Buckeyes and the early morning scare

I guess this is my week for early morning scares.  I get up early, as my niece would say "At the ass-crack of dawn,"  to go to workout and get it over with.  So at 5:00 am I get up, dress in the dark so Dave can sleep, brush my teeth, make the coffee, put a log in the wood stove, and head to Fit Body Bootcamp to work out.  I'm really half awake (and probably not safe to drive, good thing the roads are pretty empty).

So this morning I'm headed to bootcamp as usual and open the garage door to get in my car.  There, in the dark are two people, their heads silhouetted in the darkness against the door window.  It is amazing how much goes through your mind in a split second.  Before anyone could move I thought....

Shit, someone broke into the house, they are in the garage with the dogs and those damn dogs didn't even bark.  They bark at everything, even the neighbor, every day at 5:00, when he gets home in the afternoon.  I wonder if they know I'm in here, of course they do, I opened the door, they must be trying to take Dave's 4-wheeler, don't they know we pull the keys so they can't start it.  Dave must have forgot to lock the garage door.  I might as well turn the light on to confront them...

So I switched on the light....

and this is what I saw.

The Holy Family and the three wise men, set up on the 4-wheelers, ready to be placed outside in the stable.  They looked like they were headed out for a joy ride.  I had the drive to bootcamp to slow my heart down.

Now, I figure I burned extra calories from all the scares this week.  So I am making (and eating a lot of) one of my favorite Christmas treats.  Buckeyes.  Peanut butter and chocolate in a  little bite of heaven.  What could be better to enjoy the view of the nativity all set up for the holidays.

Merry Christmas.

Buckeyes
from food.com

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 cups powdered sugar
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. Crisco
Roasted peanut halves

Combine peanut butter, vanilla and salt in a large bowl.  Beat with an electric mixer on low until blended.  Add 2 cups powdered sugar, beating until blended  Beat in additional powdered sugar until mixture, when shaped into a ball, will stay on a toothpick.  Shape into 1-inch balls.  Refrigerate.

Place chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave on medium for 30 seconds.  Stir.  Repeat until mixture is smooth.  Reheat as needed while coating peanut butter balls.

Insert toothpick in peanut butter ball.  Dip 3/4 of ball into chocolate, leaving the top uncovered.  Remove excess chocolate off bottom.  Place on was paper-lined tray.  Remove toothpick.  Smooth over holes or top with a peanut.  Refrigerate until firm.

Optional add ins: crushed pretzels, chocolate chips, chopped peanuts-or use crunchy peanut butter, chopped banana chips

1 year ago:   Russian Tea Cakes
2 years ago:  Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

December 18, 2013   Daylight 3 hrs, 42 min, 49 sec.   Temp. H -13/ L -14