Crispy Treats, Peacocks and Co-Dependency

Define co-dependence?  Okay, Wikipedia says "Codependency is a behavioral condition in a relationship where one person enables another person's addiction, poor mental health, immaturity, irresponsibility, or under-achievement. Among the core characteristics of codependency is an excessive reliance on other people for approval and a sense of identity."

You can also see this phenomenon  in action, if you haven't already encountered it in life.  Just read Murder with Peacocks, by Donna Andrews.  This is her first novel, and I'm hoping she will tame the tendency in Meg, her protagonist, by the next one.  Because I will be reading at least one more of her works.  There was enough humor, laugh out loud type, good character development with some truly outrageous relatives, and hilarious situations to keep me reading, despite frequently wanting to take Meg by the shoulders and give her a good shake, yelling "Are you Serious??"

She has taken on wedding planning, Maid of Honor duties for three summer weddings, her mother's, brother's, and best friend's. None of whom are being at all helpful, far from it in fact.  Besides which, she is not a wedding planner.   Two of the couples she doesn't even want to see married, at least not to the horrid people they've picked.  So there you have it - Co-Dependency with murder.


The Publishers have this to say:
"Three Weddings...And a Murder
So far Meg Langslow's summer is not going swimmingly. Down in her small Virginia hometown, she's maid of honor at the nuptials of three loved ones--each of whom has dumped the planning in her capable hands. One bride is set on including a Native American herbal purification ceremony, while another wants live peacocks on the lawn. Only help from the town's drop-dead gorgeous hunk, disappointingly rumored to be gay, keeps Meg afloat in a sea of dotty relatives and outrageous neighbors.

And, in a whirl of summer parties and picnics, Southern hospitality is strained to the limit by an offensive newcomer who hints at skeletons in the guests' closets. But it seems this lady has offended one too many when she's found dead in suspicious circumstances, followed by a string of accidents--some fatal. Soon, level-headed Meg's to-do list extends from flower arrangements and bridal registries to catching a killer--before the next catered event is her own funeral."

Speaking of catering, there were the usual wedding breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, plus Fourth of July party food mentions, lots of champagne, cakes, shrimp cocktails, potato salads, etc.  My contribution to the festivities is a version of the ever popular Rice Crispy Treats, to possibly keep the kids happy and away from the fancier foods on offer. It's a stretch, I know.

Since I wasn't able to find organic marshmallows, and they are pretty easy to make, (ha ha, sometimes if all goes right) then voila!  See my directions post here. However, flavored this time with peppermint. Then, paired with an organic version of crispy rice from Nature's Path, and you have a match made in my version of foodie fetish heaven!  We are not vegetarian, vegan, Keto, Kosher or gluten free people, but do try to keep away from the various additives, chemicals, hormones and antibiotics that adulterate many foods, not to mention DNA alterations. So, yes organic preferably.  At least when eating at home.  Stuff I buy or make. Nobody's perfect.

Speaking of which, making the marshmallows turned out to be one of those not so perfect attempts.  I had the hardest darn time trying to read my new thermometer, and evidently did not get the syrup to a soft ball stage.  Thus we ended up rolling the not so cuttable or crispy treats in some extra crispy rice cereal.   They tasted okay, the marshmallows were tinted pink and flavored with peppermint extract.  Added chocolate chips which are always nice.  They are organic and gluten free. Sigh...... oh well, linking the review and botched treats with Beth Fish Reads for her Weekend Cooking event.