peanut butter balls

people come into your lives at different points in time.

for different reasons.

some come & go quickly.

some make tremendous impacts.

friendships are life changing.

regardless if they are good or bad.

i believe that there are different kinds of friends for different things.

you know...you have the friend {if you are lucky}

that you call to cry to.

that will say it like it is.

to make you laugh.

you can confide in.

who knows just what you need.

you can "gossip" with.

you share lifetime memories with.

to go out and have fun with.

who makes you crazy.

that knows when to tell you to get your act together.

your "mom friends".

work friends.

some friends you just click with immediately.

some take some time.

there are also the "unhealthy" friends who just make you feel bad or don't bring out the best in you.

{ive got one or two of those too...but we will save that for another post... maybe}

i can go on.

i am tremendously overwhelmingly blessed with friends in my life.

my heart is full.

so onto the peanut butter balls.

i have made this recipe since i was a very young girl.

as i write this, i realize it is maybe one of the first recipes i have memory of making without my mom.

i have been friends with stacey since i was 4.

our houses backyards connected... through a swamp and some woods.

we both are the youngest of 5 and 6 children... with all our siblings from much older than us.

we lived in a very very rural tiny town.

we did every thing together as children.

spent our summers "cleaning the swamp".

riding bikes everywhere.

swimming.

creating.

sledding.

we got our first wet & wild make up together at the pharmacy.

we looked forward to TGIF tv on friday nights.

hot dogs on saturdays with my dad in the "rum rum" {austin healy}.

we are still very dear friends all these years...MANY years later!

we are nothing alike.

we have joked that if we crossed paths today we would probably not be great friends.

but ... our hearts are tied together by our memories and what we share.

much like sisters really.

our friendship is unconditional and not going anywhere.

so stacey taught me, amoung many things, to make peanut butter balls.

it is so easy.

it is a pretty healthy snack.

and easy for kids too!

jack really enjoyed rolling the balls this time around.

you need ABOUT

1.5 cups of peanut butter

1/4 cup of honey

a packet of dry milk (the brand name is MUCH better if you can find it. i have discovered that blending it in the mini chopper makes the final outcome MUCH better so you avoid the crunchies of the dry milk)

i NEVER measure.

i also now use my kitchen aid mixer.

it is significantly easier.

the longer you mix it the better

the consistency should be sticky but not gooey.

and some food for thought:

a chocolate chip on top is yummy

i discovered recently that frozen, they are deeelish!

and i have wondered, but never tried, how they may taste dipped in chocolate...

{oh- do NOT make these with all natural peanut butter... that fails miserably}

hope you enjoy this yummy treat.

and your friend today!