Choosy Moms Choose..........Hippie

My son hated peanut butter.  Hated.  Jif, Trader Joe's, Peter Pan, Creamy, Crunchy................nothing worked.

So I gave up.

Until.......I tried Hippie.

Oh Yeah.  Hippie Peanut Butter hits the spot.  He LOVES my Hippie peanut butter.  And who can blame him?  It's fresh and he watches it go from peanuts to peanut butter before his big brown eyes.

There is something magical about watching something morph or grow or change.  As soon as we get home from school/work every day, he is in the garden, checking to see what's grown, what's changed.  When I make bread, he likes to watch me work with the dough and then watches it bake through the little window on the oven door.  He is learning to make his own cookies, and prefers to test the dough before they are baked and then eat them hot immediately after, complete with dramatics of "MAMA!  These are TOO good!  MAMA!" 

This kid is the kid that steals cooling pies off windowsills and eats them in the hayloft. 

My favorite part of making Hippie Peanut Butter is how easy it is.  And I know what's in it.

Here's what's in Jif Creamy Peanut Butter:
MADE FROM ROASTED PEANUTS AND SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT.

Uh-huh.  Rapeseed?  What is that?  Mono and diglycerides?  Ew.

Here's what's in Hippie Peanut Butter:
Peanuts, Salt.

Uh-huh.  See what I'm saying?

So let's get down to business, shall we?

First things first- peanuts.  I go to (surprise surprise) Trader Joe's and get my peanuts there.  I use one bag Honey Roasted (so obviously more than just peanuts- I know) and one bag 50% less salted.  The combination is ideal for my family, who prefers their peanut butter be a little sweeter than just straight peanuts, and the 50% less salt helps keep the saltiness and sodium in check. 

You may use whatever peanuts you prefer.  And if you feel a little "yeah, right Hippie Mom, homemade peanut butter.  Psh."  Then make a small batch first to try it. 

Here's what you do:

Dump the peanuts in the food processor. Press go.

If you have a teeny tiny food processor, please be aware that you may have to give the little motor cooling breaks so you don't fry it.  Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything.  Let's just say that after I made my first batch, I received a new GIANT food processor that can handle the load and doesn't smoke when I use it.  

At first, the peanuts look like pebbly dirt. 

Peanut Pebbles..........

Then they start to clump. 

It's hard to get a good picture of peanuts in the processor........

Then they do what I call the Peanut Tsunami where this giant peanut wave works its way around the processor bowl, devouring all the other peanut pieces. 

Eventually it starts to smoooooth out. 

Smooooooth

When it hits smooth and creamy, without any weird lumps or bumps twirling around in there, it's done.  (If you like crunchy, toss in some more peanuts and run the processor again just to break them up into smaller pieces.)  

Refilling the Hippie jar.

Go ahead and taste test it- it will be a little soft and warm.  Grinding peanuts causes friction, which causes heat.  It's all good, because warm, soft peanut butter pours so much easier into a jar.  (I use an old Jif jar, or a glass Mason jar- whatever is handy.)  Once you pop it in the fridge for a few hours, it will stiffen up to a firmer consistency, or you can leave it out and it will stay soft.

Deliciousness......

Once you realize how easy homemade Peanut Butter really is, you can make it and give it to your friends and family.  Introduce them to the wonder that is Hippie living.  A fresh loaf of bread, a jar of Hippie peanut butter, and a jar of local Honey would make an excellent housewarming or hostess gift. 


Questions, comments, concerns- let me know below.  I would really love to hear about your Hippie adventures. 

Peace & Love Y'all- Hippie Mama

"Vegetarians can't grill..........."

.......or so they say..........

No, really- they do.  It's summertime- I talk about how much I love to grill.  Most people who actually know me are a little ........whaaa???.........you?  grill?........but aren't you mostly vegetarian?  What can you possibly GRILL?!  Grills are for MEAT!  Grills are for MEN!  ((insert man grunts))

Um....no.  My ex-husband actually set the grill on fire and made the worst hamburgers EVERY single time he started the grill. (*snickers*)

I'm a bit more gifted with the flames of wonder and might.

And I do it with veggies.

RAAAAH!

But seriously.........it's easy.  Vidalia sweet onions, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini......whatever you have on hand.  I toss it in olive oil, sprinkle it with a little salt, a little pepper, maybe a dash of cajun seasoning for a little kick and toss it on a hot grill.   Be careful- the potatoes will try to fall between the slats of the grill. 

SHAZAM!!

And then........I drizzle it with some Balsamic Vinegar Reduction.  It's like a magic potion.  It's easy.  Take about a cup of balsamic vinegar, pour it into a saucepan and bring it to a low boil- add about 1 tsp of sugar (raw if you have it) and let it simmer until it reduces by about half.  It's so good- you've got to make some.  You will be drizzling it on salad, raw veggies, grilled veggies, pizza, bread.....pretty much anything.

But wait.......I also make the bread on the grill.  Yeah- grilled bread.  Trust me. 

You make a pretty basic ball of dough, divide it, flatten it, cover it with olive oil and grill it.............

Oooooooo........yeah.

Take 1/2 tsp of Active Dry yeast and add it to 1/2 cup of really warm water- mix it in until it dissolves and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Now......add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tsp of salt, and 1 1/3 cups of flour.  Mix it up into a dough ball and knead on a floured surface for about 2 minutes.  Let it rise for 30 minutes.  (Turn on the grill- let it get hot- grill veggies- by then, you will be ready for the bread.)

Take your dough ball and divide it into 4 hunks and flatten them out into discs (or roll them out- your choice).  They will look like little naked pizzas.  Brush them with olive oil and toss them on the hot grill.  See what they look like in the picture above?  Yup- that's the goal.  It doesn't take long.  Maybe 3-5 minutes per side, depending on how well done you like your bread.  Be sure to shut the lid and hold all the heat in to bake them.  Be sure to brush them with olive oil before you flip them.  You can also sprinkle them with Italian seasoning, or whatever you like.  (Again- they are good with a little balsamic reduction........)

There you go- how to be a Bad Mother Griller......without meat (or any animal anything.)

Yeah- I don't post often enough, but when I do- it's totally worth it.  :)