Tag Archives: peanuts

Valentine’s Day Trail Mix

I broke down, and had to purchase personalized M&M’s for my husband for Valentine’s Day. The process of ordering the M&M’s was too much fun with selecting any color, adding cute little sayings, and pictures. I was able to order them with Groupon one of my favorite apps which decreased the overall cost. My whole intent of ordering the M&M’s was to make him trail mix with these “melt in your mouth” American staples. 

I added all his favorite fixings into the mix.  Trail mix is one of his favorite snacks, and is great in between meals as a satisfying sweet and salty treat. 

Ingredients: 

1 cup dried cranberries 

1 1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds, lightly salted

1 cup whole cashews, lightly salted 

2 cup peanuts, lightly salted

1 cup M&M’s 

1 cup Ghirardelli 60% cacao chips

1/4 cup pepita seeds

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients into a sealable container. Lock the lid on the container & give the container a few gentle shakes to distribute all the ingredients throughout. 

2. Store the trail mix in the sealed container or portion out into small sealable snack baggies for travel. 

Sea Salt Caramel Peanut Butter Brownies



I recently asked my husband, what dessert he would like for his sweet treat for his lunches? I enjoy packing his work lunches. I always like to include a few proteins, whole grains, veggies, fruit, salty snack, and sweet goodie. 

Also, I love packing lunches for my husband and I because brown bagging is a resourceful way to use leftovers. Packing a lunch daily can really help save money & reduce waste. So many people dine out or order in for meals for lunch breaks. This habit can be easily $10-20 a day downtown in a city; not to mention high in  unnecessary & unwanted calories. 

His response to my question for his sweet treat was brownies. I asked what kind and he mentioned a traditional style (last week I had made Blondies).  I couldn’t bare making Plain Jane Brownies; therefore, I spiced them up a tad. This led me to the mix up of a beautiful marriage salted caramel,peanuts, and chocolate. 

Prework:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Foil line a glass 9 by 13 baking pan and spray generously with canola oil cooking spray

Ingredients:

1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil

4 oz of extra dark chocolate (63% cacao), plus more for drizzle 1-2 tablespoon melted 

4 Tablespoons of natural peanut butter

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla

3 eggs

1 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 scant cup of dry roasted unsalted peanuts

1 1/2 cups of pretzels (wheel or mini pretzel shape)

6 ounce jar of sea salt caramel sauce or homemade prepared caramel sauce, plus 1-2 tablespoon for final drizzle

A few pinches of Sea Salt for final sprinkle (optional)

This recipe yields 16 large brownies or 32 mini
Directions:

  1. Take over a double broiler and melt the chocolate, coconut oil, and peanut butter. Once the mixture is melted add in the applesauce, & sugar. Remove the double broiler and add in the eggs one at a time with a whisk and lastly add in the vanilla. Set aside.
  2. In the meantime, whisk together the flour, kosher salt, and baking powder. Add the liquid chocolate mixture to the flour. Mix until combined.
  3. Pour 1/3 of the batter on the bottom of the prepared 9 by 13 pan. Layer the pretzels evenly on top of the batter (it is roughly 47 pretzel wheels), than sprinkle with the peanuts. Drizzle with half of caramel sauce. Place the remaining 2/3 of batter on top of the nut, caramel, pretzel layer. I find using a plastic spatula sprayed with cooking spray makes for easier spreading.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees for 33 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center of the brownies clean. Place the brownies on a wire rack to cool. Allow the brownies to completely cool before removing from the pan.
  5. Using the foil sides, lift the brownies from pan and place on parchment paper.
  6. On a diagonal drizzle with caramel and chocolate. Lastly sprinkle with sea salt. Store in a sealable container. Cut to your desired serving size.
  • Make sure to store in an airtight container 

Peanuts & Berry Overnight Greek Yogurt Pick Me Up


Mason jar madness, these containers are too cute not to use for everything. I recently found a steal on vintage Ball jars at an estate sale. Garage saleing and picking is another one of my favorite past times. Buying more jars, just means more fun things to make in the perfect portioned food vessels. 

I have to admit that Plain Greek yogurt is one of my all time favorite proteins and when I put it in a mason jar it makes it ten times more enjoyable. I’m not sure if it is the seethrough glass, the sealable lid, the reusable container, or the fact it reminds me of canning vegetables and jam with my grandma. 

Serving size: one just for me (I am not a good sharer)



Ingredients: 

1 pint size mason jar

1/2 cup Plain Greek Yogurt

2 tablespoon of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 1/2 teaspoons of chai seeds

1 teaspoon of ground Vietnamase cinnamon

2 tablespoon of peanut butter flavored protein powder 

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

10 peanuts, spilt

Directions:

1. Place the first 5 ingredients in the mason jar and mix with a mini spatula. 

2. Top the yogurt mix with the blueberries. Finish with sprinkling the peanuts. Place the seal & lid on the jar. 

3. Place the jar in the refrigerator overnight. 

4. Before enjoying give the jar contents a good stir. 

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

bananas rarely go bad at this house! I eat one daily and if they start to get too ripe, I freeze them for banana “ice cream”. My husband made the comment those bananas look like banana bread bananas so I took that literally and started baking. 

Ingredients

  • 4 medium bananas (pealed and mashed)
  • 1 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 cup Ap flour
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
  • 2 TB ground flax seed 
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
  • 2/3 cup raw sugar or brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts chopped (optional)

Directions 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray with cooking spray 4 mini bread loaf pans. Set aside.
  2. Mash bananas in a large bowl until almost puréed consistency. 
  3. Add oil, peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla. 
  4. Add one egg at a time.
  5. Mix after each addition until incorporated. I used the fork I used to mash the bananas.
  6. In a separate bowl whisk flours, salt, baking powder, flaxseed until mixed throughout. 
  7. Add dry ingredients to wet.
  8. Mix to fully incorporate. Make sure no dry residue remains. 
  9. If you are going to add the additional peanuts now is the time. Fold them gently into the batter. 
  10. Place in prepared bread tins and spread batter evenly. Each vessel of the pampered chef stone mini bread loaf pan allows for scan 2 cups of batter.
  11. Shake pan to settle the bread in the pan. 
  12. Place in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until tooth comes out clean.