Super Safi’s Monday Morning Musings 80 – Marshmallow Squares (Original Rice Krispies Squares)

Morning Musically-Minded, Medically-Minded, Masticators!

(Today’s post is sponsored by the letter “M”)

Over the past 600+ episodes, The Simpsons has taken us on an amazing journey involving music, science, and food to name a few concepts.

And what better way to start your week, than by discussing some of these concepts Monday morning?

So let’s get started this week by talking about a childhood favourite recipe of mine.

In the eightieth episode of The Simpsons, Marge in Chains (Season 04, Episode 21), Springfield is struck by the Osaka Flu pandemic and everyone is falling ill.

Marge is fatigued, having to take care of everyone at home.

Lisa: “Mom, could you bring me more O.J.?”
Bart: “Mom, could you get me some of those Flintstones chewable morphine?”
Marge: “There’s no such thing!”
Homer: “Marge, the boy is wasting TV time. Come change the channel and pat my head!”
Marge: “In a minute!”
Homer: “But I’ll miss Sheriff Lobo!”

Due to fatigue from having to look after the rest of her ill family, Marge accidentally forgets to pay for Grampa Abe’s bottle of Bourbon when shopping at the Kwik-E-Mart. Apu calls the police to come take her away.

Chief Wiggum: “All right, come out with your hands up, two cups of coffee, an auto freshener that says ‘Capricorn’, and something with coconut on it!”

Marge and the family select Lionel Hutz as their lawyer.

Lionel Hutz: “Now don’t you worry, Mrs. Simpson, I- uh-oh. We’ve drawn Judge Snyder.”
Marge: “Is that bad?”
Lionel Hutz: “Well, he’s kind of had it in for me, since I kinda ran over his dog.”
Marge: “You did?”
Lionel Hutz: “Well, replace “kinda” with “repeatedly,” and replace “dog” with “son.””

Lionel Hutz stumbles repeatedly in court and even tries to give Judge Snyder a fake verdict.

Judge Snyder: “This verdict is written on a cocktail napkin. And it still says “guilty.” And “guilty” is spelled wrong!”

Unfortunately due to a weak defense by Lionel Hutz and the fact that Marge did forget to pay for the bourbon, she is sentence to a month in women’s prison.

Homer: “Marge, I’m going to miss you so much. And it’s not just the sex. It’s also the food preparation.”

Things are not looking good at home.

Homer: “Now, kids, while your mother’s gone, I don’t want to have to wash any dishes, so from now on, drink straight from the faucet or milk carton, and we’ll eat while standing over the sink or toilet.”

But within ten minutes, things start to fall apart. The house is a mess, they run out of clothes, Grampa Abe is fighting a crocodile in the toilet.

Bart: “Dad! We’re running out of clean clothes!”
Lisa: “It seems like I’ve been wearing this same red dress forever!”
Homer: “Go up to the attic. There’s a whole trunk of clothes.” Homer comes down the stairs in a wedding dress humming “Here Comes the Bride” to himself.

Homer even goes to visit Marge in an old Halloween devil costume.

Things are not just bad in the Simpsons household, but also in Springfield. The Springfield Park Commission fails to raise enough money to pay for a statue of Abraham Lincoln. They fall $15 short, the same amount Marge’s marshmallow squares bring in.

Without Marge’s marshmallow squares, the Springfield Park Commission makes a statue of Jimmy Carter instead of Abraham Lincoln. This causes the town to break into turmoil. So Mayor Quimby releases Marge early.

But have you ever wondered what marshmallow squares are?

Original Rice Krispies Squares/Original Rice Krispies Treats

Rice Krispies Squares (also called ‘Rice Krispies Treats’, ‘Rice Krispie Treats’, ‘RKTs’, ‘Marshmallow Treats’, ‘Marshmallow Squares’, or ‘LCMs’) are a confection commonly made through mixing Kellogg’s Rice Krispies or another crisp rice cereal together with butter or margarine and marshmallow.

They were invented in 1939 by Malitta Jensen and Mildred Day at the Kellogg Company home economics department as a fund raiser for Camp Fire Girls. Though they are traditionally home-made, Kellogg’s began to commercially produce plain and chocolate-based treats under the trademark brand-names of “Rice Krispies Treats” (in the U.S. and Mexico), “Rice Krispies Squares” (in Canada, Ireland and the U.K.) and “LCMs” (in Australia and New Zealand) in 1995.

Personally, my Mom made them throughout my childhood. And when I was a 13 year old exchange student in Japan for one year, my Mom would even make them and ship them to me from Toronto to Japan at astronomical shipping prices.

Here is the recipe from Kellogg’s official website:

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 package (10 oz., about 40) JET-PUFFED Marshmallows
  OR
  4 cups JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows
• 6 cups Kellogg’s® Rice Krispies® cereal

DIRECTIONS

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat.

2. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.

3. Remove from heat.

4. Add KELLOGG’S RICE KRISPIES cereal.

5. Stir until well coated.

6. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray.

7. Cool.

8. Cut into 2-inch squares.

Now that we’ve learned how to make Original Rice Krispies Treats, be sure to come back next week when we continue our Monday morning musings with the next episode of The Simpsons.

Did you remember the episode? What’s your favourite Marge-centric episode of The Simpsons? What about your favourite legal/crime themed episode on The Simpsons? Have you ever had Original Rice Krispies Squares? Did you know how to make Original Rice Krispies Squares? Will you try the recipe? Sound off in the comments below. You know we love hearing from you.