You will be placing the finished haystacks onto this. Place a large saucepan on the stove, and add in the sugar and corn syrup. Turn the heat to low/medium and wait for the sugar to dissolve. Stir the mixture often with a spatula so that it does not burn or scorch. Keep stirring until everything is smooth and melted together. Don't worry, the mixture will harden again once it cools. You will finish making your haystacks here. Try to use a rolling motion, so that you are always bringing the mixture from the bottom of the pot to the top. Be sure to stir gently, so that the cereal does not break. Try to use a cereal without any added "frost" or sugar glaze. Don't worry about making the cookies neat; haystacks don't look very neat either. You can make the cookies as big or as small as you'd like. This recipe is enough to make about 24 cookies. This will take about 1 to 2 hours. If you are in a hurry, then place them into the freezer for about 10 minutes.

Summary: Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper. Melt the sugar and corn syrup in a large saucepan over low to medium heat. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla extract. Take the saucepan off the stove, and set it down onto a heat-resistant surface. Stir in the cornflakes cereal. Scoop the mixture out onto the baking sheets using a spoon. Put the tray into the fridge so that the haystacks can cool and harden. Transfer the haystacks to a plate to serve them, and store any leftovers in an airtight container.


Open your story with a sentence or 2 that pull in your reader. To do this, craft a hook that introduces your story’s topic and suggests what you’ll say about it. Here are some techniques to hook your reader:  Start your essay with a rhetorical question. For instance, “Have you ever faced losing something that’s important to you?” Give a quote that fits your essay. You might write, “According to Rosa Gomez, ‘You don’t know how strong you are until a setback breaks you.” Provide an interesting fact that’s related to your story. As an example, “About 70% of kids will stop playing sports by the age of 13, and I was almost one of them.” Use a short anecdote that relates to the larger story. For your essay about overcoming an injury, you might include a short story about your best moment playing sports before your injury. Start with a shocking statement. You might write, “As soon as they loaded me into the ambulance, I knew I might never play sports again.” Your reader needs a clear idea of who the story is about. Name and briefly describe the main characters in your story. You don’t need to tell every single detail about them in the introduction, but your reader should have a general idea about who they are.  Let’s say your main character is you. You could write, “As a tall, lean 12-year-old, I easily outplayed the other girls on the court.” This gives the reader a picture about what you might look like, as well as your interest in sports and athletic ability. If you’re telling a fictional story, you might introduce your character like this: “As she walked toward the high school debate podium, Luz exuded confidence from her Kate Spade headband down to her thrift shop Betsey Johnson pumps.” Not only does this help the audience picture Luz, but it also shows that she puts effort into her appearance. The fact that she shops at thrift stores might indicate that her family isn’t as wealthy as she portrays. The setting includes the when and where of the story. Specify when your story takes place. Additionally, provide sensory details to help the reader experience the location.  You might write, “It was my 7th-grade year, and I knew I had to make varsity if I were going to get attention from the high school coaches.” Sensory details trigger your senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. As an example, “My shoes squeaked across the court as I dribbled toward the goal line, the red basket in sight. Sweat made the ball feel slippery against my fingertips, and its salty taste coated my lips.” You might also preview the events in the story, depending on what works best for your narrative. This statement will act as your thesis for your narrative essay. It tells your reader what to expect from your essay but doesn’t spoil the story. For instance, you might write, “I never expected that pass across the court to be my last for the season. However, recovering from my injury taught me I’m a strong person who can accomplish anything I set out to do.”
Summary: Begin your essay with a hook to engage your reader. Introduce the main characters in your story. Describe the setting to set the scene for your story. Include an overview of the story and its theme in the last sentence.