Puppy Chow Pretzels

Salty pretzels coated in a sweet chocolatey coating with peanut butter - life really doesn't get any better.

* This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

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Who loves chocolate? How about peanut butter? Now who likes chocolate with peanut butter? I know I raised my hand to all three!

I'm excited to share with you a snack that I have been eating nonstop for the last three weeks - puppy chow pretzels. Puppy chow is traditionally crispy rice cereal squares mixed with creamy peanut butter and melted chocolate all tossed in powdered sugar. Swap out the crispy rice cereal squares with salty pretzels and you've got yourself a sweet and salty snack.

Click to tweet: Chocolate and peanut butter and pretzels covered in powdered sugar - YES, please!

You can thank me later!

When you read through the recipe, I tried my best to include specific amounts. But I mostly eyeball the ingredients especially the powdered sugar. Have fun with the recipe and play around with all types of pretzels - square, twist, sticks, circles, etc.

Puppy Chow Pretzels [Gluten Free]

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Ingredients

• 4.5 cups Salted Pretzels (my favorite is the squares)
• 1/4 cup Natural Peanut Butter (this is my favorite)
• 1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Morsels
• 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
• 1+ cup Powdered Sugar

Cooking Directions

1. Melt peanut butter, dark chocolate morsels, and coconut oil in a large microwave safe bowl for 60 seconds
2. Stir mixture. If the mixture is not melted completely, microwave for 15 seconds until melted
3. Gently fold in the pretzels into the chocolate peanut butter mixture
4. Fold in all of the powdered sugar, adding more if pretzels still appear wet.
5. Enjoy!

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Have you ever had puppy chow?

Check out my other gluten-free puppy chow recipe made with Cheerios.

PIN for later.

Peanut Butter Date Smoothie

Mark your calendars for a date with this dreamy Peanut Butter Date Smoothie. 
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There are certain things that were just meant to go together - peanut butter and jelly, chocolate and mint, caramel and salt, vodka and ice, bananas and peanut butter. But sometimes it's good to stray from the path and try something new.


Like I mentioned on Monday, smoothies usually call for bananas and/or avocados and I am breaking that rule this week by subbing those ingredients with something else. Today's Peanut Butter Date Smoothie was originally made with bananas. If you remove the bananas without replacing them with another ingredient, you might as well eat the peanut butter straight from the jar with a spoon. I wouldn't judge you if you wanted to do that anyway.

Click to tweet: Creamy, dreamy peanut butter date smoothie.

Instead, I added plain greek yogurt to help give some body to the smoothie and added honey for additional sweetness. It's perfection in a glass.

Peanut Butter Date Smoothie

Recipe adapted from Pumpkin & Peanut Butter

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Milk
• 4 Medjool Dates, pitted
• 3 tablespoons Peanut Butter
• 1/4 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 tablespoon Honey
• handful of Ice
• shaved Dark Chocolate (optional)

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth.
2. Enjoy!

Click to tweet: A smoothie that is perfection in a glass!

What are some other items that are just meant to be together - perfect pairs?

Have you ever put dates in your smoothie?

Don't forget to check out the rest of the Five Days of Smoothies recipes. 

S'more Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwich [Gluten Free]

S'more Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches are bite size and a delicious twist from a traditional campfire s'more. These little cookies are gluten free and filled with good, clean ingredients.
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Whenever A travels for work, there is one go-to meal that is always on the menu while he is away. It's not healthy, it's not nutritious, and it's not wholesome. But, it is tasty and comforting!


The house feels empty and quiet when he is gone. Being that I work from home, my 'work' day ends when he walks through the front door. So if he doesn't come home, my day doesn't really ever end. Then I lay down in an empty bed and life just feels so incomplete.

My go-to meal when he travels could be anything, because really, I make all the decisions for what I want to eat. I could eat anything that he doesn't like, I could eat breakfast for all three meals, or I could even just eat dessert. There is no one here to judge me - besides Roxi. Regardless of all the options, I choose Kraft Mac & Cheese. You know, the blue box?! Yep, that's what I choose!

Judge me all you want.

Click to tweet: S'more PB Cookie Sandwiches are bite size & delicious twist from traditional campfire s'more.

And because I mentioned the option of eating dessert for a meal, these S'more Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches would definitely be a good option. The peanut butter cookies are filled with good, clean ingredients and the entire thing is gluten free. But I choose to keep dessert just for dessert - something I can savor.

S'more Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwich [Gluten Free]

Recipe by adapted from Veggie Balance

Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: 10 cookie sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Peanut Butter (check ingredient list and be sure it only include peanuts, or make your own)
• 1/3 cup Almond Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
• Pinch Salt
• 3 teaspoons Honey
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Egg
• 5 Jumbo Marshmallows, halved
• 4 ounces Dark Chocolate Morsels

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, or 325 degrees if using a dark cookie sheet.
2. Mix peanut butter, almond flour, baking soda, salt, honey, vanilla, and egg together until well combined.
3. Roll out the cookie mixture into 1/2 tablespoon balls. Then flatten out by making a cross with a fork.
4. Bake for 5 minutes then remove from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes. Flip over half the cookies and place 1/2 marshmallow on top of flipped cookies.
5. Bake for another 3 minutes then allow to cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes.
6. Slowly melt dark chocolate morsels in a double boiler of in the microwave at 30 second intervals.
7. Dip the bottom half of the unflipped peanut butter cookies into the melted chocolate then immediately place on top of melted marshmallow.
8. Allow chocolate to harden at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
9. Enjoy!

Click to tweet: These peanut butter cookies are filled with good clean ingredients & the entire thing is gluten free.

What's your go-to meal when you are home alone?
Are you a s'more fan?
Looking for more gluten free recipes? Check out this Gluten Free Puppy Chow Recipe.

Gluten-free Puppy Chow Recipe

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your continued support. 
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Now that it is officially September, everyone seems excited for fall. Don't get me wrong, I love the fall season but I am also well aware that we still have a couple weeks of summer. I am not ready to give up summer just yet!

Most recipes people are posting are starting to showcase spicy autumn-like foods, but my recipe for you today is more of a transitional recipe. This will help you transition perfectly from summer to fall. And if you read the title then you already know what I am going to share - gluten free puppy chow. Don't worry if you want to enjoy this recipe outside of the summer and fall months - I'm not judging.

As most of you will know, I do not follow a gluten-free diet, but I like to experiment in the kitchen. There are many individuals that have a gluten intolerance, and luckily, Cheerios is joining the masses. They are converting their brand to be gluten free. I am not really sure when all of their products will be converted, but I know it's happening.

Click to tweet: Gluten-free puppy chow - yum!

So, the traditional puppy chow you know of is probably made from chex cereal, sugar filled peanut butter, milk chocolate morsels, and butter. Oh, the butter. For my health conscious group, don't close the page just yet. Today's puppy chow is made 100% gluten free with Cheerios, natural peanut butter that has one ingredient, dark chocolate morsels, coconut oil, and powdered sugar.

First thing is first, measure out all of your ingredients. This recipe couldn't be any easier by only having five ingredients: Cheerios, powdered sugar, coconut oil, peanut butter, and chocolate morsels.

You will also need a large microwave safe bowl. This is where you will place your coconut oil, peanut butter, and chocolate morsels to melt in the microwave.

You will want to microwave these three ingredients for one minute, then stir. Most likely the chocolate will not have melted all the way. Place back into the microwave for 15 seconds at a time because you do not want to burn the chocolate. Just a note for those without a microwave (I feel bad for you), you could use a double boiler to melt these three ingredients.

This is where the fun really begins. Dump all of the Cheerios into the bowl and gently fold. Coat every crevice of those little o's with the chocolatey peanut butter.

After the Cheerios are complete mixed in with the chocolate peanut butter mixture, pour in the powdered sugar. This will coat each o and adhere right to the melted mixture. If the Cheerios are looking a little too wet, just keep adding the powdered sugar. There is no wrong way to do this, people.

The Cheerios should now be dusted with some delicious sugary goodness and it's time to enjoy. I highly recommend placing these on a large platter, because they are not going to last long.

Click to tweet: Gluten-free puppy chow - yum!

Gluten-free Puppy Chow
original recipe from a traveling Wife

Ingredients:
- 4.5 cups gluten free Cheerios
- 1/4 cups natural, creamy peanut butter (check the ingredients to make sure peanuts are the only item listed)
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate morsels
- 1 & 1/2 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar +

Directions:
- Melt peanut butter, dark chocolate morsels, and coconut oil in a large microwave safe dish for 60 seconds
- Stir mixture. If the chocolate is not melted complete, microwave for 15 seconds until chocolate is melted
- Gently fold in the Cheerios into the chocolate peanut butter mixture
- Fold in all of the powdered sugar, adding more is Cheerios still appear wet. It's best to add 1 additional Tablespoon at a time
- Enjoy!

Have you ever had puppy chow? What's your favorite summer or fall snack?