no bake? no prob.

The seasons in the Northeast are pretty extreme and usually leave you crying for the opposite when they finally do change. Winter is unrelenting with biting wind and the pummeling of snow in all of its varieties (I don't think I'll ever understand what a "squall" is and all I can picture is a goose being whipped around in a snowstorm. Squall = squawk = goose). The summer is just as harsh with the heavy blanket of humidity and lack of breeze. Is it true that people on the other side of the country don't converse about the weather because it's so unchanging and picture-perfect? How do people make small talk in California then? I guess they are all so fascinating that they wouldn't have to worry about it.

With the glorious 80+ degree days (and I do sincerely mean that), I don't really feel like turning on my oven to contribute to my lack of air conditioning. The only time I have wanted to heat up in the dead heat of summer was when I visited my parents during their brief stint in Lawrenceville, GA. Yes, I felt cold in Georgia. That was the only time in my life that my family had central air and will most likely the last. Growing up it was practically a test in homeostasis as summer crept in: how many nights can you survive without a fan before heat renders you sleepless? Our house was peppered with box fans and adults threatening that fingers would be chopped clean off if we played with them. If you were too hot you could jump in a cold shower for a couple of minutes or down some grape KoolAid (my personal taste of summer) or solar tea. Having an air conditioner, let alone a whole system was like waving a white flag to the summer weather gods. It just isn't done. I have continued this prideful (stupid?) torch against AC in our house and fortunately Torren's family performed a similar summer ritual as we.

As a result, I do not feel like cranking up the oven and contributing to the stagnant, hot, sticky air. So what to do when you have a "baking" contribution but don't want to bake and really can't have a frozen option because it won't transfer well to your destination? No-bakes! These are so easy and usually consist of ingredients you have on hand. Often they call for peanut butter and oats or crumbs of some sort to sub in for flour. Usually eggless, I am sure that these can be made with a vegan alternative by subbing the chocolate and marshmallows and using Earth Balance for the butter. Will have to give it a go...

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

adapted from Nestle
Yield: 32

INGREDIENTS
2 C reduced fat peanut butter, divided
3/4 C (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened I used light butter for half of the amount
2 C powdered sugar, divided
4 C Peanut Butter Puff cereal (like Reese's or Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch)
2 C chocolate chips
6 C mini marshmallows (1 bag)

DIRECTIONS
Grease or foil line 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
1. Beat 1 1/4 cups peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy.
2. Pour cereal into a food processor and blender and crush into crumbs (this should yield around 1 1/2 C of crumbs).
3. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. With hands or wooden spoon, work in remaining 1 cup powdered sugar, cereal crumbs, 1/2 cup morsels and 2 C marshmallows.
4. Press evenly into prepared baking pan. Smooth top with spatula.
5. Melt remaining 3/4 cup peanut butter and remaining 1 1/2 cups morsels in medium, heavy-duty saucepan over lowest possible heat, stirring constantly, until smooth.
6. Spread over graham cracker crust in pan.  Drop remaining marshmallows over top and press down.  If you want to "toast" the marshmallows, you can put the pan under the broiler in your oven for 3 minutes but that would defeat the "no-bake" aspect, wouldn't it?  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until chocolate is firm. Cut into bars. Store in covered container in refrigerator.

Nutrition: 235cal, 12g fat, 124mg sod, 31g carb, 20g sugar, 2g fiber, 4g protein