Try making some of these adorable festive candy witches to celebrate this weekend   Enjoy!!

Chocolate PB Witches (adapted from Betty Crocker)

Ingredients:

1             cup chocolate ready-to-spread frosting (from 16-oz can)

1             cup creamy peanut butter

1/2             cup powdered sugar

24             round buttery crackers

1/4             cup semisweet chocolate chips

24             crispy horn-shaped corn snacks

Directions:

1. In small bowl, mix frosting, peanut butter and powdered sugar until well blended. Shape mixture into 1 1/4-inch balls. Gently press 1 cracker onto top of each ball.

2. Place chocolate chips in small microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds. Stir; repeat until mixture is smooth.

3. Dip open end of each corn snack in melted chocolate; place in center of each cracker. Hold for about 10 seconds to set slightly. Let candies stand at room temperature until completely set, about 30 minutes. Decorate as desired.

♥ Kimberly

Ummm…can we say “PERFECT” ???  Really.  I love it.  I have to have it.  But now if I could just decide if I needed this one too…

I’ve been laughing all night at these adorable maternity shirts at Cafe Press.  Hahahaha!  Some of them are totally adorable!

I am serious though, I have to have the peanut shirt.  If only it said peanutS…

♥ Kimberly

Y’know how I am always saying that my family is full of nutty people?  And I’m always joking around about how everyone else is so crazy?  Well, I guess I need to fill ya’ll in on my Nutty Situation…

I’m pregnant with TWIN BOYS! 

(Me & my hubbs holding an ultrasound photo of the twinlets)

I already have two little girlie peanuts (ages 3 & 4) and now we’re expecting two boy peanuts some time early next year!  I know, I know.  We are CRAZY!  Yes, I guess the peanut doesn’t fall too far from the tree….

(My cutie pie family after we just cut open two blue cakes to reveal we are having boys!)

Y’know whats even crazier?  I am not the first one in my family to have multiples!  My cousin Margo has TRIPLETS!  Yes, you read that right.  Triplets.  They just turned 8!  I’ve tried to tell you – my family tree truly is full of NUTS!!

(Margo’s eight year old triplets )

My mom’s oldest daughter (me) and my Aunt Nanette’s oldest daughter (Margo) will now both be the mothers of multiples!  That means that The Fruitcake Sisters (a.k.a. my mom and my Aunt Nanette) will both be the grandmothers of multiples!!  I think that they need to get some matching crazy shirts made that say something funny about it.  Any fun ideas???

♥ Kimberly

oh and P.S.  I pretty much have been living on straight PB.  All-natural Krema crunchy PB of course, but most every thing else has made me sick.  These boys are already PB lovers “in utero!”  I love it!

a “PB Hot Dog” Sammy!!

Use your favorite cinnamon bread, spread a generous amount of all-natural Krema PB on one side, then fold over a ripe banana!  Voila!  You’ve just made yourself a PB Hot Dog Sammy

Re-create this at home with some kids for added fun   Nanette of course tried this Sammy out on a couple of her grandkids…

(Thank goodness there isn’t REALLY a hot dog in there…eww!!)

♥ Kimberly

*recipe from peanutbutterlovers.com

Our Nutty Runner friend over at A Runners Fuel: Cooking in a Runner’s House talked about how important it is to her to be able to KNOW what each ingredient is that she puts into her body – and to actually be able to pronounce the words!  That’s one of the reasons why she loves all-natural Krema PB, because its made from just one thing : PEANUTS!!!

She suggested this open-faced Sammy of the Week made from toasted flax bread, creamy Krema PB, banana slices and rolled oats sprinkled on top as a healthy breakfast that will keep your tummy happy and full

Lisa is the Snack Girl who loves healthy snacks and of course loves Krema PB too!  She recently blogged about Jif PB and how they are trying to “compete with the Kremas of the world” by coming out with a ‘natural’ Jif PB.  She cautions her readers to beware of tricky advertising – just because a label may claim “Natural” does not mean that they don’t have added ingredients.  So, what should choosy moms do according to Snack Girl and Yours Truly??  Choose KREMA!!!  (even though I may be a little biased )

♥ Kimberly

To make Monkey Sundaes at home; put a scoop of vanilla ice cream in your bowl, drizzle warmed-up, all-natural Krema creamy PB over the top, then add any fun toppings you like!  These kids used honey-roasted peanuts, broken pretzel pieces, bananas, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate syrup, candies and whipped cream!  Look at these silly “monkeys” !!!  I told you my family was full of nuts!

♥ Kimberly

One of those “other” PB guys (aka – Jif) holds an annual kids contest to come up with a new, creative PB sandwich recipe.  And the winner gets a $25,000 college fund!  What a fun idea!  This year the winner was Rachel, a ten-year old girl from California who says she is an aspiring chef.  I believe her award-wining sandwhich is called the “Let Us Rap” made with chicken, grapes, lettuce and of course PB!

Well, we can’t really keep my Aunt Nanette away from trying new recipes (she loves it!) and of course she always adds her own Krema flair to everything she makes!  Isn’t Nanette awesome?  Here is one of her adorable granddaughters holding up our Krema version of the $25,000 sammy.  Try it this weekend!  Yum!

$25,000 PB Sammy – Krema Style
-one small Fuji apple chopped
-cooked chicken
-10 red grapes halved
-red onion chopped
-crazy salt
-1 T mayo, 1 T honey, & 1T all-natural Krema PB mixed together

Combine all ingredients and then spoon into a fresh, crispy lettuce leaf and roll it up!

♥ Kimberly

Hey all!  We are enjoying a little nutty family time in Michigan right now…but I’ll be back at it in a week or so…

Don’t worry, my Aunt Nanette is holding down the fort at Krema – so if you are in need of some PB…give her a call or stop by the Sisters Sweet Shoppe!!

Happy Summer

♥ Kimberly

I just kind of made up this dinner last night for my family and some of our friends and they all flipped!  Everyone loved it and had two or three helpings!  Even the kids!
I was soooo pleasantly surprised, so I’m sharing

First I made a Quinoa Salad.  My awesome cousin Mallory (one of my Aunt Nanette’s daughters) introduced me to the fabulous whole-grain product: Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah).  This pseudocereal is a whole-grain product which can easily be substituted for rice in almost any recipe.  My Quinoa Salad:

Its pretty simple.  Wash quinoa.  Cook quinoa in rice cooker.  Add chopped veggies.  Refrigerate.  That’s it!
I added red pepper, red onion, and leeks and a bunch of cooked, shelled edamame – but you can add just about anything, nuts, seeds, craisins, or other raw veggies

My Easy Green Beans:

I also cooked up some green beans separately.  I used organic, frozen green beans – and our favorite way to cook them is super easy : throw the frozen green beans in a large, deep skillet over medium heat, add a tablespoon of peanut oil and season with garlic salt and pepper!  Voila!  Easy veggie side in just a few minutes.

Nanette’s Spicy PB Chicken:

1/4 c Hot & Spicy Krema PB
1/3 c + 1 Tbs. light soy sauce
2 Tbs. sugar
1/3 c peanut oil
chunk chicken (any will do; cut up breasts, rotisserie, canned chicken)

Mix all ingredients together in order.  It helps to warm up the PB mixture to ease in the stirring process
If you don’t have a jar of this incredibly delicious Hot & Spicy PB already, then go here to order some!  You won’t be sorry!
(or you could just use creamy Krema PB and add some cayenne pepper and hot Hungarian paprika to get that special ‘kick’)

The Spicy PB Chicken and Quinoa Salads can be made in advance and refrigerated.  Just whip up the green beans (or not) and combine them all!
Can be eaten cold or hot!
This really is such a versatile, easy, delicious dinner!!

♥ Kimberly

One of my favorite summer memories as a kid was sitting around a bonfire with my family,  eating ooey gooey s’mores by the dozen!  I still love s’mores today but I have discovered a new exciting way to enjoy them year round in my “Want S’more PB Sammy?”  Heres what you do,

INGREDIENTS:
buttered bread
all-natural Krema PB
chocolate chips
mini marshmallows
(optional banana)

If you’re using a frying pan, spread Krema PB (creamy or crunchy) on both insides of your bread slices then put chocolate chips on one side and mini marshmallows on the other.  Close the sammy and lay buttered side down in the frying pan, toasting both sides equally.   Its best to cover pan with a lid and cook on a low heat so the chocolate and marshmallows have time to melt before the bread gets too crispy.  Sliced, ripe bananas are always welcome in my “Want S’more PB Sammys” just because my kids are bananas about bananas!

For some summer backyard fun, try making this sammy over an open flame in a pie maker – like a Tonka Toaster or a campfire iron.  Its like your on a campfire without leaving home!

Easy Tip :  chocolate chips and mini marshmallows (or Marshmallow Fluff) are my trick to getting the ooey gooey factor in this sammy.  Large chunks of chocolate and large marshmallows take longer to melt.

Happy Summer!!

♥ Kimberly