Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Bars

This should've gone up yesterday or Saturday or something, but I was busy. I also didn't post yesterday which kind of throws Blog-Every-Day-in-May off a bit. No need to worry. I'll be back to nothingness next week. I don't know if that's good or bad. 

This is also where I should probably say something eloquent about Memorial Day. I don't really have anything to say because it's not something I can dwell on during seasons of deployment. The appreciation I have for soldiers who have given it all can't be measured.

In case you need a Memorial Day weekend dessert...

I made this for a potluck last week and it went over very well. My mom sent me the recipe and it's an old one. She's been making these bars my entire life, so I figured they'd be a nice addition to my non-food blog. 

They're very easy, you make them the night before, and I had all the ingredients in my cupboard.

They're not your average rice krispy treat. 

Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Bars

makes a 9x13 pan

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of Karo syrup (light)

2 t. vanilla

1 1/2 cups of peanut butter

6 cups of rice krispies

1 bag of milk chocolate chips

In a medium pan, heat the sugar and syrup together until it starts to bubble (low heat) and the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.  Stir in the vanilla and peanut butter. 

Add the dry cereal to a large mixing bowl. Pour the sugar/peanut butter mixture over it. Stir/fold gently, but well. It takes a few minutes to incorporate. 

Grease a 9x13 pan (spray Pam is what I used) and then press the bars into it. Set aside. 

Using a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips. Spread over the bars and let cool. Cut them before storing in the fridge because they'll harden up and be difficult to cut cold. 

And if none of that made sense, here's the original that I went off of:

Caramel Rice Krispy Treats

I've been trying to do some baking here and there. But, let's face it, my days are pretty hum-drum right now.  I've been working on a lot of stuff for school, watching a lot of t.v. (re-runs and some new shows too), trying to keep the house clean and trying out some organizational tricks, and reading a lot of books.

The dogs are at their wits' ends.  They are getting tired of me, I can tell.  However, Jett (being on steroids) is hungrier than normal and Scout (who is a picky eater) has taken to guarding his food bowl.  He'll just lay there beside it so Jett can't get it, yet he won't eat it.  He's so much like me...he doesn't even realize it.

That is why this post is just now going up when it should have been prescheduled for this morning: I've been busy doing a whole lot of nothing, like taking pictures of dogs who are holding a stand-off over a food bowl.

Regardless...

Recipe challenge, week twenty-six (halfway there!)

I kind of wanted to save this recipe for a rainy day, because you would want to eat it on a rainy day.  But I figure this weekend is the 4th of July and if you need a last minute treat to take somewhere, this would be perfect.

It takes 10 minutes to whip up this dessert and, if you can get it out of the house without eating it all, I'm sure it will be enjoyed by all.

I bought a bag of caramel bits because they are like eating a bag of pure sugar and I rather enjoy them...but I bought them for this cookie recipe I was going to try and then I ate them all, so I had to buy another bag.  And then I lost my patience with the idea of of the cookie-baking process.  Rice Krispy treats only take a few minutes though, so this no-bake recipe is what I used the remaining bag of caramel bits for.  So I suppose I've eaten a lot of caramel in the last two weeks...

(don't mind the cashews)

Caramel Rice Krispy Treats
makes an 8x8 pan (for thicker bars) or a 9x13 pan (for thinner bars)

1 cup caramel bits 

1 10-oz bag mini marshmallows

4 T. butter

1 t. vanilla

6 cups Rice Krispy cereal

In a large saucepan, melt the butter.  Stir in vanilla and mini marshmallows. Mix well until the marshmallows have melted. Stir in the caramel bits and allow them to melt, over very low heat. Keep stirring.

Fold in the cereal until it's all covered with the marshmallow mixture.

Spread into an 8x8 pan for thick bars or a 9x13 pan for thinner ones. Store covered.