Happy Valentine’s Day!
Happy early Valentine’s Day!! Fun fact: my birthday is actually the day before Valentine’s Day. I don’t know about you, but I will be spending the holiday alone (20, soon to be 21, years going strong)! I’ve never been the type of person to mope about being single on Valentine’s Day. I think it’s just a fun and cute holiday to have, so I don’t really put that much emphasis on the meaning of it. Besides, who needs a significant other when you’ve got yourself and these Strawberry Cereal Bars?
Me, Myself, and I
Technically, even if you’re “single,” you are in a relationship — with yourself. Throughout our entire lives, we’re always working and battling with ourselves. Sometimes we hate ourselves, and sometimes we love ourselves. We can annoy ourselves, but we also make ourselves laugh. See: it’s just like being in a relationship with someone. But you know what? No one’s going to know you the way you know yourself. And more importantly, no one’s going to love you that way you love yourself. So if you’re spending the holiday alone, use the day to celebrate yourself! And you should definitely treat yourself to these Valentine’s Strawberry Cereal Bars!
Rice Krispies Treats But Better
Weirdly enough, these Strawberry Cereal Bars were inspired by Quest’s Blueberry Cobbler Hero Protein Bar. They are one of my latest obsessions because, for a protein bar, they taste amazing. Now, I don’t know how healthy or nutritious these protein bars actually are, but all I know is that I love them. Even though it’s a Blueberry Cobbler flavor, the flavor that came to my mind when I first tried it was Special K’s Red Berry Cereal.
I love this protein bar so much that I wanted to somehow recreate it and incorporate that Strawberry Cereal Bars flavor. Simultaneously, I was also brainstorming ideas for Valentine’s day recipes. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that the Special K Red Berry flavor would be fitting for a Valentine’s Day treat, thus, these Strawberry Cereal Bars were born!
Think of it as a rice krispies treat but with Strawberry Cereal Bars. You didn’t think that rice krispies treats could get any better, but wait until you try these Strawberry Cereal Bars! I think they also deserve a few bonus points because they look cute as hell with all of the Valentine’s Day themed sprinkles.
Treat Yo Self
In elementary school, we had Valentine’s Day parties in class, and in middle school and high school, we would have bake sales. This is the perfect treat to make for these types of events because they’re easy, tasty, and little out of the ordinary. These Strawberry Cereal Bars are also great if you’re having a galentine’s (or guylentine’s??) day party. And if you’re spending the holiday alone, make them for yourself! No judgement here. I would do the exact same.
I hope you all have a lovely Valentine’s Day and spend it with those that you love — whether it’s a significant other, a friend, a family member, or yourself. You don’t need someone to celebrate Valentine’s Day with as long as you’ve got yourself! But if you do want a Valentine, then yes, I will be your Valentine. You’re welcome. As always, thank you for joining me today, I love you all, and I’ll talk to you in my next post!
Strawberry Cereal Bars
Ingredients
- 10 ½ cups Special K Red Berries Cereal ( Large Size 14.7 oz)
- 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 10 oz Mini Marshmallows
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ¼ tsp Kosher Salt
- ¾ cup White Chocolate Chips
- As Needed Valentine's Day Themed Sprinkles
Instructions
- Remove the cereal from the box then use a rolling pin to break the cereal apart into small crushed pieces. Alternatively, add the cereal into a food processor and pulse until broken down into pieces. Spray a 13×9 inch rectangular pan with non-stick spray. Set it aside.
- In a pot or large pan, add in the butter and allow it to melt. Mix in the marshmallows and stir until it melts and combines into the butter. Add in the vanilla extract and salt. Fold the crushed cereal into the marshmallow mixture until the ingredients are evenly combined. Quickly transfer the mixture to the 13×9 inch pan.
- Coat your hands with cooking spray. Use your hands to press the mixture into the pan in an even layer. Allow it to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, invert the pan onto a cutting board. Remove the pan and cut the bar in half lengthwise. Then cut each strip into 8 bars so that you have a total of 16 rectangular bars.
- Add the white chocolate chips into a small bowl. Microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds, and stir. Continue to microwave the chocolate in 15 second intervals, stirring after each session, until it has completely melted.
- Transfer the melted white chocolate into a piping bag. Snip off the tip then drizzle the chocolate over the cereal bars. Before the chocolate hardens, add the sprinkles on top. Allow the chocolate to set before serving. Enjoy!
