Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Balls

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Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Balls

Ingredients: 

1 cup peanut butter (I used creamy)

1 1/2 cups graham crackers crumbs

¾ cup mini chocolate chips or Heath bits (I didn't get the chance to try the extra coating, but I bet the mini chocolate chips would be perfect. :) )

1 – 1 ¼ cup chocolate (I used semi-sweet chocolate)

Directions:

1. Take your graham crackers and blend to crumbs in a food processor until you get 1 ½ cups. Add graham crackers crumbs to the 1 cup of peanut butter. Mix it up good. You want the mixture to be dry enough to be able to form balls. Add a little bit more peanut butter or cracker crumbs to achieve this consistency if need be. 

2. Form 24 even sized balls with your hands and place on a wax paper covered plate, cutting board or baking sheet. Freeze for 30-60 minutes.

3. Melt the chocolate in the microwave until just melted (do not overcook!) or use a double boiler and stir chocolate until melted. Placed mini chips or crushed Heath bits in a small bowl. Note: You can use whatever topping that you would like including nuts, crushed Oreo…etc.

4. Using a toothpick or fork dip the peanut butter balls in the melted chocolate, one at a time, and then toss in the topping until covered. Refrigerate or freeze until firm.

The inner mixture was REALLY messy.  My hands were covered and by the time I was through half of it, it was really hard to make the balls.  The colder/firmer it is, the better.

This recipe was a hit!  We had some extended family over and everyone liked it - and it was tested by at least 8 people!  I wasn't eager to like the end product at first because they were a bit of a hassle to make, but I have to admit that they were pretty darn good.  A few notes for the future...The ones that had a thicker layer of chocolate were the best, so I'm going to melt more chocolate the next time I make them.  Also, the inside was rather difficult to work with, so I may try making the graham cracker crumbs even finer (I used a rolling pin instead of a food processor - the old fashioned way ;) ) and adding some powdered sugar to help the texture, as well as the taste.  Another thing to know is that using a toothpick to chocolate-cover them only worked for the first 4 balls, so you definitely have to be willing to get messy.

As you can tell, not very many of them turned out pretty.

The Last Word: A Small and yummy treat, great for sharing :)

"Second Chances"

In Second Chances, author Melanie Jacobson tells the story of Louisa Gibson and her newest career ambition.  Because of the horrid singles life in Huntington Beach, she decides to create an LDS version of "The Bachelor" online.  When her "bachelor" falls through at the last minute, Louisa must turn to her ex-boyfriend, movie star Nick.  As the show progresses, she's forced to face her own feelings...

"What if Mr. Wrong is really Mr. Right?"

Though I enjoyed reading this book, I didn't like it as much as The List or Not My Type (from the same author).  I think the main reason is because the main characters are returning to an existing relationship instead of a new one and there isn't as much interaction between them as I would like, so that makes it seem a little slow.  However, it was still a good read. :) You get to know the characters pretty well and it isn't too predictable - for me, at least.  If you're a fan of "The Bachelor" and LDS romances, then I bet you'll like Second Chances.

The Last Word:  Cute LDS romance, but lacking consistent spark

Penn Station East Coast Subs

If you've never been to Penn Station, YOU ARE MISSING OUT.  I've been there three times now and I've left happy every time!  Penn Station serves delicious sandwiches, hot and cold.  Several different sizes of sandwiches are available.  They also sell fries and freshly squeezed lemonade (which I have yet to try).  I've ordered the club sandwich (hot) every time I've been there and replaced the Swiss cheese for provolone.  There's a reason I've ordered this sandwich three times now - it's amazing!! It comes with ham, turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese, honey mustard, and mayo.  I'm in love with it.  It has such great flavor.

This photo does not do the sandwich justice.

My family has also tried the Philly Cheesesteak and the Italian and they say those are great, too!  I'm not sure you can go wrong eating at Penn Station.

 

Have I mentioned their fries?  They fry their Idaho potatoes in peanut oil, so they're healthier than your average fry and crispier, too!  They're great.

**I forgot to mention their service!  All of the employees are very friendly and didn't rush us at all (we're slow at ordering).  One of them also came and took our trash even though you're supposed to bus your own table.

The Last Word: Favorite sandwich joint - EAT HERE!

"Safe Haven"

"Safe Haven" is another movie that was originally a Nicholas Sparks novel.  Since the movie is somewhat of a mystery, I can't say a lot about the plot.  Basically, the movie is about a mysterious young woman, Katie, who ends up in the small beach town of Southport, North Carolina.  She's reluctant to make friends and really get to know anyone and she hides dark secrets about her past.  Katie gradually lets her guard down and becomes attached to Alex, the owner of a small local market, and his two children.  Life seems to be looking up, but eventually Katie must face the horrors of her past that brought her to Southport in the first place.

 

 

I knew that this was a Nicholas Sparks movie when we decided to watch it, so I expected it to be all romance and relationships.  Boy, was I wrong!  At least half of the movie is really suspenseful because it deals with her scary back story.  I'm not accustomed to more intense movies, so it really kept me on the edge of my seat.  Even with Clearplay on, I closed my eyes several times!  There were a couple of scenes that Clearplay didn't edit because they were important to the plot, even though they were a little gory.  But then it cut out the kissing scenes!  It was a little frustrating for someone who watched it thinking it was a romance movie.  On the plus side, I thought the acting was good - the scary character was really believable and Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough both did well with their roles.  And it had a happy (although really bizarre and unexpected) ending. :)

The Last Word:  Suspenseful romance, much more intense than other Sparks movies

Edenbrooke

Edenbrooke is a regency romance novel written by debut author, Julianne Donaldson.  Set in England, the story follows a seventeen-year-old girl named Marianne Daventry.  Marianne longs to be anywhere but Bath after her mother's death.  When her twin sister, Cecily, invites her to spend some time at Edenbrooke, the beautiful estate of their mother's former friend, she eagerly accepts the invitation.  On the way to Edenbrooke, she meets Philip, a handsome man who loves to tease and holds many secrets.  Marianne experiences a roller coaster of emotions and must face her fears as time goes on.

This book is now tied with Reality Check for my favorite book!!  It's such a good read.  I read it on the road home from Florida in one day!  I absolute LOVE Philip.  If I find a man like him someday, I will be forever happy and in love.  The viewpoint of the story allows for a complete look into Marianne's thoughts and feelings.  I found that it was easy to connect with her as the main character; I think that contributed to my liking of the book.  I also really enjoyed the style of writing Donaldson uses.  Though Edenbrooke is set in the Regency Era and does include stylistic evidence of the time, it isn't thick and hard to understand like I've found Jane Austen's writing to be.  She uses the perfect balance between modern, understandable writing and historic writing from the time period.

The Last Word:  Perfect Regency Era Romance Novel