Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

My good friend Lauren from college is moving this summer to start graduate school in Boston.  So obviously, we couldn't let her go without throwing a little shindig in her honor!  I wanted to bring a yummy snack for the party, and I first made a spinach dip from the Joy of Cooking cookbook.  After a ton of reworking, I decided that the recipe was a total disaster.  Ugh.  Don't make it!!

Lauren loves chocolate and peanut butter, so my next attempt was Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls from this awesome cookbook that, coincidentally, I bought in Boston!  It's called Clean Start by Terry Walters, and it's awesome.  Kind of like these tasty morsels.  Wow were these insanely easy to make and insanely easy to eat!!  I looooved them, and so did my friends!  (They also said they liked the dip, but I think they were just being nice because that dip tasted like pure evil.)  If you're looking for a Reeses-type snack that's a bit healthier, look no further!

Ingredients
1 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup crispy rice cereal
12 oz chocolate chips or chocolate squares (semisweet or dark chocolate)

Directions

In a food processor, combine the peanut butter and maple syrup.  Once combined, gently stir in the rice cereal.  Form the mixture into penny-sized balls and put on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  If the mixture isn't sticking together, add some more rice cereal. 

In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate over low heat.  Once melted, turn off the heat.  Put the peanut butter balls three at a time into the melted chocolate.  Turn lightly with a small spoon to coat with chocolate.  Remove with the spoon and place back onto the parchment. 

Once finished, put the pan into the refrigerator to cool for about an hour.  YUM.

Kale Chips

I've come to realize that all people fall into one of two categories: you either crave salt or you crave sugar.  I don't mind the occasional candy bar or giant chunk of delicious brownie, but more often than not, I'm all about the salty snacks.  The other night I was staring into my cupboards, looking for something salty to munch on, and there was nothing.  (I apparently had been exercising willpower during my previous grocery store run....)  So I opened the fridge and again, nothing.  But then I spied a huge bunch of kale that I'd bought at the Farmers' Market a week back and I knew I was saved! 

It's true!  You can make a delicious, salty, crunchy, and somewhat healthy snack out of kale.  It's truly miraculous.  So I whipped up some kale chips and ended up eating the ENTIRE giant bunch of kale that night.  Hopefully I managed to reap some health benefits from that salty binge fest.  But you seriously need to try out this recipe.  It's easy, salty, and yummy. 

Ingredients
Big bunch of kale
Extra virgin olive oil
Seasoning salt

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Wash the kale and be sure that it's very dry.  Tear or cut out the ribs in the middle of each "leaf" of kale -- they won't taste too good.  Tear or cut the kale into medium-sized pieces. 

Put the kale pieces into a bowl and drizzle lightly with olive oil.  Toss to coat the kale in the olive oil.  You don't need a ton of olive oil here!!  Sprinkle on your favorite seasoning salt to taste.  Spread the kale pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Try to keep them in one layer in order to ensure that they get crispy.  You make need to bake on two pans or in two shifts.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the kale pieces have brown edges and are crispy.  Put into a bowl and enjoy.  Then try your hardest to stop eating them...you won't be able to...I promise. 

Mmmmm, best snack ever.