Settling Back In

I'm sitting on the couch. I had every intention of working out right now. Like this very minute. Or maybe right now. I'm wearing work out clothes and shoes even. And I'm still sitting. Comfy, with a cold glass of ice water and a computer on my lap.

Tina Fey is on the TV. And though I am deeply ashamed, and not at all surprised, that I didn't force myself to work out, I still managed to get re-settled back into my regular routine fairly smoothly. I made it through the work day without falling asleep and dreaming about crashing waves and bright blue horizons or the incredible dim sum from Yank Sing. I hit the grocery store after work and stocked up on a variety of healthy food for lunches and dinners and planned out a few meals. Laundry is going. Bags are unpacked. My anxiously awaited Erik Larson book about the Nazis just came available so I stopped by the library too. Plants have been watered and pruned. Dinner cooked, dishes done. Not bad for the first day back from vacation.

And then I had the deep desire to bake something homemade, after all of our vacation eating out,decadent and entirely easy. What might that be? Cookies make the house too hot when it's so humid and warm out already. Brownies are too rich and I lacked two key ingredients. Fruit salad, eh. So Rice Krispy Treats it is. And how to take Krispy Treats to the next level? Just follow Smitten Kitchen's recipe.

The recipe is just as easy as regular Rice Krispy Treats, just with browned butter and some kosher salt. Super simple. I didn't have unsalted butter on hand so I used salted and just cut back a bit on the kosher salt. I might cook my butter a bit longer next time. I was in too much of a hurry and unhappy with the inconsistent heat on my stove burners. So I took it off the burner once it looked slightly brown and had that nutty smell. They were delicious, more buttery and flavorful than regular treats and the cereal to marshmallow ratio was ideal. Gooey but not loose, solid but not dry. Tasty. Nothing makes me feel more at home that the smell of something yummy recently cooking in the kitchen. That, and a pile of dirty dishes.

Now I'm off to wash my face, put on my pajamas and read about the Nazis. Or maybe I'll end up sitting here for another thirty minutes reading about Anna Nicole Smith. Who knows?