Carob Peanut Butter Cups...Yum, Yum!!

Happy Thursday and Friday folks!

Thanks for all your birthday wishes for Daddy Rainmaker and my dad. When I told you all that I was making something for my dad that involved carob chips, I didn't know what I was going to make yet. Ha!

But I found this recipe in a cook book given to me by my mother called "The Ten Talents."

This recipe is super easy and literally only took me like five minutes to whip up.

Here is the finished product...16 peanut butter bars.

Carob chips in natural lighting on the back of my couch.

First you mix 1 cup of natural crunchy peanut butter and 1/3 cup of honey on the stove over medium. It takes a few minutes...

Then, after it's combined you mix in 1/2 cup of carob chips (still over medium) until they are melted and a 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla ...another few minutes...

It looks like this.

Then, the recipe actually asks for you to put them in small paper cups to chill or freeze.

Since I didn't have that, I just pressed them into a pan for bars.

Here they are up close.

My opinion?

They're great!

They have this wonderful chewy texture,

the flavor seems to change the more you chew it.

You can taste the honey. It has an almost rich taste to it.

Total calories per bar is 141.

BUT...they are completely sugar free...aka...guilt free.

But they are higher calorie so you have to watch your intake.

But how wonderful to be able to eat something so rich and yummy.

Oh, here are some shots of the birthday boys.

My dad...looking great!

Daddy Rainmaker after the kids surprised him

with snakes and a tarantula for some of his gifts.
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Well, I took off from the gym yesterday to cook, clean and prepare for last night's fun. I had a few more calories than I wanted, around 1,900 last night.

Then, I actually went up a pound this morning, so I'm now at 5 pounds in 18 days. So, apparently, my body is fluctuating and adjusting. It's annoying, but I hold to the idea that by the end of 10 weeks, I will usually average out to a two pound a week loss. So, if I can be down at least six pounds by Monday...that six pounds in three weeks.

Today I made it to the gym for a 55 minute leg work-out, a 2 1/2 mile bike ride, a 1.25 mile run, and abs.

For calories I'm estimating that I consumed around 1,700.

Hope you you all have a good Friday!

Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama