easy halloween rice krispies treats

i have been in the mood to do some fall baking lately so the other day while grocery shopping i dropped by the baking aisle to see if anything jumped out at me. i was instantly inspired by the sprinkles and decided i had to make something centered around them! something easy, quick and cute. so these halloween themed rice krispie treats fit the bill pretty well. 

although i've always had a deep appreciation for homemade rice krispie treats, this was my first time making them and i've got to say, i had no idea how simple they were! i mean, you only need three ingredients! when is that ever the case with baking?! without further ado, let's get started!

 

ingredients : 

- 6 cups of rice krispies

- 10 oz. bag of marshmallows

- 3 tbs. butter

- white chocolate chips or regular chocolate if you prefer

- sprinkles in whatever shape, size and color your heart desires

- paper straws in your choice of colors

step one :

melt 3 tbsp. of butter in a large stock pot over medium heat. add marshmallows and stir until melted making sure not to overcook them. meanwhile, line a 13 X 9 " baking pan with wax paper. when marshmallows and butter are melted and combined, begin slowly adding 6 cups of rice krispies and stir until combined. immediately spread them out into your pan and use your hands to press them evenly throughout. 

step two :

put the rice krispies into the fridge for about 15 minutes until cooled. cut them into equal squares once cooled and insert straws.

step three :

ok, this is the tricky part. create a double boiler by putting a heat safe bowl on top of a small pan of boiling water. add chocolate chips and stir occasionally until melted. dip the bottom of each rice krispie treat into the chocolate and lay flat to cool. immediately either dip into sprinkles or dust them on top before the chocolate hardens. it'll take a time or two to get the hand of this. my first two were terrible!

now step back and marvel at the cuteness you just made. and they're delicious to boot! i hope you all have been inspired to go create some of your own halloween treats!

happy baking! and more importantly, happy halloween! 

xoxo, 

ashley

10 pinterest recipes to try this summer

we've all been there. maybe you're bored. maybe you have some free time or a day off. whatever the reason, you get a spark of inspiration and decide you want to put your culinary skills to the test at a delicious, albeit kind of intense recipe found on pinterest after waaay too long a browsing sesh. what the hell, you've made a homemade pizza before. how hard could these pan seared scallops with pancetta, pea & mushroom risotto be?  after making your list and writing down maybe twenty-ish ingredients you start to question your decision. but you persevere. you're going to make dinner if it's the last thing you do and your significant other is going to love every bite. you leave the grocery store, head spinning, having spent enough to buy you a weeks worth of groceries under typical circumstances. because who knew scallops weren't in season? not you. 

finally you're home. four hours later your kitchen looks like hurricane andrew made a resurgence from the atlantic and whizzed directly through your townhouse like he had a vendetta or something. all to what end? to find that this recipe was the blandest, yet most expensive meal you've ever schlepped over. you ate crayons in preschool that tasted better.

okay, so maybe we haven't all been through that exactly, but you get the point and to some extent you probably have. so i'm here to save you! here are ten pinterest recipes that are ACTUALLY good!  and easy. and require only a few ingredients. sometimes, simplicity really is best.

COOKIE + kate :

skinny margaritas

don't let the name throw you. these don't taste "skinny". they taste fresh and pack a punch. i personally cannot stand those pre-made fluorescent yellow or green drink mixes they sell in grocery stores. try a fresh squeezed margarita and you'll never go back. in a pinch, i've used honey instead of agave and they turned out great!

pinch of yum : 

red thai curry sauce

i'm a thai food junkie and red curry chicken is my go-to order. i've never been able to recreate it at home though until i stumbled on this recipe. i usually sautee  1lb chicken, red bell pepper, and onion and half a carton of mushrooms together and then add it to the sauce. and serve over rice. 

COOKIE + kate : 

fresh mango salsa

this is great with tortilla chips, as a topping for tacos or served over baked salmon. it's the perfect summer staple.

smitten kitchen :

double chocolate banana bread 

this stuff is heaven. i make this banana bread quite often actually. i somehow always have a couple of bananas lying around that have seen better days and there's no better way to put them to use. it's really good for breakfast, dessert or a snack!

a beautiful mess : 

tropical pineapple smoothie

one thing, yuuuuuuuuuuum.

cooking classy : 

avocado hummus

if hummus could be beautiful, this would definitely be beautiful hummus. the creamy texture and color are what caught my eye. my only concern was if this would turn that brown murky color that avocados tend to after a day or two. well friends, i'm on day two and i'm happy to report that it's holding up really well and still looks like a delicious shade of green. 

glorious treats : 

magnolia bakery banana pudding

i made a trifle version of this for a friends wedding shower a while back and it turned out great. the texture was so light and fluffy. it got rave reviews and some people even took some home with them. i'll take that as a compliment!

gimme some oven :

chicken, bacon & avocado chopped salad

this is a great weekday dinner option for someone on the go. it's healthy, yet calls for few ingredients and scores high on the taste charts. i mean anything with bacon and / or avocado is bound to be delicious. ammi right?!

minimalist baker : 

quinoa stuffed peppers

i've had some organic quinoa sitting on my pantry shelf for way too long. that coupled with my no carb kick last week, i decided to give these a shot and boy were they delicious. note, i used chicken broth instead of vegetable to make the quinoa so it had some extra zing. it was a good addition. also, i use pinto beans instead of black beans because i prefer the flavor and i add ground turkey.  these are great for leftovers too!

the cooking jar : 

hash brown egg nests

taste meets convenience. these are so easy to grab on the go for busy mornings! and let's face it that sums up about everyone in america. 

that's it! hope you all are having the very best week. until next time! 

xoxo, 

ashley

homemade granola bar recipe

happy thursday everybody! it's almost the weekend...woohoo! i've been wanting to try my hand at some homemade granola bars for a while now. honestly, i've been putting it off because it requires a food processor and frankly, it's on a shelf in my kitchen out of my reach and just generally a big, fat hassle to use. but, that being said, i had some free time yesterday and made it happen!

what i like about homemade granola bars vs. store bought is that these are completely free of refined sugars! that's great and also they pack a lot of nutrients that the grocery store bars lack. seriously, look at the nutrition facts on your next pack of them in the store and you'll be shocked!

what you'll need:

1 - 1/2 C. rolled oats

1 C. pitted packed dates

1/4 C. sweetened coconut flakes

1 C. peanuts, almonds or any nuts really

1/2 C. peanut butter

1/2 C. dark chocolate chips

1/4 C. honey

steps:

1. blend dates in food processor until they form a doughlike consistency 

2. add all ingredients except honey and peanut butter to large mixing bowl 

3. heat honey and peanut butter for 30 seconds in microwave and thoroughly mix together after heated. pour over other ingredients and mix all together either with a spoon or your hands. make sure dates are evenly distributed. 

4. line 8x8 baking dish with wax paper and pour mixture inside. flatten with hands and pop into the fridge or freezer for 15 minutes. once they're ready take them out and cut into bars! so simple and delicious! 

hope you guys enjoy these bad boys! i know i did. in fact, i may have eaten two before i got that last picture. 

xoxo, 

ashley

quick & easy weekday dinner

guilt free buffalo chicken wraps

i love to cook and i reeeally love to cook relatively quick, healthy things. that being said, this is one of my favorite new recipes. even better? it doesn't require you to dip into your 401K to buy a gazillion ingredients. you know what i'm talking about...those recipes that call for fig butter and seasoned rice vinegar that you'll never touch again. 

what you'll need:

- 1/2C franks buffalo sauce (roughly)

-  2 or 3 stalks celery

- 1LB chicken breast

- blue cheese crumbles

- romaine lettuce

- ranch dressing

- 2 TBS butter

- 2 TBS olive oil

- pinch celery salt

- salt & pepper

- tabasco or siracha (optional)

steps:

saute the chicken in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil until cooked through. remove chicken and shred on a cutting board.

dice celery stalks. in empty pan put the frank's wings sauce, butter, celery salt, salt & pepper to taste. (i personally go crazy with seasonings and put a ton of pepper, siracha and tabasco in the mixture. i just try it until it tastes right...there's no science. that is of course if you enjoy spicy foods.) saute until the butter is melted and return chicken to pan. add celery and toss to coat. 

to dress just add blue cheese crumbles and ranch dressing to taste. serve with baby carrots or red pepper slices and wah-la you have an easy weekday meal.