But Can You Do It With Frosted Flakes Instead?

Hey, Friends.

Long time, no talk.

Sorry about that.  My niece and nephew are up visiting from Texas, so I've been spending as much time as possible hanging with the kidlets when I'm not at work. They win over you, Friends.

To make it up to you for the almost month-long silence, allow me to share this evening's attempt at a culinary creation.  It may end up being a total disaster. Doesn't that sound like fun?

I feel the need to explain that I am, generally, pretty damn good at baking and making desserts. Ridiculous amount of steps?  No problem.  High percentage that it could all go horribly wrong?  I love a challenge.  Going to require getting every pan I own dirty?  Okay -- that I'm not keen on, but I'll do it.


For no good reason, Rice Krispies Treats are like my kryptonite.

Picture from Rice Krispies recipe, which can be found here:  Original Treats

The commercials show children happily and easily making them with their families:

That's not remotely what happens when I try to make them.

The first time I tried to make Rice Krispies Treats it went very, very wrong.  You know what smells horribly nasty? Burnt marshmallows.  Also a bitch to get off of your pans.  

Some marshmallow tips from me to you:

1) Never use the giant "campfire" size marshmallows, even if they are the only option in the store.  I don't care how many different stores you have to go to, keep searching for any size that is smaller. Trust me on this one.  Learn from my misadventures in the world of marshmallows.

2) You want to try using fun, colorful marshmallows?  Be prepared for them to come out looking slightly grayish.  All of those fun colors are going to melt into one big, grayish pile of goo, not pretty swirls.

3) I know the official recipe says to use mini-marshmallows.  Maybe you can handle that.  I cannot.  That stuff will turn on you and start burning in the blink of an eye. You need to be vigilant in your marshmallow cookery.

4) I just use the normal size marshmallows.  No one will know once they are melted into ooey-gooey congealed goodness.

And for the record:  I have never tried the microwave route. My track record with marshmallows is bad enough that I'm not about to introduce them to my microwave. I have visions of them exploding all over the place, or expanding and oozing everywhere.  

Marshmallow woes aside, I can pull it off and successfully make them.  

Fruity Pebbles Treats

I have a process, now that I have screwed it up badly  made all of the mistakes  done it enough times to find all of my problem areas.  I don't know that the good people of Rice Krispies would be too thrilled with it, but it gets the job done.

How To Make Rice Krispies Treats: The Tammy Method

1) Get out your butter-flavored cooking spray and coat a 13x9 pan to within an inch of its life.

2) Get out your wok.  It's got a nice wide top for pouring in marshmallows without spilling them all over the place.

3) Put your box of Rice Krispies (or other fine cereal of choice) by the back door.  No, I'm not kidding. Make sure it is opened and ready to go!

4) Put the butter in the wok and melt it over low heat.

5) When the butter is melted, dump in your entire bag of normal sized marshmallows.

6) Stir constantly and avoid all distractions while stressing out and trying not to burn it.

7) When the marshmallows are nice and smooth and melty, turn off the stove.

8) Take your wok of marshmallow madness, your spoon, and your box of cereal and go stand in the driveway.

9) While holding the wok in your left hand, dump the cereal in using your right hand.

10) Drop the empty box on the ground by your feet and start trying to mix it all together before the marshmallow goo starts to firm up.

11) Pay no attention to the cereal flying out of the wok while you stir.  This is why you are doing it outside.  The birds and other neighborhood wildlife can enjoy a tasty snack later.

12) When it looks as mixed as you can get it, hurry back inside and put it into the pan.  Press that stuff in firmly so that the bars will (hopefully) hold together when you try to cut them up later.

13) Cover with waxed paper and hope for the best.

14) Go back outside to get the empty box and throw it in the garbage.

That's really my process, Friends.  I am apparently incapable of stirring in the cereal without making a gigantic mess.  I like to think of it as an urban campfire scenario.  A brief intermission en plein air.

Why are we discussing this, Friends?

Well, I have my book group tomorrow night.  We will be discussing One More Thing by B. J. Novak. In the book is a story called "Kellogg's".  As you might have guessed, it mentions cereal.

You probably remember that I like to serve refreshments that go with the theme of the book at my book groups.  (Don't remember, or you are a new reader and are dying of curiosity? You can click here or just click on the "book group" tag.)  Well, this particular chapter mentions Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes.  What am I supposed to do with that?  I'm not going to serve my book group bowls of cereal. You're killing me here, Mr. Novak!

And then I had an epiphany: I could make Rice Krispies Treats, but use Frosted Flakes instead!  My euphoria was short lived.  After my initial rush of giddiness subsided,  my brain had a lot of questions as to what I thought I was going to do.

• What the hell would you even call them?  Frosted Flakes Treats?  Frosted Flakes Bars?
• Is this even a thing?  You cannot be the first person to ever have this idea.  There is probably a good reason you don't see commercials for Frosted Flakes Treats.
• Will these things even hold together?  Rice Krispies are small and easily coated.  Frosted Flakes are a lot bigger with more surface area.
• You should probably Google this before trying it.

You're right, brain.  I could Google it.  I probably should....just to avoid a potential disaster.  It would be the smart thing to do.  You raised some valid points.

Yeah, I totally didn't bother to look it up.  It will be our own little culinary adventure, Friends!

So, just a few minutes ago, I mixed up the Frosted Flakes treats-bars-things

Why yes, those would be Frosted Flakes in my driveway.  I wasn't lying about that step.

and I have now squooshed (technical term) them into the pan.

Voila!

As I write this they should be firming up into a nice solid block.  Cross your fingers and send me good vibes.  I'm not even going to attempt to cut these bad boys until tomorrow.  I promise I will fill you in on the outcome -- for good or for ill.  

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go make carrot cake for my book group.  

Art on the Farm

Hey, Friends.

Happy Fourth of July!  And Happy Tuesday to the rest of the world! I hope you're having a good day, wherever you may be.

I went to the parade in Hyde Park earlier this morning, and I'll be going to see the fireworks down by the river this evening. Earlier this afternoon, however, I went to see an outdoor sculpture exhibit with my Mom.  Art on the Farm

I'm a bit embarrassed to say that this was the first time I had ever been to Vassar Farm or the Poughkeepsie Farm Project.  I drive past the entrance on the way to work every day, but had never gone in to explore.

So what prompted me to go today?

Well, last week I noticed a big orange thing on one of the fields as I was sitting at a traffic light on the way to work.  It was just far enough away that I couldn't figure out if it was a sculpture or some kind of fancy new watering system.  I was intrigued.  I asked around and found out it was some sort of art display, but nobody really seemed to have any details about it.  Eventually a banner went up with the information.  (See the link above!)

It's really pretty cool.  I had to take pictures, of course.

Staged by Jean Brennan -- Beacon, New York

Starting From Scratch by Ed Benavente -- Beacon, New York

Angelina by Dick Crenson -- Pleasant Valley, New York

Lifecycle of an Idea by Julian Mackinnon -- New Paltz, New York

Cactus by Carl Grieco -- Hyde Park, New York

Man is an Island by Richard Marx -- Hyde Park, New York

Translogical Corner by Robert Parker -- Walton, New York

The Endless Picnic Tables, Then and Now by Chris Oliver -- Ithaca, New York

King Belotes by Jack Rusinek -- Marlboro, New York

Hoe Down by Peter Schlemowitz -- Beacon, New York

This would be "Whirly", but there seems to be a technical difficulty.

You Can't Find This on the Internet by Madeleine Cichy -- Ithaca, New York

Anomaly by Antonella Piemontese -- Beacon, New York

Walking on Eggshells by Anita Fina Kiewra -- Verbank, New York

Thunderhoof by Dave Channon -- Shandaken, New York

Wind Chapel by Nancy Steinson -- Beacon, New York

Setting Sun by Tom Holmes -- Greeley, Pennsylvania

The last one is a very bad picture.  I had to take it from the car at a traffic light.  That is the piece that lured me in to begin with.  

I would encourage everyone to go see this.  The pictures don't do the pieces justice.  It's an easy walk, and the farm is very pretty.  I'll definitely be going back since I had no idea there were so many nature trails on the property as well.  

And I had to take some random pictures while I was there.

Flowers

Door

Not that I'm playing favorites or anything, but this was really cool.  Walking through the trees to the giant mushrooms.  Made me think of Alice in Wonderland.

It's Not That Type of Adult

Hey, Friends.

How's it going?  I've been busy with a lot of things, especially going on at work.  In fact, let me tell you all about it right now because I'm more than a little proud of what we accomplished.

No, it's not about my awesome book group, although it is book-related.  Shocker, I know.

This year we are trying an adult summer reading challenge.

No, it's not that kind of "adult".  Get you heads out of the gutter, Friends.  I've already had more than one person ask me exactly what that entailed, and where did we keep those kind of books.  I could practically see the wheels in their heads turning -- some dark, overlooked corner of the library, cordoned off by beaded curtains, red light glowing overhead.  It just means it is for grownups. People over the age of 18.  It's not the program that happens every year for kids and teens.

A couple co-workers and I got to throw a kick-off event to get it started.  We really weren't sure how many people would actually be interested in participating.  It was a lot of work, but it was so much fun and it had a fantastic turn out!

I'm a little proud of what we pulled off, so I wanted to share it here.  Feel free to steal any ideas if you want to use them!  Maybe you have a book club of your own, or you're thinking of starting one, and need some ideas.  Maybe you just think some of the food looks awesome and want to try it yourself. Do as you please, kids.

First, we had the information tables.  Yes, tables.  Each person had to sign up, and then they got a little notebook to keep track of their progress on the summer reading challenge. The challenge?  To read 8 books in 8 weeks, and there are different categories to try and meet --  book published the year you were born, a poetry book, a book set in the Hudson Valley, etc.

My friend and co-worker, Chris, went all out on Readers' Advisory!  He made lists for everything: new releases, different genres, and lists based on different books, television shows, and podcasts that are popular.

List, booklets, and information on our book groups

Some of the lists that Chris made.

We also had a table for our Blind Date With a Book program.  We do this every year and people really seem to enjoy it.  The idea is that you pick a book based solely on the clues given to you.  It's all wrapped up so you cannot see what you are choosing.  Ideally it helps people to branch out and read a book they might not normally have chosen.  They might discover an author that they love but had never read before, or a new series, or find a subject really interesting and want to learn more. This year they also all had clues relating to the challenge part of the adult summer reading program.  

...and I might also have mentioned that some of the books met several different challenge categories.  I believe the exact phrase was, "If you want to do it quick and dirty, some of them meet several categories."  I was being helpful! Get all of the categories filled quickly, then read whatever you want for the rest of the summer. It's totally not cheating.

I wrapped 50 books.  I thought it would last a while.  I was wrong.  The supply lasted about 2 days, and then I had to start making more.

You have to have food and drinks at a party, right Friends?  Of course!  Since this was a party about books and reading, we decided that all of the refreshments should also tie to a book somehow.  None of you should be surprised that I was super stoked about this part.  I love coming up with these ideas for my book group every month!  (Need a refresher on my awesome book group?  Click here to get a taste.)

Let's start with the drinks....

Butterbeer! From Harry Potter, of course.  Chris made these and they were delicious.

I made non-alcoholic hurricanes.  I had made them when my book group discussed Isaac's Storm, and everyone really seemed to like it.

As you can see from my less than stellar camera work above, we also had regular refreshments for those who weren't feeling adventurous enough to try one of our more creative libations.  Good call on another co-worker's part for supplying those.

On to the food!  The rest of it is nice and all, but I know you really want to see what we came up with for that part of the evening.

The Devil in the White City  Chris made cupcakes that looked like little devils.  He even had a Ferris wheel cupcake display, and it actually turned!

Another co-worker made Kabobs for Under the Tuscan Sun.  They were delicious!

Chris also made an excellent chocolate trifle graveyard dessert (with awesome decor) for Lincoln in the Bardo.

I'm going to admit right now that we have reached the end of the classier offerings that were on the table.  I can say that because I made the rest of them, and classy was not on my mind.  I went more for amusing, or at least entertaining.  Some might say a little dark.  I fully admit to having a warped sense of humor.

Of Mice and Men  Those are little chocolate mice made out of maraschino cherries, Hershey's Kisses, and almonds.  

The men are Sour Patch Kids.  They were going to be gingerbread men, but I ran out of time.

Green Eggs and Ham  Why yes, I did make green eggs.  The ham is in the filling. 

Would you eat them here or there?

Would you eat them anywhere?

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland -- One of my all-time favorite books!  

It had to be included in the festivities.

(And the phrasing amused some people.)

Banana Cream Pie Murder -- the newest book in the series. I haven't read it yet, but the series is very popular.

Chocolate Pie from The Help.  Yeah, I went there.  It did lead to some interesting conversations.

Patron 1: Oh my God, you made the poo pie!

Me: This one is just chocolate pudding.  I swear.

Patron 1: Do you think anyone is going to eat it?

Me: Well, we'll certainly find out who read the book or saw the movie. It's also a good way to see how adventurous people are feeling.

Patron 2: *laughing* That is so sick!  Did you do that?

Me: Yes.  I take all the blame for that one.

Patron: You made the Eat Me cookies too, right?

Me: Yes again.

Patron 2: And the Green Eggs and Ham?

Me:  Guilty as well.

Patron 2: That's so awesome!

** Just a quick note: the links for all of the books above go to Amazon.  I'm not partnered with them, I'm not trying to get you to buy them.  I get nothing out of it.  They are simply there for your reference.  If you haven't read some of the books then you might not know how the food relates. **

The event went really, really well and had an excellent turnout.  It has been less than a week, but I'm hopeful that it is going to prove popular enough to do it again next summer.  

Of course I'm participating in the challenge as well -- can't ask other people to do what you aren't willing to do yourself.  I will also admit that I am using my own "quick and dirty" method on the challenge, and have managed to meet 5 categories so far.  I can't win a prize, but I am going to do my best to rock this thing.  I also might be just the tiniest bit competitive....even if it really is only against myself.

All credit in the world to Chris for doing a phenomenal job on this event, and doing an insane amount of work on the Readers' Advisory. Thanks to my other co-worker for her help and organizational skills!  I'm glad I could assist by wrapping books and making some interesting refreshment choices.