and I thought we left this California heat.

On Saturday it hit 100 degrees and has uncomfortably stayed around the 90′s since. I must have done too much that day because by the evening I could not cool down and when I’m hot and uncomfortable, it’s even harder for me to eat. Over the passed 7 months I’ve found out that when you don’t eat frequently when you’re pregnant, you get physically sick. Yep, sick and delirious I was.

My husband has seen me at so many lovely states [especially during this pregnancy], but every time he goes into a slight panic. Poor guy.

The next day he was on a mission to buy an air conditioning unit, until I vetoed the idea. Yeah, no. We don’t have an extra couple hundred bucks to drop on a machine that we’ll use for another week and the who knows when else.

Since air conditioning was a no go, it was cool showers, cold packs and frozen gatorade. It would be coconut water, but for some reason I can’t stomach it with this pregnancy.

Ben decided to wash his car so I sat in the garage and had him spray me with the hose every 10 minutes. Trust me, this doesn’t sound nearly as bad as my first idea – buying a kid pool and sticking it in our garage. Listen, I’m desperate. This belly is like a little heater, but without an on & off switch.

My husband was still determined to get us to a cooler place on Monday [his day off].

We debated my parents home in Seattle, but that’s just a bit too far for the limited time we had.

The coast is about 15 degrees or so cooler and a little over an hour, so to the beach it was!

But first, homemade batch of rice krispies treats. I had been craving them for weeks.

I made a really quick batch before hitting the road and threw the pan right into the cooler bag. Again, welcome back my 5 year old appetite. Honestly though, you really can’t beat the homemade version and with brown butter, it’s really taken things up a notch.

We stopped in the little town of Seaside for some ice cream, but really, it was for me to use the restroom. Ice cream was a bonus.

The rice krispies treats, I was saving for the beach.

We drove down to the other end where you can actually drive your car right onto the beach itself. We had done this before, so we didn’t think twice about it.

Stupid.

My husband took a small turn and before we knew it, we were stuck. Six feet from the water and the tide was coming in. I cried. No joke. Husband trying to dig and then push while I tried to gas and release, hoping to roll out. Nothing, except more tears from me and more swear words from him. It was pathetic.

Then within 8 minutes three guys from different parties showed up ready to help. After looking for a tow hitch/latch [I don't know], we decided to pushing would be the best option. I had all four of them pushing while I stepped on the gas aiming right for the ocean, but just enough room to miss it. I wanted to hug those men, but I think that would have been awkward.

We made it off the beach, pulled off and then WALKED down. We sat there for a bit before I could even think about tearing off a rice krispies treat. Finally, my heart rate dropped a bit and my husband [almost] let got of his bruised ego that we tore into the treats and pretty sure cracked a smile.

Then came the jokes… and an empty pan of rice krispies treats.

Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats, Gluten-free

[Inspired by the back of the cereal box]

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 tablespoons butter [or earth balance for vegan option]
• 1 package [10 ounce] marshmallows -or- 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies Gluten-free cereal

Directions

Spray 8″ or 13″ pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Tip from Joy the Baker – Place a piece of parchment paper down after spraying the pan. Give another spray and then set aside. This makes it easy to lift out of the pan.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium/low heat. *After it begins to bubble a bit, it will turn brown and begin to smell nutty.  Use a spatula to mix the butter evenly in the pan. Quickly add in the marshmallows. *Be sure to watch the butter because once it browns it can quickly burn.

Continue to stir in the marshmallows until completely melted down.  Remove from the stove and add in the rice krispies cereal and mix until coated.

Pour the cereal mixture into the prepared pan and with *greased hands, press down firmly for a flat surface. *I spray my hands with cooking spray or you can use parchment paper

Let sit until cool before peeling apart with your fingers or cutting into squares.

*gluten-free *dairy-free, optional *vegan, optional

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