Remember just last week when it was the beginning of summer…?

Ok, it was more like a few months ago. But I feel as if I blinked and suddenly August has slapped me in the face.

Football has made it’s print into the media…

Stores are temporarily stocked with an abundance of no.2 pencils, paper, and crayons…

The great get-together is nearly here.

For those of you “unaware”, the Great Get-Together = The Minnesota State Fair.

Anyways, just rambling, but wanted to let you know – I’ve been pretending I live by an ocean,  by visiting the “beach”, eating seafood, and telling myself that summer is not almost over. Aaaand…making lobster, crab, sun, and beach towel “cookies”.

Meet the cast of characters:

His name is Homar. It makes sense. Research it.

We also have crabs…(remember the spider cookies from Halloween!?)

Let’s dive right in to making these little guys…

The crabs are somewhat self explanatory on how to make.

I used Ritz crackers (body)

1 package of Vanilla CandiQuik

Red food coloring (oil or powder based)

peanut butter (filling for body)

chow mein noodles (legs)

sliced almonds (pinchers)

mini M&M’s (eyes)

Melt the CANDIQUIK according to the directions on the package, add several drops of the oil-based red food coloring until a deep red color. With small tongs or a fork, etc. coat as many pinchers as you will need in the red candiquik, placing on wax paper to dry (p.s. – it’s ok if you get the broken almonds, they tend to look more like a “claw/pincher”!) Then with a fork or tongs, dip one side of the ritz crackers in the Candiquik and place on wax paper to dry (candiquik coated side facing up). Before dry, place two mini M&M’s on the cracker for the eyes (and of course leave every other one without eyes because this will be the underside of the crab body). Once the crackers are dry, spread peanut butter on one pair of crackers and place the chow mein noodles in the peanut butter and  sandwich together with the other cracker

Homar, the lobster – is pretty much one big rice krispie treat…with:

an orange-shaped candy (tail)

twizzler twists (legs)

Pretzel Rods

and fortune cookies (pinchers)

Again, melt down the Candiquik and add the red oil-based food coloring. Mold the rice krispie bar into the shape of his body, with two main parts. Coat in the candiquik and push together on the wax paper, adding mini M&M’s for his eyes, dip the orange shaped candy, press against the rice krispie as a tail. Break apart a pretzel rod, so you have approximately 1.5″ pinchers extending and push the coated fortune cookies onto the ends of these. Tear the twizzlers into approximately 3″ pieces and place under his belly, etc. Let dry and you now have a pet lobster, almost too cute to devour.

Sandal or Flip Flop Cookies!

Simply CandiQuik dipped sugar cookies, decorated with cake writing icing and cute little flower sprinkles.

Ahh, well that is all I have for you today…