rice crispy treats

I can never get the spelling quite right... In any case, this is another part in the bridal shower series. I made the easier dessert ever--rice crispy treats! They're so, so simple, but so satisfying. I used Smitten Kitchen's salted brown butter crispy treats, and oh my goodness, did the salt and browned butter make all the difference.

The most basic rice crispy treats only use rice crispy cereal (I used Trader Joe's new rice cereal!), marshmallows, and butter. Some people even omit the butter, but I wouldn't--especially when you brown it, it gives the treats a wonderful nutty flavor. Even the proportions are up to the cook: if you like yours more gooey, then more marshmallows, more crunchy, then more cereal, more taste, then more butter.

Yes. This is DEFINITELY my kind of "baking."

Lastly, the touch of salt that Deb adds in her recipe really heightens the flavor of the treat. However, if you aren't a fan of sweet savory combinations, omitting the salt is fine.

Pictures of the treats and the whole table spread! Courtesy of N, Connie and Tammy:

taiwan madness: japanese eat till you're full

So these places are super popular in Taiwan. It's kinda like a buffet, but instead of going and getting them yourself, they give you a menu and you order what you want. You can keep ordering, but if you don't finish the food that you order, they won't bring you more food.
Pictures are self-explanatory...
Really good fish.

Okay so this is like a chicken roll or something like that...they had a lot of random beef and pork ones...meh, they're alright.


Omgggg. These are super yummy. I really like them. Willie had like 6 of them. Haha

Okay...so I didn't eat these...but I dunno, my cousin seemed to like them.
Duuuuuuuude. The tofu was soooo good. It was just super yummy.
Uhhh yeah, chicken heart? I did not eat that.
There was a lot more...but yeah. So full just looking at the pictures. They also have ice cream and drinks that you get yourself. Super popular in Taiwan and super worth it.

Soto 日本家庭料理

811台灣高雄市楠梓區後昌新路38號

http://www.soto16888.com/

taiwan madness: donuts galore!

Yes we are like little piggys (including Willie who isn't in the picture). Taiwan is going crazy with opening up Baskin Robbins, Coldstones, and Dunkin' Donuts. Meh, we've tried it before in the states and it's whatevs and why eat something I can get here? But then...this new donut...or maybe not new, but I've never had it before is this mochi donut...and its freaking delicious. Either Austin or Brian told us to try this and so we saw a Dunkin' Donuts and bought some.
Dang. It's soooo good. Something about the texture of the donut is not really a typical donut, but the qq-ness of it was just amazing. We got the mocha mochi donut, which I thought was the best.

So at first, each of us were just getting one, but they had the deal buy 5 for 100NT so what the heck, let's get 5. We got this lemon green tea one, which was pretty good too surprisingly.

Okay, it may seem like Connie was eating it all...but no. We all ate like 3 bites of each. The next one we got was their corn flake chocolate crunch one. This one was alright.

The other two, Willie got this cinnamon roll thing which was not very good (as he said) and Connie got this heart shaped one filled with chocolate filling which as alright. We regretted soooo badly not getting 5 mochi donuts.

Each day that passed, we kept craving these delicious donuts, so on our last day, right before going to the airport, we got our donuts. This time from Mister Donut which is a Taiwanese store and is like the place to eat donuts. I actually thought the Dunkin' Donuts ones were better, but at least before leaving back home, we got our donuts.

We are happy, donut-filled people.

sprinkles cupcakes

Now, you may or may not know--I am not a big fan of cupcakes. *cues the collective gasp* Yes I know. It's tantamount to blasphemy, but I don't know! I just never understood the appeal.

Until I had Sprinkles.

I had heard of Sprinkles before (N had gone and enjoyed it, as well as various other people), but as I was in the Bay Area, I never got the opportunity (though I just learned there's an Palo Alto location. Still too far). I tried other cupcake places--Teacake, Kara's Cupcakes, etc.--it just didn't do anything for me.

But Sprinkles. Oh my goodness.

So my cousin Connie brought a box to church. "Eat one," she said. "I have too many!"

I resisted, but she already plopped on in my hands. Luckily (or so I thought) Dan said that he would eat it if I wouldn't. I watched him eat it without comment until curiosity got the better of me. "I want to try," I said, snatching it from him. And I'm so glad I did.

Connie had gotten the red velvet cupcake with a smooth cream cheese frosting and two circular candy sprinkle pieces. It was moist and had the best chocolate flavor, and the frosting was smooth and light. The cream cheese frosting balanced perfectly with the red velvet. I don't think I can adequately describe the sensation in my mouth.

I'm a believer in cupcakes now. No, I should rephrase that--I'm a believer in Sprinkles.

Perhaps it's a good thing that there aren't any locations nearby. I would not have enough self control.

No pictures because we ate that thing as though it would be our last taste of food. Please visit their website for their beautiful eye candy!

www.sprinkles.com