Peanut Butter Cocoa Balls 
This is a totally nutritious snack! Yes it is! According to Texas A&M AgriLIFE Extension and the Hopkins County 4-H Club, it's considered a nutritious snack. So there. 
My fun friend, Kim, asked me last week if I wanted to be a volunteer for a 4-H food show event at our local Ag extension office. I said, "Sure!" Turns out, we had the fun of judging the nutritional knowledge and recipe presentation of young cooks from the ages of 7 to 14 years of age. And let me tell you, those kids had it going on!
These great young cooks had learned how to balance a nutritious meal, studied nutrient facts, learned how to operate kitchen appliances, kitchen safety, and last but not the least, presented a delicious recipe. For the next few posts, I wanted to highlight some recipes from the food show.
Moms & Dads, your kiddos can make these recipes. Now, they WILL need your supervision and assistance working appliances, but they can put these recipes together.
LET'S START WITH THE WINNING RECIPE
made by Timothy, 8 years old.
Peanut Butter Cocoa Balls
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup coconut, plus 1/3 cup to coat balls
- 1 cup chopped nuts, plus 1/3 cup to coat balls
Warm the peanut butter in the microwave up to 1 minute, enough to make it easy to stir. Add in honey, vanilla, and cocoa powder; mix thoroughly. Add remaining ingredients, stir well.
Use a 1 inch scooper to help roll dough into balls, then use either the extra coconut or chopped nuts to coat balls. Can be chilled or served immediately.
Let's look at them again.
ah yes…love these naturally sweetened treats…may I?
I can't wait to make these for myself.
what a GREAT treat! Thanks for sharing them… my kids will love these!
may i say yummious!!!!!!! this one can settle the muches annyday or night
I can't believe I haven't made these for myself yet.
Little Timothy did such an AWESOME job putting this recipe together.
Hello Jill
Long time no talk……lol I miss you a lot, but I've been secretly visiting you guys here and testing out several of your goodies when I have time. Today I happened to see your contest, and of course since the drawing date is the "15th anniversary of my 39th birthday", I just knew I had to speak up….lol I LOVE these little guys, and have made them as directed, enrobed in milk, dark and white chocolate and have also incorporated cherries and dried cranberries as additional fillers. I made these a couple of days ago, and they rock. They are delicious, and vanished moments after I put them out
Mark Boxshus
Boscoe1@mac.com
Email Subscriber
((((MARK))))
I'm so happy you spoke up! I miss you too!
I love the ideas you used to for this recipe. I could chow on a few in dark chocolate with cherries *swallowing*
It's a good thing they're considered nutritious right?
If I space out, which it's highly probable, let me say right now…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK!!!
Hey Jill
WOW………..you sure replied in record time……lol Great to hear back from you. How go things with the family? What's the weather like down there? I'll be it's a lot warmer, and that you don't have the snow coverage that we've got on the ground. In fact, we've got another dandy of a storm headed this way tonight. More snow, sleet and freezing rain. Should be a ton of fun……lol
I love your site, and although my time the past several months has been extremely limited, I do visit as often as possible. In the future, I'll leave a few comments so you'll know I've been squirreling around like a church mouse!
Mark
P.S. thanks for the birthday wishes. Egads……..another year older.
Charlie keeps me connected to all the latest apps and plug-ins so I don't have to be tied to the laptop and still know when someone stops by SDR. He's handy like that. ;D
The family is healthy & warm, I wouldn't dare pray for more.
is growing up and it takes every bit of my strength not to cry.
Max is 9 today! My baby
Today, we are having our first icy storm for the season. Texans shut down at the first sign of ice; we're such terrible drivers in the stuff. We might see snow next month, who knows. Last year, we had a freak snow on March 12th. We had a winter wonderland that lasted about 4 hours, that afternoon it was gone and the sun was shining like nothing happened.
You stay warm today and tonight! Have a cup of drinking chocolate and a good book.
In weather like this, I always think it's God's way of saying “slow down, relax, and count your blessings.”
Thanks for the update Jill. Glad your family is doing fine and that you've got remote access as well. While I don't have a lap top yet (coming sooner than I thought. The CMTA takes up a great deal of my time, so a laptop is now a necessity) I'm able to use friend's laptops to catch up with the blogs and the friends I've made online while on the go. It's probably going to lead to a Blackberry at some point, who knows…..lol
I know first hand about your “love” of snow and ice. Years ago I was down south during an ice storm, and everyone dared not to go out. I hopped into my friends car and wound up going to the store for his entire apartment building! They thought this Yankee was a fairly nice fella after all………lol
Stay in touch, and a belated Happy New Year to you and your family
Mark