a kiss to build a dream on...

Ok, so I purposefully saved this recipe to be posted around Valentine's Day because it has kisses in the name, and that sounds so romantic, right? Well truthfully, I don't put a lot of stock in Valentine's Day, however I do put stock in anything chocolate and peanut butter, which is why these cookies are ideal all. year. long. And if someone made me these cookies, I think I would kiss them.

These are pretty similar to your typical peanut butter/Hershey kiss cookies, but the peanut flavor is really amped up in this version. First of all, chunky peanut butter is used in the dough, and then each ball of dough is rolled up in chopped honey roasted peanuts.

Let me tell you, it was a real struggle not to eat all the honey roasted peanuts and Hershey kisses. Thankfully, these cookies are easy to make (think 1 bowl) and bake in 11 minutes. So it's not long before you're kissing (and devouring) a chocolatey, melty, chewy peanut buttery cookie.

Enjoy these kissable treats!

quick snack series:

I have a confession to make: about two years ago I was on a mission to lose 60 pounds. Once I lost 50 pounds though, I decided to start a baking and beauty blog. So, needless to say, the last 10 pounds have stayed quite happily as I've baked, fried, roasted and froze my way to not losing any weight. And then in October I broke my toe, so exercising was a non-option and then the holidays came annnnnd.... now I have 15 pounds to lose!

My toe is completely healed and I'm reenergized and committed to eating healthier and working out regularly. But please, don't worry. Even though I'll feature some healthier food options (which I've done before, I might add) the heart and soul of this blog will forever come from butter, sugar and vanilla. Oh, and some beauty tips thrown in.

These healthy snacks have saved me from eating one too many of Ruby's 'Nilla Wafers (and I don't even really like them...what's that all about?!). I have also eaten these snacks for breakfast, because they're full of nutrients that give me the energy to keep me going.

 Cinnamon Ricotta with honey, almonds and fresh fruit:

The addition of drizzled honey brings out the natural sweetness of the Ricotta, making the berries and almonds a perfect compliment. And since cinnamon is a natural appetite suppressor, this dish leaves you feeling full and satisfied.

Cinnamon Ricotta with honey, almonds and fresh fruit

1 Cup skim Ricotta cheese

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 Tbs. almonds

½ Cup berries

2 Tbs. honey

-Place ricotta in a bowl, and top with cinnamon, almonds and berries. Drizzle with honey and enjoy!

Open-faced p.b. and fresh "j":

This is a fresh, lighter version of the typical pb & j. There is so much sugar in jelly, and you don't really need the extra bread. Getting your whole-grains, protein and a serving of fruit will stave off any hunger pains for hours. Since this recipe is basic, it doesn't really require a recipe.

Here's what I do: toast 1 whole-wheat piece of bread then spread about 2 Tbs. of peanut butter (I prefer the chunky kind). Top the peanut butter with your favorite fruit- I love sliced strawberries or raspberries.

Ground Chia Seed Vanilla Pudding: 

I know there are so many varieties of Chia puddings and while this is my favorite version yet, I'm still not obsessed with it. There's a silky, slippery texture that can only be masked with lots of crunchy things, like walnuts and roasted coconut chips. That's also the reason I ground my chia seeds; leaving them whole in the pudding is like eating roe on top of sushi... all that popping in my mouth just kinda freaks me out. It's worth a try though: Chia seeds are so good for you and it'll keep you going and going.

Fluffernutter Dreams Come True

I don't often make many recipes using store-bought cake mixes because they just don't taste right. About five years ago I got sick with a terrible chest infection and lost all my taste buds for like a month. When they slowly came back, a lot of foods just didn't taste the same anymore, in fact, they tasted gross. Over time I got over a lot of them, like peanut butter, but to this day most soda's and pre-packaged cake mixes just taste... off. It's not the worst thing that could've happened, I mean, everyone knows you shouldn't drink soda anyways, so losing my taste buds really did me a favor in the long run.

Anyways, back to this recipe. Yes, there's a store-bought cake mix used here and I couldn't help but be swayed by the fact that: 1. it's a super fast, layered dessert and 2. gooey layers of peanut butter and marshmallow fluff always trump a store-bought mix.