For the Little Kid In Me!

Hello Sweets,

I hope everyone is enjoying their Friday, for all the working people you've earned it!  I am off back to Canadia tomorrow, normally I am completely distraught having to leave Nathan.  Not this time though, well maybe still a bit lol who am I kidding, only because I am getting ready to move :)  I still have a little packing to do (bedroom only), and I am doing my final walk through now that the apartment is completely finished.  I am one excited and happy girl, I've never lived in a brand new apartment so I am pumped!!

Since it's Friday and my last night with Nathan I figured a short post will be okay, don't worry there is still a sweet treat in store for y'all.  Today's delicious treat is brought to you on behalf of Kellogg's, and their delicious cereal Rice Crispies.  I bet y'all can figure out what we're making, but first let's go down memory lane for some history on my Rice Crispy story.  When I was small and even elementary school age, I ate almost all of my breakfasts with my grandparents.  Normally I would eat eggs and bacon, but some times I would eat a bowl of rice crispies.  However, when my grandmother had her back turned I would put a whole lot of sugar on top.  I mean a LOT, lol so when I'd scrape the bottom of the bowl I would get a spoonful of sugar :)  Of course my grandma would make rice crispy treats every once in a while, and I hadn't had them in years.  That is until a few months ago when Nathan asked me to make him some, and I am making them monthly now lol.  This is obviously not my recipe but I add a little more of some things.

Rice Crispy Treats

Ingredients

6C Rice Crispy Cereal

4Tbs Butter

42 Marshmallows

Love simple recipes

Directions:

1)  Melt the butter in a large pot over low heat.

 

2)  Once the butter is melted, add the marshmallows until completely melted.

3)  Remove from heat and add the rice crispies, mixing until blended.

4)  Grease a baking dish and pour the mixture in, pressing evenly flat with wax paper.

5)  Allow to cool completely before cutting.  Store in an air tight container.

yummy!!

See, wasn't that simple, easy, and delicious?  You can't beat cereal treats, they are your guide down memory lane to childhood.  The are many ways you can dress these bad boys up, from adding chocolate (chips or on top), nuts, food coloring, or even cutting them into fun shapes.  I'm sure you could even use those colored marshmallows for a cool little twist.  

Well that's all I've got in me for now :)  I am off to enjoy one last night in my loves arms, I hope y'all are enjoying your weekend with what ever makes you happy!  Until next time....

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo

So Long 2012 :)

Hello Sweets,

Well it's the last day of 2012, and I thought I would take the time to reflect and see what the last year has meant to me.  Plus I have another fun kitchen gadget to share with all of you, since this will be a shorter post :)

As you may or may not be aware I have a rare diagnosis that will require me to have a type of brain surgery, well when 2012 started they did not want to go ahead with surgery just yet (which I can tell you can be devastating).  It had caused me to go off work in August of 2011 and a huge part of who I am was tied to my job, but this year I decided to start discovering who I am without the job title and it has been a wonderful journey.  Life isn't easy at times, and when it is easy it's probably not worth it.  I finally received the news this October that they will be going ahead with the surgery (finally!), I cannot even begin to describe how happy this news made me as this has been a hard adjustment in my life.  I also started my blog in October.  I started it because I was feeling down because of being off work.  However, the support I have received from all of you, coupled with the fulfilling feeling of blogging was just what I needed.  I've always enjoyed writing, and realize now that I should have never stopped because I feel like even when I'm having a bad day I can be thankful for what I do have and that I can peruse my passions.  Rediscovering my love of the kitchen, being encouraged to pursue it from the ones that mean the most to me, and not to mention the meaning it has brought to my life.  The one thing that can make a bad day better is creating in the kitchen, even though it can sometimes be hard on my body the feeling that it gives me encourages me in all other aspects of my life.  Nathan has even got me thinking about possibly starting my own little bakery shop, and I can't tell you what it means to have an amazingly supportive man in my life.  I think probably the best part of this past year was being completely accepted by Nathan's family and friends, knowing that when I move to Texas one day that I already have some family and friends makes the decision of change that much easier :)

Okay enough of the touchy feely emotional reflection of this past year, I have a super cool and helpful kitchen goodie for you again.  I had a recipe that is ready to blog about but wanted to save it for tomorrow, I did this because I wanted to do a reflection post with a fun ending.  Don't worry I will give you a super recipe tomorrow that is definitely worth the wait, not to mention this recipe has now spawned a new one of a kind recipe that is fully in the works and will be completed probably on the weekend, so keep your eyes peeled!  So as you all know, Nathan's family gave me a TON of cool kitchen tools for Christmas, and I am trying to show you all the cool items over multiple posts and today's is one of those posts!  I have mentioned in a previous post that I love everything that goes into creating in the kitchen, even the mundane prep work that has to go into each recipe.  I have also mentioned how much I love doing small things for Nathan, such as picking out the perfect melons at the grocery store and cutting it all up for him to it's ready to enjoy.  Well guess what one of the gadgets were, a melon slicer!  Now it really is a fun and easy tool but with my weak shoulders I needed Nathan's help  pushing in through the melon, however I am confident that post surgery I will be able to do it all on my own!  Okay lets get to the fun stuff :) (here's a link, not my exact one but just the same :) )

Let the fun begin!

 Start with a ripe melon, slice the top of the melon off

Place the melon cutter on top then rock back and forth a few times to get a grip

 Firmly push down, then remove.

 

 So pretty

There you have it, if you or anyone in your house really enjoys eating melons but hate the messy and annoying preparation, GET THIS!  It is so worth it lol it makes the cutting process much easier (not to mention pretty), and it's even cuts every time!

Well I hope you all have something enjoyable planned for your New Years eve, spend it with those you care about the most so you ring in the new year with a positive bang ;)  Nathan and I are going to share our first new years together with just the two of us, a romantic dinner first, and then sharing champagne at the stroke of midnight.  This will be the first time I have ever had a new years celebration like this, and I honestly cannot wait because I think the best way to ring in the new year is to be with the ones that make you the happiest.  There isn't a single person I would rather be with at midnight.  Spending it with my best friend and soul mate is the perfect scenario.  Happy New Years everyone, and I'll see you all in the new year!!!  Until next time (year lol)..............


Stay sweet,



Jennifer xoxoxo