A Mini Disneyland Vacay

Today the other half and I are spending the day at Disneyland. He flew across the country yesterday and I drove over to California to meet up with him.  Then we will be driving back to Arizona for another week of fun and relaxation.  Please stay tuned for a detailed post on our adventure at the Happiest Place on Earth.  We have a first timer on our hands folks and I'm not talking about this cowgirl.  So in my absense, leave me a note with your favorite Disneyland treat.  Mine is churros.  I plan on eating at least 3.  I'll let you know how I do.

And please do leave a comment.  I need some lovin' these days.

 

Cupcakes Fit For A Princess

The other day while I was laying out in the backyard, I was thumbing through a Real Simple magazine when I came across a cereal ad. Now, as most people who know me well can tell you, I am a big cereal fan. In fact, there have been multiple occasions when I have received cereal as a gift. I love getting cereal as a present. No, seriously. It doesn't matter what kind, I love me some cereal. So when I came across a certain ad for Cupcake Pebbles, I was quite intrigued. Cocoa and Fruity Pebbles rarely make it in my cereal bowl, but I couldn't help but wonder if the ad was true. Could this cereal really taste like cupcakes?

I realized that the ad also contained a recipe for cupcake pebble treats, essentially rice krispy treats with frosting, and I was convinced I needed to try these. But finding the actual cereal was a bit of a challenge. I tried two of our major grocery stores in town, Fry's and Safeway, but couldn't track them down. But then I had an epiphany...Wal-Mart. This is for sure a cereal for Wally World. And guess what? They had it.

I decided to give the recipe a try, and my overall opinion of these is as follows: While they look cute, you certainly don't need Cupcake Pebbles to make these. The cereal alone does taste like cake batter, but once you add the marshmallows, they just taste like an extra sweet rice krispy treat. And of course once I added the frosting, that's pretty much all I tasted. I could have gone all fancy with a homemade buttercream, but let's be real. Something like this called for canned frosting. I used rainbow chip. I'm a little bit obsessed with rainbow chip frosting. I could really use a support group. I don't think I'll be making these again, but I'm glad I tried them once. And hey, now I can say that I've tried Cupcake Pebbles for the first, and probably the last time.

Since they weren't a winner, and I copied the recipe exactly from the ad, I've decided not to post it here. If you're curious, feel free to click here to find it.

Pantry Granola

So this is the deal with granola. Me likey. Here's something I don't like about granola. The content. See, that commercially processed stuff comes a little heavy on the sugars and fats and calories. I mean, if you are one of those "I can eat anything because no matter how many calories I consume I stay a perfect size 2" well then about 98% of the world hates you right now. Me included. But there IS a way to make granola that's just as tasty but much healthier. And the best thing? Just use whatever is in the pantry. Hence the title! I chose to make it using almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, dried figs, pears, apricots, and raisins.

See the ingredients? Doesn't it look gooooood?

Pantry Granola

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1 cup sliced or chopped nuts
1/4 cup seeds (salted or unsalted)
1/2 cup shredded coconut (preferably unsweetened)
1/2 cup pure maple sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (omit salt if seeds are salted)
1 cup dried fruit

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and seeds with the maple syrup, oil and salt if using. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake, tossing twice, until golden and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Be careful not to burn.
• Add the dried fruit and toss to combine. Let cool.

See how easy that was. Be fancy like me and store your creation in a glass jar, or any airtight container for up to 3 weeks. Make some soon and enjoy a little granola for breakfast either with milk or on top of some yogurt with fruit.