Earth Day Rice Krispy Treats

Happy Earth Day, everyone! I hope you're all doing a little something to be environmentally conscious today. We do small things throughout the year around our house -- recycle, avoid the use of paper towels and paper napkins, use energy-efficient light-bulbs -- but I think today is the perfect day to start stepping up our efforts even more. I think I'm going to make the switch to re-usable shopping bags this evening when I stop by the grocery store. Meanwhile, Joe is spending the day planting flowers and herbs and mulching the flower beds around our home. It's only a coincidence that he's doing this on Earth Day, but I think it's nice anyway.

I made these Earth Day Rice Krispy treats for Andrew's class at daycare. (Yes, I am so that mom; first the Dr. Seuss cupcakes, then the Easter Bunny cookies, and now these!) They didn't turn out exactly like I'd hoped (I didn't use nearly enough food coloring, as you can see), but I think the idea is creative so I'm sharing them anyway. Even if they don't look exactly like Earth, I think the two-year-olds are still going to love them!

I got this idea from a preschool website whose name I can't recall, but it seems like they're all over the internet.

Earth Day Rice Krispy Treats

3 tablespoons butter, divided
40 large marshmallows, divided
Blue and green food coloring
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal, divided

1. Heat two large pots over medium heat on the stovetop. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter to each pot. When butter is melted, add 20 marshmallows to each pot. Stir until completely melted.

2. Add blue food coloring to one of the pots, and green food coloring to the other. Tint to desired color and stir to combine.

3. Add 3 cups of Rice Krispies cereal to each pot and stir to combine with the marshmallow mixture.

4. Once mixtures are cool enough to handle, grab a small amount of one color and roll into a log shape. Repeat with other color. Wrap the two logs around each other and shape into a circle. Repeat with the rest of the mixtures.

5. Cool on wax paper. Store covered.