Happy National Peanut Butter Month! Peanut Butter Maple Bites

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Did you know November is National Peanut butter month?! When a new month starts, my  friend blogs about that months important  dates to remember- and this one is a biggie! So, in honor of the very special nut…this post.

I found these on Pinterest. They taste fabulous! Like you’re sneaking a treat, but they’re not that bad for you! Score! So yes, try it, I know you will love them. Recipe at end.

I have fun ideas of putting in mint chips, M&M’s or no chocolate at all! Super yummy! I didn’t have honey, it’s a hot commodity in our home. So we used maple syrup instead so we call them ‘Peanut Butter Maple Bites.

Step one: mix all ingredients together

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Step two: allow your kids to sneak bites of the ‘dough’ and make faces.

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I absolutely LOVE having Emma in the kitchen with me. I want to instill a love of creating. However, she refuses to eat what she makes. Weird right? Fortunately, she’ll eat these.

Third: Roll into balls:

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Refrigerate for about 1 hr., then tada!

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They were Emma’s ‘treat’ if she ate her lunch today. She did. 🙂

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Hope you have a great Friday!

Recipe:  1 cup oatmeal 1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter) 1/3 cup honey 1 cup coconut flakes 1/2 cup ground flaxseed 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips 1 tsp vanilla 

Peanut Butter S’mores

I was talking to a friend this last week and we got on the subject of marshmellos. (It seems like it’s a subject where people feel very strongly about. Either you love them or you hate them. Was weird to me)

Anyways, she was given bags of those sugary babies by her mom and was trying to think of different things to do with them. Well…it reminded me of a recipe I did forever ago, nothing overly creative- but oh. so. comforting! Like… it’s the kind of recipe that makes me want to eat one RIGHT NOW! Good thing I don’t have graham crackers in my house right now.

Here you go Kristen. 🙂

Peanut Butter SmoresPeanut butter. Chocolate. Marshmellos. Graham Crackers.

Enough said.

the end.

Peanut Butter Cookies

So this post will mostly be about peanut butter cookies, which Emma ate 3 of in 5 sec, but the rest will be of nothing but thoughts.

I realized that Emma might be watching too much TV (Brother Bear, Dora, Nature Babies and Barney) Which ever she wants to rotate through. I usually ether wtch one show a day but there are those days when she gets more TV time.

So I told her we were making peanut butter cookies and she said ‘no mama, chocolate cookies’ Which made me laugh.But girlfriend had to concede and go with the peanut butter-ness. What she must suffer (roll of my eyes)

OK peeps= 3 ingredients

1 C Peanut Butter, 1 C sugar, 1 egg

Easy shmeezy, hope you make these and enjoy them! They make only 1 dozen.

None

Don’t know why I rounded the picture…maybe because the cookies themselves will round out your figure. 🙂

Happy National Peanut Butter Lovers Day!…1 month late.

I love peanut butter more than I like chocolate. It’s creamy and just so wonderful, and when I saw there was a day set aside for Peanut butter lovers I was like, ‘Yeah!’. However it was on March3rd. Travis’ birthday. So here is my tribute to that wonderful day, even though it’s celebrated about a month late. It’s never too late to honor that wonderful spread.:)

I just so happen to be married to a peanut butter snob. Which is ironic because he doesn’t rally care for it anyways. I prefer creamy to crunchy, but if I cooking with it I prefer crunchy. He just hates the sugar-y kinds. Like JIF. I just so happen to have it in my cupbards so it’s what I used. I can totally taste the sugar but it doesn’t bother me.

Why mess with a classic?! Peanut Butter with currant jelly. Yum!

l

Thai Peanut Chicken with Brown Rice…yum. I had no soy sauce! So had to improvise. I added peanut butter, maggi, water, tons of garlic and fresh ginger. It tastes great.

And I had to have a dessert. I was gonig to make the Peanut Butter Balls but I already did that. And I had no time. So I did this instead- SO GLAD I DID!!! Nutella, marshmellos and peanut butter. Sigh…so good.

Mr. Peanut Butter and Mr. S’moore instantly clicked when they met each other. They’ve become BFF’s since.

Interpersonal Thoughts

God has recently shown me areas where I desperately need His help and especially His healing hand. In a sick way, I feel real and normal. I guess I can express it in some ways like this:

Change will always come and sit with me and what I need to decide is how to respond. I can resist, be hurt or I can grapple with what needs to change in me and forge ahead.

In regards to my healing, Ripping off a band aid always stings…and I hate it when it stick to the hair on my arms. Ouch. Yet sometimes, air needs to dry it out.

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These areas in myself are always in my thoughts and I struggle with either pulling them too close and drowning in my own self inflicted pain OR push them away and live in denial. Not a good thing either.  Many people at our church would call that a double bind. Damed if you do, damned if you don’t. Besides, having these areas of insecurity, hurt, ect. doesn’t allow me to give all of myself to the people God has called me to. The last thing I want to be is egocentric.  So, which is the better for me… and also others?…kinda an obvious answer. I think it’s time I rip off bandages that, as a young child, I have camouflaged as part of my skin. The reality is that my wounds are in fact infecting my body and hurting those closest to me.

I am also writing this to give me some  ‘umph’ to join a group we have at church. It’s called Tangled Relationships. I hope to enjoy it and have this help me in some well… relational areas. Duh. haha

I think this is why I so desire Spring. The time for new growth and breaking new ground.

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* If you don’t know me by now, you need to know I struggle with being way too compartmental. Had to say that before switching subjects so quickly from something deep and emotional for me to something seemingly shallow.

March 3rd was National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day. I LOVE peanut butter (thank goodness they have it in Krakow!! Woot woot!) and even though I didn’t celebrate it on it’s due day…I will be celebrating tomorrow. 🙂 By making tons of treats, PB&J for lunch also a Thai Peanut Chicken dish. 🙂 Pictures to follow, of course, and I also hope to draft a couple blogging friends to do it with me. We’ll see how it goes with such short notice.

Peace out my peeps!

Peanut Butter Christmas Balls

This is what Emma and I did today. I enjoyed myself but I think she had more fun. I have to be leaving in the next 20 min but wanted to show what fun today was for us. Enjoy!

Drying So pretty

Emma's attempt

When Emma saw me dipping them, her favorite past time, she HAD to help. Why not? Life is too short to not let your dears play in chocolate. I thought you would like to see her attempt at dipping it. What can you say, I’m a proud parent. 🙂 I have to give credit to my friend Melissa, who got this recipe from her mother. It is SO CRAZY SUPER DUPER EASY! Seriously, if a 1 1/2 year old can help, then so can your kids. Or grandkids. Or nieces and nephews. Promise.

1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 Cup Creamy PB
3 TBS Softened Butter
1 LB White Confecionary Coating (I am using both milk chocolate and white chocolate)

In a mixing bowl combine sugar, peanut butter, and butter; mix well. Shape into 1 inch
balls a
nd place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Chill for 30 minutes or until firm. Meanwhile melt coating in a double boiler or micro-wave safe bowl. Dip balls and place on wax paper to harden.

The only change I did was I dipped them in heated Chocolate frosting (dollar store) and a couple spoonfuls of Nutella.

But we had a bit extra chocolate. 🙂 Here’s what we Emma did with it. Oh, and on a side note, she had a death grip on that sticker in her hand. Silly girl.

Emma chowing down Emma Eating

Raining Chocolate Cute

This is serious business I think she's in heaven ;)

And then us

Muddy Buddies

As promised I made muddy buddies. And as expected, they rock. Peanut butter and chocolate never tasted so good. Mmmmm. The bag looks pretty gross huh. You would never know what little bites of sweetness were in there.

Muddy Buddies Bag Muddy Buddies

Yes. They ARE as good as they look.

Muddy Buddies

Would you like to come over and have some with me? Just in case you can’t check out the recipe. Make it for your next Christmas party. And even if you’re not throwing one, make it for breakfast. It’s awesome for breakfast. Not that I would know. I have a friend… who…uh, likes to eat this for their first meal. Just eat it before you brush your teeth. It tastes gross if you eat it after and you still have the toothpaste flavor in your mouth. So my friend says.

OK, here’s the recipe for ya!

Recipe for you