10 Different Ways To Create A Unique Flavor Making Smores

Yesterday, I shared my recipe of ‘‘No Bake Peanut butter Balls". One of my adult son's favorite snacks he requests.

Tonight, I want to talk about smores. As my family likes making smores.  It is a treat that is made at nighttime to enjoy over a campfire. Which is popular in the United States and Canada. Smores normally consist of a marshmallow roasted over a fire, with pieces of a chocolate bar layered in between two graham crackers to resemble a sandwich.

Trivia : What day is National Smores Day celebrated on each year? August 10th.

The earliest known recipe for s’mores is back in the 1920’s for the Boy and Girl Scouts of America.

People still enjoy the original smores recipes. While coming up with new and unique recipes. One such recipe I came across last year for a ‘Cookie Dough Smores Bar‘.

There are many items you can add to create smores while having a unique twist. Which are :

1. You can melt chocolate chips and marshmallows together. To dip in a graham cracker cookie as a quick snack.

2. You can take your smores ingredients and add it in making a smores cookie.

3.  You can place a marshmallow on a stick, dip in melted chocolate, then roll it in graham cracker crumbs.

4. Instead of using Hershey’s chocolate bars. Instead try other chocolate bars. Such as Reese’s peanut butter cup, Andes mint or cherry bars, or try a Cookies N’ Cream candy bar combination.

5. For little hands, you can use Teddy Grahams snacks to a mini marshmallow and a mini chocolate bar.

6. Add smores ingredients inside a biscuit or crescent.

7. Mix it by using a different flavored marshmallows, chocolate graham crackers, and replace chocolate with peanut butter or nutella.

8. Add your favorite flavor of jelly, peanut butter, marshmallow and chocolate bar inside graham crackers.

9. Add in different slices of fruit with your typical smores ingredients. Such as : pineapples, strawberries or bananas.

10. Add your typical smores ingredients and turn your treat in to a milkshake.

How you tried smores? How is your favorite way to prepare them?

No Bake Peanut Butter Balls

I did end up making a desert last night. I made “No Bake Peanut Butter Balls”. Which is similar to the recipe I made a week or so ago called “Peanut Butter Energy Balls“.

My oldest son stopped over with my grandson. I gave him a bag full of the “No Bake Peanut Butter Balls”. As he really likes peanut butter. Plus, he is in to fitness and healthy snacks or healthy alternative snacks. He says he likes this recipe better. As it is a bit sweeter and chewy. Great to have before, during and after a workout.

I do enjoy hearing how well my recipes go over. My oldest boy will take them to work or to the YMCA when he has a work out, where he will share them.

No Bake Peanut Butter Balls

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1/2 softened butter

2 cups Stevia or other alternative sugar

1/2 cup of milk

3 cups of rolled oats

1 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon Chia seeds

1/2 teaspoon flax seeds

1/4 cup of dried cranberries

1/2 cup coconut

In a medium to large sauce pan, melt peanut butter, sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Stir til everything is blended together. Bring to a boil for three minutes. Turn down heat to simmer. Simmer for two minutes. Remove from heat. Add in the remaining ingredients. Mix well.

You can use a spoon or the smallest cookie scoop to drop one by one on wax paper. Allow to cool.

*** If you need them to set up faster. Place them in the freezer to cool.

*** This recipe can be changed up by adding different dried fruits, nuts or chocolate chips to the mix.

*** Instead of peanut butter. Add Cocoa mix. You will make a chocolate no bake ball. I make one using the powder from my instant vanilla or mocha cappuccino mix.

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 Photo taken by and copyrighted to me, Sandy KS aka rusty2rusty.

Homemade Mushroom Burger

The other night I made homemade mushroom burgers for my family. Boy were they yummy! They were messy. You know the ooey gooey type, you know that take to good to resist.

it was easy and quick to make. You can make these in two ways. You can use a packet of gravy. To make the gravy. Or you can make a homemade gravy. Which I find to taste delicious. 

Homemade Mushroom Burger

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1 cup of water

1 cup of sliced or chopped mushrooms
4 tsp of flour
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
2 tsp of butter

Instructions

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I take the flour and brown in a frying pan. Once the flour is browned. I add the butter stirring slowly as it melts. Next I add in the mushrooms and salt. Slowly I whisk in the water. Followed by the balsamic vinegar.

Using my whisk to stir as the gravy thickens. Usually takes ten minutes.

Assembling The Sandwich

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I start assembling the sandwich. I place a bun on a plate. take the top bun. Place it to the side. Add a slice of cheese and lettuce to the bottom bun. Add the hamburger patty. Top with the homemade hamburger gravy. Add a little light mayo to the top bun. Place top bun on sandwich. Serve immediately.

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Photo taken by and © belongs to

Sandy KS aka rusty2rusty.

Watermelon Slicer & Corer Review

Recently, I had the opportunity to receive a Watermelon slier & Corer by FDGoods New for free or a deep discount. In exchange for an honest and unbiased review. I did leave a review on Amazon.com. However I wanted to write a personal review. While sharing various photos.

I received a watermelon slicer & corer in one package. The knife was used to cut the watermelon in half. It is not included in the review. As it is a knife i have had for many years. 

The watermelon slicer had a thick yellow handle for easy gripping.

The handle made it easy to grasp the watermelon and lift it out by the slice.

The watermelon slicer has a sharp steel end that make sit easy to cut through watermelon with ease. What you need to do is hold the watermelon slicer to the side. Like it the photograph to cut the watermelon. Stick it in the watermelon using the serrated end first. Using a circular motion to the watermelon slicer is out of the watermelon. Doing this will ensure a smooth motion to slice up the watermelon with ease.

This watermelon slicer is much easier on my wrists. I have carpel tunnel. My wrists do not hurt trying to cut a watermelon. Nor to I add stress on my back from leaning in different positions to slice up a watermelon anymore.

If you have issues with your wrist, I suggest buying and using this product.

I also received a corer. It was easy to use. However, the right end of the corer is very sharp. I am not sure how to use that end. The handle is in the middle with a thick plastic. In my personal opinion, I do not think there is enough room to grip the handle properly without getting cut from the sharp end of the corer. I have small hands. If I can't grip it right. I know there is no way a grown man can. My suggestion is to make the grip area longer.

As you can see the corer in use. I was able to create those small half balls of watermelon that people like to see in fruit salads and served in different fruity drinks or fruit waters.

After completely coring the halves of the watermelon. I realized it was easier to use the corer to get ever little bit of watermelon from the rind. 

I am very pleased with how well the watermelon slicer performs. As for the corer....well, it will probably not be used much. Unless I am making melon balls for a fruit salad. Not my favorite tool of the bunch but still useful.

This product also works well on other melon varieties.

If you like eating watermelon, I suggesting buying a watermelon slicer and other accessories to make cutting a watermelon much simpler.

You can find one to order through the following links :

Watermelon Slicer & Corer 

https://amzrc.com/deals/watermelon-slicer-corer-server-tongs-eco-friendly-fruit-vegetable-tools-set-stainless-steel-dual-purpose-melon-baller-perfect-watermelon-cutter-bonus-e-book-75-off/azref/29836?campaign=Watermelon Slicer And Corer

Watermelon Slicer & Strawberry Huller

https://amzrc.com/deals/watermelon-slicer-strawberry-huller-2-kinds-of-fruit-utensils-stainless-steel-melon-chopper-and-silicone-handle-berry-husker-dishwasher-safe-fruit-cutter-gift-pack-70-off/azref/29836?campaign=Watermelon Slicer And strawberry huller

Watermelon Slicer & Double Corer

https://amzrc.com/deals/premium-stainless-steel-watermelon-slicer-with-bonus-melon-baller-scoop-heavy-duty-melon-cutter-knife-corer-tongs-server-51-off/azref/29836?campaign=Watermelon Slicer And Double Corer

If I had to rate this product for 1 to 5. 5 being the highest rated. As I think the watermelon slicer is awesome. I also think the corer that came with it needs to have a longer grip to avoid being cut. For that reason, I would rate it a 4.

Photo taken by and © belongs to Sandy KS aka rusty2rusty.

Staying Cool In The City Pool

One way my family likes to stay cool in the summer is by visiting the city pool. It is open only on the weekdays. I am not sure why they don't open on the weekends. As I am sure that is when most families would swim at the pool together.

My boyfriend does not swim as long as the teens. My boyfriend freezes too quickly in cold water. The city pool is kept cold. I like swimming when my body is swelling. It is a way to reduce my swelling. It feels good. I last about an hour or less before the cold starts affecting my bad leg causing. I know that is time to get out. Otherwise, my leg will free up or cramp up and not work right. Someone would have to help me out of the pool.

I was trying to take a picture of my daughter getting in the pool. However, some kid thought it would be funny to interrupt and mess up the photo take. He was successful. As she was literally right behind him. I was able to get a shot of him instead. He kept waving his arms and would not move till I took a photo of him.

Instead, I got a funny face when my daughter emerged from the pool. She refused to get back out and allow me to try to take any more pictures. One was enough for her.

The city pool does have a slide and a kiddie pool off to the side. You must go to the main pool to access the kiddie pool. Parents of children not swimming, must still pay to get in to take their kids to the kiddie pool.

The city pool does offer a season pass.

Daily admission is $3.00 per person.

Individual passes are $60.00

Family passes (Up to 4) cost $120.00. Costing $10 for each family member after.

Do you have a city pool in your area? If not, how do you keep cool?

(FYI - All spam comments will be deleted and never seen on this blog post. Stop trying.)

Staying Cool At Hurricane Alley Waterpark

One of the places my boyfriend and I visited while on vacation was Hurricane Alley waterpark located in Corpus Christi, Texas. It was hot and we wanted to go somewhere to cool off.

We met some people we know. We got a cabana together. 

A cabana is basically a place you pay for that makes sure you have a spot to sit down and relax. Plus, you have the option of basic tv. Unless you wish to pay for a movie or channel like HBO. You also have a personal cooler. That includes one free bottle of water per person in your group. You can get other things but it depends on the price you pay. You have a wait staff who will serve you any food or beverage and bring it to you. As you sit down.

I did pose for a quick picture in my bathing suit. What a class act! Lmao. I got a quick photograph of my boyfriend too.

The bar in the pool. You can lounge on a bar stool sitting in the water. As you order an alcoholic drink. Kids are not allowed to sit at the bar.

My friends and I all shared a few different flavored margaritas. Luckily it was my birthday. So, my friends paid for all mine.

This is the biggest water slides the place had. I actually walked all the way to the top of it with my boyfriend twice. I was out of breath and plenty glad there were lines for us to wait. I don't think my bad leg would of been able to take it otherwise.

Each set of slides was set up to where it had a slide beside it. That way two people could go down at once. That makes standing in line less.

The place holds a splash area outside of the gates to get in. Anyone in the area can access the splash area and not have to pay to use it.

A sign as a remember to the tourist not to feed the seagulls. As some people in the picnic area always tries to do. 

Seagulls can get aggressive and less fear of peopel when you offer them food. To the point they will come take it from you. If they can't get it. They poke your head or hand for you drop for them to get it.

There were more things to do at the Hurricane Alley waterpark. My favorite was the lazy river. Where you climb on a raft and float around in a lazy river. You enter the lazy river from the main swimming area. Or through the bar in the pool area. You exit the lazy river on the other side of the place you entered. To enter it again, you must go through the people in the main swimming area. 

Photos taken by and copyright belong to ©rusty2rusty aka Sandy KS.

Celebrating My Grandsons Birthday - KJay

The past weekend, my family got together to celebrate my only grandson's birthday. His birthday is in late June. Between the family taking vacations at different times and finding the day that was open to hold the party took a little work. Thankfully my grandson is only 2 and did not know the difference.

The party was held at my dad and stepmom's. First thing everyone did was enjoy the food that was prepared. There was from the grill : BBQ chicken, brats, and hamburgers. Homemade mac n cheese, my stepmom's famous baked beans, a vegetable platter, chips and more. Boy do I enjoy eating my stepmom's cooking. The lady sure knows how to cook delicious food.

After eating, everyone had a chance of going swimming in the pond. Kjay was able to go around in his inflatable pool toy.  No worries, KJay was never left alone by himself. There was always someone right there with him in the pond.

After swimming, everyone enjoy a vanilla strawberry pudding cake. (I will share the recipe in the next couple of days). Plus, minion twinkies. As Kjay mom was getting the birthday cake ready and presents placed on the outside table.

Kjay literally had a melt down wanting to open his presents. 

He cried when his cake was brought out. He didn't want cake. He wanted to open his presents. Someone busted in to song singing,"It's KJay's birthday, he can cry if he wants to." It made a good laugh.

After Kjay was able to calm down. He was able to open all his presents. He was very happy with what he got. Every ball went flying through the air. Even a toy dinosaur went flying through the air. But landed standing up.

All in all, it was a great time had by all.

Happy birthday KJay, this grandma loves you to pieces.