Food for Thought

• In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. -- George Orwell
• It is not that some people have will power and some don't. It's that some people are ready to change and some are not. -- James Gordon, MD
• The test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority. -- Ralph W. Sockman
• I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits then strict justice. -- Abraham Lincoln (speech in Washington, DC, 1865)
• Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer; nothing is more difficult than to understand him. -- Fyodor Dostoevsky
• Everyone is a prisoner of his own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices--just recognize them. -- Edward R. Murrow (television broadcast, Dec 31, 1955)
• Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die. -- Anne Lemott (from Traveling Mercies)
• Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them? -- Abraham Lincoln
• To the soul, there is hardly anything more healing than friendship. -- Thomas Moore
• All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt. -- Lucy Van Pelt (in Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz)

And last but definitely not profoundly least:

• The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize. -- Clairee Belcher (from the movie Steel Magnolias)
  

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Lovin'

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bar

made with Melted Lindt Chocolate Truffles

My daughter loves to cook and bake, especially bake. She loves to create her own recipes or take an existing one and “tweak” it to her liking. I’ve been the lucky recipient of many of her culinary adventures from amazing soups to guacamole to delectable pastries. Tonight she treated me to a delicious desert bar that actually requires no baking whatever and has my three favorite ingredients: Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Graham crackers. And although it won’t help me with my diet, it was yummy-licious.

The original recipe used only 1 cup of peanut butter but Heather feels (and so do I) that it works better with two cups of peanut butter. Here’s the recipe:

No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bars
2 ½ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
(about 15 whole graham crackers mashed up)
2 cups smooth Peanut Butter
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 cups chocolate chips, melted
2 ¾ cups powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, stir together the graham crackers, sugar, peanut butter, and melted butter. Press into an ungreased 9 x 13 pan. Spread melted chocolate chips evenly on top. Cover with wrap and refrigerator until cold and chocolate sets. Cut into squares.

The desert is quick and easy and oh-so delicious. It can be easily dressed up with very minor changes. For example, you could substitute chunky peanut butter for creamy. Heather had a bag of Lindt chocolate truffles and melted those instead of the chocolate chips. For a fancier look, dot the top with peanut butter chips or Reeses Pieces. If you do, wait until the chocolate is partially set. Remember, nothing says loving like chocolate and peanut butter!