CHICKEN MEATBALLS WITH SWEET PEANUT SAUCE

I had half a package of ground chicken in the refrigerator, left over from another recipe, and I thought these Chicken Meatballs would be a fun and tasty way to use it. They were a success, and enjoyed by everyone in our family.

CHICKEN MEATBALLS WITH SWEET PEANUT SAUCE

1 pound of ground chicken
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
chopped peanuts for garnish

Mix chicken, cilantro, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Roll into 1 tablespoon balls. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
Add meatballs and cook through, 6 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, mix peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil, in a bowl, and warm in microwave.
Sprinkle cooked meatballs with peanuts, and serve with the dipping sauce.
Enjoy!

PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKES

My husband and I attended an "everything butter" tasting at 28 Springs in Siloam Springs, where each course was absolutely incredible and paired perfectly with a beverage.
Once we arrived and had been seated, we were given a jar filled a quarter of the way with cream and a pinch of salt, and were instructed to shake the jar for about 2 minutes. We made our own butter to pair with the fresh, warm pretzel bread - such a fun way to start the evening.
There was a fish course drizzled with butter aoli, butternut soup topped with a cultured butter foam, a "turkey dinner"- bite sized delights of turkey and stuffing, green beans wrapped in bacon, accompanied by roasted sweet potatoes topped with homemade brown-butter and sage marshmallows. The magical meal, for that is how I came to think of it,  was rounded out with a rich, buttery shortbread baton, paired with brown butter ice cream (some of the best ice cream I have ever tasted) and butterscotch and chocolate sauces.

TURKEY DINNER - turkey confit, roasted sweet potatoes, brown-butter & sage marshmallows, cornbread stuffing, bacon-wrapped green beans, cranberry sauce, paired with a Belgian beer - at 28 Springs

ELEMENTAL SUNDAE - scottish shortbread, brown butter ice cream, askinosie chocolate sauce, butterscotch, paired with Breckenridge bourbon, at 28 Springs

It was such an amazing meal and we are still talking about it!! In fact, every time we have eaten at 28 Springs, has been a memory maker.
While my husband and I were busy anticipating a spectacular meal, I thought I would give the kids something to look forward to as well, a little "butter tasting" of their own, incorporating the childhood favorite, peanut butter.

PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKES

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup dark chocolate chips
FROSTING
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 to 6 tablespoons milk
chocolate chips for garnish

Heat oven to 350F.
Line 20 to 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl, mix well.
Beat 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/4 cup butter in a large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until blended. Add brown sugar, beat until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, mixing well at low speed after each addition. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips. Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.
Bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool completely.
Beat 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup of peanut butter in medium bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, mix until well blended. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until smooth and desired consistency is reached. Pipe or spread frosting on cupcakes. Garnish with chocolate chips.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cupcakes, March 2013
pilcookbooks.com/‎

PUMPKIN PATCH DIPPERS and AUTUMN LEAVES WITH PEANUT BUTTER DIP

Here are a couple of fun Fall ideas for the kids - although to be honest, I enjoyed them too!! I made the Pumpkin Patch Dippers and Autumn Leaves with Peanut Butter Dip for an after school refreshment, as a cheerful, lighthearted way to greet the kids when they came home with their friends.

PUMPKIN PATCH DIPPERS

Peel a large carrot and cut it into 1/4 inch thick coins. Slide a piece of parsley onto a toothpick, then skewer each coin. Thread a sliced green onion stem onto each toothpick. Serve the "pumpkins" in a plate of hummus.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Family Fun, October 2012
www.parents.com/familyfun-magazine/‎

AUTUMN LEAVES WITH PEANUT BUTTER DIP

LEAVES
Heat oven to 400F.
Use a cookie cutter to make leaf shapes, spritz them with cooking spray, and sprinkle with raw sugar.
Bake for 3 to 4 minutes.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Parents Magazine, October 2009
www.parents.com/recipes/‎

PEANUT BUTTER DIP
8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1/2 of an 8 ounce container of whipped topping
1/4 cup apple butter
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

Mix all ingredients together.
Enjoy!

CHEESY CHICKEN BAKE and SLOW COOKER THAI CHICKEN and GARAM MASALA AND SOUR CREAM CHICKEN BAKE

Tuesday is our super busy, crazy, running from one activity to another night. My daughter has horse riding lessons right after school and we make it home in time with barely 30 minutes until my oldest son and husband walk out the door for Scouts.
I have been tempted to stop and pick dinner up on the way back into town from the stable, but so far  I have managed to make meals in advance. The slow cooker has been the quickest and easiest and my cooking method of choice for these hectic evenings, as it doesn't require any hurried re-heating, a big deal with so little time to enjoy our dinner and time together.

CHEESY CHICKEN BAKE

1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes, cut into large cubes
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley or basil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 to 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup grated fontina

Heat oven to 350F.
In a 9 by 13 inch baking dish, toss tomatoes, onion, 1/4 cup parsley or basil, garlic and olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
Place chicken on top of tomatoes, season. Bake 30 minutes, turn chicken and bake again until sauce bubbles and chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes more.
Sprinkle with cheese, bake another 2 minutes, garnish with remaining parsley or basil
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine, September 2013
www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/‎

SLOW COOKER THAI CHICKEN

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 red and 1 green bell pepper coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup roasted peanuts chopped
rice, to serve

Place chicken, bell pepper, and onion in slow cooker. Pour soy sauce, chicken broth, cumin, garic, chili pepper flakes, salt and pepper over chicken. Stir well to combine. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. After this time, whisk togeher cornstarch, peanut butter, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and lime juice together with 1 cup of chicken broth. Mix together until smooth, and then stir back into slow cooker to blend well. Cook an additional 20 to 30 minutes, until sauce is well thickened.
Garnish with cilantro - serve over rice if desired.

Enjoy! Please pass onto your friends!

Recipe adapted from The Holiday Cookbook, November 2008
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food

GARAM MASALA AND SOUR CREAM CHICKEN BAKE

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
8 pieces of chicken (I used chicken tenders)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
salt to taste

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium. Add onion and cook 10 minutes, or until golden.
Meanwhile, cut shallow slits in chicken to help infuse spices.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked onions, sour cream, yogurt, lemon juice, garam masala, turmeric and salt. Mix until smooth. Pour into a resealable plastic bag, add chicken and turn to coat, place bag in shallow pan and let marinate in refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.
When ready to bake, heat oven to 350F. Transfer chicken and marinade into an 8 by 12 inch baking dish. Bake 45 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Serve chicken with sauce.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, August 2013
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/‎

ROASTED BANANA SCONES WITH PEANUT BUTTER GLAZE

After Christmas, our family rented an RV and took a trip down South. We stopped for lunch in Tupelo, Mississippi and visited the birthplace of Elvis Presley. Having to explain to the kids who he was took a little of the fun out of it, and they really couldn't have cared less about the King of Rock and Roll.
It is rumored Elvis's favorite food was a peanut butter and banana sandwich, here is an interesting take on the combination. I roasted 3 bananas, but was short on butter so decided to make 1/2 the recipe - the bananas by them selves were absolutely delicious, and made for a sweet treat for breakfast.
My husband commented on how moist these scones were and my daughter just kept correcting my pronunciation of scones! I am sure Elvis Presley never had his accent ridiculed.

ROASTED BANANA SCONES WITH PEANUT BUTTER GLAZE

3 bananas, sliced
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces
2 eggs
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
GLAZE
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 325F. Place bananas in a medium baking dish. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons brown sugar and bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bubbly and caramelized. Let cool.
Increase oven temperature to 375F. Spray two large baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and 1/3 cup light brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In a medium bowl, beat together 2 eggs, the ricotta cheese and the roasted bananas with a hand mixer until mixed. Mixture will be lumpy. Add banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir by hand until just combined.
Drop dough into 12 equal mounds on baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Brush tops with the beaten egg (I skipped this step). Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
About 5 minutes before scones come out of the oven, make the glaze. Place the peanut butter and 2 tablespoons of butter in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring often until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. When scones come out of oven, place them on a wire rack over a baking sheet and drizzle with the glaze (my glaze turned out to be more of an icing consistency, so there was spreading instead of drizzling).
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Dining Guide, July 2012
www.nwaonline.com/news/2012/jul/01/diy-delicious/

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER SMOOTHIE

During one of my many visits to Crystal Bridges, I dined in their wonderful restaurant, Eleven, then, allowed my guest to leisurely enjoy the magnificent art collection, while I retired to a comfy chair to lose myself in my book.
However, through the din, I distinctly overheard several different people ask what a "smoothie" was, after they read the nearby coffee bar menu. I was rather surprised, and wondered if Smoothies were a relatively new development. Upon researching the history of this blended beverage, I learned that they were originally sold in Health Food stores in the 1930's, inspired by concoctions from Brazil, and, it would seem, increased in popularity throughout the decades in direct relation to an emphasis on healthy eating (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoothie).
My Daughter loved this Chocolate Peanut Butter version, and by adding skim milk and fat free Greek yogurt in combination with the fruits, it stays true to its healthy origins.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER SMOOTHIE

1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 frozen sliced ripe banana (I would recommend peeling and slicing before freezing)
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
1/4 cup Greek yogurt

Place all of the ingredients in a blender, process until smooth.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, July 2003
www.cookinglight.com/static/pdfs/2003annualindex.pdf