make.

Rice Crispy Treats are an old favorite of mine. As kids we would make it around the holidays with my Nana.
And, as always, there are endless combinations of how to make them even more delicious.

It had been years since making these childhood memories come to life.

Naturally,  I Googled the recipe and felt that the Kellogs Rice Krispies website was the best place to start. The talking Rice Krispies Elves greeted me, along with "The Original Treats" recipe: 

1 bag marshmallows, three tablespoons butter, and six cups of Rice Krispies. 

Step 1: slowly melt butter over low to medium heat. 

Step 2. melt marshmallows over medium heat, making sure to stir constantly so that they do not stick and burn to the bottom. 

Step 3: once marshmallows are thoroughly melted, take pot off heat and stir in six cups Rice Krispies. 

Step 4: Pour into a pre-greased pan to cool (or roll into balls with well buttered hands). 

Note: These little balls of goodness were a little tough to bite into (Read: HARD). And the pan was a sticky mess (Read: it took two days of soaking to clean). Despite afore bumps, they were a huge hit at a potluck, so I decided to make another batch to perfect the ageless treat.

So, in the Miriam's Rice Crispy Treats (because I don't care if you use the expense brand name Rice Krispies or not) use SIX tablespoons melted butter (and remember to coat the sides of the pan before dumping in the marshmallows). Secondly, use only mini-marshmallows, as they melt quickly and evenly.

There you have it! Enjoy! Toss some vanilla in for added flavor, decorate, or sprinkle crushed candy canes on top when they are still gooey. Dump in some cocoa or chocolate chips, ... or just eat them as is!

DIY-Eggnog

This week we're going to do a little Do It Yourself. Today is the day for a shot of home-made eggnog.

Step 1: Go to the store and buy some eggnog...lactose free eggnog. If you have tried to make lactose free eggnog at home, it's quite an unpleasant tasting experience. 

Step 2: Find a cute, little shot glass. 

Step 3: Pour the eggnog in the cute, little shot glass to the top. 

Step 4: Sprinkle with nutmeg. 

Step 5: Sip with extreme enjoyment

Enjoy! Hee, hee. There you have it! Making a shot of eggnog at home!

Cheers!

Poinsettia Power...Even When Small

According to Wikipedia, "Euphorbia pulcherrima, commonly known as poinsettia or noche buena, is a species of flowering plant indigenous to Mexico and Central America. The name "poinsettia" is after Joel Roberts Poinsett,^[1] the first United States Minister to Mexico,^[2] who introduced the plant into the US in 1828."

So, we import (either over international lines or certainly over state lines) these brightly colored plants that need 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of bright daylight to produce their crimson leaves. 

So, why do these festive Central American plants show up around the holidays? Again, thanks to Wikipedia, here is the explanation: 

"The plant's association with Christmas began in 16th century Mexico, where legend tells of a young girl who was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus' birthday. The tale goes that the child was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. Crimson "blossoms" sprouted from the weeds and became beautiful poinsettias.^[6] From the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebrations.^[7] The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color represents the blood sacrifice through the crucifixion of Jesus.^[8]"

There you have it! Buena Noche comes to us from afar, and often in very small packaging (love the bag that our Poinsettia was delivered to us in).

Also, just in case anyone was wondering, Dos Equis (the beer company) has a delicious Estilo Bock for the holidays called Buena Noche...see below. We are sipping one now. Yummy!

A Bear and Some Poo

'Nough said. Is that a ginger gummy poo in your hand?

Teeny, Tiny Espresso Party

Espresso cups are small to begin with. This Bone China tea set was even smaller. But, as we pulled the crisp espresso maker from the box, we knew the decadent tea set would work perfectly.

We were not only about to have some of the best espresso around, we were about to drink it in the smallest slurps possible.

True, true. If we were truly espresso snobs, we would not have dolloped the tops with frothy milk, for now it is actually a macchiato. The point was not the name of the drink, it was the fun we had holding it with whichever finger would fit in the tiny handle and sipping. And although we made enough for four cups of espresso altogether, we got to have four cups each instead! 

I suppose we need to back-up a little and make sure that you know where these gems originated. They came from my Nana. My mom's mom. She was a classy, decadent woman. And, well, they have stayed in the family as prized possessions. From tea parties with stuffed animals and grandchildren, to Green Tea Ceremonies, to display pieces, to espresso clinking, this tea set has seen it all. 

Cheers to my mother and as she hurriedly insisted we use the tea set to drink espresso!

Cheers to my step-father for trusting me to experiment with his brand new espresso machine and frother.

And cheers to my partner who reminded me to laugh at these precious moments rather than over think how bizarre they are!

Laughing at the Small Things

Take a moment to look Around and Around. In your cupboards, dressers, bookshelves.  Find the small things and take a moment to laugh.  

This week we are going to focus on the small things in life, and how to get a good cramp in your side from them. This is a glimpse of a tea set, true Bone China, that we dusted off and put to use during Thanksgiving. What kind of ridiculously small items do you have in you house?

Coffees, Teas and Cafe's

We will end the week of celebrating Stick Season by hiding ourselves indoors and staring at the bright box we call a computer. Come on, let's make it a little more romantic than that!

If you haven't been to a coffee shop lately, Stick Season is the time to do it. Order something different. Sit all day with a good book or bring a friend and talk the afternoon away. Then go outside and take a walk, cause if you don't enjoy the fresh air of Stick Season, then the frigid air of winter will bite you in the bum!