Sweet Treat Bouquet

Christiana George

I had put this basket together for the 4th of July picnic I attended this year.  I wanted something fun and different.  It ended up being very popular and was all eaten by kids as well as adults.  The project was a little time consuming, but I didn’t do it all in one day.

The stars are Rice Krispie treats cut out with cookie cutters and decorated with candy coating and sprinkles like I did here.  I made them a few days ahead of time. They keep well in the fridge.

 I also found star shaped marshmallows that worked well with this project.  But I could have just as well used regular or mini marshmallows or colored mini marshmallows.



The round and cone shaped pops at the bottom are made with Oreo/cream cheese mixture dipped in candy coating and decorated with sprinkles like I made here, here, and here.  They also keep well in the fridge once made.  I used My Little Cupcake molds to get the shapes.

On the day of the party I put together the bouquet.  I used wooden skewers (like you use for shish kabos) for the Rice Krispie treat stars and added blueberries and star marshmallows to keep it together.  The Oreo pops I had already put on popsicle sticks before I dipped them in candy coating.  My plan had been to put them all on the wooden skewers, but soon learned that the Oreo pops just fall right off the skewers.  Lesson learned. I put a piece of styrofoam at the bottom of my basket to poke all the skewers and lollipop sticks into and just covered it with tissue paper.

This project is easily adaptable to any party.  With a change of color accents or a change of shape in Rice Krispie treats the possibilities are endless.  Even if you don’t want to make the Orea pops, you can replace them with candy coated fruit like strawberries or melon balls on sticks.

I think I may have to make one for a Halloween party.  Picture this, pumpkin oreo pops with Rice Krispie treats shaped like skulls or monster faces.  I can use the cone shapes to make witches hats.  See what I mean, the possibilities are endless.



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Brussels Sprouts, Momofuku-style

Christiana George
Brussels Sprouts Momofuku Style

I’ve been testing out a couple Thanksgiving recipes (my contributions to Thursday’s dinner) and was floored by this brussels sprouts recipe. If you’re still planning a side dish, I submit this one as a contender.

This recipe is by David Chang of Momofuku fame. Enough said, maybe?

If not, consider the brilliance behind this recipe: it take a standard fall/winter ingredient and infuses it with a lively combination of tart, spicy, sweet, and savory, effectively transforming stodgy old brussels sprouts into a stunner. And a delectable one at that. I’m all for food makeovers.



Anyway, this one’s going on the Thanksgiving spread—and winter rotation. I hope you give it a try!

BRUSSELS SPROUTS, MOMOFUKU-STYLE

Adapted from Momofuku via Food52
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Brussels sprouts
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves

For the vinaigrette:
2 Tbsp thinly-sliced cilantro stems
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 to 3 red bird’s-eye chiles, thinly sliced, seeds intact

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette and set aside (it can be made up to a week in advance if stored in the fridge).



Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Trim the sprouts, cutting off the dry part of the stem and peeling away any yellow or loose leaves. Dry very well. Cut the sprouts in halves, large ones in quarters. Toss them with the oil, then lay them, cut sides down, in one layer on a large baking sheet (you may need two). Roast for about 15 minutes, then, if they’re browning, flip them with a spatula. Continue roasting until they’re tender and nicely brown, another 10 minutes or so.

When ready to serve, toss with dressing to taste and cilantro leaves.



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