Awaken Your Tastebuds With Star Wars™ Cereal, Recipes, And More! Cookiee Chew-Bar-Ccas Recipe!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AwakenYourTastebuds #CollectiveBias

Momma Told Me: Fans make the franchise.

These days it seems like everyone is a Fanboy or Fangirl. Some people like to get all uptight about who is a fan, and who is just following the fandom because it's the cool thing to do. But, when you get down to Brass tacks so in my generation actually have rights to claim 'authentic' fandom on a franchise that has been around since the 70s. Sure, we have a title that pays homage directly to the Millennium Falcon, or so I like to think, but millennials have no more ownership to the awesome universe that is Star Wars than the generation after us. Truth be told, a true Star Wars fan loves the characters, the lore, the (let's be honest) franchise so much it matters little who liked it first or the longest, but rather that we all love it so very much.

It's no secret I am a fan of Star Wars™- there have been countless references here and on my social forums for as far back as I existed on social media. Yes, since Disney acquired the rights to the characters and upcoming films merchandise has become, well, much more available- but I was there ranting over Jar-Jar in the midnight release line of 2002, just as I was one of millions crashing online ticketing systems when the The Force Awakens tickets went on pre-sale in October. My childhood was full of images of Ewoks and tenacious space princesses- and every year I dress the pets up for Halloween, or even just because as any character I an justify. But why do I really love Star Wars™?

I love it because it is a universal language so wide in reach a single instrumental can solicit cheers without a single image or word. Because in high school I'd argue with otherwise strangers about 'Who shot first,' until it quite literally became a debate in the debate club. Because those who love it feel so passionately about it I consider them a sibling in a strangely wonderful universe of geekdom that is so mainstream, it's hardly even considered nerding out anymore. And while some who have been in love with the franchise as long as me, may feel disgruntled by the appearance of fresh generations of fans, and daringly new characters and content, I embrace the chance to speak my language with a whole new legion of fans.

I couldn't care less whether you just watched the original films this year for the first time, or were lucky enough to be in the theater during those first 1977 showings. Star Wars™ is amazing because of each and every one of it's fans, so hold that R2-D2 thermos or BB-8 plushie high with pride, because you are a part of something amazing. And, in that spirit, I'm going to share with you some of my own fandom celebration as we count down the days to the big theatrical release this week! But first, you'll have to go to Walmart to snag your favorite General Mills cereal in one of several limited edition boxes with exclusive Star Wars™ Droid Viewer prizes! Whether you love to snack on the sweet and crunchy O's of Honey Nut Cheerios®, or enjoy the crisp crunch of Cinnamon Toast Crunch®, you're sure to find something awesome and plenty of Star Wars™ fun. Just check out the Exclusive Droid Viewer I poured out of my Cinnamon Toast Crunch® box!

You're also going to want to grab a few boxes of specially marked Cookie Crisp® cereal from Walmart- there's an exclusive limited edition Droid Viewer inside and it just so happens to be the secret ingredient in my Cookiee Chew-Bar-Ccas recipe! While you'll need an entire box for the special cookie biscuit base, Cookie Crisp is delicious to snack on without milk- so grab an extra box for that midnight screening line too.

Start by pulverizing an entire box of Cookie Crisp® in a blender or food processor. The mixture should be fine, and even, like a delicious cookie powder.

Next take 2 softened bars of salted butter, flour, and some vanilla extract and smash up the mixture until it is mold-able, but not 'wet.' Press the crust like mixture into the bottom of a well greased 9" x 13" pan and bake it in the oven for 30 minutes at 300F. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

While your cookie 'biscuit' layer is cooling melt your caramels over medium-high heat with half and half, stirring constantly as to not burn the mixture. Once the caramel is an even texture and coats the back of a spoon when turned, remove from heat and pour over your 'biscuit' layer.

Sprinkle a generous layer of sweetened coconut flakes over the warm caramel layer and send the pan to the refrigerator for 45 minutes to an hour. Once the caramel has set run a knife horizontally through the layers, then vertically to create 16 even bars. Carefully remove and separate each bar, placing them 2" apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Coat with a thin layer of melted chocolate or chocolate candy coating and return to the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until set.

These Cookiee Chew-Bar-Ccas, as we like to call them, are inspired by two of our favorite candy bars and so addictive, it truly does require use of The Force to refrain from eating half a tray. The buttery, crispy, crunch Cookie Crisp base is the perfect companion to the chewy caramel and melty coconut shell. We cannot get enough, and they are so easy to make, even the youngest of Padawans can help!

Nora, however, was not impressed. She mush prefers the less developed 'cousin' of the Wookiee, the Ewoks, whose primitive ways make them destined for galactic domination- or so she thinks. I can't really give her opinions much weight, after all, she keeps questionable company...

Meanwhile, in my fridge something awesome was about to awaken- the limited edition Star Wars™ Go-Gurt® with Glow-In-The-Dark Light Saber packaging and Blippar app interactivity. Not only do these delicious limited edition flavors have packaging tubes that resemble light sabers and glow-in-the-dark, but I can scan the characters on the front of each tube to bring exclusive content and 3-D models to life! Within seconds I was looking at a 3-D model of the First Order Star Destroyer I could actually transpose over live images and take photos with! This is just one of over a dozen pieces of exclusive Star Wars™ The Force Awakens pieces of content you can unlock with the Blippar app and Star Wars™ Go-Gurt®!

I was so inspired by the fun light saber packaging I decided to whip up some sabers of my own! With some leftover plastic test tubes, from Halloween, food color, washi tape, and powdered milk, I set out to make fun light saber favors perfect for a Star Wars™ themed breakfast. This project really could not be any simpler, and it has impressive impact with fans of any age- after all, who doesn't love playing with a light saber? Even better, the colored powdered milk harnesses the power of the force to turn any breakfast cereal morning into a special event!

While this project is fairly simple and affordable, you will likely run into a snag of you attempt to color 'powdered' anything without some advance tips. First, save time and buy affordable powdered food color, which is high in concentrate and very effective in small pinches. Or, you may color with traditional food color drops- but you will need to be a lot more patient- rubbing the color into the mixture until it clumps and turns into powder once more- Liquid food color will yield a colored result, but it will require significantly more color, and cause your powdered milk to be more clumpy in appearance- this may also diminish the shelf life.

Once you've settled on your method of coloring, combine your powdered milk in a plastic zipper bag and blend until fully colored- for our Light Sabers we went with red, green, and blue. Once colored we portioned the powdered milk into the plastic tubes, taped the ends with black electrical tape and silver washi tape and 'Voila!' Cereal Milk Light Sabers, just pour into your bowl and add water! It's not only a fun way to take your cereal on the go ANYWHERE, but also a fun way to play with the exclusive Star Wars™ limited edition General Mills cereals from Walmart.

No matter what side you are on, you simply must get your hands on these limited edition General Mills Star Wars™ cereals, because they won't be around for long- and cereal makes an awesome Blu-Ray viewing party snack. I know I'll be enjoying a bowl every night this week for dessert in preparation of the theatrical release!

Whether you're young, old, green, or a clone- all you need be is a fan to be among my circle of Star Wars™ friends. It really doesn't matter who your favorite character is, or even your favorite film (though there really is no correct answer other than 'Empire Strikes Back,') as long as you share a love for the series that makes your heart pound when you hear that infamous theme. So, go ahead, leave your comments and thoughts- tell me your first Star Wars™ memory, your favorite scene, the quotes you'll never forget and let's all indulge in a little fandom- because that's what Star Wars™ is all about. Check out the #AwakenYourTastebuds social hub for more awesome recipes, and even party ideas, you're sure to love!


What Daughter Says: The only thing better than celebrating my favorite franchise is enjoying it with family and friends.

Cookiee Chew-Bar-Cca Bars

**Click here for printable coconut caramel cookie candy bar recipe.

Make Meal Time Personal With Drink In The Box + Bento Ideas

I received compensation for this post through my relationship with the Quality Blue Community. I also received a product for this review. All opinions are my own.

Momma Told Me: I don't care what it looks like, eat it!

I was a little spoiled growing up- Momma would make these extravagant lunches for me long before it was cool for 'modern' mothers to spend an afternoon whittling apples and molding rice. However, she did it out of love, and the need to fuel her creative side, rather than a need to convince me to eat a well rounded meal. I never had the luxury of deciding what I was and wasn't going to eat that is, if Momma put it on the plate (cut into stars, or straight from a can) I was to eat it without complaint. If course today's mothers not only desire to give their children a meal that is full of love, but also one that is more wholesome and nutritious. 'Custom' meals are an integral part of modern parenting, and the accompanying beverage should not be overlooked!

With the growing concern over high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, and general additives in children's beverages, modern Mommas as checking labels and pouring from their own pitchers.As a child Momma never gave me straight fruit juice (even up to age 12, it was always cut with purified water.) But, of course, part of drinking from the 'juice box' (or pouch) is the 'cool' act associated with drinking from the vessel, not so much a concern for the drink inside. What if you could make your child's drinks just as cool, while getting them excited over drinking the beverages you choose? Drink In The Box, featuring Eastman Tritan™ nearly indestructible plastic offers a colorful, reusable, drinking vessel with all the cool angles of a modern drink box, minus the additives and extras. Learn more about Eastman Tritan™ and their products on their Facebook page.

It couldn't be easier to get children excited about drinking healthier, refreshing, beverages. The Drink In A Box comes in 4 bright neon colors (Pink, Orange, Blue, and Green) so you'll never lose them in the car, purse, or travel bag- and they're entirely spill proof when closed, so you can bring your drinks on the go and sip all day long. This revolutionary snacking tool holds 8oz of your child's favorite beverage and can help cut out sugar dramatically when filled with fresh fruit and water, or even freshly squeezed homemade juice. Did you know the average 8oz child's disposable juice box has around 14 grams of sugar? Yuck! Kid's are sweet enough already, no? And, of course it's made with durable BPA free plastics.

It's no secret colorful plates and drinking containers, such as Drink In The Box made with Eastman Tritan™ plastic help get kids excited about eating healthier and eating more. It can be challenging to get children to step outside their comfort zone of 'accepted' foods and eat a more balanced meal so we like to prepare bento meals for the kids. Using smaller portions of 'indulgent' snacks alongside healthier vegetables and fruits in fun cutouts and shapes a bento meal can keep picky eaters munching to the last bite.

Right now we're pretty excited about a certain upcoming space character franchise releasing a 7th installment so we've been coming up with themed named for everyday snacks. I even put together the Bento you see below using rice cakes, a spinach tortilla quesadilla, some fruit punch outs, yogurt dipped pretzels and cinnamon bears. It's always fun to reconnect with a new generation about characters and stories from my own childhood- too bad Momma was never into 'that' series!

Of course planning cute meals and cutting food into fun shapes is fun- but it also gets us thinking more about the food we put on our plates and in our mouths. Every time I reach for the Drink In The Box I remember that I have a choice to serve something loaded with sugar, or genuinely hydrating. We like to compromise and put frozen fruit in the bottom to help keep water chilled longer- and the children love eating the fruit at the bottom when they're done. Of course the Drink In The Box seals pretty darn tight, so they have to practice their 'please' and 'thank you's to achieve that!

Whether you're trying to pack your little superheros in the car on the way to and from big brother's soccer practice, or simply helping to keep them fueled for another round of creative play in the backyard- smart serving choices make all the difference. You have a say what goes onto their plate, why not have a say as to what goes into their drink box? What do you like to fill your child's cup with? 

What Daughter Says: Have a say in what your child eats and drinks with healthier options in a cool disguise.

Nora the Ewok, Darth Truffles, and Halloween Pet Tricks + Treats

Momma Told Me: Pets are like children.

If you share our mentality, then your four-legged friends are just as much family as Aunt Jeanie (you know, the one who's aqua eyeshadow hasn't changed since the 50s, and her lipstick marks require a Brillo pad.) We love Jeanie despite the messes she leaves behind, or the over-enthusiastic greetings she may give us at the door. Momma always said having a pet was like having a child that never grew up, and in the sense of care-giving she is right. Now, you wouldn't let your child wander the streets alone on Halloween, eat candy from strangers without inspection, or wear a costume they felt humiliated in, would you? So Truffles and Nora have urged me to put together this simple reminder of how to best enjoy the upcoming festivities with your fur-children.

While we may see the adorable costumes lining pet-store shelves, as early as September, many of us pet parents get carried away with the thought of adorable, rather than the practicality. I'll admit, I once fancied Truffles daydreams mirrored the top photo, but her enthusiasm for playing a dark Sith Lord really was much closer to the below shot. Not to worry, your pets can still dress up and get in on the fun, it's simply a matter of knowing your fur friend. Even the most seasoned of 'costume' or clothing wearers should always go through an introductory period where they wear the new costume/clothes for a few hours a day in a supervised area, before being paraded around a crowd or strangers.

If your pet seems needlessly stressed in costume, to the point they refuse to move while wearing the costume (after 2-3 trials), shake/tremble, or try to eat their costume off, forgo your traditional costumes for something festive yet less foreign. Most pups can choose from a variety of decorative, and even dress up, harnesses that celebrate the fun of the holiday without putting them through any needless stress. As a general rule of thumb, never cover your pets head in a hood or 'mask' unless for a brief photo. Being dressed up is stressful enough without fighting to see what's in front of you.

Of course if it's food that motivated your little critter then be sure to have lots of pet-safe treats on hand whenever human food (especially candy) will be present. Do not store pet treats or gift bags with human candy/treats, as a pet may become wise and try to 'steal' the wrong treat! Handing out dog treats in the form of Milk Bone biscuits, or the below Carob dipped biscuits will truly be a special treat for pets trick-or treating, and can even be made in advance and used throughout the month as  training mechanism. Brushing up on training, and ensuring you have a secure perimeter is a must for households with dogs when strangers are coming to the door. Learn more about the carob dipped biscuits on Aimee Broussard's adorable Halloween post (and check out her crawfish pups!)

If you don't feel so fancy in the kitchen, but do want to have treats to pass out to pups, or simply celebrate the festivities in your own home, A Daily Dose of Paige shares her simple secret to tissue paper wrapped Canine Carry Outs treats! You can really use any leftover tissue paper to twist up your dog treat of choice, then keep them in a bowl on the counter to Trick or Treat your pet all month long. Just remember, never give human treats to your pup, and always be mindful of where you store the human candy too!

As always, safety is the most important aspect of any holiday involving your pet. Please remember to put proper reflective clothing, or markers, on your dog Halloween night, keep anxious dogs away from open doors, and work on costume comfort before the big day. If you're looking for an excuse to have a little fun with your dogs this Halloween visit the #TrickOrTreatEm website where you can find out your dog's personality, upload a photo in a digital picture frame, and print out a coupon for some yummy treats.

Have you ever dressed a pet up, as what? If not, what would you like to see your pet dressed as?

What Daughter Says: Pets are family, keep them safe and happy this holiday.

Check out these adorable pet costumes and #TrickOrTreatEm ideas!