Peanut Butter Oatmeal Energy Bites

Just a quick recipe to share with you as we make our way into the weekend.  

These energy bites are simple, nutritious and wholesome.  

Only takes about 20 minutes to whip up a batch

so that they can be enjoyed during a sporting event, as a snack or on the go!  

Image this scenario...

There is one hour between games/events,

do you want your athlete eating pizza, nachos, a hot dog or

one or two peanut butter oatmeal balls?

They are a great go-to because of the blend of protein and energy!

You can grab one between meals or on your way out the door.

My kids love them, actually, so do Jerry and I.

And, I love the fact that they are made from a handful of kitchen staples.  

Simply add
1 cup quick oats, 
1/2 cup peanut butter,
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
(rich in fiber, antioxidants and omega-3 fats)
what better place to sneak it in…
nobody even knows it is in there!
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
into a mixing bowl.

And stir it up well.

The dough will be thick…
tricky part is to get it wet enough to hold together
but not too wet to be sticky.  

Using a medium-sized scoop to achieve uniform size,
each ball is rolled between hands until smooth.

When the dough is in my hands,
I give it a gentle squeeze to ensure that the texture is right…
Enough moisture to hold together
(so if it crumbles, throw it back…make sure it is thoroughly combined
add more honey or peanut butter if the dough is too dry).

Then roll it out until smooth and roundish.

This batch only made 15 bites or so…
now I always make a double batch. 

Pop them into the fridge to cool and for storage.

RECIPE:

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Makes 15-18 bites

Ingredients

1 cup quick oats, 

1/2 cup peanut butter,

1/4 cup flaxseed meal 

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and then form into individual bites. 

Oreo Balls

Just in time for Halloween, these festive Oreo balls are like a party in your mouth!  

And, they will certainly be welcome after the holiday passes. 

They are quite easy, just 3 required ingredients 

and the most time-consuming part is allowing them to partially freeze between steps.

I first saw these a few years ago in the Kraft Food & Family magazine and
have been enjoying them ever since!

Start with one package of Peanut Butter Oreo cookies,

these things are dangerously good, 

so don't buy to the cookies too far in advance of making the treats! 

I chopped them up using my trusty, mini-chopper…

works great to make nice uniform crumbs. 

Then one 8 oz package of cream cheese was softened in the microwave

and added to the Oreo crumbs. 

Using a fork, the crumbs and cream cheese were thoroughly combined. 

I have found that it is much, MUCH easier to 

form cold, stiff, partially frozen dough into balls.

So, I pop this into the freezer for about 30 minutes…

(in the mean time, you can get dinner started!)

 When the dough was chilled, 

about 36 Oreo balls were formed.  

I generally err on the side of smaller, bite-size balls. 

They can get big fast,

 especially when coating with melted chocolate. 

Pop the dough balls back into the freezer for about 30 minutes 

so that they are easier to manage

and don't melt apart in the chocolate. 

That is also NO fun…spoken from experience. 

Once the dough was ready for coating, 

4 oz of white chocolate was melted in the microwave according to the instructions. 

I generally opt for a smaller, deep bowl

so that not too much chocolate is wasted on the sides. 

Using a toothpick, the Oreo balls are dipped in the melted white chocolate and

swirled for complete coverage.

Set onto wax paper, 

sprinkled with orange sugar and 

topped with a pretzel stick for the stem.  

Four ounces of chocolate covered about 1 dozen Oreo balls. 

So, then melt and dip accordingly until finished.  

I highly recommend melting about 4 oz of chocolate at a time…

it starts to cool and harden fast and 

I don't recommend the texture of chocolate that has been melted too many times. 

RECIPE:                Makes about 3 dozen Oreo Balls

Ingredients:

1 package Peanut Butter Oreo Cookies

8oz Cream cheese - softened

12 oz of white chocolate for baking 

Orange sugar

Pretzel Sticks

Directions:

Crush Oreos in food processor to achieve consistent crumbs. 

Combine with softened cream cheese. 

Freeze for 30 minutes to harden for ease of handling.

Form into Oreo balls, erring on the smaller side. 

Freeze for 30 minutes to harden for ease of handling. 

Melt white chocolate about 4 oz at a time. 

Using a toothpick, dip and swirl the Oreo balls to cover. 

Place on wax paper, sprinkle with Orange sugar and add the pretzel. 

I generally store in the refrigerator or freezer to keep the texture firm. 

Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Happy Rainy Hump Day!

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain!" 

I'm so thankful for my eternally optimistic husband who finds as much enjoyment in these cliches as I do (ok, probably not quite as much), but with these cool, rainy days, it's a good time to reflect on that that really means.  

So, in an effort to dance in the rain, during this cold, wet stretch of not so springy weather, I decided to whip up some comfort food last night, rather than go straight to bed and wait for the storm to pass.  

Peanut butter cookies have always been my favorite, but once oatmeal is added, they are amazing!  As in, the best cookies I have ever had.

They have the perfect texture with a light crispy, crunchy edge and soft and chewy middle.

Thankfully these have oatmeal in them, that practically qualifies them as health food!

Starting with 2 1/2 cup of quick oats, add 1 1/4 cups flour, 1tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, combine these ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Since the oats are so bulky, I do actually get these ingredients stirred up in a separate bowl.

In the mixing bowl, start with 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter and add 1 cup of peanut butter.  I always go with creamy, as that is what my kids prefer.  I'm sure chunky would be delicious too!

And, I never measure peanut butter…just want to go on record saying that.  I eyeball about 1 cup and go with it.  I know there is a fancy plunger-type measuring canister, that I don't have, but I would not waste the time getting an exact measure as half of the peanut butter would be lost in transition anyway.

Once those first two ingredients are creamed together, add 1 cup white sugar and 1 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla extract.

Finally, I fold on the flour and oatmeal mixture, just with a wooden spoon.

I have actually experienced breaking off a mixer head while trying to mix something that is too thick...so, I've finally learned to error on the side of caution, at least as far as mixing is concerned.

The perfect size for this cookie, which yields 3 dozen, is the medium sized scoop from Pampered Chef.

Drop the dough balls onto an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 11-13 minutes at 350.  Again, I always go with the lesser amount of time to ensure the chewier texture for these cookies!

The finishing touch on these fabulously tasty morsels, are some chocolates on top.  (Here being executed by the extremely serious Ryker - wish I could share with you his adorable dimple when he smiles!).

Last night we went with mini kisses, which I think are fabulous!  It makes it that much easier to get a little chocolate in at least 3 bites.

RECIPE

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup of quick oats
1 1/4 cups flour
1tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
1 cup of peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Mix up first 5 dry ingredients and set aside. 

Cream together next 6 ingredients. 

Add to the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, fold together by hand. 

Bake cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 F for 11-13 minutes.