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So I found this recipe for peanut butter buckeyes, and as it turns out, I'm obsessed with them. Its an easy, quick recipe that requires few ingredients and little time. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!   

Peanut Butter Buckeyes:

1 1/2 cups of creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, room temp
2 1/2 cups confectionery sugar (more or less)
melting chocolate (I prefer chocolate almond bark, it’s near the chocolate chips)

Mix the peanut butter, butter and sugar together. Use your hands if needed because it’s very thick. Dough should be nice and stiff but not crumbly and definitely not sticky.

Roll the dough into 1″ balls and set them on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Store in freezer until very firm.

Melt chocolate (I microwave it in 30 second intervals until smooth and runny stirring inbetween.)

Get a few of the peanut butter balls out of the freezer (only about 10-20 at a time so that they remain frozen.) Using a toothpick, dip them into the melted chocolate. Make sure to leave a bit of the peanut butter showing at the top.

Place them back on the wax paper and into the freezer until the chocolate is set. Store in the fridge or freezer.

Credits:http://thearthurclan.com/2009/01/come-to-mama/

World of Color

       I remember questioning my parents as to how color blind people could see the traffic lights changing, and how they knew when to stop. Although my younger self had a different understanding as to what color blind means, my teenage self still wonders what it would be like to see the world in different colors, or without color at all.
       Life is filled with ever-changing, vibrant colors that create unusual yet breathtaking sights. Would a sunset, rainbow, or even the sun reflecting of the snow be the same without color? We wouldn't be able to associate red, orange, and yellow to a beautiful fall day, or a deep dark blue to the mysterious sea. Color allows us to express emotion that words can't express. For example, the color blue expresses sadness, while green expresses envy. Black is worn at funerals to show grief, while white is worn at a First Baptism to symbolize cleansing and rebirth. It is known by everyone what certain colors represent, and it is not questioned. Color not only brightens one's day, but allows one to express a great amount of emotion that couldn't be expressed otherwise. Color changes our perception of the world, so enjoy the opportunity to witness the beauty of color. 

A Simple Act

Joey Prusak, a nineteen year old employee at Dairy Queen, has been applauded and labeled as a Good Samaritan after he gave $20 out of his own wallet to a blind customer, who dropped $20 and the money was taken by a woman who refused to return it. 

His story has become viral, and he has been rewarded generously by many well-known and unanimous citizens.  People have offered him higher paying jobs and money for college. He even received a call from billionaire Warren Buffett, whose company owns Dairy Queen, as well as Dairy Queen president and CEO John Gainor. Although the reward has not been announced, Buffet has promised that Joey's act of kindness will not go unnoticed, and while it is difficult to match such an act, Buffet will find a suitable reward.

While I praise Joey Prusak's honorable deed, I question the morals I was taught as a child, and how they fit into our society today. I was taught to help a stranger out of the kindness of my heart, and do as Jesus would do: love and cherish others.  Is a simple act of kindness so rare, that it must be celebrated to such great measures? I'm not trying to downplay Joey's sacrifice of his own paycheck, as I'm sure he is on a tight budget as a nineteen year old college student, but I find it odd how this story is so unique to so many. I have the same mind set as Joey , thinking that others would do this without a second thought. In a news article I read, he told the Associated Press,

 "I was just doing what I thought was right. I did it without even really thinking about it. ... Ninety-nine out of 100 people would've done the same thing as me."

But would have others really taken their time and money to help out a stranger? Am I naive to have faith that there are people who would help?  As a society, we are so wrapped up in our self, that our hearts have hardened to the helpless, and our eyes have become blind to the needy. 

I applaud Joey, and his awareness of the actions around him.  I have no doubt that people were moved by this story, and I hope they are inspired to complete daily acts of kindness, no matter how big or small, and reach out to others. Kudos to Joey Prusak, for teaching and reminding us of a simple act of kindness.