So those Pacific Northwest peeps might have their Nanimo bars and their pink cookies and their Clover coffee on every other corner, but apparently that good old midwestern favorite, that addictive little pot luck gem that we take for granted, the Special K bar, is something unheard of. Who knew?


Anyway, that everyone's favorite Pacific Northwest resident Mariko didn't know about the Special K bar is the sole reason this photo exists. Because if it weren't for her demanding to see this mysterious treat, I'd just as soon have forgotten about them. But not because they weren't good. (she also got me to tweet the recipe, which is something of a thing. recipe tweeting, I mean, and for the record, it's much harder than you'd think. recipe tweeting, I mean.)

Boy was gone last week and without him here to distract me or bring me to my senses, I was having a little obsessive battle of wills: Me vs. my sweet tooth. Yes, me. Really. I was craving Special K bars like a madwoman.

Here's how it went...
Boy's absence, day 1: thinking to myself how much I'd like a Special K bar. Special K bar. SPECIAL K BARSPECIALKBARSPECIAL K BAR SPECIALKBAR

Boys' absence, day 2: trying to convince myself that I don't need to make Special K bars, but then deciding that I should walk my mail up to the post office and stop at the grocery store for the ingredients I need to make the bars I'm not going to make so that in case I decide to make them I'll feel 1% less guilty about it for having earned a little exercize offset. Walk dog 4 miles after dinner, then feel extra smug about exercizing twice in one day AND not making Special K bars. I am SO the boss of you, sweet tooth.

Boy's absence, day3: make deal with self: go running. A good long hard run, and THEN you may make Special K bars and have one. Return from good long hard run and discover, for the first time all week, I am no longer obsessed with eating a Special K bar. Wonder if I might be getting sick.

Boy's absence, day 4: Wake up with a wicked Special K bar craving, likely due to having been reminded of such by the previously obtained ingredients left out on the counter. I think the butterscotch chips are speaking to me. Yes. They are definitely speaking to me.

Boy's absence, day 4 1/2: I fought the bars and the bars one. A half-batch. Thin, and with a thin coating of chocolate/butterscotch just like I like. Eat one. Eat another one. Repeat.

Boy's absence, day 4 3/4 : Eat one. Repeat. Repeat. Follow with special bed time treat of Special K bar.

Boy's absence, day 5: Wake up to a breakfast of four Special K bars. BEST MORNING WITHOUT BOY EVER. Feel like a slave to sugar. On the other hand, I put them on a plate, so that makes them more nutritious, right?

Boy's absence, day 6: thinking it would be sad for Boy to come home to stale Special K bars so decision is made tha the remaining two rows must go into the freezer, right after I have just one more. Repeat day 5 breakfast. Is that the freezer speaking? Remove remaining now frozen bars from freezer. Repeat day 5 breakfast for lunch. Have a nectarine just for kicks, followed by another Special K bar. And since there are now only three left in the bag, it would be best just to finish them. Right?

Special K bars? What Special K bars?