Sometimes in life, it’s not about what you’re making, but about the time you spent making it together. We’re excited to be Baking Up Family Memories to make Gluten-Free Breakfast Bars with Big G Cereal’s Honey Nut Cheerios, Walmart and a little help from Que Rica Vida (quericavida.com.)

Food has always been the conversation of my life. Actually, it’s my love language.

Growing up, sitting at the table eating dinner, my family would talk about what we we’re going to make for dinner tomorrow. 

For fun, we’d thumb through magazines and cookbooks looking for new recipes ideas like it was a graphic novel. And the television is always turned on to something food-related whether it’s traveling to a new country to try new cuisines or tips for making beloved dishes better from our favorite chefs. 

So it was no doubt, my kids would follow in my footsteps of food. 

They have their own aprons, pans, and for fun, they like to create their own cooking shows.

And I love spending time with them cooking, learning and sharing tips and moments that I hope they’ll remember years with their kids, well after I’m gone. 

However, with my 7-year old getting more mature and his little sister wanting so much to be a big girl, it was time to let them try their hand in the kitchen – without mom. Well, mom was there, but I wanted to let them read the instructions, measure the ingredients and feel good about themselves for creating a recipe they had made together. 

So even though the control-obsessed mama who didn’t want to deal with the aftermath, I let them go with a recipe we found on quericavida.com, a bilingual resource of thousands of recipes for every occasion featuring a world of flavor to delight the whole family.  Since we are now a gluten-free family (due to my hubby and children’s allergies), finding a recipe that’s easy enough for my kids to make AND GF, is like hitting the lottery. Featuring one of our favorite cereals, Honey Nut Cheerios (hooray for being GF) and just four base ingredients to make No-Bake Honey-Nut Cereal Bars, I even had the kids add a few things to make it really seem like they were “cookin’.” 

Of course, they selected peanut butter chocolate chips:) 

Before they started, I did have them read the recipe to me and pull all the items they would need to make their “Gluden Free Breakfast Bars” (that was the 4-year old’s name for their dish.)

From there on, it was up to them. I now was just the observer and by request, also the camera man. They had decided they also wanted to make a “Cooking Show.” 

Oh, no! But that’s half the fun, right?!?

Actually watching them behind the lens gave me a chance to really watch them together. It was adorable how he took on showing his sister how to do things like spray the pan with cooking spray and he watching her study his actions, so she knew what to do and how to do it. 

#ProudMamaMoment. 

Of course, we did have to enlist dad for just a moment to help microwave our mixture (on cue as you’ll see.) Other than that, they made their first dish without mom and almost no fights!

While they may have learned a recipe, mom learned that not everything has to be perfect, clean and Pinterest perfect. Sometimes the best dishes are those that are baked up with family memories (and a little bit of Honey Cheerios.) 

Gluten-Free Breakfast Bars

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• Author: Autumn of @mamachallenge.com
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 3
• Total Time: 78
• Yield: 16 1x

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 cups Honey Nut Cheerios™ cereal
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips

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Instructions

1. Line bottom and sides of 8-inch square pan with foil or parchment paper. Spray foil with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix cereal, mixed nuts, and peanut butter chips; set aside.
2. In large microwavable bowl, microwave brown sugar, honey and butter uncovered on High 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until mixture is boiling. Microwave an additional 1 minute allowing mixture to boil and thicken slightly.
3. Pour over cereal mixture in bowl; stir until evenly coated. Using buttered back of spoon, press mixture very firmly in pan. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm enough to cut.
4. For bars, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. Store covered at room temperature up to 1 week.

Notes

• You can add ingredients to this dish like cranberries, raisins and more for the perfect cereal bar – good for breakfast or snack all day long!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 16
• Calories: 347
• Sugar: 11
• Sodium: 41
• Fat: 27
• Saturated Fat: 4
• Unsaturated Fat: 21
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 23
• Protein: 10
• Cholesterol: 2

Celebrate family cooking fun and seach for Dia de los Ninos recipes.

Don’t miss this #mamachallenge moment:

Did a kid vomit on you today? Did someone dent in the side of your car at the gym? Did the grocery store run out of your favorite coffee creamer? Did someone at work get the promotion you know you should have gotten?

Those are the kinds of things that happen that can make your day go from awesome to awful in about 2.5 seconds.

While a spa day is a great way to relax and take your own time out from the stress of everything, it’s not always in the schedule or the budget. However, there are some days that a little “bubbly water” and a little time to yourself to take a relaxing bubble bath is just the way to let go. Just so happens, I like my bubbles to drink with a little kick.

For me, I’d love if I could runaway for a few days, but sometimes, an hour to myself does just enough good. For me, free time is not even possible at night time. Between dinner, homework, chores, showers, teeth brushing and all the fun “surprises” that come with it, there’s no time for me to just enjoy a little quiet moment away with me, a bubble bath and a little cocktail. So I often have to make do with a 1 pm date with the bathtub.

Yep, you gotta make do with what you have, right? I may not have much time, but I can create a “lunch” date with my Kohler. I turn off the phone, make my cocktail, run a bubble bath, throw in some bath fizzies and smelly-good bubbles, and step in to the steam. Ahh…..

That’s all it takes to just relax. This way you don’t have to ask your spouse to watch the kids or sneak away.

So after long days taking care of the kids, running around like a chicken with its head cut off and general stress of dealing with people, a SPArkletini can make it all go away. At least for the time being. And best of all, this recipe is super easy and refreshing!

1. Head to Walmart and pick up Canada Dry Sparkling Seltzer Water Mandarin Orange and Lemon Lime flavors. Right now you can even save 50¢ on ONE (1) 12-pack cans of any flavor* Canada Dry® Sparkling Seltzer Water with this coupon.

2. You’ll also need just a few other ingredients, including ginger syrup (found at most beverage stores or a great recipe can be found here), vodka, and an orange. Yep, that’s it! (No need to make it difficult after the day you had!)

3. You’ll need to half an orange and then slice a few slices to use for garnish. (You’ll be using some of the juice and the slice is to make it pretty.)

4. To a shaker,  you’ll need to add 1 ounce of ginger syrup and 2 ounces of vodka. 

5. Then squeeze the orange for juice into the shaker (as much as you can, but you should get at least an ounce.) Next add 1/4 cup of ice.  

6. Add the top and shake it up. (Cue the Cars, song here.)

7. Pour in the glass. Now top it off with the good staff, the Canada Dry Mandarin Orange and you can even add the Lemon-Lime for flavor. (The more seltzer water, the more bubbles to make you happy!)

8. Top with an orange and enjoy. Orange you glad you did? 

What’s your favorite way to enjoy Canada Dry Sparking Seltzer Water? Get more inspiration here.