Experiment: Freezing Rice Krispie Treats

Two weeks ago, we were all ready to set off on our longest family camping trip to date. We had our bags packed, I had packed all of the food up, and we were ready to go. That was when our oldest son started vomiting! Fortunately we were able to reschedule our trip, and it turns out the vomiting was just a by product of an ear infection, but I was left with a weeks worth of camping food to try and preserve until our rescheduled trip. Everything was easily freezable except a pan of Rice Krispie treats. I had never tried to freeze Rice Krispie treats before. Were they even freezable? A quick internet search revealed that there wasn't much information available on the subject. Those who did try it stressed keeping out the moisture from the freezer as that would make the Rice Krispie treats soggy.

In order to keep out the moisture, I cut the pan of Rice Krispie treats in half and wrapped each half in three layers. First, I wrapped the halves in Saran wrap. Next, I wrapped them in foil. Finally, I took each half and placed them in a freezer bag taking care to get as much air out of the bag as possible. This past weekend we tested the first of the two packages. I let the Rice Krispie treats thoroughly thaw at room temperature while still in the freezer bag before cutting. While my husband detected a possible freezer taste to them, the kids and I thought they tasted the same. They had the same crunch as freshly made Rice Krispie treats as well.

The verdict?
While this wasn't an ideal way to consume Rice Krispie treats because of the possible freezer taste and the waste in packaging in order to keep the moisture out, I would say that it was a success!


Personal note: Thank you to all of you who have written to me concerned about my personal welfare because of the lack of new posts. I am well. Summer has just taken the wind out of my sails! I've had both boys home from school and have really concentrated on spending time with them and enjoying the weather. I must confess also that I have not cooked very much this summer. Summer in eastern WA is hot, hot, hot, and our dinners for the past six or seven weeks have consisted of salads with pre-cooked meat from Costco, fresh fruit, and ice cream cones! With summer winding down, I will be throwing myself back into cooking and my blog. Thank you all for sticking with me during my little mental vacation.

Weight Loss Weekly

This week, I did fabulously on my diet, but the exercise fell by the wayside. Why is it always one thing or another, but not all of the pieces put together at once!?

My goal for last week had been to go on four 20 minute walks, do week 2 of the 200 sit-ups challenge and to do two sets of 10 push-ups on three days. I went on 2 20 minute walks last week and did not do sit-ups or push-ups at all! I had been struggling, struggling, struggling with the sit-ups and need to find something different to do. Coincidentally, my husband sent me this article from the NY times about how sit-ups can strain your back.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/core-myths/

I think my back (and my chiropractor) will thank me for switching to this method. I'll try it this week and let you know how it goes! Since I didn't reach my goal last week, I'm going to give it another go this week!

Bernie had a tough week as well and needs some encouragement. Pop on over to her blog and show her some blog love at Yo-yo No More.

Camping food - Grilled steaks and asparagus

I get asked questions all of the time about how to cook well while one is camping. It seems like most folks out there go the hot dog, potato chip and marshmallow route while camping. Don't get me wrong, we love those traditional camping foods too, but I just wanted to show how easy it is to go a little bit more upscale. With asparagus being in season now, it is easy to wash them, snap off the ends and place them in a plastic baggie with some olive oil and salt before you leave home. Seal up the baggie and place it in your cooler. Do the same for your meat by placing it in a plastic baggie with your favorite marinade. I double bag any meat products to ensure against leakage in my cooler, but it is super simple to do this marinating step at home for wonderful camping food. When you are ready to cook your food at your campsite, get your charcoal going ahead of time, then just take your food out of the baggies and put it right on the grill. Now doesn't this look better than hot dogs and potato chips?