Fall Fun Ideas for Families!

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Coconut Oil Rice Krispies

So 5 days after my fever finally broke, it has resurfaced in my daughter. Poor thing : / I was really hoping that since I had gotten better without any other casualties that we were all in the clear. Guess not. Still crossing my fingers that my little 5 month old doesn’t catch this thing.

And since I was pretty darn sick last week, I didn’t have much umph to do anything at all (even in the kitchen, believe it or not). So I decided to pump out something quick and easy- Rice Krispy Treats.

But at the same time I wanted to do something different with the recipe… something different AND quick AND easy. I made one simple change:

I said NO to butter.

And YES to coconut oil.

In case you have’t jumped on that bandwagon yet, you should know that coconut oil is all the rage right now. It’s currently the star superfood of the people.

But more important than its’ popularity are its’ numerous health benefits. If you haven’t read about the incredible list of benefits from consuming coconut oil, check them out here. If these are even three-quarters true then we should all have a jar of coconut oil in our cabinet at all times. Side note: It’s important that the jar is glass too. I guess oil’s can leach bad things into them when stored in a plastic container. Who knew?

SO what does coconut oil do to the taste and texture of your beloved Rice Krispy Treats? Well, the texture- nothing. And the taste- not much there either. I guess you get a very mild coconut flavor to them. I didn’t notice it myself, but if you are particularly sensitive to the flavor of coconut then you might. Personally, I think the swap is simply a way to achieve a healthier, quick treat rather than creating any kind of flavor change.

If coconut flavor is what you seek though, then that is an entirely different story! Go ahead and add in a cup of shredded coconut, sweetened or un-sweetened. Maybe even a 1/2 tsp or so of coconut extract.

And I am a firm believer in adding a pinch of salt to your Rice Krispy Treats. It adds the perfect sweet/salty touch. Ever since my experience with Brown Butter Salted Rice Krispy Treats I never go without that extra pinch of sodium.

Coconut Oil Rice Krispies

1 (10 ounce) bag miniature marshmallows
½ cup coconut oil
6 cups Rice Krispies

Prepare a 9-by-13-inch pan by greasing with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Line with parchment if desired.
Melt the marshmallows and coconut oil together in medium saucepan.
In a large bowl, mix together rice krispies and melted marshmallow mixture, stirring until evenly combined.
Press into pan. Let cool to set before cutting.

To increase the coconut flavor add 1 cup shredded coconut to the mixture, a pinch of kosher salt, and maybe even ½ teaspoon coconut extract.

Tagged as:
coconut,
dessert,
marshmallows,
rice krispies

Healthified Hangover Soup

I’m getting things ready around here to go on a trip this weekend to the Texas Renaissance Festival. Yes, I’m one of those women that dresses up in a tightly bound corset and faerie wings. Any excuse to play dress up… is a good excuse! Not only am I going to the Masquerade Ball this year, I’ll also be going to the King’s Feast for the very first time. At both events, you’re served a plentiful bounty of food and either beer or wine.

Bring it on. I take no shame in the fact that I like my vino.

At any rate, I’m making this soup this week in honor of my galavanting to take place this weekend… even though I am hoping that I don’t actually end up with a hangover. It’d be the first time in a few years, I think!

Hangovers are the worst. THE WORST. And I will do almost anything to avoid them like the plague that they are. There’s a lot of theories out there about what can be used to cure a hangover, and I’m not really sure that any of them actually work. But, I think that this soup would have some solid standing and come in pretty close to curing such an ailment.

This soup has all the basic meats; beef, pork, turkey… and chicken (though just in a stock form.) It’s also loaded up with vegetables, seasoning, and even pickles! Oh, and did I mention hair-of-the-dog? Yep, there’s some of that in there too.

I’ve heard it more than once that starting to drink again will help cure your hangover. But, I doubt any doctor would agree with this notion.

I actually find it ironic that this is called ‘hangover’ soup, since… if you actually had a hangover the ingredient list would probably scare you senseless and you’d most likely be in no state to be wielding a knife to chop or slice anything. But, it would be a great thing to have on hand and ready to heat up after a long night of shenanigans.

I’m a mother of a 4 year old so even my wildest nights end at 10 o’clock p.m. these days, so it’s not as if I have any merit to say whether this is a cure-all soup or not. Hehe.

In either case, this is really just an amazing soup. And trust me… don’t be scared of the pickles.

Healthified Hangover Soup
TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 6 • Size: About 1 1/2 C. Soup • Calories: 295.4 • Fat: 9.6 g • Carb: 14.9 g • Fiber: 4.4 g • Protein: 20.9 g • Sugar: 5.1 g • Sodium: 1379.8 mg

Ingredients:
3 Stips Center Cut Low Sodium Bacon, Diced
1/2 lb. Beef New York Strip Loin Steak, Cubed
2 Spicy Italian Turkey Sausages, Removed from Casing
1 Medium White Onion, Chopped
7 C. Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
1 C. Beer (I used ‘Octoberfest’ since it’s what I had on hand.)
1 (14.5 Oz.) Can Crushed Tomatoes
1 Large Red Potato, Cubed
1 1/2 C. Cauliflower Florets
4 Medium Celery Stalks, Chopped
2 Medium Carrots, Peeled & Sliced
3/4 C. Dill Pickles, Chopped
2 C. (4 Oz.) Mushrooms, Chopped
1 Small Yellow Squash, Sliced
3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 Tsp. Seasoning of Choice (Mine was Oregano, Basil, Spearmint & Jew Mallow.)
1 Tsp. Ground Allspice
1 Tsp. Paprika
1 Whole Bayleaf
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Optional Garnish: Green Onions

Directions:

In a large stock pot, cook the chopped bacon on a medium heat.

When the bacon is nearly done, add in the steak, sausage and onions. Cook the meats through together and get the onions nice and browned.

When done, add the broth and beer to the meat. Turn the heat up to high and bring it all to a boil.

Once boiling, add the crushed tomatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, celery, and carrots.

Bring back to a boil and reduce heat back to medium, simmer and let cook for 15 minutes.

Add the pickles, mushrooms, squash, garlic, seasoning blend, allspice, paprika, and bay leaf.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook for another 15 minutes before you reduce the heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for 10 more minutes.

Remove from the heat and serve warm with a garnish of green onions. Enjoy!