Monday Menu ~ brought to you by Brad!

Today the Monday Menu is a recipe contributed by one of the most unlikely sources...Brad.

I could go on and on (and sometimes I do!) about how great Brad is. And it's all true. I think this world is a better place because Brad is in it. I think you are a better person if you call Brad your friend. And if you don't like Brad, I don't like you. Quite simple.

But for all his greatness, there is an area where Brad just does not excel. And it's the whole area of cooking. He's tried over the years. And we've all tried to encourage him. SO! When there is something that he does well in the whole food prep thing, we really want to make a big deal out of it. We want to celebrate it and get as many miles out of it as we possibly can. And there is one thing he does well. It's totally his domain, and I haven't entered it in years and years.

The recipe that he has conquered?? RICE KRISPY TREATS!! So, with no further ado, I give you Brad's Rice Krispy Treat recipe. (In his words)

"1/2 a thing of butter

48 big marshmallows

slightly more than 6 cups of Rice Krispies

heat the butter and marshmallows in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. then you stir it up and start putting about 3 cups of cereal in, stir it, then 3 cups in and stir it. one of the keys is to not pack it too hard. put it into a 9x9 buttered pan and smooth it out with a plastic baggie on your hand. don't pack it too hard because then they just get hard and they don't stay soft."

Thank you, Brad.

Now, for a special treat, we added a couple layers once Brad had taken the recipe this far. Beth had requested peanut butter in there, but you just don't mess with a good thing. At least Brad doesn't. So when he got it to that part, I pulled out the peanut butter and spread a chunky, generous layer over the top. And because I am never one to leave well-enough alone, I then decided that the peanut butter may be lonely without some chocolate. So I pulled out the left-over dark chocolate frosting from Brad's birthday cake and let Beth spread that all over the top of the peanut butter. Very, very, good...The only thing I would change is to make these in a 9x13 pan if you are topping them, then you have a better cereal bar to frosting ratio. Cause you know, life is all about balance.

Please take notice of the beautiful and fancy way Beth spread that frosting. She was very careful to get all those pretty little "peaks" in the frosting. That a girl.