Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Treats

My son is a responsible adult, yet, he can turn back into a kid when he finds out Mom made Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Treats! I saw it last night when he showed up in the kitchen after his Tai Chi practice. His eyes lit up and I swear he was drooling just a bit when he reached for the knife to cut the first piece out of the pan!

I originally didn't plan on making the treats when I bought the marshmallows. I had all intentions of dehydrating them (yes - you read that correctly). They were on clearance at Ollie's for 50 cents and then I came across a sale on Crispy Rice for less than $1.50. Still, I had no intentions, until I opened up the marshmallows to find that they had become sticky and globbed together. These certainly were not dehydrating material! Change of plans!

This was not a problem though, as I ended up with a really happy son!

Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Treats

4 Tablespoons Butter
12 oz bag regular sized marshmallows
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
6 cups Crispy Rice

Butter a 9" x 13" pan. Set aside. Measure all ingredients ahead of time so they are ready to be added in when needed.

In a pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Add vanilla and mix well. Add peanut butter. Mix well. Remove from heat and add cereal, mixing to coat evenly. Do this quickly as the mixture becomes harder to work with as it cools down. Pour into buttered pan and pan in evenly. Allow to completely cool before eating. Some prefer to cut when warm.

Superbowl Recipes

It's coming up on Superbowl Sunday, so now is the time to start looking for a good recipe or two to snack on while you watch the commercials game. Both of these have been deemed game worthy, so I thought I'd share. The first is a simple dip that is made with items you may already have on your pantry shelf or in your fridge. The second will take a trip to the store to pick up some fresh produce.

Chicken Ranch Spread

1 pound of cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 - 12.5 oz can chicken breast (drained)
2 Tbsp. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Chill. Serve with chips, crackers, etc.
Note: The above recipe is the original list of ingredients. I found that it was quite stiff and could use something like sour cream, ranch dressing, mayo, etc. to loosen it up if you would prefer to use it more like a dip. The flavor is decent and hubby loves it with multi grain crackers.

Mango Salsa

2 ripe mangos
2 medium avocados
1 medium bell pepper (yellow, red, etc. Not green), diced
1/4-1/3 cup finely diced red onion
1 lime
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)

Peel and dice the mangos and avacados. Add to bowl. Add bell pepper and onion. Roll the lime back and forth a few times on a flat surface, using the palm of your hand and pushing down firmly while rolling. This will help get more juice out of your lime. Cut then squeeze the lime over the ingredients in the bowl. Add salt. Mix all ingredients gently being careful not to mash the avocado.

This salsa is good served with tortilla chips. I love putting it on chili - the sweetness of the mango blends well with the spice of the chili!