Budget Friendly Peanut Butter Cookies

Enjoy this guest post from my IRL (in real life) friend, Tanya! She offered this recipe up to be shared because it has only 4 ingredients and it uses mostly pantry goods. Because we are a mostly sugar-free household, I tried replaced the 1 cup of sugar in this recipe with a 1/2 cup of raw honey. It was apparent immediately that they wouldn't set up, so I added 1/2 cup of sugar. Still pretty amazing, but more like flat PB Balls than cookie. I'd suggest going with the original recipe and substituting sucanat if you're looking for a change. The 6 boys I served them to for dessert last night approved! :) Try them yourselves and then head over to Tanya's fabulous blog, Free & Easy Living!

Today I want to share with you a recipe for Budget Friendly, Flour Free, Quick and Easy Peanut Butter Cookies. Now that’s a mouth full! These cookies offer everything in a recipe you could possibly be looking for: they meet special dietary needs (flour-free means gluten-free too, just make sure your peanut butter doesn’t contain any gluten either), they have 4 ingredients and only take about ten minutes to prepare so they are easy to make when you’re short on time or energy, and they only cost about $0.17 a serving! Cheaper if you used coupons to get any of your ingredients for free or at a discount.

This recipe is from Recipe Lion’s Budget Friendly section. If you’re looking for great, easy recipes be sure to check out their site.
 
Yields: 12
Cooking Time: 10 min
Ingredients

* 1 cup sugar
* 1 cup peanut butter (I used honey peanut butter. It was what I had on hand, and added another dimension of flavor.)
* 1 egg
* 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions (Edited from the Recipe Lion instructions, because I did things slightly different. You can see the original unedited recipe here.)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Spoon out in heaping large tablespoonfulls onto lightly greased cookie sheet. This is the direction according to Recipe Lion. I actually rolled the cookie dough into balls in my hand, according to a more traditional peanut butter cookie style. (This is the way my mother has always done it.)
3. Flatten loosely with a fork and sprinkle with sugar.
4. Cook for 10 minutes; Remove to cooling rack after 4 minutes. Recipe Lion suggests waiting only 2 minutes, but I found that these cookies like to fall apart a little easier than normal, so you should let them set up a but longer.

That’s it! You’re done and are on your way to enjoying delicious cookies. Because these cookies are flour free, they are a little less cake-like, and a little more dense than traditional peanut butter cookies. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much you enjoy these cookies. This recipe is a great way to make cookies for any friends or family who have gluten allergies for much cheaper than the gluten free products sold in stores. Even if you don’t have gluten allergies, one less ingredient just makes these cookies that much cheaper and easier to make!

Happy Savings and Tasty Cookies for All! <3 Tanya

No-Bake Chocolate Almond Oatmeal Treats

Need a way to beat the Summer heat but still get your chocolate fix? No-bake cookies are a Summer favorite. Here's my recipe - with a few variations so that you can use what you have on hand!

Ingredients:

1 stick butter (or 1 cup coconut oil)

1/2 cup milk (or cream - so yummy!)

4 Tbsp cocoa powder (or carob powder)

1/2 cup sucanat (or sugar)

1/2 cup almond butter (or any nut butter)

1 tbsp vanilla (optional)

3 1/2 cups oats (try substituting 1/2 cup coconut flakes here!)

1 tsp milled or whole flax seeds (optional)

Directions:

Heat butter, sucanat, cocoa, and milk in a pan on stove or in a bowl in the microwave, stirring until melted and combined. Watch carefully as milk and butter have a low smoke point and burn easily.

Add almond butter, oats, flax, and vanilla & stir until combined.

Spread into a baking pan (8x8 or larger) or drop in balls onto wax/parchment paper/foil.

Refrigerate until cooled (2 hours or so).

Eat and enjoy!

Coconut Sweet Potato Pie

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that I hardly ever follow directions exactly. This was an exception! And so delicious that I made it *twice* in the first 3 weeks after having Cora! This recipe is from Mothering Magazine - enjoy!!!

Coconut Sweet Potato Pie

Crust:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter
water if necessary

Filling:
3 cups mashed, cooked sweet potatoes (about 3 medium)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup or honey
Topping:
1 tablespoon unsweetened, shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place oats, walnuts, and coconut in food processor with metal blade. Grind until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add butter or coconut oil and pulse until combined. Add maple syrup and pulse to mix. Test dough by squeezing a small amount together. If it doesn't hold together, mix in water until it holds. Press dough into 8 or 9-inch pie pan.

Place sweet potatoes, eggs, coconut milk, and sweetener in food processor. Puree until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust. Sprinkle with coconut. Bake about 45 minutes, or until edges are golden. Cool at least 15 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or cold.

Note: Dairy, soy, or rice milk can be substituted for coconut milk in filling if desired. Also, if you don't like coconut, this pie is still delicious with all the coconut omitted.

Make It Yourself Monday: Food Processor Ice Cream

Not only did I get a new baby girl this month (as if she's not enough!), I got a food processor! I love my husband. :) We have been using it every chance we get - making up excuses to use it (First Day of Spring! We need dessert!) when needed.

I was thrilled to see a post about making ice cream in a food processor on the Sweet & Savory blog last week!!! Couldn't wait to try it out and share! The best thing about this is that you really don't need to have anything on hand other than frozen fruit!!

I used 3 frozen bananas and 1/2lb frozen strawberries. I also added 1/4 cup milk b/c I assumed I'd need something to facilitate blending, but I think it would have been even better without it!

Blend it up! That's it!! Serves 4-5!

I could have added some vanilla maybe and some honey, but it really didn't need anything. I would like to try this recipe for chocolate ice cream sometime! My husband thought that there were too many strawberries, but he liked it well enough. My toddler LOVED it and it was good for an after naptime snack today too - I just let it thaw on the counter for 30 min or so ahead of time. :) Enjoy!

What are you making this week? Link up and Link back!

My Favorite Valentine

This guy is the best Valentine's Day gift I have ever received:

Hard to believe he is 2 years old tomorrow!

His birthdays are destined to be filled with sweets and sentiments. He doesn't seem to mind so far. :) We had a birthday/valentine's play date on Friday that was a ton of fun. We are very blessed to have a great group of moms and kiddos to hang out with.

However, since we are on a pretty tight budget (mostly self-imposed) this month, it was difficult to think of goodies to bring that wouldn't break the bank. So thankful for the internet! Here's what we decided on:

Healthy and "Hearty" Carrot Cranberry Muffins

I've been wanting to try soaking flour now that I'm learning about the digestive benefits of preparing grains from the Real Food Challenge. Thankfully, Wardeh at GNOWFGLINS has the perfect Basic Soaked Muffin Recipe (you'll want to click that link - she just posted a video to accompany the recipe notes today!!)! I used lemon juice for the soaking acid and cinnamon, cranberries, and carrots for the add-ins. I also doubled the recipe to fill my little heart foil cups.

Topped them off with 8oz. softened cream cheese with a few tablespoons of honey blended in. They were really great for breakfast this morning!!!

Brownie and Cream Cheese "Truffles"

I thought the mommies might enjoy a nice treat too and had just come across the idea of mixing pre-made brownies with chocolate frosting to make "truffles." I didn't have chocolate frosting, but cream cheese worked wonderfully!

I used Life As Mom's recipe for Cocoa Brownies (very yummy on its own!) and crumbled them all up when they were cooked and cooled. Then I mixed in 8oz of softened cream cheese with my pastry cutter (best birthday gift ever by the way!) until a dough formed. If I had a melon baller I would have been in Heaven, but instead I grabbed about a teaspoon of the "dough" at a time and rolled it into a ball with my hands then placed it on parchment (wax would work) paper on a cookie sheet. I got 3 dozen out of the mixture:

After letting them harden in the refrigerator for an hour, I melted 1/2 a bag of dark chocolate chips in a bowl and dipped each ball into it individually. After allowing them to chill for another hour, I wrapped them up into foil squares that I got on sale 2 or 3 years ago around Valentine's Day. They would have been gorgeous on a nice platter, too.

I made these Thursday night and we ate the last one this morning. Needles to say, they were delicious. :)

Did you make any frugal treats this Valentine's Day? Find some great ideas at this week's Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom!

The Most Amazing Banana-Nut Muffins Ever!

I love finding recipes that make me feel like a good baker. :)

These muffins rocked! They were moist, flavorful, and BEAUTIFUL! I also think they would make a lovely coffee cake in a single pan - might be trying that out this weekend! Thank you so much to Carol (Kittencal at RecipeZaar) for blessing us with this recipe and letting me pass it along! Visit Kittencal's Kitchen for more!

Warning: Do not read while hungry (if you've seen the photo below, it might already be too late)!

Banana-Almond Muffins With Almond Streusel
Makes 12

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 large bananas, mashed
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/3 cup melted butter
1/3 cup finally chopped almonds

TOPPING

1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons soft butter
1/3 cup cups finely chopped almonds

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.
For the topping; in a bowl mix together the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon; blend in the soft butter using your fingertips, then add in the finely chopped almonds; set aside.
Line 12 regular muffin tins with paper liners.
In a medium or large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
In another bowl beat the melted butter with sugar, egg and vanilla extract until well blended (about 2 minutes) add in the mashed bananas, mix until just blended.
Using a wooden spoon mix in the flour mixture until JUST blended (the batter will be lumpy).
Mix in the chopped almonds.
Divide the batter evenly between 12 muffin tins, then sprinkle the topping mixture on top of each muffin.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until muffins test done.

*If you are following along with the Real Food Challenge, try substituting Sucanat for the sugar. And if you decide to try making any kind of muffins with soaked flour - I want to know!!*

The only zucchini recipe you'll ever want

We finally made the leap to join a CSA (community supported agriculture) farm this summer. We've loved the weekly share of fresh, delicious produce and have had a fun (and challenging) time figuring out how to fit all of this goodness into our diet. I've cooked and eaten things that I've previously not even heard of (kohlrabi) - which is more a testament to my being sheltered than to the rarity of the produce our farm grows.

The most exciting part of this CSA is that we've gotten more than our usual portion of zucchini, tomatoes, and greens. Our family loves all three in everything and we've received enough zucchini that stir fry, side dishes, and pastas aren't cutting it. I experimented with zucchini cookies a few weeks ago and while they were delicious, they were so moist that I might as well have eaten them with a fork. Then I discovered this recipe:

Brandi Chase's Zucchini Brownies

I will never go back.

Ok, I might have to still use them in stirfry every once in a while just so that I don't overdo it on baked goods, but I don't think I'll ever enjoy zucchini more than this. I made some changes to the original recipe that I think really add to its amazingness:

Zucchini Coconut Brownies

• 2 c. flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour but I've used all purpose before)
  
• 1.25 c. sugar (organic - sucanat if available)
  
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1.5 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 c. cocoa
• 1/2 c. coconut oil (melt it to make it easier to mix)
  
• 2 c. grated zucchini (1 large)
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 c. grated coconut

Mix dry ingredients, add wet ingredients and stir till well mixed.

Spread in 9X11" pan, bake for 30 min at 350.

I'd love to make it again soon with walnuts and dark choco chips as well! mmm!

Pumpkin Pie

Really, I might as well resign myself to creating a blog about pumpkins. :) The Peanut Butter Boy does it, so why couldn't I focus on one food??? I suppose peanut butter isn't quite as seasonal as pumpkin... I'm already having a hard time finding them at the grocer. Plenty of cans left of course.

My pumpkin pie recipe is such a big hit every year that I'm going to share it even though it uses fresh ingredients. I will also adapt it for pantry cooking though I can't guarantee it will be as yummy. I am actually being commissioned to make some of these for my boss' Thanksgiving dinner! It's worth the extra effort to cut and cook fresh pumpkin if you have the time. Extra cooked pumpkin freezes really well too, so I make pumpkin goodies year round. Read this if you need a refresher course on roasting pumpkin.

The "from scratch" recipe:

The BEST Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

graham cracker pie crust (pre-made, or use this recipe)
2 tbs melted butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups cooked and mashed (or pureed - though I like extra texture) pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch each of cloves and nutmeg
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt (optional if you used salted butter)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Use large microwave safe mixing bowl. Melt butter.
Add eggs and mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients, mix will be soupy.
important tip: I cut down on bake time (which helps keep edges from becoming too cooked in the long run) by microwaving this mixture for a few minutes and then stirring well before I pour it into the crust.
Bake at 350 for about an hour, or until the middle is just firm.

This version of pumpkin pie is so dense and smooth. You are welcome to use white flour if it is all you have on hand, but whole wheat flour contributes a lot to the richness. I love using graham cracker crust because the butter and sugar caramelize on the bottom and it's a wonderful surprise.


The "pantry friendly" recipe:

Ingredients:

graham cracker pie crust
2 tbs melted butter
2 eggs
15 oz. can pureed pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch each of cloves and nutmeg
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup evaporated milk mixed with 1/2 cup water*
1/4 tsp salt (optional if you used salted butter)


*Refer to my post about shelf-stable milk for more info about the different kinds and their uses. If you use condensed milk instead of evaporated,you'll want to skip the sugar.

Directions:

Same preparation as above. Easy-peasy! :)



Please tell me if you make this and if you tweak it any more - always looking for ways to improve! And stay tuned for *yes it's possible* even more pumpkin recipes! I hope to get Pumpkin Seed Pesto and Pumpkin Butter rolled out before the end of the year! I've gone ahead and created a "pumpkin" label so you can see just how often I cook with it!

Recycle Those Pumpkins!

I am so pleased with the response so far to my very first giveaway! Don't miss it - you still have almost two whole days to enter! I am loving all of the comments I'm receiving and thank you so much everyone for the great content suggestions! I understand now why people love doing giveaways - I want you *all* to win! :)

To keep you excited for the Dining on a Dime cookbook and all things frugal, here's another article by Tawra Kellam to enjoy! Stay tuned for more pumpkin recipes soon! 'Tis the season!

Recycle Those Pumpkins !

Peter Piper Picked a Profoundly Plump Pumpkin -- Now what does he do with it?

How to Roast a Pumpkin

You can only do this with a freshly carved pumpkin! Do not use on a pumpkin that has been carved and sitting out for several days.

To bake a fresh 6 to 7 pound pumpkin, halve the pumpkin crosswise and scoop out the seeds and strings. Place halves, hollow side down, in a large baking pan covered with aluminum foil and add a little water. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until fork-tender. Remove. When cool, scrape pulp from shells and puree, a little at time, in food processor or blender. Mix with a little salt.

To freeze pumpkin puree. Put 1-2 cups in freezer bags along with spices and use in pies. To use pumpkin puree for recipes: Line a strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth or a flour sack dish towel and let the pumpkin sit to drain out the extra moisture BEFORE cooking with it. Pumpkin is very moist, so in order for your recipe to come out correctly, you MUST strain it.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Boil seeds in water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Sprinkle with salt or seasoned salt. Place a thin layer on a cookie sheet. Bake at 250 degrees. Stir after 30 minutes. Bake ½-1 hour more or until crunchy.

*Squash seeds may also be used.

Pumpkin Smoothies

1/2 cup pumpkin 2 tsp. brown sugar
3/4 cup milk or vanilla yogurt 4 ice cubes
1/4 tsp. cinnamon whipped cream (optional)
1/8 tsp. nutmeg sprinkles (optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into 2-3 glasses. Serve with a small amount of whipped cream on top. You may also add orange sprinkles if you like. Serves 2-3.

Visit www.LivingOnADime.com in the press room for a text version of this article and recipes.

###

Tawra Kellam is the publisher of the website www.LivingOnADime.com and the author of Halloween On A Dime and the cookbook Dining On A Dime: Eat Better Spend Less.

Very First Giveaway!

******Update: this giveaway is now closed, thanks!!******

I have wanted to participate in Bloggy Giveaway's carnival for a year and am finally prepared! Are *you* ready? :)

You've read about Living on a Dime here before and I said I'd refer to that site, and specifically the Dining on a Dime cookbook a lot in the future. I received an autographed copy of the cookbook, co-authored by Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper as a wedding present from my aunt and it remains on of our most-used gifts from that day! It really is an invaluable resource as it is full of all kinds of wisdom about cooking with what you have, saving on grocery bills, and even how to clean with items from your pantry! And of course... recipes! :) Here's a taste:

Pumpkin Cookies

1/2 cup shortening   1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sugar    1 tsp. soda
1 cup pumpkin    1 tsp. brown sugar
1 cup raisins    1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup nuts    2 cups flour



Cream shortening, sugar and pumpkin in a bowl.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
Drop by small spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Brush tops with milk.  Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Top with frosting.

They are good - believe me!!!

And now, Tawra Kellam has generously agreed to giveaway 5 copies of the ebook version of Dining on a Dime to my readers!!!! One of those 5 readers will also win a $20 gift certificate to Cooking.com to stock up on some of the pantry goods they will need for the meals you'll be making from the book! Cooking.com also has a great selection of everything else you need for the kitchen if you are good on food.

To enter, please leave a comment telling me what you would do with the $20 over at Cooking.com by Midnight EST on 10/30/o8.

For extra entries: subscribe to my RSS feed (on the right under my profile blurb) and tell me so in a separate comment. AND you can receive a THIRD entry by leaving another comment with a pantry-related content suggestion or question that you would like to see me blog about. That's three chances to win and there are 5 prizes to be had! Pretty good odds! :)

NOTE: Because both prizes are electronic (the gc will be delivered via email) *anyone* is welcome to enter - regardless of where you live! yay!

I will contact the winners and post them here on Halloween (Oct. 31st) so make sure you either leave me some way to contact you (blog address, email, etc.) or check back here!

And stay tuned throughout the week for some more great seasonal tips from Living on a Dime - including what to do with all those great big pumpkins you are seeing for sale besides carving them!!

More giveaways at the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival!

Julie's Orange-Honey Muffins

The last thing I expected to find in a beautifully illustrated knitting book was a pantry recipe. What a pleasant surprise! Greetings from Knit Café is a great book in general, but this recipe endeared it to me even more. If I have fruit on hand I can make up dessert or a sweet breakfast dish pretty much on the fly - but without fruit or chocolate I'm pretty much out of ideas. The minute I read this recipe from Julie Stark I knew that if it tasted as good as it sounded, it would be a regular treat. It far exceeded my expectations!


Muffins:

2 c flour
1/2 c uncooked oatmeal, not instant
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c brown sugar
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
2/3 c orange juice
zest of 1 large orange
1/4 c honey
5 - 1/2 T butter, melted

Icing:
1 - 1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 T orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan well, or line with muffin papers.

Combine flour, oatmeal, baking powder, salt and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir. Add the eggs, orange juice, orange zest, honey, and melted butter and stir just until mixed. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake 20 - 25 minutes or until very light golden.

To make icing: Combine powdered sugar with orange juice until a smooth glaze is formed. Drizzle over warm muffins. Muffins are best eaten warm.

Makes 12 muffins.

Baked Oatmeal

My friend Christy passed this recipe along to me and I've made it twice now. She described it to me as tasting like a "big crumbly oatmeal cookie," and she was right, but it's oh so much more! It reheats well but we haven't had to do much reheating since it's gone in little more than one sitting! :)

The first time we made this we ate it all up plain. This time we took Christy's suggestion and served it warm with milk and oh wow! When we added home-canned peaches it tasted like a cobbler! We had it for breakfast but it could just as easily have been dessert! Enjoy, and tell me if you like it!

Pennsylvania Dutch Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:
1/3 c. oil
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
2 c. uncooked oats
1 1/3 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2/3 c. milk

Directions:
Combine oil, sugar, & egg.
Add rest and pour into greased bread pan or 9x9 dish
Bake @ 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
Serve plain or with milk (and brown sugar, or peaches, or what have you).

Edible or no? Black Bean Brownies

***On EDIT*** I'm revisiting this almost two years later, and I no longer use box mixes so I thought I'd give you a few links for from scratch recipes. Try $5 Dinners or Naturally Knocked Up.

When I saw THIS RECIPE over at Cheap Healthy Good my first reaction was, "UG! Who would eat that?" And then I thought, "but it IS the perfect pantry food, only two ingredients! ... darnit." So yes, I made it. And yes, I ate it. And yes, as of this moment I have survived.

I fed them to two people without informing them of the ingredients beforehand. The first, my husband, loved the texture and immediately said, "I only get one?!?!" and then his face changed and he said, "wait, what's IN this... I don't know if I can finish it." So the initial taste/texture combo was good, but then the beany-ness set in. The second person, my boss (daring, yes I know), enjoyed them thoroughly even after finding out what was in them. She said they had the same slightly- grainy texture as the little debbies brownies but she felt much better about eating these.

My review? I liked them... I think. I'll eat them, that's for sure. :)

Black Bean Brownies

1 box brownie mix (I used Duncan Hines)
1 14- to 15-ounce can black beans

1) Drain and rinse beans, then place them back in their original can. Fill the can to the top with water, and put both beans and water into a blender. PUREE THE CRAP OUT OF IT. There should be no graininess, or too-visible brown specks.

2) Combine bean mixture with brownie mix and follow the remaining cooking directions as listed on the package.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
136 calories, 2.6 g fat, 1 g fiber, $0.14

Calculations
Duncan Hines Brownie Mix: 2400 calories, 50 g fat, $2.39
1 can black beans: 315 calories, 1.75 g fat, $0.50
TOTAL: 2715 calories, 52 g fat, $2.80
PER SERVING (TOTAL/20): 136 calories, 2.6 g fat, $0.14

There you have it. And I had this thought... when I was in Japan I consumed more adzuki beans than any human really should (just soaking up the culture) and since they are amazing when sweetened, I think they would make a fantastic substitute for black beans. Would the brownies turn out maroon??? I think I'll have to try it and report back. :)

Praise the Lord for Peanut Butter Balls

Yummy, high in protein, and so satiating! How I love every variation of thee!! And I've just discovered two more!!! I wanted to wait until the first of the two was available online before posting about them and Wondertime has updated it's recipes, so here we go!

Powerball Cookies - SOoooooo good!!

Makes 40-48 cookies

Mix together 1 cup peanut butter and 1 cup honey until smooth. Gradually add in 3 cups old fashioned oats and 1/2 cup ground flaxseed. Add 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup any

combination of nuts and soft dried fruit(try 1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts and 1/4 cup each of raisins and dried cranberries) and mix gently in your stand mixer or smush together by hand.

Roll into Ping-Pong-size balls and, for maximum presentation value, put in paper mini muffin cups. You can eat them right away, but they'll be less sticky after a night in the fridge. They freeze well too, layered on wax

I used Schmuckers Natural PB and lemme tell you... wow! Thanks Wondertime and thanks to my sister for recommending this recipe!

Peanut Butter and Honey "Truffles"

This recipe from Hold the Gluten tied for second place over at Peanut Butter Boy's PB Exhibition #4 and it's easy to see why!

1 cup DRY milk (I used non-fat)
1/2 cup peanut butter (Crazy Richards Chunky)
1/3 cup honey (local)
1/4 cup ground flax seed (Bob’s Red Mill)

Mix all ingredients together. Form into small balls. Roll balls in coconut, cinnamon & sugar, or cocoa mix. Refrigerate for 15 minutes and enjoy!


So simple! I love it (and loved eating it)!

Cherry-Oat Bake

I help lead a craft group at my church on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. I have also taken on the unofficial role of the provider of goodies at said meetings. This last Tuesday I hadn't been to the store in ages, wouldn't have an opportunity to go before the meeting, and didn't have enough forethought to push the duty off on someone else. So... I ate from my pantry! :)

Cherry-Oat Bake

Ingredients:

2 cups whole oats
1 cup honey
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
2 tbsp butter
4 eggs
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 can cherries in water

Directions:

Mix everything together. hahaha!!! oh yeah, leave out the water from the cherries. And bake in a pie plate on 350 until it sets. Tastes best either cold or hot with vanilla ice cream on top.