Friday Fixins: Nutty About Peanut Butter!

---

Absolutely Easy Magic Peanut Butter Cookies!
Now in all fairness, the Queen of White Southern Cookin' isn't the first person to use this recipe; but my she sure does it all so well. Funny what men like about cooking. Anywhooo....
Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
1 cup sugar, or 1 1/3 cup sugar replacement (recommended: Splenda)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet. In a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, 1 cup equivalent of the Splenda, the egg, and vanilla, and stir well with a spoon. Roll the dough into balls the size of walnuts. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet. With a fork, dipped in Splenda to prevent sticking, press a crisscross design on each cookie. Bake for 12 minutes, remove from the oven, and sprinkle the cookies with some of the remaining Splenda. Cool slightly before removing from pan.

Yield: 18 cookies
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Inactive prep time: 3-5 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy
Paula Dean

---

But it you really must...here's another recipe more like grandma used to make and you must have your flour fix:
Prep Time: 12 minutes

Old Style Peanut Butter Cookies
mmmm....something smells go good.....
Ingredients:
* 1 1/4 cups flour, sift or stir before measuring
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 cup shortening
* 1/2 cup peanut butter
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 egg

Preparation: Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside. Cream shortening, peanut butter, and sugars; beat in vanilla and egg. Stir in flour mixture, blending well. Shape mixture into 3/4-inch balls; place on greased baking sheets. Flatten each cookie with the tines of a fork; dip fork in flour periodically to keep it from sticking to the peanut butter cookie dough. Bake peanut butter cookies at 375° for about 10 to 12 minutes.

---

Ok...one more!

Peanut Butter Cookies!
These cookies are a favorite treat for young children. Have you guessed yet that I LOVE peanut butter cookies!
Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe Ingredients
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• granulated sugar

Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe Directions: In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter on high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and baking powder. Mix until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in the remaining flour. Cover and chill dough until easy to handle, approximately 1 hour. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in granulated sugar and place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten the dough balls by using a fork to make a criss cross pattern on the cookies. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 7 to 9 minutes or until bottoms are lightly brown. Cool cookies on a wire rack.



Ok I know I said one more several mores ago; but this picture really did it for me taken by Susan. Check this recipe out too!

All Gassed Out! NO GAS; just Friday Fixins!

It's another cool Friday...right; how could it not be, it's FRIDAY! It's been a great day for getting things done. In spite of being busy, its also a great day for reflections and for thankfulness. I dont know about you; but I have seen some strange things beginning to happen at gas pumps. My other side might not agree by replying..."but its human nature..." Anywhooo, gas seems to be right up front on everybody's wallets.





The only other things running close are politics and the economy. I join the ranks of so many wondering how can we pay more for gas after ....well; thats another blog. Its funny odd how far people will drive for a lower price....which kinda defeats the purpose of saving since it just cost you more gas to go get it for less. Of course, thats providing you can actually find any. It would appear that somebody has found a way to recycle plastic bags...."gas pump sweaters!" [seriously...nobody steal that idea;...except Paris Hilton...]





I passed 3 stations before I could even get ANY gas which was AFTER I waited in line. My wifey will tell you, personally I dont say much about gas prices because my thought is so what! If I want/need it I'm gonna get it anyway, so why complain about something I either cant do anything about or I'm gonna bow to anyway (gas prices). However; just because I CAN pay $40.00 dollars a gallon doesnt mean I WILL. Enough is enough! Its gotten out of hand and 4 years, much less 8, ain't gonna fix it. I'm getting my bicycle out this weekend. Ok...that's all I am going to rant on this issue. Toons say it all.





...so lets just eat; but wait delivery trucks run on gas too....hmmm..I wonder who they will pass along the cost to? Yeah, but I GOTTA eat; so on to the Friday Fixins! Oh this one is really good. What could be better than smooth warm chocolate on a fall day except adding peanut butter (and I PREFER Jif) to the mix. This one is worth all its fat grams!!!

---

---

Chocolate Peanut Butter Puppy Chow

Ingredients
7 cups Chex cereal
2 cups golden grahams
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp fine salt
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup Butterfinger Marble Mix-Ins*
1/8 cup butterscotch chips, chopped
1/8 cup peanut butter chips, chopped

Directions
1. Combine cereals in a large bowl.
2. Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter over low heat, stirring until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.
3. Pour the chocolate mixture over the cereal, stirring gently with a plastic spoon until coated.
4. Measure the powdered sugar into a large plastic zip bag (or a bowl if you don’t have a bag that’s big enough). Then add the chocolate mixture, Butterfinger Marble Mix-Ins*, butterscotch chips and peanut butter chips into the bag and shake (or invite your kid into the kitchen to shake it up for you).

* If you can’t find this, chopped butterfinger bars would work great too. Great recipes from Chocolate Peanut Butter site, two of my most favorite things.You might also salivate for some Cheesy Ranch Mix

Thats all I got and I gave it to you! Have a great weekend.

Peanut Butter, Justice and the Universe

---

---

Its been a good slow and easy weekend and some time since I last blogged. Time is important, that is to take a break and look back, to retrace the steps before and see the imprints left. It helps to readjust the flightplan or at least to be aware if it needs it. I saw several things of interest including a History Channel special on methane gas rising from below the sea causing global warming, DATELINE: Raw, a behind the scenes of To Catch a Predator series, NEXT, a Nicholas Cage movie about knowing the future, a CNBC special on a criminal in Nashville who is taking drugs to be found 'sane' so he can be executed and of course; accepting Thanksgiving at my house again. What do all these things have in common?

TIME! With enough of it, we ALWAYS reveal our true natures and intentions. Its not the time that does it but we who pass throught it. Its interesting to note; we as humans rarely change of our own volition. It takes some catastrophic event to break the gravitational pull of whatever we are immersed within. Ever notice how sitting in water constantly getting warmer or colder is far better than just jumping in all of a sudden. That blatent shock that makes us pucker north and south. They say, you can boil a frog alive by putting it in a pan of water and turning the temperature up slowly. I dont think such a thing is limited to frogs. I dont believe most people are born diviant; instead, it is turned up a little at a time until the reflection is only a monster to those looking at the fully cooked frog in the pan. The frog typically doesnt know or realize that its cooked.... (hmmm.... :D) [slight pause for a brief smile]

Anyway, in the pursuit of life, we encounter may things and many people; all the while learning more about ourselves and they of us. That's the generosity of TIME.... Things are proven more true or more false. Sometimes that comes as a polar bear dip to the one who tries to stand ignorantly by the side of the pool; feigning innocence to gain bliss to protect the guilty. [...hmmm....lawyers; now there's a blog waiting to happen....]

Peanut butter is a marvelous thing. Notice how it clings and adheres. Notice how tracks can be swirled through it smoothly with not so much effort. It is sweet to the taste and its aroma eagerly greets the passerby. Peanut butter is in no hurry. Too much of it still stays put. It doesnt matter how big or strong you are; the roof of your mouth is still before your throat. I have almost choked on too much peanut butter. I love my JIFF. Its the smoothest creamiest and best tasting to me...but the lack of oxygen is very motivating to put in just the right amount. Life is a lot like peanut butter. It spreads real easy if you dont opt for the chunky kind. Keep it in the jar and on the bread and its pretty easy to manage. Dont take anymore than yours and you can enjoy it without consequences.


The universe guarantees that justice is much the same. It regulates and redistributes at its will. Perhaps one could reason that Justice is the the crunchy form of peanut butter. Sooner or later; some nut will get in the way. You cant spread what isnt smooth...at least not as cosmeticly pleasing as we try to make everything. Plastic surgery is some interesting peanut butter too. [ok...thats another blog too....for not now...] Isnt peanut butter great; but what would it be without jelly? Grape, strawberry, or apple......ahhhhhh.... a PBJ hasnt changed for decades; but if it did, it wouldnt be a PBJ. Thats the justice of the universe.

---