EAT ME CRUNCHY

Here's a shout out to my sister Sara for finding the perfect gift for me, which was not easy to find. She said she'd been looking for something like this for 2 or 3 years, since the 'incident.' I was visiting her family in Ohio once and we'd all just sat down at the breakfast table. I think I had just poured milk over my cereal when someone said, 'Did somebody say the prayer?' I think I said something very polite and gracious, like, 'Are you kidding me? I just poured milk on my cereal and now it's going to get totally soggy!' Sara laughed and laughed [for years, apparently!] at my response to the thought of soggyfying my cereal. Okay, I know I'm not normal. I get hung-up on some of the most random things. A little OCD, maybe? Just a few tendencies! I actually prefer to pour just a little cereal into my bowl at a time, so it's still crunchy when I eat it. Then I'll add a little bit more, until it eventually equals about 1 bowl's worth. And sometimes, I don't even bother with a bowl. If it's large frosted shredded wheat, I'll just dip them into a glass of milk, like you would an Oreo...one at a time. So, Sara found the greatest thing ever invented for people who like crunchy cereal - the Eat Me Crunchy bowl! It has a little shelf that keeps most of the cereal sitting ABOVE the milk until you're ready to dunk it! How cool is that?! Cool enough to be patented! And so it's only available in the UK. Good find! If you are wierd like me, you can find them here: http://www.eatmecrunchy.com/. I used it for the first time today and love it. I'm glad I have a pair, so one can be in the dishwasher at all times! Thanks Sara! For more on the eatmecrunchy invention, see below nobel prize nomination, taken from www.eatmecrunchy.blogspot.com. Eatmecrunchy nominated for nobel prize... Mac website Macworld have reviewed eatmecrunchy... here's what they said... "There are a lot of tragedies in the world: underfunded education, rising energy costs, and the preponderance of reality television. But among the worst problems confronted by every man, woman, and child is the all-too serious issue of cereal that gets soggy in milk. Yes, even after the development of the so-called Crispix Matrix Technology, sogginess is still a very real predicament for cereal-lovers everywhere. And so, my nomination for the Nobel Prize in Physics—never mind those spintronics guys—the inventors of the eatmecrunchy bowl. The clever engineering secret behind the bowl involves a revolutionary shelf that covers roughly 70 percent of the bowl’s base. Pour your cereal of choice—I'm a Cheerios traditionalist—and milk into the bowl. The milk filters down into the bottom compartment, keeping the two separated and letting you decide your own rate of cereal-milk mixture. That’s right: the eatmecrunchy bowl puts control of breakfast back into your hands." Read there review here...

Meringue Santa Hats

SANTA HATS

12/24 UPDATE: Here are mine in the oven. Pretty easy, but ultimately a lot effort (I didn't like waiting the 2.5 hours for them to bake and sit. But, they were a hit with the kids we delivered them to today.

I spotted this easy treat while sitting at the allergist's office the other day. It is in this month's issue of Family Fun Magazine. I just might try these this weekend.







These crispy confections are brimming with kid appeal, and they're easy to make by the trayful for holiday parties.




2 egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
Red colored sugar




Step 1 Heat the oven to 200° F. With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks start to form. Beating all the while, add the cream of tartar and vanilla extract, then slowly add the 1/2 cup of sugar. Continue to beat until the peaks stiffen.






Step 2 Spoon the meringue into a quart-size plastic bag. Snip off a corner and pipe 2 dozen 1 1/2-inch-tall Santa hat triangles onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (you should have about 1/4 of the meringue left).







Step 3 Sprinkle the triangles with the red sugar, then use the remaining meringue to give each one a pom-pom and trim. Bake the hats until they're hard but not browned, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the hats in it for an hour to crisp before removing.