Peanut Butter Ball Candies

There has been a lot going on lately.  Christmas is always so busy!  Shopping, decorating, working, filling orders...I am feeling pretty worn out and stressed right now.  This weekend, I plan to spend inside with my best friend and in my pajamas in an attempt to relax and re-focus on the true meaning of this season.  Posts will probably be sporadic at best until after the New Year, but I'll try to do at least a few recipes or photo posts between now and then.  Hard to believe that it's almost 2013!  I took some time today to make something I haven't had in three or four years, since before I had braces: peanut butter ball candies!  They were too chewy/sticky to eat with a mouth full of metal, but since I don't have them anymore, I really wanted to make them.  I used to make them all of the time growing up, and they were a favorite.  These are a little different than buckeyes, which you will see in the ingredient list, but they are really good!

Peanut Butter Ball Candies
Ingredients:
1 C creamy peanut butter
1 C light corn syrup
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
1 1/4 C dried powdered milk
1 1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1-2 tsp solid vegetable shortening

Instructions:
In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter and corn syrup.  In a smaller bowl, mix the powdered sugar and the powdered milk.  Add the dry ingredients, a little at a time, to the wet mixture.

Mix together with a spoon until it's too stiff to work; knead powder mix in with your hands the rest of the way.
Once it's completely mixed, form the dough into balls roughly the size of a walnut.  Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate for a few hours (or overnight).

I got 42 peanut butter balls out of this batch.  Once the balls have chilled and firmed up, begin preparing the chocolate coating:
Melt chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave at 30 second intervals.  Once smooth, allow the chocolate to cool slightly.  With a tablespoon, begin spooning the chocolate over the balls.

Smooth and spread the chocolate over the candies to your liking.  Once all of the balls have chocolate on them, return the pan to the fridge to allow the chocolate to set up, about an hour or two.

Done!  Have fun with your Christmas baking!

Everyone goes shopping for Christmas.  The day after Thanksgiving is notorious for its insane middle-of-the-night shopping hours and equally insane sales, and millions of people trying to buy as many sale items as possible for gift giving.  More money is made by retail stores at this time of the year than any other time.  The true meaning of Christmas gifts has been lost in the shuffle and bustle of a commercialized holiday.  Sadly, too many people care more about the gifts than the meaning of Christmas, and how much they spend on each other.  Money has been a desire of every man since they first began bartering and trading for goods.  We are warned about the temptation of money in Scripture, and it still applies today: "Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17).  Also, "For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs" (1 Timothy 6:10).  Forget about the presents for Christmas.  Focus on the true gift that was given to the world 2000 years ago, and the eternal gift that awaits all who come to Him for forgiveness.  God wants to spend eternity with us, if we will just accept the gift of His Son's sacrifice!  Best gift EVER!

Frugality

Labor Saving/Money Saving

Now that I have to balance housework and a job, I've been looking into using items that will make housework faster, because I hate the idea of coming home from work only to do more work.  I also hate having to spend the weekend doing housework.  So I check regularly for coupons online that will allow me to pick up cleaning supplies and aids to help me out and leave some money in my pocket, too.  One such website is the Swiffer website, and by giving your address you will receive a coupon book in the mail for several Swiffer products.  I purchased a Swiffer sweepervac at Meijer a while ago for a grand total of around $8 (it was on sale, then I had about $15 in coupons for the vac), and I love it!  It runs on a rechargeable battery, and works great on hard surfaces (I have wood laminate flooring in our kitchen and linoleum in our bathroom).  I am also considering the Swiffer mop to replace the old Clorox mop that I purchased back in college and can no longer find refills for.  Another website that will occasionally offer coupon books is SC Johnson.  At the moment, the are not offering coupons, but they do have other tips for money savings.  While at Meijer one day, they had a display with SC Johnson coupon books, and I grabbed three!  Sometimes the opportunities are there when you least expect it.  Another website to check out is the Glade website--they are offering a contest to design a candle, and if your design is chosen, you can win cash prizes.  As in, up to $10,000.  So it's certainly worth checking out, and if you have time, design a candle!  Lysol, if you are a germophobe like me, is a great website to sign up for access to their product coupons.  You will have to create an account, and then you will be able to download and print out coupons for Lysol products (you will need to install a Coupon Printer program, like any online coupons).  Lots of great offers.  Proctor & Gamble often has a coupon insert in weekend newspapers, which is another good source for finding savings.  If you are looking for grocery coupons, check out these sites: RedPlum, SmartSource, CouponMom, Kroger (if you have one), and Coupons.com, among others.  They all have printable coupons that you can download.  (FYI: I have an e-mail account set up just for signing up for these websites.  I don't like getting spam, and don't want to use my regular account, so I set up a special e-mail just for this.)  Hope this helps!

Saving money is not just good sense, practiced through the ages; it is, like so many topics, talked about in the Bible.  The money we have is not really our own, but instead is a blessing from the Lord.  As such, we must treat it as something that God trusts us with to use for His purpose.  Yes, we have to use it to pay bills, provide clothing and food for ourselves, etc., but we are to use what's left responsibly.  Proverbs 21:20 says, "In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has".