Renaming the motor home and box #3 for my brother

Box #3 ready to go!

First, I'd like to apologize for being so lazy busy and haven't posted consistently for a while.  The hate mail can stop now.  I'll do better and we can all be friends again.

So, I've bonded with the motor home.  I no longer call it the MH.  I've renamed it to Bessie.  Bessie is a good name for a cow and Bessie is a COW (Condo on Wheels).  I love the fact that I have my own bathroom, I can shower and curl my hair every morning.  If the weather is too hot, a touch of the button cools things down; too cold and a touch of that button warms things up.  I can make my coffee in the morning without starting a fire or turning on the propane burners...I just plug in the pot and push the start button.  And when it is raining and too cold to be outside, I can turn on the light to sew or read or watch a movie.  I love Bessie.

So, we went camping (if you can call it that) over the weekend.  Nothing special, just drove down the road and stopped by a stream so we could hear the water.  Saturday afternoon my friend, Donna, texted and asked where we were.  I had forgotten to tell her I would be out of town Saturday morning so she showed up for coffee and I didn't.  She is a forgiving soul and she and her husband drove out to our camping spot for coffee outside.

It was lovely!  We cooked dinner and had s'mores for dessert.

Notice the chocolate on my face?  They were a delicious, warm, drippy mess!

It was a nice weekend.

I still have two boxes I have to send my brother to finish off our bet.  My husband reminded me my brother loves rice cereal treats and we laughed about the time I filled a flat rate box with rice cereal treats and mailed them to my son, Zach, his first year of college.  I decided my brother needed a cube of rice cereal treats for his third box.

I lined a flat rate box with waxed paper and taped the seams to seal it.  Made multiple batches of rice cereal treats and layered them in the box until it was full.  Dave will get this into the mail and he should have it by the weekend!

To help avoid staleness, I taped the inside of the box with plastic tape, added a layer of parchment paper and lined the whole thing with cling wrap.

One batch down...

Three batches in the box, pressed down firmly!  Then wrapped with the cling wrap.  Ready to be mailed.

Rice Cereal Cube

3 Tbsp. butter
1 bag marshmallows
6 cups crisp rice cereal

Line box with wax paper, tape seams to secure.  Spread softened butter over all the waxed paper.

Melt butter in pan, add marshmallows and stir until melted.  Add rice cereal and mix to cover with marshmallow completely.  Pour into box (or pan) and press with buttered fingers firmly.  Repeat as necessary to fill desired container! ( It took me three batches to fill a medium flat rate box, but I could have gotten one more in, I just ran out of rice cereal). Mail to desired recipient and wish you could see their face when they opened the box.

1 year ago:   Taco Soup and 20 pounds of hamburger
2 years ago:  Light Pina Colada
3 years ago:  Light Banana Cream Pie and the Night of the Burglar


June 29, 2015  Sunrise 3:07 am  Sunset 1:54 am  Temp H 73/ L 52°F

Chili-Garli Snack Mix for Box #2

So I have been pretty lazy with my blog lately.  I've been working in my garden, trying to get a quilt done for the curly haired boy's first wedding anniversary, and bonding with the motor home.

But, I do still owe my brother 3 boxes of baked goods so I made these cookies and this snack mix for box #2.

I tried to get my brother to bet on the second Royals/Yankees series, but the big chicken wouldn't bet.  Too bad because in the second series the Yankees swept the Royals...and still I am sending boxes of baked goods to my brother.

Chili-Garlic Snack Mix
adapted from Food Network Magazine, June 2015

100 calorie bag microwave popcorn, or 2 Tbsp. popcorn, popped
2 cups Chex cereal
2 cups Cheeze-It crackers
1 cup mini pretzel twists
1 cup smoked almonds
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
kosher salt

Preheat oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pop microwave popcorn according to package directions or pop 2 Tbsp. popcorn by favorite method.  Transfer to large bowl.
Add cereal, crackers, pretzels, and almonds to bowl, toss to combine.  Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.  Stir in the chili powder, paprika and garlic powder.  Drizzle over the popcorn mixture and toss with a rubber spatula to coat; season with salt.
Spread the snack mix on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake, stirring once or twice, until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes.  Let cool completely.  Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

1 year ago:    Donut Strawberry Shortcakes and going to work at 5:00 am
2 years ago:  Key Lime Flan
3 years ago:  Beef Fillet with Red Pepper Coulis 

June 2, 2015  Sunrise 3:30 am  Sunset 12:07 am  Temp H 66/ L 42°F