Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Apple Rings with Peanut Butter and Krispies, an old Girl Scout favorite!


Peanut butter may very well be my "Nectar of the Gods".  Spanning the years our relationship has grown from the plain but perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich I had almost daily to Peanut Butter Pies, Peanut Butter Cookies, Peanut Butter Smoothies and Peanut Satay.  Basically, if it has peanut butter in it I'm most likely going to love it, and somehow that peanut butter gene was passed on to my kids.  When an offer from Foodbuzz's Tastemaker Program and Planter's came across to try Planter's new creamy peanut butter the "Yes, please!" was a no brainer.

After receiving our notification that the peanut butter was in the mail however, I got just a bit worried.  I've been very brand loyal to my peanut butter for over 30 years, would it be OK to try something new?  What if I didn't like it, what would I say?  Thankfully I didn't have to worry.

First out of the package we did the ultimate peanut butter taste test... right off a spoon.  Rich, peanut flavor melted in our mouths and all three of us reached for a second taste.  Slightly creamier than I'm used to, but that might actually be a good thing.

Secondly, the peanut butter sandwich.  My BFF since the 7th grade when I complained to my mom about the lunch she had packed and she gently (but in no uncertain terms) informed me that I could be in charge of my own lunch henceforth.  PB&J's came to school with me daily for years and I never tired of them.  And Planter's Peanut Butter did indeed pass the PB&J test with flying colors!

While peanut butter is indeed caloric, it holds an important role in our diets with health benefits including a high protein score, monounsaturated fats which eaten in moderation have been shown to help reduce "bad" cholesterols, and fairly high quantities of dietary fiber - again helping to regulating both blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels.  A good source of energy, peanut butter is a food I try to get Liv to eat on hectic dance rehearsal days to get her through the long hours of practice with fuel to spare.

Not only healthy in moderation, peanut butter seems to be popular with most of the kids I have come in contact with and one of our favorite Girl Scout snacks included apples, peanut butter and some sort of krispie cereal.  I believe that I started out with plain puffed rice cereal, but somewhere along the line the cereal of choice turned to a chocolate puffed rice and we've just let that one be.

In short, apples are sliced into rounds, the center cut out (did you know that the cross cut of an apple showing the seeds is an adorable flower??  These are good for making paint stamps, just fyi) and spread with peanut butter.  A bit of a messy job, but something that the kids can do on their own and then top with the crunchy cereal.

Peanut Butter, apples and cereal... a fun snack that mom is happy with.



Apple, Peanut Butter, Puffed Rice Snacks
Troop 1163, Girl Scout Snacks

1 Apple, cut into rounds, cores cut out (making rings)
peanut butter
puffed rice cereal (plain or chocolate)

Place apples onto an easily cleaned up surface.  Spread with peanut butter and top with puffed rice.  Enjoy... then wash sticky fingers!


23 comments:

  1. This looks inspiring, never tried apple with peanut butter, will definitely give it a go, Love the photo, nice post.

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  2. Such a cute idea for the kids, or this kid. I could use some peanut butter about now. Hope you are having a great week, we've finally have the yucky rain.
    -Gina-

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  3. This is my kind of snack Kim! I love peanut butter and apples. I think I have that for a snack a couple times a week! It has been one of my favorites since I was a little girl. I normally add granola for a crunch, but this is a GREAT idea! I bet Liv loves this :-)

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  4. I love peanut butter and apples together, but I would have never thought of add on the chocolate krispies! Great idea!

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  5. Oh, I love these. Thanks for posting these.

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  6. I LOVE LOVE LOVE peanut butter...but am glad to see all the 'crunch' you've paired it with. GREAT snack!

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  7. that is a great and easy snack idea!

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  8. This is such a great snack idea and congrats on the nomination - it is well-deserved!

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  9. I never knew how good peanut butter pair with apples are till I had them in the States! The little crisps just takes them over the top!
    Thanks for swinging by my blog. Your comment is much appreciated!

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  10. I don't know how I made it through my daily ballet sessions without these treats! I'm sure these keep Liv raring to go :) Congrats on your nomination as well! Buzzed

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  11. We love, love, love, PB. My husband eats PB on a whole wheat English muffin everyday! My kids lived on PB. Thank goodness there weren't as many Peanut allergies back then.

    My Mom used to give PB on apples as a snack, and I've been eating that ever since.

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  12. This is such a fun idea!! I'm so making this for myself. :)
    Congrats on the Foodbuzz Award nomination!

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  13. I'm showing this to my daughters. Too cool. They've just "discovered" peanut butter and the apple is just right to keep Mum happy, too! Congrats on the nomination, Kim. Of course you have my vote. Way to go!

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  14. I think peanut butter undergoes a transformation when it comes into contact with apple. It suddenly tastes like caramel (at least to me). I love them together.

    Thanks for the comprehensive review of the peanut butter!

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  15. What a cool and cute idea..very creative as always..and I love your yummy photos, Kim!!!

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  16. What a fantastic snack! This is definitely fun to eat! Thanks for sharing!

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  17. I love this!! What a great snack :o)

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  18. I have always been a fan of apples with peanut butter and I love the idea of adding krispies!

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  19. WOOHOO! I love peanut butter! There is only one brand I won't eat and this isn't one of them. Now I am craving peanut butter pie since you brought it up...

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  20. What a great snack! It would definitely make one feel like a kid again!

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  21. This makes me wish I had been a girl scout. I am a loyal member of the peanut butter lovers club, though!

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  22. Kim, you have such a beautiful blog. Your recipes makes me drool. I'm so inspired all the time because of who I get to meet over food blogrolls. Thanks for buzzing me over at my blog. Do stay in touch. xoxo..

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  23. lol, you will not believe how excited I got when I saw these pictures. I had forgotten about the simple joy of peanut butter on apple slices until just now! These are awesome-thank you.

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