chocolate and peanut butter treats

Mmmm! Doesn't it look good? I adapted this recipe by substituting the flour by whole-wheat flour and by cutting the amount of butter and sugar, but I promise you no-one could tell!!!
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Chocolate and peanut butter treats
28 treats
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1 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup powdered sugar

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, and baking soda.
2. In another bowl, blend the butter, brown sugar, sugar, 1/4 cup peanut butter, egg, and milk until smooth.
3. Add to the flour mixture and combine until homogeneous.
4. Shape the dough into 28 balls.
5. In another bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter and the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
6. Shape into 28 balls.
7. Halve a cocoa ball and place a peanut butter ball between. Flatten and place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 8 minutes.
   

Nutrition facts
[for 1 treat]
120 calories, 6 g fat, 2.3 g saturated,
15 g carbs, 2 g fibers, 3 g protein

peanut butter and flaxseed chewy bars

These easy and yummy power bars make a perfect snack for busy people. Prepare them and wrap them individually so you can grab one when needed! I used puffed rice cereals made from whole rice grain to boost the fiber content, ground flaxseed to add omega-3, and peanut butter for its protein and good fat... and I'm sure that will please all the peanut butter fans out there!

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Peanut butter and flaxseed chewy bars

8 servings

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1 tablespoon non-hydrogenated margarine

1/3 cup peanut butter

2 cups marshmallows

1 cup low-fat granola cereals

1 cup puffed rice cereals

1/3 cup ground flaxseed

1/3 cup dried fruits (facultative)

1. Put the margarine, peanut butter, and marshmallows in a large saucepan and melt over medium intensity.
2. Wehn melted, turn off the heat and add the granola cereals, puffed rice cereals, ground flaxseed, and dried fruits if desired. Stir.
3. Spread the mixture in a 8 x 8 coated baking pan and press lightly.
4. Let cool and cut into 8 bars.

Nutrition facts

[for 1 bar (without dried fruits)]

205 calories, 8 g fat, 2 g saturated,

31 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 6 g protein

PB&J sandwich

Is this picture bringing back memories from your childhood? In my opinion, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with slices of banana will definitely always have a place in my top 5 comfort food! However, my recipe has changed a little along the years. I now used whole grain bread to boost the fiber content. Also, I use natural peanut butter (PB). I confess that the first time I tasted it, I didn't like it much, but now I would never switch back to regular PB. After trying it a couple of times, I realized that natural PB is the one that really tastes like peanut. Actually, peanut is the one and only ingredient used to make it, unlike regular PB that also contains oil (often hydrogenated and loaded with trans fat as a result), sugar, and salt.... Why try to hide the delicious real taste of peanut under all these additives? If you feel like giving a try to natural PB, start with that beloved PB&J sandwich. Warning: you could soon become addicted to it...!

Nutrition Facts for 1 sandwich (2 slices WW bread, 2 tbsp natural PB, ½ banana, and ½ tbsp strawberry jam): 428 kcal, 18.5 g fat (3.1 g saturated fat), 52.2 g carbs, 7.5 g fibers, 14.1 g protein, 2.4 mg iron. My comment: This is perfect for breakfast or as lunch, or make half a sandwich for a satiating snack. Don't be afraid of the high fat content, since most of the fat is monounsaturated good-for-you fat from peanut butter. Moreover, it contains enough fiber and protein to fill you up for a couple of hours.