Watermelon Rice Krispies Treats

My week with the kids. Tigers Opening Day this week. The whole city watches. Easy week at the plant. The line ran. The body held.

Pop's in the recliner. Tigers on. Sugar in range this week. Sunday at Mama's. She made greens with hambone the way she has since 1985.

Smothered turkey wings Sunday. Slow braised in onion gravy.

Aiden's 10. The youth basketball league. I'm coaching. He's the best player on the team and he knows it. Zaria's 7. Helps me cook on a step stool. Has opinions about the seasoning.

The week held. The kitchen held. The chain holds.

Plant ran clean this week. The line ran. The body held. The paycheck is the paycheck.

A reader wrote in about the smothered pork chops. Said her late husband loved them. I wrote back. I told her about Pop. We exchanged three emails. She's in Saginaw. She's coming to the city in the spring.

A neighbor down the street gave me a tomato plant Saturday. He grows them on his porch. Said he had extra. I put it next to the back step where it gets the afternoon sun. Detroit gardens are improvised victories.

Stopped at Eastern Market Saturday. Got chicken thighs, bacon, a watermelon, and a pound of greens that I did not need but bought anyway. The vendors know me by name now. Three of them asked about the family.

The custody calendar holds. Aiden and Zaria alternate weeks. Brianna and I co-parent without drama now. We do not always have to like each other to do this right.

The basketball court at the rec center got refurbished. New floor. Plays different. Bouncy. I shot a few from the elbow before practice Wednesday. The knee held. The shot fell short.

I took a walk around the block Sunday morning. The neighborhood was quiet. The trees were the trees. The light was good. I waved at three porches. The porches waved back. Brookline holds.

I read for an hour Sunday night. A book about the auto industry. Half memoir, half history. Made me think about Pop and the line and the fragile contract that built the middle of this country. I underlined the parts that hit.

The block had a small drama Tuesday. Somebody parked in front of Ms. Diane's driveway. Ms. Diane addressed it directly. The car moved within the hour. The neighborhood polices itself on small things.

I cleaned the smoker Sunday morning. Brushed the grates. Emptied the ash. Wiped down the body. The smoker repays attention. So does most everything that matters.

Mr. Williams across the street had a heart scare. He is okay. We are all watching each other now. I took him a plate of greens and chicken Wednesday. He said, "DeShawn. You're a good neighbor." I said, "We're even, Mr. Williams. You shoveled my walk in 2024." He laughed.

Truck needed an oil change Saturday. Did it myself in the driveway. Took an hour. The neighbor across the street gave me a thumbs-up from his porch. I gave him one back. Detroit men do not waste words on car maintenance.

A song came on the radio Tuesday — old Stevie Wonder — and I had to sit in the truck for the rest of it before I went into the store. Some songs do that. Detroit is a city of songs that do that.

Aiden had practice Tuesday and Thursday. I drove. He shot threes for an hour after.

The grass came in fast this week. Cut it Saturday morning before the heat. The mower had been sitting all winter. Took three pulls to start. Once it ran, it ran. Some things just need patience.

I bought that watermelon at Eastern Market on Saturday without a plan for it — just knew it was right. Zaria spotted it on the counter Sunday morning and asked if she could stand on her step stool and help. That settled it. These Watermelon Rice Krispies Treats are not fancy, but they’re exactly the kind of thing that happens when a seven-year-old has opinions and you’ve got a watermelon and nowhere better to be.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 12

Ingredients

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 package (10 oz) mini marshmallows
1/2 teaspoon watermelon-flavored gelatin powder (such as Jell-O), plus more for color if desired
Red food coloring (optional, for deeper color)
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (to mimic watermelon seeds)
Green candy melts or green sprinkles (for the rind edge, optional)
Cooking spray

Instructions

Prep the pan. Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Melt the butter. In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter until just foamy. Do not let it brown.
Add marshmallows. Stir in the mini marshmallows and cook, stirring constantly, until fully melted and smooth, about 4–5 minutes.
Add flavor and color. Remove from heat. Stir in the watermelon gelatin powder and a few drops of red food coloring if using, mixing until the color is even throughout.
Fold in cereal. Add the Rice Krispies all at once and fold quickly with a buttered spatula until every piece is coated. Work fast — the mixture sets up quickly.
Press into pan. Transfer to the prepared pan. Using buttered hands or a sheet of wax paper, press the mixture into an even layer. Press firmly but do not compact too hard or the treats will be dense.
Add the seeds. While the surface is still tacky, scatter mini chocolate chips evenly across the top and press them in lightly so they hold.
Optional rind detail. If using green candy melts, melt according to package directions and drizzle or spread a thin stripe along one long edge to suggest a watermelon rind.
Cool and cut. Let the pan sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cutting into squares or triangle wedge shapes. A lightly oiled knife cuts cleanly.

Nutrition (per serving)

Watermelon Rice Krispies Treats — Something Sweet for the Week That Held