3 Grain Marshmallow Crispy Treats

Crispy treats are one of the greatest inventions ever. Think about it - you take a cereal that no one would ever eat without 3 pounds of sugar sprinkled on top and turn it into something totally edible by mixing it with sugary marshmallows. Suddenly kids everywhere are clamoring for the things. 

It has been my experience that most all natural cereals that are actually good for you don't taste all that great on their own (think fiber twigs). I have also learned that if you bring some buttery marshmallow goodness to the party, everything tastes better - even cereal that resembles tree bark. Even so, I left the fiber twigs at the store and made these with three simple puffed cereals that resembled the originals enough to make any kid happy.

Make Your Own Oat Milk

In case you're new here, I eat a LOT of oatmeal. And I'm not shy with the liquids when I make it either. Most people like a little milk with their oatmeal; I like a little oatmeal with my milk. Hot or cold, quick or old-fashioned, I thoroughly drown the poor stuff. I tend to make it with less liquid so it's really thick, then I cover it with milk, just like regular cereal, and break the bigger chunks up. It really is odd.

Then, one day while I was making my sixth batch of almond milk in 5 days, I started wondering what else I could make milk out of. Then it hit me - I could make oat milk. It would be like oatmeal on top of my oatmeal! What more could an addict like me want??

Make Your Own Soy Milk

If you or someone in your family is lactose intolerant or otherwise allergic to regular milk, you know how expensive the alternatives can be. I'm not too crazy about all the weird additives they throw in there either. I figured there had to be a better way, and there is. Did you know you can make it yourself? It takes just a few simple (real) ingredients and it tastes way better than anything you can get in the store. Come on, I'll show you how.

Make Your Own Almond Milk (and Almond Meal)

I don't know where you live, but around here, almond milk is $4 for a HALF gallon ($3 if you catch it on sale). That's insane. They must be charging for all of the additives, because I can turn a 2-pound $8 bag of almonds into 6 quarts and it only takes 2 ingredients. Even if you don't do it on a regular basis, I think everyone should try it at least once. Bonus - you get a bunch of almond meal as a by-product of the process. That stuff is $8 per bag here. I couldn't love this anymore right now!

Cold Oatmeal (Muesli)

My name is Lisa and I am addicted to oatmeal. I eat it every day, sometimes twice a day. I used to buy the flavored packets of instant oatmeal, but then I moved onto canisters of quick oats, then old-fashioned, then the really hard stuff - steel cut oats. It was bad.

Jasmine Rice Breakfast Pudding

Rice pudding is one of my favorite desserts. Don't get me wrong, I love over-the-top, ganache covered, super decadent after-dinner treats as much as the next girl. But there's something about slightly sweet, cold and creamy, simple rice pudding that just works for me.

Then a friend introduced me to "rice hot cereal" - something she had always served her kids for breakfast. For those of you who aren't familiar with this concept, it's a warm breakfast similar to very creamy oatmeal. It's basically cooked rice in milk with a little sugar and maybe a little cinnamon. Sounds suspiciously like rice pudding, no?

Better-Than-Instant Oatmeal

I always bought those packets of flavored instant oatmeal, but after the Real Food Challenge, stuff like that just tastes too sweet to me. Besides, I can make my own from scratch for a lot cheaper. This is my favorite oatmeal these days.Yes, it takes a little longer than the packets, but it's so worth it.

Easy Granola Recipe

Finding cereal that isn't all hopped up on artificial flavors and colors is not an easy task. Few things make me crazier than seeing a box of cereal (or anything, really) that says "Strawberry flavored". We are big cereal eaters around here, so finding a healthy but tasty option is really important. I don't know about you, but I can only stand brown rice puffed cereal for so long. I refuse to pay $5 for a small 3 cup bag of packaged granola, so I decided to bring out a recipe I used to make often.