Chocolate Chip Peanut-Butter Bites

You can’t really go wrong with chocolate and peanut-butter, can you? If you disagree, just stop reading now.

These are my favorite sweets to make mostly because they’re easy and Ian loves them. (Let’s be honest, I do too.)

Bonus: The dough is amazing.

Want to make ’em? Here’s the recipe.

– Chocolate Chip Peanut-Butter Bites –

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 cup peanut butter (I use crunchy Jif)

1/2 teas. salt

1/2 teas. baking soda

1/2 teas. vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

handful (or 2!) of chocolate chips

Nestle semi-sweet chunks are my favorite, but chocolate chips work just as well.

Combine all of your ingredients in a mixing bowl, there’s really no rhyme or reason to it, I just throw everything in, chocolate last.

Form balls and bake at 350 for 9 minutes. (The actual recipe says 10, but I find that 9 makes them perfectly doughy).

They can be made into cookies too by pressing them with a fork as soon as they come out of the oven, but we prefer the bites around our house.

Pour yourself a glass of milk and enjoy

…as if you can after all the dough you’ll most likely consume while preparing them.

Homemade Salsa

So my sister-in-law pretty much makes the most bomb salsa ever (and no matter how many times I make it, it never turns out as good as hers).

Here’s what you need:

– Hayley’s Homemade Salsa –

1 pack grape tomatoes, rinsed and thoroughly dried

1 bunch cilantro

juice of 1 lime

1/2 onion

3-5 cloves garlic (I sometimes add more)

2-3 large avocados

garlic salt

salt

pepper

oregano

Combine all ingredients except for avocado, garlic salt, salt, pepper, and oregano, in a food processor.

>>Make sure your tomatoes are completely dry after rinsing, otherwise you will end up with a lot of extra juice in your salsa and it will be too runny <<

Pulse until you have a consistency you like and everything is well-blended (I prefer mine a little chunky so I only do it a few quick times).

Add garlic salt, salt, pepper, and oregano to taste.

Chop avocado into small, bite-size pieces and add just before serving.

Dip your favorite chips and enjoy!

P.S. It’s also delish served over enchiladas, mixed in a taco salad, or served on a corn tortilla with shredded chicken, rice, and beans. Trust me, I’ve tried all 3.

Enjoy!

A Simple Bridal Shower

With spring on its way, and summer quickly approaching (hopefully sooner rather than later), it seems like shower-season is in full swing, whether for babies or brides.

Last year, I threw a simple bridal shower for my friend and co-worker, Misty. Her quiet personality set the tone for the shower. Nothing over the top, only a handful of close friends, and petite finger food that were easy to prepare.

For the life of me, I can’t find the invitation I created for Misty’s shower, which is so lame! But I do still have a few snapshots of the day.

1. Flowers make any party pretty, and are a natural way to add some color to the table.

2. Pistachio Power Bars. These are delish!

3. Fruit salad. Classic, but oh so good during this time of the year when the fruit is getting ripe!

4. Toby’s Tea Sandwiches. Super easy…spread a little Toby’s Lite Jalapeno on multigrain bread, then cut into bite-size pieces using these handy tools.

5. A paper pendant read, ‘congratulations’ and it worked for that shower, but I’m working on a much cuter one for an upcoming baby shower…stay tuned!

(There’s also some simple chocolate cupcakes hidden in that photo. My mom made them, she has an amazing recipe that I’ve probably eaten 1,000 times in my lifetime).

6. Drinking glasses placed on a serving tray help break up the table, and double as a useful way to disperse drinks once guests have arrived.

There are 2 baby showers within the next 2 months, so stay tuned for fun ideas and lots more inspiration.

Happy Wednesday!

Berry Muffins

I have a few go-to recipes that have yet to fail me, one of which is this one that my sister-in-law shared with me the last time I visited. They’re simple muffins that can be modified depending on the berries available, and have one surprising ingredient that makes them moist.

– For the muffins –

1 1/2 c. flour

1 c. sugar

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. milk

1 t. apple cider vinegar

1 t. vanilla

4 T applesauce (here’s the secret ingredient I mentioned!)

1/2 c. oil

1 c. berries (I used blueberries)

– For the topping –

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 t. cinnamon

1 or 2 T melted butter

Begin by mixing flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add remaining ingredients.

Mix just until the batter is just combined (your batter will be slightly goopy).

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine ingredients for topping and set aside.

Scoop your batter into lined muffin tins. These have a tendency to stick really bad (even in a greased pan), so I always use liners.

Place a spoonful of topping into each tin, then firmly press with the back of a spoon to keep the topping in place.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Allow to cool.

Enjoy!

40 in 50: Healthy Power Balls

I made this recipe the other day, mostly because I like the thought of having healthy, small snacks around the house to grab when we’re on the go.

They were gross.

This is what they should have looked like:

Appetizing enough, right?

I felt like I was eating rabbit food. I think Ian’s exact words were, “they need more sugar”. (I didn’t have the heart to tell him that there wasn’t any sugar to begin with).

Moral of the story: If you’re going to make a healthy treat, be prepared for it to taste like crap.

It is so frustrating to have something not turn out the way you were anticipating after you put so much time and energy into it. Whether it’s cooking, sewing, or a project around the house, it’s a huge letdown when you feel like all that you put into it has gone to waste (especially when it’s cute fabric or an expensive ingredient you’ll never use again).

I recently came across a quote on Pinterest and decided to make a print out of it to hang in my craft room:

Can I get an amen?

At least I can say I tried. I’ve learned my lesson, and Ian and I both got a good laugh out of how horrible they were.

Yes, it’s discouraging, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to give up.

Bad sign that my first 2 of the 40 projects have been a bust?

Nah, I’ll keep plugging away.