Cooks' Treats

Los Angeles, California


Someone pointed out to me that it has been awhile since I returned to my theme of What Would Sandra Do? While this code (as the Pirates of the Caribbean would say, it's really more of a guideline . . .) crosses my mind frequently, I haven't touched on it in every post. Why is this, you may well ask? Well, first of all, I feel that it may not be all that interesting to read about my method for solving the ethical dilemmas in everyday life. And if that is something you do find interesting, there are far more eloquent tomes on this to be found (in Russian literature, for example). Secondly, the nature of a blog is that it takes on a life of its own. So far, my blog's life is defined by things like friendship, food, and a couple of fond memories. And that's OK. Thirdly, and I want to be clear here, my Sandra is NOT Sandra Day O'Connor. And I've come to discover that the phrase that I thought my husband, Billy, coined is currently being used in connection with the honorable Supreme Court jurist. So, if you were looking for political thrust here, I suggest that you look elsewhere. This is about the micro, not the macro.

However, to assuage my guilt at sending you away, or disappointing you as to my apolitical content, I am offering the following:

Cooks' Treats

1 bottle Karo light corn syrup
2 cups sugar
1 jar (approx. 15 oz.) Laura Scudder's Old-fashioned crunchy peanut butter
1 box (approx. 13 oz) Special K cereal
1 12-oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 12-oz. package butterscotch chips

Mix sugar and syrup in heavy-bottomed pan. Stir over high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a rapid boil. Off heat, add peanut butter and stir until blended. Return to heat and low to bubble for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, empty Special K into a large bowl. Pour mixture over cereal and mix well. Pour into well-greased 11x13" pan or glass casserole. Cool or room temperature (or chill briefly to speed up process).

Place chocolate and butterscotch chips in pyrex measure; melt in microwave. Pour over top of mixture in pan and spread evenly.

Refrigerate until well chilled. Cut into squares.


What I like about these treats is that they are really quite heinous, though in a good way. I mean, those among us who can rationalize with the best of them (like my husband, Billy) would say that Special K is healthy. But I mean, really, have you ever read the box panel indicating the nutritional value of Special K? Couldn't they have upped the fiber, somehow, like other packing materials found in the cereal aisle? Anyway, nutrition-be-damned these are what you want when you really need something so bad that it's good. This is Elvis Presley territory -- we're talking about sweet solace comparable to grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches; we're talking deep-fried Snickers bars. We're talking plain, damn, nasty bliss that you can eat with your fingers.


So, apart from utilizing her in the solving the challenges in my everyday life, here's one more thing that Sandra do. Because the truth is that sometimes the best solution to any problem is to hunker down with a nice big mug of tea, and eat something like this. Next time you're stumped, try it. Try these! Because sometimes, this is what Sandra would do. Thanks for reading my blog.