Rice Krispie Treats

It's Christmas time, and that means it's time to more sweets than my family can possibly consume (well, at least without gaining a ton of weight). Never mind that since Tractor is (thankfully) still hanging out somewhere in my abdomen, I can't partake in many of these sweets without taking a few extra doses those horse pills that make me feel extremely nauseated. (Gestational diabetes is an extremely effective weight loss plan for someone with my kind of sweet tooth.) I'm still in the kitchen. This year, we had to cut down on the money we spent on gifts, so most of my family members are getting homemade cinnamon and salt dough ornaments along with a box of goodies. Hopefully, there will be enough goodies to "elf" a few neighbors, too, though at that this point, I will have to ask my husband which ones since none of them seem to talk to me. (Really. At the homeowner's association meeting last night, one of them offered to babysit LittleDude if I ever needed it. His response? "That's very nice of you, thank you, and I'm sure my wife will appreciate the offer, but I think she'd also feel more comfortable with it if you dropped by to meet her first." We've lived here 9 months, and I've met 3 of our neighbors. Three. But  I guess that's better than the one I met in the two years we lived in the old house. However, I digress...)

As I was saying, this is the year of the goodie boxes. For the most part, I've decided to stick with tried-and-true, if not particularly Christmas-themed, recipes. And with that, I give you my mom's famous Rice Krispie treats. Oh, you already know how to make those, you say... No you don't. Trust me. Every year, my mom brings these things to parties or family dinners or other gatherings, and every year, people exclaim, "These are the best Rice Krispie treats I've ever had. So much better than mine!" The secret? Modification. So here it is...

You'll Need:
1 cookie sheet, greased very well with butter
A big microwave-safe mixing bowl, sprayed liberally with cooking spray or greased with butter
A 1-cup dry measuring cup
6c crisp rice cereal (Shhh...I always use a store brand)
1 stick of butter
1 1/2 bags of marshmallows (about 15-16oz)
Red & green sugar sprinkles for festivity

What You Do:
1. Toss all the marshmallows into the big mixing bowl.
2. Toss the stick of butter on top.
3. Microwave the butter & marshmallows until they're all melty & gooey. (This takes about 3-3 1/2 minutes in my 1000 watt microwave. Watch your marshmallows!)
4. Meanwhile, measure out your 6 cups of cereal. Dump them in a extra bowl or bag or something.
5. Add the cereal to the marshmallow mixture. Stir very well.
6. Spread the mixture into the cookie sheet.
7. Top with festive red & green sugar. If it's not Christmas, feel free to use another color or none at all. Or hey, maybe you like purple & blue at Christmas. If so, go for it.
8. Let cool.

The End.

Until Next Time....
Chef Mommy