"Miss Me?" A Poem by Rice Krispie

Last week, I was in a slump of what to create in the kitchen.

Peach Cobbler Scones? Nah, too bread-y.

Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti? It's 100 degrees outside...it's too hot to be dipping cookies in tea.

Cinnamon Rolls? Heck-to-the-no! The kitchen feels like it's on fire.

I was in the predicament of all predicaments.

When the kitchen is hot and you want to bake.

For all you bakers and cookers and kitchen enthusiasts, y'all know what I'm talking about.

You'll just be strolling through the living room where the A/C hits full blast, and then you'll saunter into the kitchen, where dinner's cooking on the stove, and BAM.

It feels like you're in a sauna. Ugh.

Now that I've discouraged anybody from baking over the summer....(but don't let me!! bake all you want in July and August!!)

What's something quick and easy that errybody loves?


RICE KRISPIE TREATS.

"Miss Me?" A Poem of Rice Krispie

Snap, crackle, pop was my jingle
And as I sang to you, you cruised away
Picked up a pack of Goldfish crackers
Crushed and desolate, on a shelf in Pavilion's
I pledged to get back at you some day
To make you miss me and beg the heavens for me
And....
I am back.
Salt from the sea and butter that's been browned,
no one can compare with my elegance and grace.
So I hope you miss me...

Boom-shaka-laka-boom. I just went there.

When I think of Rice Krispie treats, I think of being 6 years old and overlooking them at bake sales for homemade chocolate chip cookies. I think of the blue wrapper that I always liked more than the treat itself. Here's the thing: I was never a big fan of krispie treats.

I'd stroll by them at the store, barely offering them a glance.

I'd divert my eyes from the Mickey Mouse shaped krispies Disneyland stores had on display.

But then. Last week happened.

I got out of bed and all of a sudden, I just wanted to make some krispie treats.

It takes five minutes.

Five minutes for ooey-gooey perfection.

And I honestly, for the life of me, can't remember why I never liked them. (?!) #WeirdChild

Marshmallows and popped rice cereal are the ideal summer treat. (Everybody likes feeling like a little kid over the summer. It's a fact.)

These are infused with a hint of sea salt. #GrownUpMoments

So if you gotta jet-set to summer bashes and pool shin-digs, make these and take 'em. You'll have tons of new friends by the end of the night. Guaranteed. :)

The most perfect friendship in the history of friendships. (Hi Hello Kitty cup in the back!!)

Stirrin' up da truth.

"America's Favorite" 'nuff said.

Stir in the cereal!

Looks like a sculpture. Artsy.

Krispies chilling on a picnic blanket. #SummaTimeFre$hness

"Hello! Krispie, you said your name was? Rice Krispie?"

Close ups from the edge. 

#TBT To when we were just melting the marshmallows.

#BetterThanTheOnesFromTheStore

And they turn out huge!

A cluster of friends all named Rice Krispie. 

#CloseUp #It'sAStar

Rice Krispie Treat Recipe: (from Smitten Kitchen!) (who's fabulous, check her blog out!)

-1/2 cup unsalted butter
-1 bag marshmallows
-6 cups rice krispie treats
-1/4 tspn sea salt

-Get a 8x8 square dish pan ready. Spray with baking spray.
-Brown the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. (Be careful, after it turns a nutty color, it burns fast. Keep your eye on it!)
-Turn off stove. Use a wooden spoon and add in marshmallows, stir till all is melted.
-Remove from stove (to make sure it's away from heat) Add in Rice Krispies and stir that pot!
-Quickly scoop and press into pan. (Use parchment paper that's been sprayed with Pam to smooth the top/edges/corners)
-Let cool before cutting into 16 squares

Happy baking!! :) <3

Let's Talk Sandwiches

Sandwiches.

Everybody's got a relationship with them.

Everybody's got an occasion for them.

On the first day of kindergarten: creamy peanut butter and strawberry jelly on squishy toast in a Snow White lunch box. (Or Cinderella. Depending on your Disney princess preference.)

At "fancy tea parties" (AKA decorating the dining table and forcing your parents to join you) : cucumbers and cream cheese on cold toast.

At urban cafes: a melty panini.

Whatever the reason, sandwiches are always a good answer.

They're cheap and (dare I say) fun to make.

I know. Pushing the women's movement back a couple of years...

I don't mean to brag, but I can make a darn good sandwich.

Just ask my sister. I always send her pics of my latest pairings. If I instagrammed all of them, well...that'd just be too much.

So I keep my sandwich standards pretty high (but don't think I'm like conceited or anything) and don't really buy cold sandwiches if I'm out and about, living la vida loca.

What I'm saying is: ordering a bad sandwich just plain sucks.

This is what happened:

There I was in an adorable outfit (the shirt courtesy of my sister's closet, the skirt a hand-me-down) holding my bag in the trendy uber-cool cafe of an even trendier uber-cooler museum. My spine needed a good cracking, my feet were numb, and my stomach was desperate.

I scanned the menu posters, mentally crossing off all the items.

"We can go somewhere else." My mom shrugged and pushed her hair back.

"No, it's fine." As far as we knew it, there were no other eateries near us. Actually, there probably was, but like I said: deliriously tired and hungry.

I twisted my lips and found it! The turkey panini! I love a good panini, and since I don't have a panini maker (definitely on my shopping list for when I have a cool studio apartment), I totes-magotes love when I go places that serve them.

The menu said: hot panini: smoked turkey, swiss cheese, garlic something (I can't remember the full name), lettuce, tomato, applewood smoked bacon, and avocado on sourdough.

Avocado. Not gonna lie, they had me at avocado. I ordered without the bacon and with roasted veggies as my side and promptly fell into a seat, my hair spilling over the table. My mom came back from the cash register.

Yawning, I scanned the receipt.

$12 for my panini.

Twelve. Dollars.

"Oh my God!" I blurted out. "That is way too overpriced." I mean, I knew it was going to be expensive, as most museum subunits are, but I didn't think it was going to be that expensive.

So, of course, I expected the panini to be perfect. To be made for Mount Olympus.

Imagine my shock when the waiter placed a cold plate in front of me.

Three layers of soggy white toast (white toast is honestly something I'll never understand). My immediate reaction was: Ugh.

I know, I know, I hate it when people complain, but I was just annoyed.

It wasn't a panini. Just a cold, soggy sandwich with grill marks on it. And that extra piece of toast just frustrated me.

ANYWAY: This post is supposed to be celebrating sandwiches, not degrading them....

What I'm getting at is: The best sandwiches are the homemade kind.

Recently, I was invited to the world of whole wheat sourdough bread. Cool, right?

And lemme tell ya kids, I'm in love. #ByeNormalToast

No, honestly, even my family loves it. Ask them.

A beautiful homemade sandwich, nothing can go wrong.

Pair anything and everything. Sometimes I use mustard. Sometimes I use hummus.

And if you're asking me, sandwiches should be considered fancy food because you can come up with some seriously fancy combinations!

There's so many things you could do!

Pesto, swiss, bell peppers, tomatoes, BBQ sauce, etc. etc. etc.

Here are some pics from a sandwich I made and had to share with the world.

Turkey on whole wheat sourdough, spinach, cheddar, avocado, and hummus.

#IsThatNotDelish

OMG. Hi Spinach, you beautiful green leaf, you.

God Bless Avocados. That is all.

Luckily for me, my dad gets TONS of avocados when he goes grocery shopping!

Does this look great or what? (Seriously considering opening a sandwich shop)

Nom nom. (That was my first time saying Nom Nom.)

Hello beautiful sandwich that was too big for me to finish! Hello!

Looking like a stud.

"This is falling in love in the cruelest way"-T Swift

This was actually my first time eating hummus. And I'm Persian. #GoodJob

:)

Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading! And I'd LOVE to hear all about your favorite sandwiches!!