Sweets and Snacks

Peanut Butter Bites

--------------INGREDIENTS-----------------

 1 cup raw salted peanut butter

1 cup raw almonds

1 cup raw peanuts

½ cup rolled oats 

5 pitted dates

1½ cups semisweet chocolate 

---------PREPARATION--------

Add your oats to the food processor and mix until small pieces remain. Then add dates and process again until only small bits remain. Remove from processor and set aside.

Next add almonds and peanuts to the food processor and mix until they turn to meal – a few small chunks are OK

Next add peanut butter to the nut meal and pulse until well combined. Then add dates and oats and process until the mixture forms a loose dough. If it seems too wet to handle, add more oats. If it seems too dry, add a few more dates.

Scoop out small handfuls of dough and form into small discs. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and pop in the freezer to harden for 30 minutes.

Around the 25-minute mark, melt your dark chocolate over a double boiler. Then work in small batches to coat the cookies. Take only 5 cookies out of the freezer at a time for dipping.

To dip, drop cookies one at a time into the chocolate, flip once, pick up with a fork and tap on the rim of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Place back on a parchment-lined baking sheet and pop back in the freezer to set.

Repeat until all cookies are dipped, re-warming chocolate as needed.

For optimum freshness, store cookies in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer until serving.

Strawberry Scones

--------------INGREDIENTS-----------------

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries

3 1/4 cups flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cups cold butter, cut into pieces

1 cup canned coconut milk + 1 tablespoon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup powdered sugar

---------PREPARATION--------

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Add strawberries with 1 tablespoons of water to a blender or a food processor and blend until smoooth and pureed. Pour into a large bowl, reserving 1/3 cup and set both aside.

In large bowl combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and powder. Using your fingers, a fork or a pastry blender, cut in butter until it forms coarse crumbs. Stir in coconut milk, 1/3 cup of strawberry puree and vanilla extract. Stir with a spoon until a dough forms, using your hands to bring it together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently.

Divide in half and pat into two 7-inch round circles. Brush each dough with melted butter. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges, or use a biscuit cutter to make rounds.

Bake for 12-14 minutes (wedges) or 9-11 minutes (rounds). While scones are baking, take 3 tablespoons of the strawberry puree, 1 tablespoon of coconut milk and the powdered sugar, whisking together until smooth and glaze-like. If glaze seems too thin, add in sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. If it seems too thick, add more coconut milk 1/2 teaspoon at a time. The key is to stir well for a few minutes. The consistency and measurements may differ based on how juicy your strawberries are.

Remove scones, let cool slightly, then drizzle on strawberry glaze and top with sprinkles.

Valentines Day

Homemade Crunchy Peanut Butter Granola Bars

--------------INGREDIENTS-----------------

1/4 C Butter

1/2 C Milk

1 C Sugar

1 C Light Brown Sugar

1 C Peanut Butter

2 tsp Vanilla

3 C Rolled Oats

1 1/4 C Rice Krispie Cereal

---------PREPARATION--------

Melt butter, and add sugar, brown sugar, and milk over medium heat until boiling. Boil gently for 90 seconds.

 Turn off heat and add peanut butter, stirring until creamy.

Add vanilla, then oats and rice krispies. Mix thoroughly

Place wax paper on 8x8 pan and pour mixture on top.

Refrigerate for 2 hours, then cut your bars

......

:) So Good.... So Easy!

What a perfect night! 

We sat and drank wine and ate cheese while playing Rumi 

{my favorite card game }

Update:

I got so good at posting and I feel as if I am slacking. I thought I needed to post an update on what is going on here. Last weekend Ivan and I drove up to Chapel Hill to visit  Mom, Paul, Jack, and Kelly. We went up because it was our monthly visit. That sounds almost like a requirement, but its just the opposite. I spent many years where I would only see my family once or twice during major holidays. This past year, starting in June- our visits became more frequent as my job allowed me weekends off. I go now 3 weeks without visiting, and I have this feeling that it's just time to go up. ( you can call that withdrawl, I do)

Jack and Kelly are both in middle school now, and I have missed many of their sports and events throughout the years living so far away. I have been really lucky that lately I have been to be able to get to know them more and build a relationship that seems stronger then ever. I left for college when they were really young so I am happy to be able to build this relationship with them now. It's refreshing to see and feel this relationship build between us as if we were only miles away from one another. A bonus, is... they love Ivan! How could they not!? I love that Ivan and Jack enjoy playing video games... even if its houuuursss at a time. A typical day up there is the boys ( Paul, Ivan, and Jack) hanging out and the girls ( Mom, Kelly, and I) hanging out- it is perfect :)

We are back at home now and living life- school and work take up most of my days and I have been really lazy in the kitchen. I cooked pasta with meat sauce, chicken bog, and white bean chicken chili this week. Nothing new to post. Hopefully this weekend I will have time to sit and set a menu for next week.

Anyway- All is well. Hope you had a great Superbowl Sunday. We spent ours at my parents theater and watched it on the big screen ( I am lying, I watched none of it... BUT it was on!) Mom threw a great party and neighbors and friends came to eat, drink, and watch football.

Here is a snapshot of the Varsity website. If you are ever in the Chapel Hill area- you should check our The Varsity on Franklin. What beats cheap tickets and the best popcorn ever? (Perks of being an owners daughter... free popcorn!)

Talk soon!