You'll never go back...

...to just plain 'ol rice krispy treats. 

I promise.

Let me explain.

Some months ago we had a Relief Society Enrichment activity that I don't remember anything about except for the dessert.  Now that's saying something 'cuz I was one of the guest speakers!  Okay, for real I do remember it was about being money wise with buying groceries, cleaning, budgets and home improvements.  Many wonderful ideas were shared.  On the back table were trays stacked with the budget wise/super easy treat of all time...rice krispy treats!  Clever, I thought.

I was going to leave without a taste but then a friend said, with wide-eyed wonder, "Have you tried the rice krispy treats?!?!" 

So I did.

Goodness-gracious-sakes-alive!

Simple and truly memorable.

Here is the recipe I use from Smitten Kitten:

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats
What’s different about these? Oh, just a bit more (coughdouble) butter which you toast until it’s brown and nutty and help along with some coarse salt, just minor things. But it changes everything.

Makes 16 2-inch squares or 32 1- x 2-inch small bars

4 ounces (1/4 pound or 1 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)
Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don’t take your eyes off the pot as while you may be impatient for it to start browning, the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is often less than a minute.

As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth.

Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal together. Quickly spread into prepared pan. I liked to use a piece of waxed or parchment paper that I’ve sprayed with oil to press it firmly and evenly into the edges and corners, though a silicon spatula works almost as well.

Let cool, cut into squares and get ready to make new friends.

Kids sure know how to keep you humble.  Just when I thought Brent and I were doing a pretty good job at teaching gospel principles to our kids and feeling like they knew the basics of the gospel well, we had this little exchange with Cooper...

Fast Sunday.

10:30 church.

I know he can't be starving.

Yet.

He leans over to me before the meeting even begins with a look of anguish and whispers,

"I'm starving!"

I reassure him that he will survive.

Then he turns to Brent and asks with a great deal of annoyance...

"Who came up with this Fast Sunday stuff anyway????"

Guess we need to go over a few basics in our next FHE: )

School rules!

Cooper is a 3rd grader who feels

nervous to learn hard multiplication facts

but excited to have a nice teacher and see his friends again.

Davis is a 7th grader who feels

nervous to find all his different classes

but excited to move around campus and play football.

Maddison is a Junior who feels

nervous about her Spanish III class

but excited for friends, seminary and another year of Ladyhawks basketball.

I'm the mom who feels

nervous for all their worries

but excited for them to have new experiences.

I'm confident they will rise up!!

Guess who we saw on our trip to the midwest...

...the Higgins family!!
Well, a few of them anyway : )

Home teacher extraordinaire!
Relief Society President and Maddie's Young Women's leader extraordinaire!
And one of their darling daughters extraordinaire!
All of them friends extraordinaire!



We enjoyed lunch together at Jack Stack.  If you ever happen to find yourself lost in the endless and gorgeous cornfields of Kansas City, please make your way here.  You will be oh so happy!

And since we share a love of baseball, we enjoyed a meander through the NLBM together.
It was a beautiful museum.  So rich in history that it left me with a lump in my throat - in a happy sort of way.  I guess after 20 years together, Brent's tender feeling towards this sport is rubbing off on me.  I saw him wipe a tear away a few times but you didn't hear that from me : )

A gigantic WE LOVE YOU to the Higgins crew!!

It has been a lovely 20 years together...

20 reasons why I love you...

1.  Our blind date was a great success although I don't know how you remained so calm with me in my tight jeans and sweater : )

2.  You were so easy to talk to and made me laugh right from the beginning.

3.  You loved my mom the moment you met her.

4.  You looked good in a baseball uniform : )

5.  You were so supportive of my desire to serve my mission even though we knew it meant putting our plans to be together on hold.

6.  You and I agreed that if being together was right, it would be right in 18 months.

6.  I fit right under your chin then.

7.  I still do.  With your arms wrapped around me, it is the safest place I can think of.

8.  Your parents loved me and welcomed me into your family so warmly.  I'll never forget the first time I saw your mom after I got home from my mission.  It was at a Mitchell reunion and she came toward me, took both my hands in hers and smiled from ear to ear saying, "just let me look at you!"  I loved her so much right then.

9.  You respected my dad's protectiveness of his only daughter when I got home.

10.  You bear a strong and powerful testimony.  I feel the Spirit when you share those feelings.  It was those feelings that led us to take our family to Nauvoo and have such an incredible, unforgettable trip together.  I'll always be grateful for your insistence in this matter.

11.  You have a wonderful ability to make the scriptures come alive for me and our children.  I love when it's your turn to give the lesson for Family Home Evening.

12.  You honor your Priesthood and it blesses my life and our home.

13.  Having worked for and earned the rank of Eagle yourself, you are dedicated and enthusiastic about helping Davis and Cooper in their scouting goals.  When I see you interacting with our boys in this aspect it fills my heart to the brim! 

14.  You get more excited to give me something than you ever do to get something for yourself.

15.  You value our children and give yourself fully to them.  Sharing your testimony with them, teaching them correct and honest principles, encouraging them as they gain an education with endless homework support and then finding time to share the part of you that others rarely get to see but what we love the most.

16.  You work day to day to see that our family is financially provided for.  Even at the expense of choosing necessity over desire.

17.  Your passion for BYU is an enormous part of you.  I didn't realize that 20 years ago but I have come to love it.  I don't fully understand it all the time but I love it just the same.

18.  Another passion that makes up a great part of you is your love of baseball.  When I watch you coach our boys and your teams and I witness the countless hours you give to them, I see a piece of you that leaves me in awe.  You have a gift to teach.  No matter the subject.

19.  You give 100% plus when it comes to keeping our home clean, in good repair and home improvements.  From dishes, to toilets, to tile grout, to cooking, to a remodel in the backyard and new tile in the bathroom, to packing the car for a trip like a wizard - it seems you can do it all.

20.  You still make me catch my breath with your kiss.

Here's to 20 lovely years my magnificent man!