Peanut Butter Balls and the #GatheringsCookbook

Last Friday was my annual Mother/Daughter baking day with my Mom, Sister and our daughters. We have been doing this for several years now.   It is literally one of my favorite days of the year.   Our main baking agenda is butter tarts, which I oddly don't really eat but we do also try and make a few other things.  These other things are what I look forward to.  Our trick is to come up with a few no bake items to put together while the dozens and dozens of butter tarts are baking.  For some reason I love no bake desserts, especially when they are covered in chocolate.  

I recently was given a copy of the cookbook "Gatherings" .  A beautiful book by Jan Scott and Julie Van Rosendaal.    The book is full of a wide range of different recipes grouped together by occasions, like kids birthday parties, backyard barbecues, pizza parties, date nights, games nights and more. This book has everything appetizers, main courses, desserts, drinks and snacks.   It really encompasses a recipe for any gathering you might have.

Since Mother/Daughter baking day is technically a family gathering I decided it would be great to try a recipe from this book.   They also happen to have a perfect no bake recipe, "Aunt Kathy's Peanut Butter Balls".   I find you can never really go wrong with peanut butter balls (unless you happen to be allergic to peanut butter).   The peanut butter balls in this book are also a bit different, with the addition of dates and walnuts. This gives them a great twist of chewy and crunchy inside.  They were of course, delicious and the hubby complained I made him stop eating them so I could take some photos.   He can now proceed with eating.

This weekend I have plan to make two more recipes, Potatoes Dauphinoise and a Lemony Kale and Brussels Sprouts salad.  There are really just to many wonderful recipes inside to try.  Several of my blogging friends also got a chance to try out the book.  Check out their posts from the week to see more delicious recipes from this book.

Please be sure to check out these fabulous bloggers all week long as we celebrate Jan and Julie:

Monday

Mardi from Eat. Live. Travel. Write.

Mairlyn Smith Canadian Cookbook Picks of the Year
Charmian from The Messy Baker

Tuesday

Amy from Family Feedbag
Jennifer from Seasons and Suppers
Heather from The Tasty Gardener

Wednesday

Isabelle from Crumb Blog
Stephanie from Clockwork Lemon
Valerie from A Canadian Foodie

Thursday

Britt from My Daily Randomness
Robyn from Planet Byn
Libby from Libby Roach Photography
Meg from Sweet Twist of Blogging

Friday

Christina from Strawberries for Supper
Louisa from Living Lou
Liliana from My Cookbook Addiction
Rhonda from Olive and Ruby
Jenn from Chocolate Shaving

Disclosure: I was given a complimentary copy of Gatherings for review purposes, courtesy of Whitecap Books. As always, any and all opinions and views are completely my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars & a Virtual Baby Shower

It was only three months ago that I woke up and became a teary mess to my own virtual baby shower from my fabulous group of blogging.  It was such a special sweet moment for me that when the chance came to repeat that for Christina from Strawberries for Supper I couldn't wait to do the same.  Christina is a sweetheart and if you have ever read her posts has a brilliant sense of humor.
friends. We all can't wait for her little bundle to arrive.  My little girl is anxious to meet her new boyfriend.

Surprise!  

In the spring the group of us took a trip to Elora, to walk around, have lunch but mainly to buy bread from the Elora Bread Company.   We all pretty much walked out of there with a minimum three loaves.  They were all delicious.   My bread became even better thanks to a jar of honey plum jam from Christina.  YUM! Since I know she has mad skills and likes to make her own jams, I thought what better dessert for the shower than one that involves jam.    What goes good with jam, Peanut butter of course.   Let's consider this the sandwich aspect of the shower.

Happy Virtual Baby Shower!!  Hope you had the same reaction as me.



Check out what her other incredible bloggy friends are bringing to this party:

Planet Byn - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Caramel Squares

The Brunette Baker - Apple Custard Pie

Living Lou - Baklava

The Tasty Gardener - Apple Bread Pudding

My Daily Randomness - Grilled Peach Pavlova 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

(Adapted from Ina Garten)

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups peanut butter
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups jam of your choosing
• 1/2 cups peanuts

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Preheat your oven to 350F.  Grease or spray with non stick a 10 x 10 pan. Line it with parchment paper or tin foil, then grease or spray and flour the pan.
2 In a large bowl or your mixer bowl cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, a couple minutes.
Add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix on low until all ingredients are combined.
3. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.

Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread over the bottom with a knife or offset spatula. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don't worry if all the jam isn't covered; it will spread in the oven. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.

If you also happen to miss all the scrumptious posts from my shower as I failed to give them a proper post of shout outs... Please check them out now as well.

Robyn from Whats Cooking on Planet Byn : Strawberry Sprinkle Ice Cream Sandwiches
Christina from Strawberries for Supper: Fudgey Teff Brownies
Heather from The Tasty Gardener: Banana Bundt Cake with Pecan, Banana, Caramel Sauce
Jenny from The Brunette Baker: Bananas Foster Banana Bread
Lou from Living Lou: Easy Banana Cupcakes

Banana Recipe Round up

Did you get any pregnancy cravings while you were pregnant?    I don't remember too many with my first.   I did enjoy a few more things that I would have normally ate, like a few more poutines and nachos but otherwise I still ate quite healthy.

For baby #2 it is pretty much the same, I am having a few indulgences but still aiming to stay on track.    My craving this time around though is banana baked goods.  I could literally eat banana bread every day.  Oddly,  I am not actually craving real bananas, just banana baked goods.  I have never been a pure banana lover.  Even now I really only eat the excess of what my little one doesn't it to give baby #2 some potassium.
There is a cafeteria in a building across the street from my work and I swear they make the best banana bread I have EVER had!  I can guarantee it is not healthy and potentially soaked in melted butter after it is baked but honestly BEST EVER! It is dangerous really.   I tend to treat myself maybe once a week with it and for the rest of my cravings I go to recipes that are a bit more figure friendly like my Gluten Free Almond Banana Bread.

Since I need to mix up my banana baking and try some new recipes I have asked some blogging friends and scoured the web for some delicious banana baked goods and created this round up for you.  Some healthy, some not, but all 30 Banana recipes will satisfy any banana craving.

Enjoy!

Banana Nut Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting	Chocolate Malt Banana Cakes	Brown Sugar Banana Bread
Banana Fluffernutter Muffins	Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache	kinny Nutella Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Banana Spice Oatmeal-Walnut Streusel Muffins	Gluten Free Almond Banana Bread	Brown Butter Banana Peanut Butter Cookies
Honey Banana Poppy Seed Bread	Banana Bread Waffles	Super Soft Banana Bread
Peanut Butter Banana Brownies	Banana Lentil Muffins	Banana Pancakes
Brownie Crumble Banana Bread	Chocolate Banana Cake Bars (Vegan + Gluten-free)	Blueberry Banana Almond Baked Oatmeal
Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting	Double Chocolate Muffins with Banana Cream	Banana Chocolate Chip Bars
Brown Butter Banana Donuts	Healthy Banana Bread	Purple Ribbon Banana Bread
Biscoff Banana Bread	Banana Split Cheesecake	Easiest Banana Bread Ever
Strawberry Banana Bread	Healthy Banana Bread Recipe *Egg Free	(Almost!) Fat-Free Pumpkin, Banana & Butterscotch Whole Wheat Bread

InLinkz.com

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Mini Pies

 Yesterday we found out the sex of baby #2.  Of course I am not going to just tell you. I need to make some reveal desserts for friends and family first and then you will find out.   It always seems to be such a big debate whether to find out or not?  People who wait always say they want the surprise.  Just because I want to find out at 20 weeks instead of 40 weeks doesn't mean I am not surprised when I find out.   I like to spend those remaining 20 weeks, shopping, getting ready, thinking about names (another big debate in my house).   One of the best things about finding out early is shopping for the post season deals, this can be especially true if you having a different sex than you already have.
If the sex is the same well that makes shopping harder to justify but not impossible.  Babies clothes are just too cute so no matter what baby #2 is I will be doing some shopping in some form.

Triple Peanut Butter Chocolate Pudding Bars

I have two countdowns going on right now.  One that makes me happy and one that makes me sad.  One is Christmas.  I have the countdown app on my phone and it is just makes me giddy about all the fun things that will happen in the next 44 days.    The sad countdown is the back to work date. Not that I dislike work I just love my little pumpkin and this last year has been a blast.

Since I am down to my last couple months of mat leave.  The little one and I signed up for a few mom and baby classes, swimming and baby picasso.   Both are lots of fun and both expend a lot of energy which make for some great post naps.

This was the first year in many I did not go to the store after Halloween and buy 50% off candy.   I did however have a little bit of candy left over.  I managed to hide this from the hubby as well since we was preoccupied by the small amount he got from taking out the little one. (Who for the record cannot even say trick or treat)  For some reason left over candy always tastes better when it is baked in something so I opened all the little packages, chopped them up and through them in these delicious Triple Peanut Butter Chocolate Pudding Bars

Peanut Butter Hemp Cookies #backtoschoolweek

I am completely obsessed with a new cookbook I bought.  Well it is cookbook/change your life book.  It is called the Power of Food by Adam Hart.  I highly suggest you follow him on twitter or FB.   The book is vegetarian,with many vegan recipes as well. It essentially highlights numerous foods that have great benefits, like quinoa, almonds, hemp & sesame seeds, legumes, blueberries, kale and more.  It is one of those books where I flipped through and every recipe sounded cool and delicious.   I am not a vegan or vegetarian but I don't eat than much meat.  I do love my eggs and cheese though.   If this book though, helps me in getting better foods in my body that I am still on board.  It will be fun to go through the book and just learn new ways to cook with great quality ingredients.

So the kids are going back to school, hard to believe it is here already.  It is now time to get back into routine, homework, school events, projects, fall sports and getting organized.  Back to school calls for easy healthy meals and snacks.   These peanut butter hemp cookies from the Power of Food book are exactly that.  Thanks to Adam hemp seeds are going to be my new best friend.  So easy to add to things.

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cocoa Krispie Squares

I think I have a jinx when it comes to electronics.  My current laptop is barely hanging on.  The monitor hinge on the left side is broken, along with the front bottom tab.  It doesn't really close properly and it barely fits in the bag. The laptop screen is also a little slanted which does not make for easy photo editing.   My playbook which the hubs got from his work is old, the operating system doesn't work well. There are no good apps.  I pretty much just use it to watch movies or tv shows and even that doesn't work often.  My phone (Galaxy Nexus),  which I love.  Love android, love google, love, now has a cracked screen thanks to baby.   Well I guess it is really my fault for giving my little one the phone thinking it was safe to leave it with an 8 month old.  Ugh!

The hubs is not pleased with this situation now that I am potentially hoping for several new devices.   I am now torn between a tablet and a laptop or go for an 2 in 1, where the laptop turns into a tablet.   Tough decision.  The hubs also keeps telling me to wait for some haswell chip or something that allows computers to run better and longer.    Patience is not one of my best qualities, so we will see.

Any thoughts on what I should get?

For now I will continue to blog on my broken computer and enjoy these yummy squares.