Spoiling Your Inner Child.

Sometimes, no matter how you try and repress childhood memories, well the bad ones at least, they still come back to haunt and intimidate you.  The good memories I have, which are few and far between, seem to mostly center around food.  One of these was the first time my mother made rice krispies treats for me.  They were so gooey, yet crunchy and deliciously sweet! But she only made them once as she felt the "mess in the pan" wasn't worth the effort.  

As I grew older, I was able to obtain these treats in stores, and eventually learned to make them myself once I adopted my son. Seeing how much he enjoyed them was worth the work, and he even asked me to make them as he went into teenage years and adulthood.  I don't understand why the big fuss over the "mess in the pan" as it easily cleans out with hot soapy water and a sponge anyway.

Anyway, a little history about this childhood treat; it was invented in 1939 by Malitta Jensen and Mildred Day, and the Kellogg’s Company, to help raise money for the Campfire Girls Foundation.  It was a simple recipe of melted butter and mini-marshmallows mixed into rice krispies, allowed to cool, cut up into squares and enjoyed.   Nowadays, this simple recipe can include any manner of mixture from different types of cereal, toasted oatmeal or crushed granola.   Additions of candy bits, chopped nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, or drizzled with chocolate or caramel creates a treat for those of a more “refined palate”.  Oh, who am I kidding, they just taste even better!

Oh, a little history on the correct spelling of the treat’s name.  The official spelling for the famous cereal and treats is Krispies with an "ies," though "crispy" is the normal English word for crunchiness. Kellogg's Rice Krispies uses the stylized "K" brand name, in other words, “K” for Kellogg’s, so “K” for Krispies.  However, folks commonly spell the homemade marshmallow squares as "rice krispie treats”, “crispy treats", or “rice krispy treats”.  I know, who cares, just have fun making, and then eating, them.

Making treats nowadays might take a little more calculation too, depending on the density of the cereal used plus any other added ingredients, and the size of the pan used as well.  Normally it is 1 stick of butter (8 tablespoons), 1 (10 ounce) package of mini-marshmallows (they melt quicker) and 6 cups of rice krispies cereal.  It is all pressed into a greased (with butter) 2-quart rectangular baking dish; cooled for an hour and then cut into squares.  While the butter and marshmallows can be melted in a stovetop pan, nowadays a microwave is more convenient and makes it easier to control the melting process to avoid burning.

 

Just last week I made treats with additions of dark chocolate chips and toffee bits.  Hubby, and my favorite taste testers at the local 7-11/Exxon, were very happy with the combination.

Personally, I prefer the original version, but I have made them with the addition of crunchy peanut butter, and they were devoured in a couple of days.  Here’s the recipe for that version.

 

 

Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats

Ingredients:

7 cups rice krispies cereal

1 stick (8 Tbsp.) salted butter plus 1/2 Tbsp. for greasing dish

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 (10 oz.) bag mini-marshmallows (make sure they are fresh!)

Preparation:

Into a large mixing bowl, measure out 7 cups of rice krispies cereal; lightly grease a 2-quart rectangular baking dish with butter.

Into a medium mixing bowl, melt the butter and peanut butter in the microwave for 45 seconds; add in the marshmallows and toss to coat. Microwave for 60 seconds, mix thoroughly; microwave another 30 seconds, mix and pour over cereal. Using a sturdy spoon, mix together so the cereal is thoroughly incorporated. Put the mixture into the baking dish and press out to the sides as evenly as possible; cover with plastic wrap and let cool on counter for one hour. Cut into squares and enjoy.

 

How many does it make?  It all depends on the size of the squares that are cut.

Do yourself a favor and spoil your inner child once in a while; you deserve it. Oh, and if you have children, spoil them once in a while too, and give them fond memories for adulthood.

Mary Cokenour

Better to Create Than to Imitate.

 Influencer, what indeed is an influencer?  According to the Oxford Dictionary, in relation to marketing on social media, an influencer is, “a person with the ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service by promoting or recommending the items on social media.”  So, what does influence mean then? “The capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself.”  Let’s put that in simpler wording, “having the ability to make someone do, like, or change something just by talking about it, or leading by example.”  Well, that is my take on it.

When the internet first came into existence, better yet, when it first became available to everyone, everywhere, I lost count of how many times I heard, “It’s on the internet, so it must be true!”.  For some strange and unknown reasoning, people began to immediately “dumb down”, stop going beyond to find out “truth in advertising”, and just believe whatever it is they read, or saw.  With the 2000s, social media expanded with Instagram, Twitter, Tik-Tok and a myriad of social platforms.  Thousands of people became “influencers”, making recordings of themselves doing an activity or proselytizing a belief, to influence others to join in.  The minority being those who noticed that many of these influencers were just repeating what other influencers were saying or doing. 

So, when it comes to the internet, my advice is, “Take everything with a grain of salt, get out of the comfort zone, and do some actual research on the truth of it.”  (Gets off soap box before it breaks apart, they do not make them as sturdy as they used to.)

Now to relate influencing to cooking.  I happened upon this tasty looking photo/recipe for “Chocolate Covered Frozen Yogurt Bites”, only four ingredients, and easy to make.  Chocolate Covered?  Yes, that belongs up my alley.  I copied the recipe onto Word, to look at later on, and probably try out.  A few weeks later, I took a good, hard look at the recipe and was dumb founded.  The ingredient list had vague measurements, and the directions made very little sense.  Going back to the internet, I put the recipe name into the Search box, and up popped, at least, two dozen Instagram accounts with the exact same recipe; all with the poor ingredient list and directions.  Each account claimed the recipe was his/her own original recipe; not one linking to any other page as originator, or influenced by. 

Going to various food blogs, I did find similar recipes with definitive ingredient lists and directions.  So, with trial and error, I was able to take the Instagram debacle, and create my own recipe that worked out quite well.  The employees at the Monticello City Office were my guinea pigs, and they were very happy with my creation.

Oh, since I mentioned it, let me give you an accounting of what vague measurements are.  I grew up learning to cook with these measurements, and I am sure many of you did as well.  When it comes to measuring, your hands and eyes are major tools.  Then there is always that joke about, “How do you know how much spice or seasoning to put in?”  Answer: “When your ancestor tells you, “That is enough child.”

Vague Cooking Measurements

Large as a Fist = 1 cup

Cupped Hand = ½ cup

Palm of Hand = 3 ounces

 

Couple = 2

Few = 3 or 4

Several = 4 to 8

Dozen = 12

Baker’s Dozen = 13

 

Pinch = 1/16^th of a teaspoon

Dash = 1/8^th of a teaspoon

 

…and now for my creation.

 

Frozen Chocolate Covered Yogurt Treats

Ingredients:

1 and 1/3 cups plain or vanilla Greek yogurt*

2 bananas, diced

1 cup roasted peanuts (skins removed) **

1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk chocolate or dark chocolate)

3 cups chocolate chips (additional), plus 3 Tbsps. coconut oil; melt together for dunking)

 

 

 

 

Preparation:

 

In medium sized bowl, mix together yogurt, bananas, peanuts, and 1-cup chocolate chips until everything is well coated. 

 Place parchment paper, or wax paper, on a jelly roll baking pan.  Spoon out one heaping tablespoon of the yogurt mixture, onto the paper.  Flatten down into half-inch thick discs. 

 

 

 

Place tray in freezer until discs are set (four hours, or overnight, dependent on when needed for completion).   

 

 

 

 

When ready for dunking, melt chocolate chips and coconut oil together, in microwave safe bowl, for 30 second increments; stir after each session until fully melted and smooth.  Dunk each frozen disc into the melted chocolate/coconut oil mixture, coating entire disc; place back on the paper, and set in freezer again for two hours. ***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Store remaining yogurt treats in a plastic freezer bag, or other freezer-safe container. Let them thaw slightly before enjoying.

 

Makes 15 treats.

*Option: if using plain yogurt, add 1 Tbsp. honey for more sweetness and flavor.

**Option: replace roasted peanuts with two tablespoons of a creamy nut butter.

***Option: sprinkle coarse or flaked sea salt, lightly over top of chocolate coating, before placing in freezer.

This recipe is not the gospel of frozen yogurt treats.  Try using a fruit yogurt instead of plain or vanilla.  Bananas not to your liking?  Try firmer fruits like strawberries, apples, or cut up fruits that have already been frozen, like peaches or another type of berry.  So long as they remain frozen when going into the yogurt mixture, they will not add extra liquid.

For example, strawberry Greek yogurt, diced strawberries and honey; after freezing, coat in a white chocolate/coconut oil mixture, freeze and enjoy!

So, when it comes to cooking, or even life in general, allow yourself to be slightly influenced, but not completely taken over.

Mary Cokenour