Peanut Butter Balls

Our whole family loves Reece’s peanut cups, maybe not quite as much as you.  I started making these because they were such a favorite but we had to stop eating them because they contain dairy.   For sure became a family favorite. 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, we used Jif Naturals


1/2 cup earth balance butter softened


1 teaspoon vanilla


3 cups powdered sugar


12 oz bag of chocolate chips, we used enjoy life


2 tablespoons shortening

Directions:
Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and set aside.

Mix peanut butter, butter and vanilla together in a large bowl. Add one cup of powdered sugar at a time to the creamy mixture, mixing well each time.

Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated into the peanut butter mixture, you can start making your balls. Simply pinch off a small amount and roll between your hands to form a small ball. Place the peanut butter balls on the prepared cookie sheet with waxed paper.

Once you have made all of your balls, put them i the freezer for an hour. This will help them not fall apart when you dip them in the chocolate.

Melt your chocolate and shortening. We used a double boiler, but if you don’t have one, you can put a metal or glass bowl on top of a saucepan with about an inch of water in it. As the water in the saucepan begins to heat up, the steam will heat up your bowl and start melting your chocolate.

One at a time, drop your peanut butter balls into the melted chocolate with a tooth pick or fork. Lift the ball out of the chocolate with a fork and then transfer it to the waxed paper. Once all of your peanut butter balls are coated, put the cookie sheet in the fridge for 15-30 minutes. This will ensure the chocolate coating is completely hardened.

Best Chili Recipe

I have made so many different chili recipes over the years, which is wild to me because as a child I HATED chili. Really, really hated it. The smell of it cooking would make me gag. That was one of the meals that I was allowed to eat something else for dinner if Granny was making chili for dinner. That and Swedish Meatballs, which I still haven't tried since being a kid! ;)

This is your favorite chili that I made, along with the pumpkin chili recipe - which is in here too. There is a lot of chopping in the recipe, but it makes a ton, so great to freeze and reheat later or feed yourself for a week!

Ingredients
• 2 lbs Ground beef
• 1/4 cup Flat-leaf italian parsley
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 1 Green bell pepper
• 2 Jalapeno peppers
• 16 oz Kidney beans
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 16 oz Pinto beans
• 28 oz Tomatoes
• 1 Yellow onion
• 15 oz Tomato sauce
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
• 3 tbsp Chili powder
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 4 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 tsp Cumin
• 46 oz Tomato juice
• 1 Cheese and sour cream

In a large deep pot, cook ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Transfer the meat to a bowl. Drain excess grease from pot, but do not clean.

Add the olive oil to the pot. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, parsley and jalapeño peppers (if using, I usually didn’t so it wasn’t too hot for you and your sister) and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and fragrant (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and add the chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Stir until combined.

Add the cooked meat back to the pot. Add the tomato juice, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans and pinto beans as well.

On the stove top, bring to a boil, dial back to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours (stir occasionally. Serve warm with cheese, sour cream and gluten free garlic bread.