cake batter rice crispy treats

my sunday started with the usual breakfast (oat bran pancakes and egg whites) but this was my lunch:

PhotoGrid_1413675077991 Weber Kick 'N Chicken grilled chicken breast and veggie stir fry using every fresh veggie i could find: mushrooms, yellow squash, asparagus, and red bell pepper.

i skipped church (but listened to the podcast later) and stayed home to finish getting things ready for my sister Michelle's baby shower! this was a #sisterssquared production; something my other sis Kara and i like to refer to ourselves as! as of may 17th of this year she officially became my sister-in-law as well as my Soror. i had so much fun hosting with her.

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#skeewee

cake batter rice crispy treats were requested so cake batter rice crispy treats were made! Sonny brought me back the super-duper jumbo size marshmallows from the store which didn't exactly melt aaaall the way down in the cooking process but i was totally OK with that. why? the clumps of ooey gooey marshmallow in the bars was an awesome touch in my opinion! recipeeeee: (fyi, this is definitely a treat that should be eaten in moderation, guys.)

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the stuff:

5 cups rice crispy cereal (can use brown rice puffed cereal too)
10 oz marshmallows
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dry boxed yellow cake batter
4 tbsp butter (i haven't tried any dairy-free alternatives in place of regular butter yet)
1/4 -1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles

do this:

coat the sides of a large pot/saucepan as well as the pan you intend to press the rice crispy batter into
melt butter in large pot/saucepan over medium heat
add vanilla
add marshmallows and cover; let melt for 1-2 minutes
add cake batter & sprinkles and stir a few times to incorporate then immediately add cereal and KEEP STIRRING
remove from heat and stir until all combined. be sure to scrape the sides of the pot really good
pour batter into a rectangular or square pan and press down on the batter until even across the top
add more sprinkles
once cool (bout 10 min or so), cut in squares, bars, or however you'd like!

who remembers this drink? who still makes this drink lol!? rainbow sherbert and 7 Up (or Sprite, or natural ginger ale). the ugliest, tastiest party drink, ever. it's been a good while since i've had it, whew.

Kara made the most adorable, pink cupcakes.

and she also got another idea from Pinterest: mini strawberry shortcakes in a glass. aren't they beautiful(bottom right)!? there are cubes of light angel food cake, sliced strawberries, cool whip, and sprankles in there. SO.GOOD.

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per Michelle's request: subway sammiches, shrimp fried rice, egg rolls, chicken meat pies, wings, and chips.

happy shower day, Michelle! eviction notice goes into effect in 4 weeks (or less). aaaand we can't wait to plan your shower, Kara! HAHAHAHAHA

thanks for reading.

Q: what's your favorite, indulgent party food?!

saturday, this boy woke up singing 'because i'm happyyyyyyyyy!' :P he knew it was finally party day.

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we threw a joint birthday pool party with friends of ours, Kristina and Allen; their daughter, Celén, was born on May 28th. the location was at my gym, Lifetime City Centre! it was special to me because i had part of my 30th birthday celebration there, Chiso was finally able to come gymming with me when he turned 3 months old, and now he has celebrated his 3rd birthday there.

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excited and picking up the Mickey and Minnie Mouse cakes the morning of.

the guests of honor! and why do they look like long-lost brother and sister?! LOL

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but before their guests arrived, we put them to work stuffing their favor bags. we paid them in food, no worries.

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on the menu:

cheese, pepperoni, & BBQ chicken pizza (provided by the Lifetime Cafe), an assortment of subway sammiches, a variety of chips, cake batter rice crispy treats, strawberry-pecan-spinach salad, juice, water, and cake.

right on time, Papa, thanks.

we played gym games upstairs on the 3rd floor before hitting the pool.

does that parachute give you a nostalgic feeling too?

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they had some parachute fun, bowled, played scooter races, and there was even a real live Angry Birds game... pretty neat.

Chiso had all the pretty girls to himself before his guys friends arrived ;)

my girlfriend, Michelle (bottom L corner), put her super long legs to work and dusted EVERYBODY in the scooter race! her daughter, Lyonna, and Chiso share the same birthday.

now for the part the kiddos had been waiting all day for-

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it's time to SWIM!

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the party ended at 4, but we were in that pool from about 2:45 to 6:15. he just didn't want to leave! you know where to find us this Summer.

this picture cracks me up- i was just trying to get their attention for the picture and i have no idea what i even said! but ummm, they look so annoyed. ROTFL.

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splish, splash <3

i didn't get pics with everybody, but i'm grateful some of my family and friends were able to come celebrate with us!

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my cousins Angie and Gerrilyn and their kiddos,

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my sorority sister Trashina took a dip with her adorable boys,

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and my friend Krystal was on double duty and held it down! i tell her all the time what a huge inspiration she is to me. i feel like i'm starting all over balance-wise with Odego on the way and all... heck i feel like i JUST got into a groove with one kiddo (remembering to add an event to my calendar, getting there on time if at all, making sure he has pants on, etc) and she always encourages me that i can. experience is the best teacher and i believe you, girl. alright *clears throat*