Rice Crispy Treats

The library did a treats day and I wanted to bring something that those who have Celiac can eat. Rice crispy treats are the obvious choice, super simple and tasty. I wanted to do something unusual with them so I booted up the computer and googled 'decadent rice crispy treats'. I found this recipe for caramel, chocolate, rice crispy treats and knew I had a winner. (https://lilluna.com/chocolate-caramel-peanut-butter-rice-krispies-treats/) However, instead of melting the chocolate into peanut butter I just sprinkled chocolate chips throughout. They were super yummy.

After that success I decided to have more rice crispy treats for the holiday parties. (I had a Christmas Eve Eve/Jolabokaflod party, a Christmas Eve smorgasbord, and a Christmas dinner.) First I made a batch of plain/standard rice crispy treats. Then I created my own treat. Shanna and I both love mint. Earlier this month Shanna found a bag of crushed/chipped Andes Mints and I added them to my cabinet for future cookies. So when I started making rice crispy treats and she pulled out a bag of pink peppermint marshmallows I knew what to do. I used the pink marshmallows, replaced the vanilla with mint extract and stirred in the Andes Mint chips. These were also super yummy. 

I think rice crispy treats are going to be standard fare for our future Christmases. - Jenny

Slow TV

There's this new thing (okay not that new, but new to me as of today) called Slow TV.  

"Slow television, or slow TV (Norwegian: sakte-TV), is a term used for a genre of "marathon" television coverage of an ordinary event in its complete length. Its name is derived both from the long endurance of the broadcast as well as from the natural slow pace of the television programme's progress. It was popularised in the 2000s by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK), beginning with the broadcast of a 7-hour train journey in 2009.[1][2]" - Wikipedia, 12/17/21 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_television

I'm now going to incorporate this into my Holiday Traditions.  I can put one of these amazing videos up on my big screen tv, mute the sound, and play my holiday music. I'm looking forward to doing this.  Here are a few of my favorites Slow TV shows via YouTube so far:

These remind me of home:

Snow Falling on a Winter River (https://youtu.be/KFopoC1VCU4)

Snowy Forest #1 (https://youtu.be/Q0NbGurj_os)

Heavy Snowfall in Light Wind (https://youtu.be/o0heG65MqpI)

Snow Falling in the Evening (https://youtu.be/LNFU0fWtd7c)

Fast Falling Snow (https://youtu.be/V4Oosy-ZtGY)

And then there are these videos that take me somewhere new:

Snow Falling on Christmas Street (https://youtu.be/opDqVQAf9GQ)

Snow On The Canal (https://youtu.be/YwfsVPr1Hvk)

Winter at Kew | Kew Gardens (https://youtu.be/Yn_KRG86DFY)

Finally an antidote to the cold:

Fire in a Fireplace (https://youtu.be/-RZKdWXfpz8)

Fire in a Fire Pit (https://youtu.be/6Haqb0zNr3g)

There are hundreds of these types of videos.  I found out quickly that the ones from moving vehicles like trains or cars make me a little dizzy.  But I love the ones showing snow.  I don't get much snow here anymore.  The person who drives the car (yes that would be me) is happy with this change, but the person who sits and reads, and looks out the window (yes this is me too) is very sad. - Jenny

Christmas Eve Eve Party

We (my friends and family) are going to do a Christmas Eve Eve party based on the Icelandic tradition of Jolabokaflod.  Google it and you'll find a ton of stuff about Jolabokaflod, including how to pronounce it.  

The basic idea is to get together, gift each other books, and stay up all night reading, of course there's food too.  I saw one article that talked about reading and eating chocolate and loved that idea. 

There are 7 of us and originally, we were going to draw names for the book exchange, but this morphed into giving books to everyone. We also decreed that used books and books from one's own library can be gifted.  This makes it much more affordable.  It will also give us options on what we want to read for Jolabokaflod.

Soup and bread for dinner, a bunch of chocolate desserts, books, sofas with cozy blankets and pillows, sounds like a great party to me.  Napping will be allowed/encouraged. Frankly I think I'm too old to stay up all night.  

I gotta say that I am really looking forward to this party. - Jenny

Recipe: Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

 I created this recipe for a party celebrating National Chocolate Day.  My version is not very hot (cayenne wise).  If you want it hotter add more cayenne.  These are a soft cakey cookie.  Reduce the flour to make it act more like a traditional chocolate chip cookie.   

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Additionally:

• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
• Wet Mix: Beat sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs till fluffy
• Dry Mix: Fork flour, cocoa powder, salt, spices, and raising agents together.  Slowly and gently add to wet mix.  Fold in chocolate chips
• In a separate bowl mix the Additional ingredients sugar & cinnamon together for coating
• Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls. Roll balls in the sugar-cinnamon mixture and place on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until centers are set and edges crack slightly, about 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes.