Pumpkin Pie Spice Cereal Treats... Getting into the spirit

So... I've been told that I have no holiday spirit.  And, thinking back,  that just may be true.  Over the years holidays have become a lot of work, and I think I may have lost the "holiday spirit" somewhere along the way.  It was Liv's comment of "Other moms make the holiday so fun, but you just don't seem like you are having a good time..." that made me reflect on my attitude and I'm promising to work on an adjustment!

As such, I bring you a spooky spider (Liv will hate me for that!!) who has been living in my backyard, and a fall-filled Halloween treat bursting with the flavors of pumpkin pie.  A recent and exclusive to Target find, these Pumpkin Pie Spice M&M's are not something to be taken lightly.  Larger than the "regular" M&M, I hesitated when I first saw them, but they just sounded too tempting not to try.  And I'm so glad I did!

Reviews online have blasted the candies for not having a "pumpkin" flavor... but they are called "Pumpkin Pie Spice", not "pumpkin" M&M's, and I think they taste just like they say, albeit in a familiar M&M candy form.  Added to our Pumpkin Pie Spice enhanced Krispie Treats, these little candies bumped up the Ohh/Ahh factor and even my "I don't eat Krispie Treats" husband slyly reached for a second.

Not a hit with everyone though, my son refused to even try them claiming krispie treats and simply M&M's don't go together.  The dance girls, however, all gave them two thumbs up!

So here's to holiday spirit...  May your season be filled with happiness and spooky treats!

Cereal Treat Round Up - Living Life

Perusing many of my favorite foodie blogs over the last few days, I've been thrilled to see the red, white and blue proudly displayed in everything from salads to frozen pops to cakes.  I, however, am with Liv in hot, hot, hot Las Vegas for the dance season finale, Nationals.

Liv & Vanners prepare for a group number

Sitting in the audience, I often find myself moved to tears as I watch Liv and her teammates perform their hearts out.  The confidence these young dancers show is phenomenal, and when combined with the skill that comes with those hours of practice, I simply sit in awe at the sheer talent.

As we made our way from San Diego to Vegas, Vanners, whom you may remember from our Sleepover Special, and Liv began reminiscing about the Fruity Cereal Treats - Vegas Style, that they prepared and styled at last year's Nationals.  Fruity Cereal Treats quickly turned into thoughts of Cinnamon Krispie Treats which just happened to be packed in the cooler for our long weekend.  Digging through the mounds of costumes, shoes, accessories, etc, that us dance moms have become all to familiar with, the girls found the Cinnamon Treat package, and I'm afraid there is not much left to share.

Liv!

What we do have to share though, are some of our favorite Krispie Treats which have accumulated on Liv Life over the years.  Not a fan as a youngster, it was my son who prompted another Krispie Treat attempt years after his first taste with the addition of Peanut Butter.  And he liked them.  So did I.

Inspiring somewhat of a Krispie Treat obsession, we've used Nutella, Reese's Pieces, Cinnamon, and multiple layers of peanut butter fudge and ganche to provide mouthwatering treats that are anything but average.

Peanut Butter Krispie Treats with Mini Peanut Butter Cups

Cocoa Marshmallow Krispie Treats

Cinnamon Marshmallow Krispie Treats with Cinnamon Glaze

Triple Peanut Butter Krispie Treats with Peanut Butter Fudge and Peanut Butter Ganache

Holiday Krispie Treats
Use different color candies for different holidays

Nutella Krispie Treats

Fruity Cereal Treats

Vanners!

Vanners takes the stage!

Cinnamon Marshmallow Rice Krispie Treats with Cinnamon Glaze

Life is often filled with opinion and controversy.  Lately our radar has shown rather strong opinions as to whether dance should be considered a sport or an art form.  The news if filled with people on all sides of the issue as to whether Obama should be in the White House.  But more importantly, we've recently had great discussion and fairly strong opinions on the issue of whether cinnamon belongs in marshmallow krispie treats.

A post on our Facebook Page regarding the cinnamon issue left me with a majority of responders on the "give it a try" side along with a few on the "absolutely not" side.  After serious discussion and begging from Liv to leave the cinnamon out, I plowed forward and added a simple teaspoon (a generous one at that...) into our very "marshmallowy" after school krispie treats.

Not really looking any different than usual, we spread the marshmallow coated cereal into our pan and decided if we were going to go cinnamon, we were going to go big.

Pulling powdered sugar from the pantry and adding cinnamon, a touch of vanilla and milk, we soon had a sweet, cinnamon glaze ready to be drizzled over the treats.  Her interest piqued, Liv had a hard time waiting for the glaze to set, and she actually cut into the treats as my back was turned.

Her exclamation of, "Yes!!!  These are awesome!" had me turning to find her smiling ear to ear as she cut even further into my unphotographed pan of treats while muttering the phrase all moms love to hear:  "I guess you were right...".

The hug that followed was even better than the acknowledgment, and as I helped myself to my own unphotographed piece, I concurred.... Cinnamon Marshamllow Krispie Treats rock!

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Back to the Future.... Our 2011 Top 10

As the year comes to a close, I always enjoy looking back and remembering the special events that I will carry forward into the New Year.  My personal life is filled with wonderful memories... from my autumn travels in Italy to Liv's Championship performance last summer in Las Vegas at Nationals.  In between, travels and time with close friends, dinners with my parents, lunches with girlfriends and weekends with the Dance Moms all brought treasured moments that I will bring with me into the future.

Life, as always, has kept me in balance, and here at Liv Life I make a decent effort to maintain a balance of healthy meals and sweet treats.  A review of our statistical Top 10, however, shows absolutely NO balance.  Sweets and treats all the way, with assorted Krispie Treats taking three of the Top 10 slots.  It would seem that the world, very much like Liv, has a sweet tooth.

Without further ado, I give you our statistical Top 10 of 2011... and then for a bit of balance, I've thrown in some of my personal favorites to carry with us as we enter the New Year.

10

Chocolate Banana Crepes

Arriving in the 10th position and making our list for two years in a row, is one of Liv's personal all time favorites:  Chocolate Banana Crepes.  Balance indeed, these crepes bring one, if not even more, servings of fruit in the banana all wrapped up in a thin, low fat, egg based crepe.  I'm proud of Liv and her efforts to perfect her crepe making skills as she frequently comes home from school and whips up a batch of crepes... just cause she can.

9

Becky's Famous Football Stromboli

Number 9 brings us a neighborhood favorite, and a guest post from my good friend Dan bringing us some serious "Man Food".  Unfortunately for him, this man food has also become one of the most requested kid foods and the ladies pretty much love it too.  Cheesy, salty and not to heavy, Becky's Stromboli is the ideal Super Bowl fare and will make you the hero of any gathering you bring it to.

8

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes with Warm Maple Glaze

Decadence on a plate, but now that I think about it, balance as well with a fairly healthy pancake made with whole wheat flour and topped with bananas in addition to the sweet Maple Glaze that makes this breakfast an event to remember.

7

Nutella Rice Krispie Treats

2011 was the year that we discovered Nutella... that creamy, chocolaty, hazelnut spread that brings deliciousness to nearly everything it touches.  With our love of Peanut Butter Krispie Treats, trying a Nutella version was just a matter of time.

6

Limoncello Lemon Cake

Throwing rays of brilliant sunshine into our lives, this tender, bright cake features our own homemade Limoncello.  Bright with citrus flavors, Limoncello Lemon Cake won't last long on your table.

5

Lemon Drop Jell-O Shots

Continuing our love of Citrus, these Lemon Drop Jell-O shots were a hit at a friends after dinner party.  One of those "Wow!  Look at that!" plates on the appetizer table, you decide just how potent these little guys should be.

4

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Ahhhh... the flavors of fall!  Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls have graced our tables in all seasons for years.  Balanced with the Vitamin A rich pumpkin, these lower in fat treats are one I can feel good about serving, and also taking that second piece.

3

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats with Trader Joe's Mini PB Cups

The marriage of peanut butter and chocolate is highlighted in these somewhat addicting treats.  A dairy free version for my lactose intolerant son has become his favorite after school treat.

2

Triple Layered Peanut Butter Krispie Treats with Peanut Butter Fudge and Peanut Butter Ganache.

These guys are truly Krispie Treats taken to a new level!  Layers of Peanut Butter Fudge trapped in between peanut butter enhanced Krispies, all topped with a luscious peanut butter ganache makes these treats truly magnificent and most deserving of a top spot on our list.  These treats eased the pain of Back to School.

A funny note on this post, it wasn't until over 2 months after posting that I noticed the spelling error in the title... I had "layred" in place of "layered".  Ugh!!!

1

Strawberry Margarita Jell-O Shots

My surprise of the year, these adorable shots have had more hits than all the rest of my blog posts put together.  Definitely eye catching, the shots didn't bring the punch I was looking for, but I'm thinking that could easily be remedied with the addition of more tequila.

Some of our personal favorites made it to the Statistical Top 10, but to balance out the list I've gathered a few additional Liv Life Top Picks.

1

Whole Roasted Garlic Lemon Chicken

Coming in statistically at number 28 we get to the first healthier post on the list.  Whole Roasted Garlic Lemon Chicken is not only simple to put together, but a total family pleaser.  With your house smelling like a restaurant, this chicken will draw your family from all corners of the house asking how soon will dinner be on the table.

2

Coconut Mango Chicken Cups

One of my all time favorite appetizers.  Adorable in their single serving won ton cups, the flavors of the tropics really shine.  Mango, coconut and lime bring the chicken filling to a mouth watering level and will be one of the first appetizer plates empty on your table.

3

Poached Salmon with Asparagus and Citrus Vinaigrette

Light, healthy and filling... I never knew poached salmon could be so good!

4

Skewered Tomato, Cucumber and Feta Appetizer

Another eye catcher ideal for a gathering is this Greek-like Appetizer.  Featured for the first time on our New Years Table last year, I've been known to toss a few of these skewers together for an evening snack with a glass of wine.

5

Chocolate Espresso-Orange Cheesecake with Grand Marnier Ganache

Keeping the balance in my personal choices, something sweet is in order.  As such, this luscious dessert will round out the Liv Life favorites of the year.  Readers of Liv Life may have noticed my fondness for the heavenly Grand Marnier, and this cheesecake definitely fit the bill.  Spiked with Kahlua AND Grand Marnier, the flavors mixed with the chocolate and brought 2011 to a resounding finale.

And there you have it...

Balance, Love and Life, all in one place.  May 2012 be prosperous to you and yours, and may your plate always be filled.

Happy New Year!!

Halloween Marshmallow Krispie Treats and a Foodbuzz Award Nomination

Vote for Liv Life - Foodbuzz's Best Family Food Blog

Some twenty years ago I made my first batch of Rice Krispie Treats.  With the ingredients assembled I set to work following what appeared to be a fairly simple recipe only to find myself and the kitchen covered in some sort of sticky marshmallow mess a mere 30 minutes later.  Not only was the marshmallow on my hands, in my hair and on the counter, but the layer in the mixing bowl seemed to have turned into some sort of marshmallow cement leaving me tempted to head to the garage for a chisel.  The treats were OK, but the effort to put them together left me with little desire to try again.

My Little Bakers - Circa 2001

Fast forward about 10 years and my young son was begging for the pre-packaged treats in the bright blue wrappers.  Being a mom who doesn't take kindly to packaged foods I decided it just might be time to try my hand at these krispie treats again.  With my son in tow we again assembled the ingredients.  He measured the puffed rice, even getting most of it into the bowl while I slowly heated the marshmallows over the stove.  This time I actually greased the pan ahead of time and had it ready and waiting.  My son had the spoon in his hand and was ready to stir as soon as I said "Go!" and we poured the melted marshmallow mixture over the krispies.  Both of us stirred madly and then quickly poured the krispies into the prepared pan.  A plastic sandwich bag sprayed lightly with cooking spray kept the stickiness off of our hands and a simple soak in the sink had the mixing bowl clean in no time.  Could they really be that easy?  In a word... yes!

Since then krispie treats have made frequent appearances in our house and are my son's most requested recipe.  He prefers peanut butter versions over regular plain krispies with his all time favorite being our Triple Peanut Butter Layered Treats. 

Funny story... when we posted the Triple PB Treats I was thrilled to have Amanda at Food Porn Daily feature them on her site and proudly told my son of my accomplishment as I drove him home from school.  His comment was, "Featured on Food Porn Daily??  I'm just curious when they will be featured on our kitchen table!"  Ah... the joys of parenting a teen!

With Halloween right around the corner and another request for krispie treats I grabbed a bag of Reese's Pieces on a whim.  Melting peanut butter with the marshmallow mixture, I added the bag of treats to the measured chocolate puffed cereal and quickly mixed like crazy (now my habit) as I combined the "wet" with the "dry".  Producing peanut butttery treats studded with peanut butter candies, we have another winner.

On another note I am extraordinarily humbled to announce that Liv Life has been nominated by the Featured Publishers at Foodbuzz for the Best Family Food Blog Award.  Liv and I stared in amazement as we read the notification and then let out a whoop heard around the town.

Foodbuzz Blog Award Nomimee 2011

Vote for Liv Life here!

Liv and I would be thrilled to have your vote!  If you would like to participate, please follow this Award Link to the Foodbuzz site and take a moment to cast your vote for Liv Life under the Best Family Food Blog section.  And we wouldn't mind if you asked your friends to vote too!  Feel free to shout out on Facebook or Twitter or simply by email.  We have already received so much support that I am simply overwhelmed, and I can't thank you all heartily enough.  The polls close in about a week on October 17th with an announcement coming in early November... we will keep you posted!

In the meantime, enjoy some krispie treats on us.  Halloween is just around the corner and these colorful, Halloween themed krispies have one teenage boy satisfied... at least for the moment.

Sleepover Tips and Ideas, Pop Rocks Ice Cream Floats, Fleece Tie Pillows, and Electrolux helps clean up

Sleepovers spell fun.  Pure and simple... a whole night giggling with your girlfriends, doing hair and nails, dancing, doing a craft project, eating fun foods and simply being together, is most every young girl's dream.

Luckily for Liv and three of her girlfriends, the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program and Electrolux offered to sponsor us to host a sleepover and blog about our sleepover tips and experiences.  Liv, beyond excited, immediately set to planning food, crafts and tips.

Highlighting Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, Electrolux has teamed up with Kelly Ripa in a Virtual Sleepover Party.  You can help increase funds for Ovarian Cancer Research simply by clicking here to join Kelly's Virtual Sleepover.  For every person who joins the sleepover, Electrolux will donate another $1 to the cause, and you will be entered for a chance to win an Electrolux Perfect Steam washer and dryer set.  From the site, "the Electrolux Perfect Steam™ washers and dryers offer the most capacity to help parents shoulder any load, plus, with just 15 minutes to wash and 14 to dry, the laundry is done in no time."  15 minutes to wash?  Sign me up!

In past sleepovers, and as a former Girl Scout Leader, I have found that being prepared is always a bonus.  A little time spent planning activities, food, what to have the guests bring and where to sleep will give you a head start in your evening and some direction to your event.

Excitement built as the start time drew near our sleepover party, and before I knew it I had a houseful of happy girls, lots of music and an evening of fun in the works. Laughter only increased as the video camera came out and the girls set to the task of making Liv Life's first video:

The Sleepover Special

Sleepover Tips from Liv Life

Tossing the pizza dough.

Food:
Food is always an important part of any event, and a sleepover is no exception.  One of our most requested sleepover foods is the make your own pizza.  A quick stop at Trader Joe's provided everything we needed from the prepared pizza dough to the pre-shredded cheeses and a tasty jarred sauce.  Add a package of pepperoni and a few favorite veggies and you are set!  Rounding out the meal, a watermelon adds a bit of nutrition, while the Pop Rock Ice Cream Floats (recipe below) add even more fun.

Additional food favorites include veggies and dips, chips and guacamole, popcorn, Homemade Rice Krispie Treats, and fruit of any kind.

Banana Pancakes topped with a Warm Maple Glaze

Breakfast can be as simple as store bought bagels, or with a little prep you can have the "oohs and ahhhs" that we had with freshly prepared Banana Pancakes topped with a Warm Maple Glaze.

Mixing the dry ingredients before you go to bed has you simply measuring the wet ingredients, cracking an egg or two and whisking it all together before you set dollops onto a hot griddle in the morning.  The girls mixed the glaze and set the table and breakfast was ready before we knew it.

Remember to get the kids into the kitchen.  Many times they really want to help and they truly enjoy mixing, measuring, decorating and simply stirring.

Liv Life Tip:  Paper plates make clean up a snap!

Liv Life's favorite Sleepover Recipes:

Blueberry Banana Smoothies

Fruity Cereal Treats

Grilled Pizza with Semolina Pizza Dough

Cocoa Marshmallow Krispie Treats

Whole Grain Buttermilk Pancakes with Oatmeal and Banana

Activities:
Whether it be games, movies, dancing, a planned craft, or simply a bag of balloons, the kids will be more directed and hopefully less crazy if they have a bit of direction and something to do.  The Girl Scout Leader in me usually has some sort of craft planned, with this event featuring fleece tie pillows. 

A quick stop at our local craft store found sheets of fleece on sale.  Combined with scissors and stuffing we had no sew, tie pillows for all!

Fleece Tie Pillow Directions:

1. Purchase 2 pieces of fleece fabric at your local craft store (we found precut blanket sized sheets that were pre-packaged).  Liv chose a complementing pattern and a solid.
2. Layer the fabric one over the other and cut pillow sized pieces.  Liv and her friends chose a sort of square shape about 1.5 feet by 1.5 feet.
3. With the fabric still layered, use scissors to cut 1 to 1 1/2 inch strips into the fabric and all around the entire edges of the fabric.
4. Begin tying the fabrics together with the cut strips and tie nearly all the way around.
5. When nearly done, stuff the pillows with desired amount of stuffing and finish off the tying.

Easy, fun and a little time consuming the kid are on task for at least a little while, and they can even tie while they watch a movie.

Liv Life Tip:  While some planning is beneficial, try not to over plan... part of the fun of a sleepover is just that, having fun, and the fun will evolve.  Give the kids a camera to record their evening, turn on the music and let them dance! 

Liv, Devi, Vanners and Savy Activity Tip:  Avocado facial masks!  Avocados are known to contain minerals such as iron, potassium, calcium, sodium, copper, magnesium, etc. Factor in the vitamins A, E, B and K and you have a concoction to ease dry skin.  My girls used a recipe of avocado, yogurt and oil, but numerous avocado facials can be found around the internet, find the one that works best for you.

Mom Note: avocados facials are not OK to do over the carpet, nor at 1 AM...

Clean-Up

Our 20 year old Electrolux vacum!

An evening of sleepover fun can often lead to a house of disaster if the kids are left to their own devices.  As the kids arrive I always lay down a few ground rules.  Set up what is important to you, but we include, no food, drink, makeup, nail polish or polish remover over any carpeted area.  Clear your plates from the table and don't do anything that you don't want me to talk to your mom about!

Getting everyone involved in clean up is key.  As the ending hour draws near have the kids help fold blankets, replace couch cushions, clean up old balloons, etc, and with everyone helping the clean up goes fast.  Again, turn on the music and have fun in the process.

Thanks to the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program and Electrolux for sponsoring our sleepover.  Liv, Vanners, Devi and Savy had a blast, I survived, and the house is no worse for the wear.

Scoop ice cream, add pop rocks, add more ice cream, pour soda!

Layered Triple Peanut Butter Krispie Treats with Peanut Butter Fudge and Peanut Butter Ganache

Years ago the words "back to school" sent butterflies to my stomach.  My little boy was off for hours without me and I wondered how he would make it, or rather, how I would make it.  Then came the years where I couldn't wait to get the kids out of the house so I could have some semblance of peace back in my day.  These days, however, I'm somewhere in between those two extremes, I guess I've found balance.

On one hand, this was one of the best summers we've had, we traveled, we swam, we went to bonfires at the beach, we "hung out".  I truly enjoyed having the kids home with me as we did daily chores and shopping, and after a few years of being embarrassed to be with me, they actually seemed not to mind so much.  On the other hand, I haven't been in my house alone for over two months and my schedule has been everyone's but mine.

Sad as it was to see that first day creep into our lives, I blew a kiss (covertly, so no one else would see), wished them both good luck and somehow I was able to get over any guilty feelings of looking forward to my morning coffee and the rest of the day.  With my husband out of town, the pups and I were truly alone with 7 hours stretching out in front of us and all to ourselves.  Where is a somewhat sad somewhat elated mom to turn?  The kitchen, of course.

PB Fudge studded with TJ's Mini PB cups

Still feeling ever so slightly guilty at the pure pleasure I felt to be alone, I thumbed through my stack of recipes as I enjoyed a leisurely coffee out on the patio searching for something that would make them smile after their first day back to reality.  Nothing caught my eye, however my son's request for plain ole Krispie Treats kept nagging at the back of my mind.

He loves peanut butter, and if plain Peanut Butter Treats are good, wouldn't a layer of Peanut Butter Fudge in the middle be even better?  The pantry held a mostly full box of Trader Joe's mini Peanut Butter Cups, which seemed to be ready to dive into the Peanut Butter Fudge kicking the whole thing up another notch.  Not being able to leave well enough alone (and with a lot of time on my hands), the tops of the treats seemed somewhat plain.  Ganache... a nice rich Peanut Butter Ganache would indeed put these guys over the top.

And over the top they were.  A layered triple dose of peanut butter treats topped with the peanut buttery ganache was enough to bring cheers of elation from the kids as they arrived home.  Grabbing a piece off of the prepared plate, my tired teenager sat himself down at the table, closed his eyes and sighed.  My boy is a man of few words and the "Mom... wow... you really are the best," made me smile while the next sigh followed by the comment "These things just might be the best thing I've ever had in my life!"  truly had my heart swelling.

As much as I enjoyed my day with the pups (our two Maltese boys), having the kids back home returned our house to its proper balance, and all was good.  The Layered Triple Peanut Butter Krispie Treats were a hit, and so was I.

Triple Peanut Butter Treats with Layers.... Yes, please!