Cereal Treats

I love cereal treats!  I have been known to walk around grocery stores in Mexico begging for someone to show me where the Malvavisco are located.  That was after I grabbed hold of a little Mexican girl eating a pink fluffy marshmallow and asking her what it was called.  It's difficult to make Rice Crispy Treats while on vacation in Mexico.  Malvaviscos aren't your everyday ingredient there.  I hate it when a craving hits and I just can't quench it!!  So take a box of Treats with you if your traveling, or at least know how to say marshmallow in the native tongue.  That is the most important travelling tip I will ever share.

If you grew up like me, which I hope you all did, we ate lots of different cereal treats.  There's the standard Rice Crispy Treat, my favorite Peanut Butter Cornflake Treats, my Granny's Special K Balls, and the most famous of all Family Home Evening Treats................The New Daddies!  My mom would whip up New Daddies all the time on Monday nights.  It was just a thinned chocolate frosting tossed over puffed wheat cereal in the giant Tupperware bowl and then we'd each grab a paper cup and fill it over and over and over.   My dad would always feign being heartbroken because we always wanted New Daddies, but he secretly loved them too.

Today's cereal treat never graced our kitchen as a kid.  It was my sis-in-law Katie who introduced us to this amazing treat.  Thanks Katie!  For loving Josh and bringing beautiful babies into our family, but most importantly for these treats:) and those ones at Bear Lake last year.  Delish!  (I'll share that recipe later.)   My niece Ashlee brought the biggest bowl of these treats to the annual 4th of July celebration, and I believe they were gone in a matter of minutes.  I'll bet you she used two boxes of both Golden Grahams, and Chex in the making.  I'm talking monster sized, heaping, enormous bowl of cereal treats.  It was any kids dream.  James was asking for these earlier in the week so since he decided to leave us for the week to play with his friends, we're eating these treats in his absence.  There won't be a single crumb left, and I won't make them again for a long time, because they make me fat!  Period!  Sorry Jimmy:)  Enjoy these folks, and doctor them up anyway you need to.  Try adding some candy, or chocolate chips, or peanut butter chips, or cinnamon as I do.  You can't hurt a cereal treat.  Happy Friday folks!

Katie's Graham Chex Treats

6 c. Golden Grahams

6 C. Chex (Corn or Rice)

1 1/2 c. coconut

2 c. slivered or sliced almonds (I like slivered)

1/2 t. cinnamon (Totally optional)

1/2 c. butter

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. Karo Corn Syrup

Place the cereal, coconut, almonds, and anything else you'd like to add in a really big bowl.  Bring the butter sugar and corn syrup to a boil and let bubble for two minutes.  Pour the syrup over the cereal and toss.  I usually have the cereal box handy to pour in extra.  I usually do as well.  A lot extra.  I like the treat best the day after, but you can eat them immediately.  You can also pour them into a greased cookie sheet or 9x13 inch pan and press the cereal in.  Cut into squares when cooled.  Perfect at the lake or the pool, or on the boat.  Can you tell I'm thinking summer here:)