Nutella Muddy Buddies

Today is my first day off since Memorial Day! It feels so great to finally be on summer vacation and I have filled today with a whole lot of nothing!!!

I slept in, went for a run, attended a yoga class, and went grocery shopping.  Now, this may sound like a lot for a morning of "nothing," but these are all things that I love to do and so I consider them to be basically nothing.  Now, I am attempting to make homemade moose tracks ice cream! It is my favorite flavor and I will certainly be updating you all on how it goes!

In honor of my fun day off, I am going to share a super fun recipe! I love making puppy chow because it is 1. delicious and 2. gluten free.  I have a lot of gluten free friends and this treat is always a winner.  I saw a recipe for Nutella Muddy Buddies and I figured that could only make the traditional treat even better!!!

Nutella Muddy Buddies
(adapted from Tracy's Culinary Adventures)

Ingredients:
4 cups Chex cereal
1 1/2 oz semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup Nutella
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp espresso powder
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
powdered sugar

Directions:
1. In a microwave safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, butter, and Nutella.  Microwave for 30 seconds and then stir.  Repeat this process until chocolate is melted and smooth.  Stir in the espresso powder, salt, and vanilla.
2. Put Chex into a large bowl.  Pour the chocolate mixture over the Chex and toss to coat.
3. Put about 1/4 cup of powdered sugar into a plastic bag.  Scoop some of the Chex into the bag and seal the bag.  Toss to coat the Chex in the powdered sugar.  Repeat this process until all the Chex has been coated.  You may need more or less powdered sugar depending on your preference.  I usually end up using 3/4-1 cup.

Enjoy :)

Note: I think these taste the best when you freeze the batch afterwards.  They become delicious and crunchy!

Puppy Chow-Two Ways!

I can't believe the week is already winding down.  I have had such a nice break.  Between a visit to St. Louis, Passover Seders, a getaway to a spa with my mom, and now a trip to Champaign-Urbana to visit my little brother, it has been an amazing Spring Break.  I am in for a rude awakening when my alarm goes off at 5:55 on Monday!

Need another Passover snack? I know I do!  Guess what? Puppy Chow can be totally Passover friendly! I keep passover by basically going gluten free for the week.  This has not been that much of a challenge and it has been fun to come up with ideas for every meal of the day.

Puppy chow is great because you can use Chex Cereal that comes in many different gluten free flavors! Then, I substituted butter for coconut oil and went a little crazy with some different flavors for my puppy chow.  I hope you enjoy...I did!

Basic Puppy Chow

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups Chex Cereal
1/2 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk)
1/4 cup natural, creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar (about)

Cookie Butter Puppy Chow

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups Chex Cereal
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup Cookie Butter (from Trader Joe's)
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar (about)

Directions (They are the same for both types):
1. Place chex in a large bowl, set aside.
2. Place coconut oil, peanut butter/cookie butter, and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds.  Stir in vanilla.
3.  Pour mixture over the chex and toss until well coated.  Place chex in a large plastic bag and add about 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.  Shake the bag.  Keep adding powdered sugar and shaking until your puppy chow is well coated in powdered sugar.

Enjoy :)