quinn's place

peanut buttah time.

do you recall the mallow cookie creme pies that i made quite recently? whelllll! those peanut butter cookies were made with this very homemade peanut butter recipe.

thought i'd share my method of making homemade peanut butterrrrrrrrr, y'aaall. (<paula deen voice)

first ya take the peanuts and a crunch em, ya crunch em. nah nah. just throw em in the food processor, silly!

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so easyyy, my people! i think creamy peanut butter will still be the only nut butter i won't hesitate to buy at the store (because they make it so dreamy & delicious), but every other nut butter i tells ya...make it at home if you can. bling blinggg! i dunno why bling bling but i haven't said that since like 1999 and i've randomly said it about 3 times this week.

peanuts are cheap! like, they're the actual unit that people use to measure cheapness - peanuts!! "they're payin' me peanuts!" so yeah, make those peanuts into peanut butter and save some dough, y'aaall. bling bling.

Homemade Peanut Butter

Yields 16 oz. creamy peanut butter

Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

4 cups roasted, unsalted peanuts (as pictured above-- from the bulk section)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. coconut oil

Instructions-

Place the peanuts in a food processor. Run the processor for a few minutes, then scrape down the sides with a spatula. When the peanuts begin to form a thick texture, add the salt and coconut oil. Run the food processor for another few minutes until it looks very creamy* & shiny.

Scoop all the peanut butter into an airtight container or jar and store in the fridge.

*Note: Homemade PB will be just a little bit grittier than store-bought creamy PB. How doo they doo it?!

Add to toast, smoothies, sandwiches, fresh fruit, yogurt, spoonfuls of chocolate chips, ice cream, lalalalalaaaaa peanut butter rulez.

now that its the beginning of august, lemme tell you what i did for the 4th of july.

it seems extra hard to keep up with all my photo-takings and blog postings and whatnot during these gorgeous summer months. i just want to frolic in the sunshine every single day when i get home from work. and summer weekends are like gooold- not for sitting on the computer. but i'm currently writing this while sitting on the back porch in the sunshine and pete and i are bout to grill some corn and chicken - so, win-win!

for 4th of july weekend, we took off in the cheddar bus to lopez island where we stayed for 4 fabulous days. my bff katie and her bf chad came for the first time, too!

i just love riding on the ferry. it feels like you're going somewhere without actually going somewhere. ya feel meh?

qp & kt: a love story.

first stop was the lopez island farmer's market to visit pete's aunt & uncle who blow this amazing glassware! among many other beautiful things! check them out here!

special bonus sighting of pete's cousin peri, eldest offspring of the glassblowers. that family is seriously sooo talented and artistic and awesome...every last one of them. peri hand makes these cool tote bags out of old sails from sailboats. she also makes hats, ladies' swim wear, kimonos...the list goes on. check peri out here!

^^^ there's cousin peri and her sail bags and other goodies for sale! pete and i got the orange and also the mac & cheese tote for the cheddar bus, 'acourse :) those things are durable as hell. carry 4 bottles o wine in the medium one! big loads of laundry in the large ones! just sayin.

we made lots of cute dog friends.

^^^ we went to the lopez island thrift shoppe where pete and i scored these fab island duds. me, a $4 dress (with pockets!!), pete, a $3 seagull pullover jacket. instant vacation mode achieved.

biker gang off to laze about by the water. // this gal loves her ritz (& pete taught her the ways of cheez-whiz).

MY BOO.

all the ducks in a row. or geese.

chad built a driftwood sculpture by the sea. we named her "seahag." she fell over. but check out that walking stick at the bottom! just like yoda's stick. we meant to sell it on ebay but forgot it.

fun little day hike and picnic up at watmough head. followed by some chillin and paddleboarding in watmough bay. just crazy pete went, though. dat water was absolutely freezing.

ooo birks & socks and a wonkily buttoned shirt. #donthasslemeimonvacation

a quick sail with the zerkel men! peter and brother tim's beer coozies each match their outfits hehe.

more dog friends.

4TH OF JULY EEEEEEEATS! hot dogs & spam sliders for everyone!

awesome fireworks show viewing party right on their property. soo great. we usually watch them from the sailboat which is also sOoOooOoo great, but the water was super choppy that day.