Tampilkan postingan dengan label natural peanut butter. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label natural peanut butter. Tampilkan semua postingan

Homemade Peanut Butter! OMG! Why Did I Wait?!

We love peanut butter in my house, and why shouldn't we?  It's nutritious AND delicious!  This homemade peanut butter may be responsible for a name change to our food processor; it will now be called OUR NUT BUTTER MAKER!

Nut Butters are Neat-O! (some ideas of what to do with your PB!)

Crunchy Homemade Peanut Butter

Crunchy Homemade Peanut Butter

1 pound peanuts (I used salted, "fancy" from Costco)
2 tsp coconut oil (optional....adds a bit of creaminess)
3 dates (optional...adds a bit of sweetness)

Puree in food processor for three minutes or so, until you have peanut butter!  That's it!

I am going to give a big thank you to Melissa of My Whole Food Life (here is a link to some awesome blueberry jam with chia!) for her comments about just how easy this is!  As I shared with her, I tried making peanut butter several years ago with a Vitamix and it didn't go well.  This one experience, along with lots of time, lead me to feel that making peanut (or almond, or cashew, or probably any kind of nut) butter would be so much more difficult than buying it.

When I finally decided to go for it, I was astounded at how quickly I had MADE my own delicious peanut butter!  It's just like (even MUCH better!) the kind you get from Whole Foods or Heinen's or at a Farmer's Market (we get Sirina's Almond Butter at Crocker Park)!

On the other hand, like LARABARS, I was reassured of the value of fresh-ground nut butters at most of these stores...it takes a lot (around a pound) of nuts to fill a pint-sized container.  P.S. Our container  IS ALREADY just about gone!

So, I will buy NO more peanut butter from Costco!  The evolution of peanut butter from Costco has been disappointing :(  Over the last 5 years, Costco has gone from offering Kirkland Organic Natural Peanut Butter (basically, nuts and salt, awesome!), to a non-organic Kirkland natural variety (such a bummer not to have organic!), to Skippy Natural (which while omitting hydrogenated oils, adds in sugar!), and yesterday, there was only traditional peanut butter (made with hydrogenated oils, i.e. TRANS FAT, and probably sugar!, and WHY is it even still on the market?!).  YUCK!

Other simple food tasks that took me a while to try:

a) making bread (from a bread maker, for me!), and
b) using dried beans! Lucky Seven Sweet Things about Dried Beans, and More!

Sometimes, even though I KNOW how easy doing it may be, it still takes takes me a lot of motivation to try something new!  I guess we really are creatures of habit :)

COMMENTS: Cooler weather this week, love it or hate it?

Natural Nut Butters are Neat-O!

So what is the big deal about nut butters?

Well, look at it this way, if you make the SWITCH from traditional Jiffy, Skippy, or Peter Pan, you convert your spread from the equivalent of YOUR FAVORITE CANDY BAR to an oh so healthy HANDFUL OF NUTS!!!

That's a pretty BIG DIFFERENCE and SURPRISE to many, but it's true!

It is one change that can really improve your diet!

Here are some benefits of of natural peanut butter!

Have you found any NATURAL nut butters that you love?

There are lots of great ALMOND butter brands (Marathona at Costco), another varieties include sunflower butter, cashew butter, and Tahini (sesame seed butter ... I mostly use this for HUMMUS).  Click HERE for a basic and delicious HUMMUS recipe!

They are SO beneficial!  You can have all the benefits of a HEALTHY fat with none of the sneaky (AND ALWAYS THERE) added SUGAR and no HYDROGENATED OILS (trans fats).

 Just start with NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER!

If you can find a product that you love, you can have a super-nutritious food on hand all the time!

They usually require stirring -- try flipping the jar up-side-down a few days before you open it, and you will send a lot of the oil to the bottom!

Costco has a great product with a RED lid, that USED to even be ORGANIC, but with the peanut shortage, the jar size has increased and conventional (non-organic) peanuts are currently used.

Heinen's, as well as farmer's markets (particularly Sirina's at Crocker Park in Westlake), and Whole Foods, all make delicious peanut butters in their stores!

Marc's carries a brand called, ...I think Joey's, which is pretty good, and for a decent value.

RECIPES to try:












Hearty Oatmeal  (great with or without cocoa!)


  • Peanut butter scoop -- on it's own!
  • A big scoop with an apple, biting some of each with each bite, or dipping apple slices
  • OR you can scoop the core out of an apple, and then fill it in with peanut butter!





  • Peanut Butter on Whole Wheat Toast






  • Peanut Butter and Banana Mini-Sandwiches (two banana slices and PB in the middle, served with a toothpick!)
  • Ants on a Log (celery slices topped with PB, and raisins for ants!)
  • Peanut Butter Roll (whole wheat tortilla or Flatout flat bread spreaded with PB and rolled up, warm in microwave for 10 sec, or serve cold)
  • Pasta with a Peanut Sauce (coming soon!)


Happy snacking!

COMMENTS: How do you like to eat your peanut butter?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Eggs!

Happy Easter!



These are a fun treat I made for the kiddos for Easter -- Ha!  They don't realize they are healthy!

Right before bed, my 6YO asked, can we have a treat AFTER breakfast tomorrow?!  She was thrilled that of course she can!  We'd even go wild and let her eat candy before breakfast, but if she is happy to have breakfast first, fine with me!

PS- for the record, all 3 kids had candy BEFORE breakfast!  Still, it's nice that they're learning that it's smart to eat FOOD BEFORE treats!  What a lovely day we enjoyed!

Ok, so for the FUDGE!

Simply grind 1/2 c oats in a food chopper to form a flour.

Next stir together:

1/2 c oats
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa (you can reduce this and increase the oats so it's not as strong a flavor :)
3/4 c NATURAL peanut butter

Just mix and mix with a spoon and maybe a knife to cut through the peanut butter.  After a few minutes, a very thick FUDGE will form!  Fill container with mixture, flattening down solid.  You can use any container -- tonight I used a silicone cupcake pan!

Now freeze mixture for about an hour, and enjoy!

I got this basic idea a long time ago from the darling Chocolate Covered Katie!  She makes a million versions, I'm sure this one is similar to something she makes!  Check out her site for more delicious ideas at www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com !

COMMENTS:  Does the Easter Bunny come to your house?  What are your favorites that he brings?!


4-Ingredient Rich Peanut Butter Cookies

These peanut butter cookies couldn't be easier!

Plus, they are free of FLOUR, BUTTER, SUGAR, and OIL!


HEALTHY PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

14 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 c dates, pitted (about 30 pieces)
1/2 c milk
2/3 c NATURAL peanut butter
1/2 c peanuts, roasted, unsalted (optional)

Blend all ingredients in a food processor, adding the nuts last for just a quick spin to desired crunchiness.  Bake at 350 (conventional), 375 (convection), for 15 minutes.  Enjoy!

SOME TIPS

  • At first, you may want to wrap a paper towel around the edge of the food processor lid/container because it may leak.
  • Start blending slowly, pulsing until it's a bit mixed up.  Then turn it on for 1-2 minutes.  
  • Counting dates may save you time, since you have to grab them out of the container a few at a time anyway, and saves you from washing an extra measuring cup.
  • As I've mentioned, after you've made a recipe a few times, you can try estimating!
  • Costco sells an awesome HUGE container of pitted dates for $4!



WANT TO JUST MAKE ONE?!

You can pop a big scoop into a small bowl and cook it in the microwave for 60-70 seconds, and viola!!!  Hot, fresh, baked cookie, and you haven't even heated up the oven!!!  YUM!


Why not have these for breakfast?  They'll be a healthy start to your day!  My girls had them for breakfast today!  And my hubby even took one in to work as a dessert!  He gave up desserts for Lent, but he can cheat with these because they are a healthy snack disguised as a savory dessert!

Why not try it tonight (or for lunch, really!) with a Healthy Friendly's Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Sundae!

OR you could try Choco-Peanut Crunch Laraballs or you might like PB&J Poppers!


COMMENTS: Have you ever baked with beans?  It's SO awesome to add such nutrition -- and it's completely undetectable!

Healthy Friendly's Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Sundae



I can't help myself -- can't keep from sharing!  This is SO yummy!


Reminds me of my favorite childhood peanut butter cup ice cream sundae -- we used to go to Friendly's for our birthdays, and I always got this: Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Sundae!






Healthy Peanut Butter Cup Sundae

Greek yogurt, non-fat
Natural peanut butter

Prepare Laraball recipe, but make THIS recipe before you shape your balls. Serve yourself a bowl of plain Greek yogurt. With a spoon, stir in some Laraball crumble and peanut butter. Don't mix really well, just swirl it in for a second. Enjoy!

Looking for other ways to eat your GREEK yogurt, click here!

Benefits of Greek yogurt are there too!

SHARE IF YOU DARE!  What fun are you up to this weekend?  I am excited for my birthday!  And I'll be getting my hair cut, a fun treat!  And getting my passport renewed, fun because if the trip it's for!
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