Category: Food

Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats!

Sadie4 Comments

Even though most retailers and coffee shops seemed to have bypassed November and moved straight onto December and Christmas, I plan to eat pumpkin right through pie leftovers on Black Friday. Thank you very much! I’m not quite sure when Christmas season started right after Halloween, and Thanksgiving became the red headed step-child, but I’m not a fan. Thanksgiving is the best holiday of the year!

So anyway, I wanted to make some treats for a team meeting at work because we were having more people actually in person than usual. One of my teammates recently learned that she needs to stick to a gluten free diet, so I decided to go the gluten free direction because I feel bad that she never gets to snack with us anymore.

The Star of the Show
The Star of the Show

Rather than try to adapt a gluten recipe, I wanted to make something that is gluten free to begin with. The obvious choice? Rice Krispie treats! And if that wasn’t enough of a crowd pleaser to begin with, let’s add pumpkin!pumpkin!

These were definitely a crowd pleaser! When I was looking for recipes online I initially found several using pumpkin spice Jello instant pudding mix rather than pumpkin puree. While I’m not so opposed to that method, my grocery store didn’t have the flavor. I didn’t have the time to shop around, so I went with a recipe that actually just used pumpkin and pumpkin spice. It totally worked, plus it was probably a little better to use pumpkin rather than a pudding mix.

Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats

Adapted from Bake Love Give, yields about 20 bars depending on size

Ingredients

  • 4 Tbs butter
  • 1 10 oz bag of mini marshmallows (plus a little extra if you like them extra gooey)
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice (a little extra if you want to turn up the spice)
  • 6 cups Rice Krispies (Gluten Free if you want to be strict gluten free)
  • 5 oz. white chocolate chips (melted for drizzling)

Method

  1. Melt butter in a pot over medium heat.
  2. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Add pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice. Stir to combine and turn off heat.
  3. Add Rice Krispies and extra marshmallows if desired. Stir until well combined and spoon into 13 x 9 baking pan to cool. Alternatively you can portion out the batter with an ice cream scoop or into cupcake molds.yum!
  4. Once treats have cooled, melt the white chocolate chips in microwave for 30 second intervals. Make sure you don’t burn it! Use a fork to drizzle it over the treats for a little extra je ne sais quoi!

finished product

I ended up also making flourless chocolate cookies, obviously gluten free, and obviously fantastic. Both of these hit the spot!

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sadie3 Comments

Let’s be honest, what is there not to like about the title of this post? This past weekend I needed to bring some food to a cookout, and since I haven’t done much baking this summer, I saw this as the perfect opportunity to put my new kitchen to work. This is officially the inaugural batch of cookies in my new apartment.

As you may or may not know, I eat bananas quite regularly, and I’m always worried about keeping a ripe supply at all times for my morning smoothies. Last week, however, I got a little overzealous and I ended up with some extras that got ripe real fast. And thus: cookies with bananas.

I quickly searched some of my favorite food blogs and ended up with this great recipe from How Sweet It Is. I love that blog!  Let me tell you something. These are the best cookies I’ve made in a while. They are a great chewy texture that make them soft but not too light and cakey. Plus, I feel like the peanut butter and banana add some healthy components to a typical chocolate chip cookie, without making it a full on granola bar.

BTW, These get even healthier when they are transported in an organic spinach container.
BTW, These get even healthier when they are transported in an organic spinach container.

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from How Sweet It Is, yields 18-20 cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 cups plus 2 Tbs AP Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 8 Tbs Butter, melted and cooled
  • 6 Tbs Peanut, Butter melted and cooled
  • 1 egg yolk, room temp
  • 1 cup brown sugar loosely packed
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 medium ripe bananas mashed
  • 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips
  1. Preheat oven to 350 (How Sweet It Is recommends 325, but my oven needed to be hotter).
  2. Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl: flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

    stuff
    I decided to play the game: use every bowl and every utensil in the kitchen. It makes cleanup a breeze!
  3. Combine melted and cooled butter and peanut butter in a different bowl. Wisk it together with the sugars and egg yolk. Then wisk in the mashed banana and vanilla extract. The mixture will not be smooth. DSCN1856
  4. Slowly add the dry to the wet and use a wooden spoon to mix it (no hand mixer needed). And finally fold in the chocolate chips.ummmm chocolate
  5. Portion out the cookies onto parchment lined cookie sheets and bake 10-15 minutes at 350 (again, my oven was way off from what the original recipe suggested so use your judgement). Cookies should be a light golden brown.scoop it outout of the oven
  6. Allow to cool, and enjoy!

The Summer Salad

Sadie1 Comment
As you might have picked up, I recently moved to the DC area. I’m living in Arlington and working in the city. This is definitely a big change for me because I’ve never spent an extended period of time in the DC area. Everyday I’m learning new things about the area, but I wanted to share my favorite thing so far: the salads. I know this is a little random and perhaps unexciting to many people, but this is a luxury I have not experienced yet.
When I say salads, I mean the several great salad fast food places they have here like Chop’t and Sweet Green. I realize that these places are pretty common in metropolitan areas these days, but they’re relatively new to me. Having lived in Williamsburg, central Connecticut, and Lewisburg, PA in the last three years, I didn’t really get exposed to the trendiest new restaurant chains.
So last summer I raved about the Whole Foods salad bar, but this takes salads to a new level. For those unfamiliar with these places, it’s not like they’re re-inventing the fast food wheel, they’re just doing it with salad. The restaurants typically have about eight or so salads on their menu. They are usually a combination of traditional options like a version of a Ceaser, something kind of Greek, a southwestern option, etc. And then you have the option to make your own where you can pick a certain number of veggies, protein, crunchy things; whatever you want.
I typically go with different options depending on the specific restaurant. For example, Sweet Green is a little more earthy/organic and I love the “Spicy Sabzi” which is a combination of kale and spinach, spicy quinoa, spicy broccoli, bean sprouts, carrots, basil, roasted tofu, and I substitute dried cranberries because I don’t like the beets. And the dressing is Siracha and a carrot vinaigrette. Don’t you just feel healthier reading that description!Sweet Green
The Sweet Green is near my apartment (and conveniently on my walk back from the gym), but Chop’t is in the city just a few blocks from my office. I usually get the “Vegetarian Powerhouse” when I’m at Chop’t. It includes spinach and romaine, edemame, broccoli, carrots, sunflower seeds, walnuts, dried cranberries, apples, and a “spa” balsamic vinaigrette.chopt
Plus the closet food option to my office, Devon and Blakely, has a great make your own salad option that is perfect for grabbing a quick lunch at work. The make your own option is always a little stressful for me because I never know what to choose, but I usually go with spinach, red onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, edemame, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and a balsamic vinaigrette. Pretty basic, lots of veggies and a little crunch.
So basically, I have turned into a rabbit here in DC and I’m loving it. I’m trying to find some moderation because it’s not always the most economical option, and I kind of wonder if I will burn out on salads. But right now, things are lean and green.
What are your go-to Summer meals? Do you like ordering from the menu or are you a make-your-own fan?