Peanut, Peanut Butter (Balls)

I love snacks. How about you? Yeah, I thought so. Most of the sweet snacks out there aren't very healthy. We make a snack that's sweet AND healthy, if you can believe it. They're called Peanut Butter/Protein Balls. They are perfect for on the go, to put in lunch bags, and lots more. Including the refrigerating process (which takes 15 minutes) they take about 30 minutes to make. The following list is a recipe for these delicious balls. Let me know what you think by posting a comment (you need a google account to do that). Try me! Like me!

Peanut Butter/ Protein Balls:

3/4 cup nonfat milk powder

1/2 cup ground flaxseed (also okay to use whole flaxseed)

1/2 cup peanut butter (the less sugar the better)

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup crushed cereal (I use oatmeal that I first zap in the food processor)

Combine first two ingredients. Add peanut butter then honey and stir to mix well. (This takes some elbow grease! Make sure all ingredients are well blended.) Stir in any combination of the following (or anything else you think would be yummy):

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup Craisins

1/3 cup sunflower nuts

1/3 cup chocolate chips

1/3 cup walnut (chips)

Now roll into balls and then put the balls into a bowl of the crushed cereal to coat them. Refrigerate until firm (about 15 minutes).

TIP: Every time I make this, I wish I made more. Double the recipe!!

Pizza Go!

 You know what the top-selling fast food in America is? Pizza. I know, trigger word: fast-food. If you love pizza but don't want as much unhealthiness as chain pizza restaurants, make it homemade, like we do. You can get the crusts at the store. We get the Mama Mary's Whole Wheat made-with-honey pizza crust (it comes in a 2-pack) at Ingles. We load it up with pepitas, pepperoni, and veggies, like green peppers, black olives and onions. Plus, you can load it up with WAY more toppings than a pizza place would give you. AND you can put different toppings for each person! Try it. You'll love it!

Don't Hate Your Veggies!

I just started my first week of school, and everyone knows that the first week is "germs" week. I came home from school one day and immediately passed my germs to my baby brother, Everett. Well, what should we do, stuff him full of  Advil and Tylenol, or fruits and veggies? We, of course chose fruits and veggies. Only problem is, Everett doesn't like them much. Then, we came up with a solution: we juiced kale, apples, and carrots! We all drink it like there's no tomorrow. We got our electric juicer hand-me-down, but you can get them at secondary stores for $20 and at other stores for $50-$100, too. We usually put 1 apple in each cup, 1 carrot, and 1 bunch of kale. Try it. It's delicious!

Dillicious Cheese

We went to the farmer's market today, and we picked out a cheese from a company called Three Graces Dairy. The cheese was called 'Dillicious,' and it was a goat cheese with dill. The cheese was made by Roberta Ferguson. It was very good! The reason the company is called Three Graces Dairy is because of the three dairy-producing animals: cow, sheep, and goat. 

Their cheeses are made locally in WNC (Western North Carolina), and things like that reduce carbon footprint, which is very good for the earth. In fact, this cheese is a farmstead cheese. According to the company's web site, ..."In order for a cheese to be classified as "farmstead," as defined by the American Cheese Society, the cheese must be made with milk from the farmer's own herd, or flock, on the farm where the animals are raised." Also, I like that Three Graces Dairy's animals "... are spoiled rotten on a diet of healthful grain, supplements and free range pastures managed without the use of herbicides or pesticides."

I give this cheese 4 stars. If you want to try it, just stop by the Asheville City Market on on a Saturday morning. Good cheese to you!

Delish-cuits

Do you like biscuits? I know I do. If you read my first post, I said that I have a magic touch for biscuits--it's true. I've constantly been told in my family that no one makes them better. But I don't think it's me. I think it's just natural.  They can be served with pasta dishes, soups and can be a great base for desserts (strawberry shortcake is a great example.) Butter and jam make them even better. Maybe try them for breakfast with honey. I got the recipe that has been passed down for a few generations. Try them. They're really good! 

Baking Powder Biscuits

PREHEAT OVEN TO 450 DEGREES (F)

sift together into mixing bowl:
4 cups flour (always sift)
2 heaping tbsp baking powder
1tsp salt

With fingers or pastry blender:
work in 1/2 cup shortening

With a fork:
quickly work in just a little more than 1 and 1/3 cup milk. Add more milk little by little until dough is soft and light.

turn out onto floured cloth

fold cloth up over dough to cover dough and pat down until smooth.

roll out using only the weight of the rolling pin to about 3/4" to 1" thick

shape with a biscuit cutter (or use a glass dipped in flour)

place on an ungreased cookie sheet so they are touching each other

prick each biscuit once lightly with a fork

Bake at 450 degrees (F) for 12-15 minutes (just golden on top)

**DO NOT WORK DOUGH TOO MUCH!**

Hot and Delicious

I love bread. Especially fresh baked bread. I'm in San Francisco right now, and bread is one of their specialties. Fresh baked bread. This bakery is called Boudin Sourdough, although it is much more than just that. It is also a restraunt. It has delicious clam chowder. They make alligator bread (bread in the shape of an alligator) and teddy bear bread (bread in the shape of a teddy bear)! You could smell the bread out in the street BLOCKS before you got there! Delicious! 5 stars! I highly recommend going here. If you like bread, you're going to love this. 

Delectible Ghirardelli

The city by the bay (San Francisco, California) is awesome! So far I've been to Alcatraz, the Ghirardelli chocolate factory/cafe, Fisherman's Wharf, and Pier 39. But back to Ghirardelli chocolate. A chocoholic's paradise! At least fifteen flavors, not to mention their sundaes. Alot of the flavors are great, but in my opinion, some flavors are just not good, like dark chocolate sea salt. Some of their other flavors are:

• white chocolate/vanilla
• milk chocolate
• dark chocolate
• milk chocolate/caramel
• dark chocolate/caramel

I give this place 9 stars on a 10-star scale. I'll throw in half a star for the free sample they give you when you walk in. Next time you're in San Francisco, come here. You'll love it!

Ghirardelli sundaes

Ghirardelli chocolate covered strawberries

Ghirardelli chocolate manufactory/cafe