Cooking

It's just what I feel like doing these days--and eating, of course! I'm such an autumn person--the season really energizes me.

The other day I made:

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Bars

Soak 1 C rolled oats in 1 C very hot water. Cream together 1/2 C butter, 1/2 C honey and 1 egg. Add 1 C whole wheat flour, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/3C peanut butter and the oat/water mixture. Mix well.

Bake in greased 9x13 pan for 10--15 minutes at 350F.

In saucepan, melt together 1/3C peanut butter, 1 C chocolate chips and 3 Tbsp. milk. (This recipe actually calls for carob chips, in an attempt to be healthy, but it is SO much better with chocolate!)

Let bars cool for 5 minutes, then spread chocolate topping on. Cool and enjoy!



Last night I put this in the crock pot for dinner:

Chicken Stew with Peanut Sauce (also known as African Groundnut Stew)

Cut up 1 frying chicken into bite size chunks (I used 1.5 lbs. boneless thighs--much easier to cut up) or use 1 lb. ground beef. Dredge chicken pieces in flour and brown outside in 1/4C oil. Remove chicken from pan and saute 1 onion and 2 cloves garlic in remaining oil. Add 1 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes, 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley (or 2 tsp. dried), 1/2 tsp. salt and tabasco sauce to taste. Return chicken to pan and simmer 45 minutes. Add 1/2 C peanut butter and simmer 15 minutes. Serve over brown rice.

I doubled the recipe and served 9 people (my crew plus my MIL) and we have leftovers.

I sauteed the chicken and garlic/onions, then put all ingredients except peanut butter in crockpot for 4 hours on high, then added peanut butter and left it in pot another 1.5 hours. It is SO good, makes the house smell great.