Winning The Junk Food Battle, One Meal At A Time

“Man is what he eats.” Ludwig Andreas von Feuerbach, German philosopher and anthropologist 1804-1872.

A compelling statement, considering what some of us put into our bodies. Come to think of it, some of us are starting to look like cheeseburgers; round and supersized…

Dinner every evening with the family sitting around a table of home cooked food is seen about as often today as the Donna Reed Show. What with divorce, two career parents, more time spent in the workplace, eating out and the abundance of after-school activities, it’s no wonder. We are missing the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ of eating.

Food preparation, the passing down of recipes and traditions from generation to generation and the breaking of bread together is as nourishing to the soul as it is to the body. It is part of what defines us.

When my children were very young, I knew every ingredient that went into their bodies and cooked everything from scratch. When they started school and I went back to work apples were traded for Twinkies and Skittles and they drank blue juice at their friends’ house.

Fast forward a decade. My teenagers definition of ‘good snacks’ is cookies, Pop Tarts, veggies and dip, homemade salsa and chips (I haven’t totally failed), ice cream and Dorito’s.

On my quest to regain my foothold of nourishing my family, I found myself returning to the basics. Dinner may be early or late but we try to eat it together.

The following is a recipe of wholesome ingredients that’s easy to prepare and tastes very good. Enjoy!

Natural Peanut Butter Crunchies

Mix together well:
4 Tbl. natural peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
1 cup honey
4 Tbl. Peanut oil

Add to above then mix well:
4 Tbl. water
1 tsp vanilla

Add to peanut butter mix and stir well:
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups white whole wheat flour

Batter may be sticky and they retain their shape as they bake. Drop from rounded Tablespoonful onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake @ 375 for 15 minutes.
Makes about 35 crunchies.