First Day of Spring, A Few Days Late

If I could change one thing about myself it would be the fact that I could stop giving the girls dessert.    5 years ago, before I started trying to lose weight and get healthy, my girls RARELY ate dessert.  It was a special treat.  They were fine with that.  Fast forward 5 years and they are really disturbed if they don't get dessert after dinner.

How could someone adapt a healthy lifestyle THEN start giving their kids dessert every night?  Easy.  My kids eat healthy nutritious food 99% of the day.  There are not many days that they eat crap food.  So, dessert is allowed.  {Please remember, these are my opinions on the subject.}  Plus, my new rule is that there's a calorie limit.  200 calories is the max for dessert.

I made a festive spring dessert that comes in at half of their dessert limit for a HUGE piece.  I originally planned on making these to celebrate the first day of spring but, our house was overrun with Girl Scout Cookies so, they had to wait a few days.  

I love cereal treats.  They are so versitile.  You can use the traditional Rice Krispies or, you can mix it up and use a different cereal.  My mom used to mix Rice Krispies and Fruity Pebbles.  They were almost as pretty as these and just as tasty.  You can also add stuff to them.  Chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit.  Cereal treats are a blank slate that you can totally go wild with.  Let the kids design their own treats!  

Super Spring Cereal Treats
12 squares/16 squares
Calories:  106/ 80
Fat:  .6 g / .4 g
Carbs:  25.4 g / 19.1 g
Sugar:  16.3g / 12.2 g


6 cups Froot Loops (You can use Fruity Cheerios, or Trix instead if you want)
4 cups mini marshmallows
.25 cup light corn syrup


Directions

1. Line an 8x10 cake pan with plastic wrap and spray with pan spray.
2. In a microwave safe bowl combine marshmallows and Karo.  Microwave on high for 1 minute, stir, then microwave another minute and stir again.
3. Put the cereal in a separate bowl.  When the marshmallows are done pour them into the bowl with the cereal and mix carefully until all the cereal is coated with marshmallow.
4. Press into pan and leave until completely cool.
5. Cut into squares.

What combinations do you think would taste good?  Do you allow your kids to have dessert?