Food Therapy 4 Me: Our Family Tradition

About 4 years ago, my husband began saying....it's our tradition!

What he meant by this was lots-o-butter...well not really. He meant peanut butter balls and oatmeal pecan chocolate chunk cookies.

As a young couple, together forever before getting married, we tried to fulfill the married folks roles. Awhile back we lived in MA (aka temporally Mass-Holes) and there we first tried our Peanut Butter Ball recipe. Over the years we think we have mastered it...right Hussy?!?!? They are delicious!

The cookies were a recipe from almost 8 years ago. My husband (boyfriend then) was deployed by the military to Pakistan and I sent food. Food is a taste of home and in their case it totally beat MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat). I found this wonderful recipe online and made them at my parents' on weekend visiting from college. After days of travel, they finally made it to my now hubby. He LOVED them!!!!

Each cookie is filling enough to serve as a meal, much like a heavy granola bar. As the story goes, he returned safe and sound and I did not make them again for a few years. Once he brought up his memory of them I dug for the recipe...since then the rest is history and they are now part of our family holiday tradition.

The base ingredients of our prized recipe for PB Balls.

A KEY ingredient...homemade crushed graham cracker crumbs.

My love-bug goes absolutely CRAZY for the part when he gets to lick the extra PB...

SEE TOLD YA! HAHA!

A-lot-o-lovin'-goodness

After much patience and time we end up with these.

LOTS of THESE!

When my hubby helps, we get a wider range of sizes....this year he was off the hook, so they were almost perfect :O)

The ball centers are set to chill in the fridge.

NOW FOR THE COOKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is my broken collarbone husband's only physical contribution for making our holiday goodies. However psychologically, he is a lifesaver...because everything ends up getting done (by me) with his motivating drive and natural talent for hovering.

Dry ingredients.

A TON of oatmeal...so much so I buy it by 10lb increments!

Ahhhh...Butter.

The mixing begins.

Just a few eggs.

Before this year everything was done by hand. This holiday tradition has given me just one more reason to say that I LOVE my Kitchenaid mixer, thank you lil' sis!