Zoo Ave.

I don’t know when it happened. I am sure I was there for it all, but I just can’t wrap my head around it…”Sir” is 4. That means I have been a mother the same amount of time I spent in High School! Some how the space-time continuum must have altered or shifted or SOMETHING. High School lasted FOREVER and I just had Sir the other day so something has to be wrong!

“Sir” is an awesome kid and I’m not just saying that because he’s mine, but even if I am SO WHAT? All children have their own little things that make their faces light up. For “Sir” it is animals & plants. My husband and I think he will grow up to be either a chef or a farmer. He revels in the welfare of  our menagerie of animals, plants, and fruit trees. For him the progress of the banana trees is serious business. He knows banana trees eventually become bread, cupcakes, puddings, ice cream…. Yes, yumminess ensues!

For a little boy who loves nature as much as “Sir” does, it was a no brainer to spend his special day at the zoo. Zoo Ave is an amazing little jewel in Costa Rica. This cool little park is home to animals that have been injured, donated, or confiscated. A portion of the entrance fee goes to the rehabilitation of the animals.  Zoo Ave has an awesome assortment of Costa Rican wild life. You can see over 100 species of birds. The parrots are  first up on the tour. They are out in the open and are a lively bunch.My favorite animal in the entire place is this little guy. I swear he is a mutant hybrid of a chicken and a parrot!

Peacocks roam around freely and strut their stuff! I find it hilarious that they could care less that folks may want to eat their lunch at that table. If they decide they want to perch and preen, They are going to perch and preen!

Zoo Ave. has great assortment of reptiles too. There is a HUGE crocodile and all that separates the visitors from him is a rinky dink chain link fence!

The iguanas are all over and not all of them choose to stay in their exhibits. After our first visit, we have learned to keep a look out above because they play in the tree tops too. 

  Turtles and ducks have a quaint lil’ pond to hang out in. These turtles are living the LIFE! They pretty much bask in the sun, swim, and eat all day. I only wish I could spend a day in their life! “Pura Vida” in nature is “que lindo”!

  It only takes a couple of hours to tour the entire place and it is well worth the small entrance fee. ( It cost us about $40 for a family of 4). Visiting the brilliant birds, monkeys, iguana, deer, ocelots, tapir, puma, and all the occupants here is an amazing way to connect with Costa Rica. This Zoo is always updating and improving. We have gone several times and there is always something special that pops up. This go around we discovered that they have opened up their canopy tour!

LUST LIST #2: NEW VINTAGE RECORD CONSOLE

 This ol' soul of mine needs an afternoon where the kids are sitting down & being quiet, the "media naranja"* is occupied with something constructive, no yapping from the dogs, the chickens keep quiet, A really, really, TALL glass of  My Mixture**, my hardback of "I Know This Much Is True" by Wally Lamb, a soft breeze, comfy spot on the outdoor bed, and a stack of good vinyl to play! Oh that would be paradisaical... Music is always the final touch and the sound of my records is ASTOUNDING!!! If only because my taste in music is flawless. To improve on the perfection of my music, one needs an equally impressive machine to play the music on. I'm currently using an adequate Crosley player but "adequate" is not good enough! My LP's deserve only the best and the best is the "Symbol Record Console" . It's a sleek & modern record player that gives a nod to the old school all-in-one console hi-fi's. The Symbol has the brains & brawn. The walnut is warm & dreamy.  The metal base has this industrial chic thing going for it. Did I mention the 2 full range speakers? Or the hidden amp and subwoofer? Oh what about the built-in Wi-Fi? Let us not forget the hand-built tube amplifier and turntable! I love the way it pays homage to the fabulous record players of our past but offers up all the modern touches that make it irresistible. Your Grandma's player couldn't stream from an iPhone, iPad, iPod, or computer! 

*"Media Naranja"-Instead of saying "my other half",  Ticos often refer to their significant other as their "media naranja" or the other half of their orange. Cute huh?

**"My Mixture"- My favorite cocktail of course is a combo of pineapple juice, lemon-lime soda, and rum....lots and lots of rum ;)

Construction Debris = Papaya

HUGE, MASSIVE, GARGANTUAN,  MAMMOTH….well you get the point.  That is exactly what this pile of construction ish I have is. Remodeling a house is always a big undertaking and so is the garbage that goes with it. In Costa Rica most of the homes are constructed of concrete, unlike back in the states. So knocking out a wall entails ALOT more work. The overhauling of our home here has been our life for the past 2 years and will continue to be until “Casa de Kelley” is “listo”!

So the other day I was pulling up tile from the dining room. For some reason this is one of my favorite demo jobs! It’s just something about popping tiles up that does it for me… Ok sorry for being weird. Well, once they are all popped up it is time to take the ones that I couldn’t get up whole to go to the debris pile.  It was so random to find  that in my pile of concrete and tile a papaya tree had sprouted up!

I have heard people joke about being careful about where you spit in Costa Rica because the next day a “Spit Tree” will take root! The land here is just that fertile! I think it’s a combo of the volcanos, rain, and warm weather. That unique fusion has made Costa Rica an agricultural wonderland.

One ingredient to this concoction of perfect soil is the heavy rains that fall for about half of the year keep the soil moist and provide the vital water that all plant life needs to thrive.

People have flocked to Costa Rica for years because of the temperate weather. It is always warm and welcoming. Guess what? Plants like it too!

Lastly, the volcanos work wonders! The volcanos are one of the top tourist attractions here. Even scientist around the world come to research them. The many eruptions over the past millennia have dispensed a plethora of minerals into the dirt. The rich volcanic soil that was produced has contributed to Costa Rica’s lush landscape and fabulous forestation!

Sweetly Southern

A big fat slice of Red Velvet Cake and “Driving Miss Daisy” on dvd help to cure a bit of homesickness.  I love my life in Costa Rica but I have my moments when I miss the south.

Hearing the twang in folks voices…

The smell of fried food…

Southern hospitality…

Feeling the excitement of a high school football game…

Waving at folk’s, even if you don’t know them…

Sitting in a rocking chair on the porch, sipping on the perfect glass of sweet tea while watching the fireflies go by and listening to John Lee Hooker…

God I love the South! So when I am feeling all nostalgic there are a few ways to bring the south all the way to Quebradas! One of my favorites is Red Velvet Cake, even the name is decadent! It’s not quite chocolate, not quite vanilla. Imagine the perfect yellow cake that’s been given the most gentle kiss by chocolate. That’s Red Velvet Cake! There is still the mystery of why its red, but I don’t give a damn. Its great cake and great cake can work wonders!

List O’ Stuff: Red Velvet Cake

2 ½ Cups of AP Flour

1 ½ Cups of Sugar

1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

1 Teaspoon of Salt

1 Teaspoon of Cocoa Powder

1 ½ Cups of Vegetable Oil

1 Cup of Buttermilk *

2 Large Eggs

2 Tablespoons of Red Food Coloring

1 Teaspoon of White Vinegar

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

      How To

• Pre heat your oven to 350˚
• Grease and lightly flour 3 9 inch round cake pans.
• In a stand mixer combine  flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
• In a large bowl mix together the vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla extract.
• Slowly pour the wet mixture into the stand mixer bowl until the batter is smooth and well combined.
• Evenly divide the batter between the 3 pans.
• Place the pans into the over spaced evenly apart.
• Bake for about 30 minutes. Halfway into the cooking time rotate the pans.
• The cakes are done when they pull away from the side of the pan and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the cake.
• Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edge.
• Allow cakes to cool.
• Once cool, remove the cakes from the pans.

List O’ Stuff: Cream Cheese Frosting

1 Stick of Butter, Room Temp.

4 ounces of Cream Cheese, Room Temp

2 Cups of Powdered Sugar

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

      How To

• In a large bowl combine the butter and cream cheese. It’s a lot easier to use an electric mixer.
• Add in the powdered sugar gradually.
• Add in the vanilla extract.
• Mix  until the frosting is smooth and creamy.

        Tips

• For the life of me I have not been about to find buttermilk in Costa Rica so I use a little trick to make my own for recipes. Simply combine 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar.
• It’s also better if the ingredients are all at room temperature before starting.

Adult Milk & Cookies

Hormigas Are Not Amigos

I'm no meteorologist but I know the rain is about to dominate the days! Want to know how I know? The "Hormigas" told me. Every year before rainy season starts my property is suddenly littered with little trails of "leaf confetti". The leaf cutter ants make these trails while starting to prepare for the winter. These pequeño pest cut the leaves from trees and haul them back to their nest. There something sort of special happens. The ants don't eat the leaves, instead they use them to create a compost to grow a type of fungus that doesn't grow anywhere else. The fungus is then used as food for the ants. The whole business is pretty cool & yucky all at the same time.

Now I'm all for the "Hormigas" doing their thing to support their colony, but I draw the line when they begin to attack my fruit trees. Our first attempt to thwart the leaf thieves was to spray the trails and anthills with an organic pesticide. That did diddly-squat. It was sort of insulting to see them continue on their business as if I had just offered them a spray of perfume to make their journey more pleasant. We were stumped until one day a neighbor with a finca schooled us. He informed us that the best way to rid ourselves of the ants was NOT to kill the ants. Instead, we should kill the fungus. Genius!!!

Lust List: #1. Tortoise Table Lamp

We all want stuff. Trinkets, Baubles, Knick-Knacks, It's all Stuff.  Stuff can do just about anything! And in this world if there is stuff folks want, then there is somebody somewhere selling that exact stuff. I know, AMAZING isn't it!  Now the only problem with stuff, is that sometimes Stuff cost too much! This problem has become the driving force behind one of my favorite past times, Creating the "Lust List"! The "Lust List" is a cool lil' compilation of all of stuff I see & want. Getting these things is a whole other issue. My husband is a miserly man. To convince him to buy something that is not an essential need, ie. food and shelter, one must be prepared with an entire dissertation, complete with a power point and statistics from a verifiable source. Oh and Wikipedia doesn't count.

Ok, now we all know what the lust list is... Allow me to begin the list....(insert drum roll) Presenting the Tortoise Table Lamp by Z Gallerie!  It would be such a subtle, sexy nod to the beaches of Guanacaste. Now I have started formulating my plan of attack by playing up how this particular lamp fulfills both "form & function". It's a beautiful sculpture, but it's also a light! How novel! I already have a spot picked out for it in my living room.

The Color Purple Eggs

Easter is now all but an afterthought and we are left with only our fond memories & a gang of hard-boiled eggs. I for one enjoy partaking in some good eggs for breakfast, but there's no way we can down the dozens of eggs that we dyed. As a family we have taken on a "waste not, want not" attitude. So regretfully the hubby and I could not have our "Eggtravagant Explosion". What is the "Eggtravagant Explosion" you ask? Well, its only one of the best traditions in the Kelley household. I am BIG on holidays, my better half... not so much. He does however love me and will do anything within reason to shut me up. We would decorate and dye eggs to celebrate the Easter holiday. After the delight of decorating was over...we were left with a basket of eggs that neither of us wanted to eat. Now this is where the some of the details get a bit fuzzy, but somehow we came to the BRILLIANT conclusion that watching the eggs explode into colorful bits would be AWESOME! We gathered up our ammo and proceeded to the back yard. Once on the scene we would take turns throwing the eggs into the branches of this great old tree we had. The sight was one of glorious gore. All of those brightly colored egg bits would shower down upon the earth. Our smiles were ones of mischievous children. I miss those days...Now we are all grown up and have to act like if most of the time. So instead of having "Eggtravagant Explosion" we have to settle for "Pickled Eggs". Bit of a let down, huh? I will be the first to tell you that "Pickled Eggs", while not as cool as the "Eggtravagant Explosion" are pretty dern good with lunch.

List O' Stuff

12 Hard-Boiled Eggs, Peel 'em Please

2 15 oz can of beets in juice

1 Medium Onion

2 Cups of White Vinegar

1 Cup of Sugar

1 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

1 Teaspoon of Salt

1 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder

 How To:

• In a saucepan combine the vinegar, sugar, pepper, salt, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil until the sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool.
• While cooling, cut the onions into rings and set aside.
• In a large container/jar combine the canned beets, eggs, and onions. ( I used a big old pickle jar)
• Pour the vinegar solution into the container over the eggs.
• Place in to the fridge overnight. (If you are in a rush you can serve after being refrigerated for at least 2 hours.)
• The longer these soak the better they get!

Dye Job

kids+eggs+dye+"spin an egg"= The most amazing memories

Tico Tidbit #2: Easter = Mass Exodus...

Happy “Good Friday” folks! Hope you and yours are enjoying the holiday weekend. Costa Ricans are mostly Catholic so here Easter is a week long celebration called “Semana Santa” or Holy Week. Several things go down for “Semana Santa”, you still have all of your typical religious ceremonies, but there are some things that one may not expect.

1. There is a mass exodus to the beaches! Now I am not quite certain why everyone heads to the coasts but San Jose and pretty much all of the central valley becomes a ghost town. I’m pretty sure that Jesus isn’t in Jaco walking on water, but something is drawing everyone!

2. Be sure to have all of your business taken care of! Most of the banks and Government offices are closed after Wednesday but some are closed for the entire week. If you need cash try to get to the ATM’s as early in the week as possible. You wouldn’t believe how long the lines get!

3. If you want to “get in the spirit” with the “Spirits” that come in a bottle you better get to the liquor store early! Depending on what municipality you live in there is a “dry law” in effect from Wednesday to Saturday. We learned this the hard way our first year here. We went to grab some groceries and “liquid refreshment” from Auto Mercado only to find the entire liquor isles sealed off! We had to sulk home without our bottle of Patron.

4. Got niños? Well if you do, don’t forget there is no school. Better figure out some stuff to do to keep them occupied & entertained! I stocked up on bubbles and made sure the “Slip N Slide” was good to go.

5. The bus schedules are reduced so if you have somewhere to be check the schedule before heading to the bus stop. I would hate for you to be hanging out at the bus stop waiting for a bus that won’t ever come 

6. Have you seen “The Hunger Games”? If you haven’t go check it out. Most of the movie theaters are still open for their regular hours.

7. Lastly, please don’t waste your time looking to buy an Easter Basket. For the second year in a row I fooled myself in to believing that Wal-Mart would have plastic grass and chocolate eggs galore. Alas they didn’t have a damn thing!  This really surprised me because they have a nice selection for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentines Day. I ended up tapping into my right brain and hooked up a “basket” using a beach pail & shovel set. I filled it with candy, bubbles, and little toys. Kids loved ‘em.

A lil Paint

My wonderful little bamboo trunk that I got on sale at Pier 1 back in the day ended up being murdered by Sir, my son, or so I thought. Sir figured it was a brilliant idea to open the lid and jump on it, which of course caused the lid to pop right off. Now this was after he spilled juice on it, let play-doh dry up in all the cracks and crevices, colored on it, and  I'm sure he probably peed on it a time or two. But with the lid broken, I had given up hope on my little ole trunk. My husband, Ethan, being the ultimate optimist and self proclaimed "Mr. Fix It All" told me to put it in the garage and he would do his best to revive it one day. Months and months and some more months passed and finally that "one day: was here. The trunk had accumulated a impressive amount of dust during its hiatus in the garage. I grabbed some "Mr. Músculo" & a rag and got to work. After cleaning that thing until my arms ached and my nose couldn't take any more of that "frutos rojos" stench, I was a bit disappointed. My once brilliant bamboo trunk now appeared to be nothing more than a bamboo box covered in nicks and scratches. Oh, what to do?....... Paint! Yes, Paint! Paint covers up a multitude of sins! After a small debate over the perfect hue for my bamboo, it was time to get to get busy. First up, we painted it with a white primer coat. My husband assures me that primer coats are  VERY important. Now for the fun part. SPRAY PAINT!!! I grabbed a can of "amarillo oro" and  a spray grip. Spray grips are one of those things that you don't realize you need until you have one. Then you don't know how you ever lived without it before.It makes spray painting 489,379,874 times easier. Back in the day I would end up with a dent in my finger, paint under my nails, and paint drips. The spray grip eleminates all of that! Ok now my infomercial is over... With a few coats the trunk was transformed into something spectacular. The bamboo trunk now is a stylish place to store my kids ish!

Raggedy Ol Trunk

Primer Coat

Not My Grandmothers Banana Bread

 When the aroma of banana bread wafts in your direction, most are intoxicated! That fragrance can invoke memories of a grandmother's smile as she creates miracles in her oven... Well, maybe your grandmother. Mine was the type that wasn't going to mess up her manicure for anything or anybody. Shirley Ree, my maternal grandmother, was a southern belle who would surely swoon at the thought of being anywhere near a hot oven. Besides she figured why sweat out her perm when Little Debbie & Sarah Lee have already done the work. Oh, how wrong she was. There are few things in life that compare to a slice of banana bread still warm from the oven. It is such a classic comfort food. Banana bread is sooo quick and easy to make, that even Shirley Ree could have made some if she felt so inclined.

P.S. Told you I had a bunch more stuff to do with all of my bananas :)

Third World "Cinnamon N Raisin Biscuits"

Can a country with Wal-Mart, Apple Stores and Starbucks still be considered “3rd World”? Costa Rica has grown tremendously in the 2 short years that I have been living here full-time. Escazu, the “Beverly Hills of CR, has always had a ton of “gringo” stores & restaurants, but now you can find American & European stuff all over. My family and I live “donde el diablo perdió su chaqueta”, which back home is the equivalent of the boondocks. Even out here there is McDonalds, KFC, Wal-Mart, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Apple, and Auto Mercado. It’s always exciting to see new businesses opening up all over CR. Needless to say I was thrilled when the Tico Times announced the arrival of Carl’s Jr!

I grew up with parents who were not chefs, heck they weren’t even decent cooks. My sister and I got our meals primarily from drive-thrus and delivery guys. Wednesdays there was “Wags”, the truck stop with the best grilled cheese ever. My Paw-Paw worked at a BBQ spot, so that was always in the rotation. Shoney’s, Ryan’s Buffet, Chinese delivery, McDonalds, Pizza delivery, and Wendys, were pretty popular with my family too. For breakfast though nothing beat Hardee’s. They had this “Cinnamon N Raisin” biscuit that was my absolute favorite. I cant tell you how many times I had an O.J., large order of “hash rounds”, and one of those biscuits for breakfast.

Now back to Carl’s Jr. They are owned by the same parent company as Hardee’s. So hearing of their debut in CR. I got all nostalgic for one of those biscuits. I got to work in my kitchen and hooked up my version of these warm & wonderful delights.

List O’ Stuff

Biscuits

4 Cups of Self-rising Flour

 3/4 Cup of Shortening

2 Cups of Milk or Buttermilk

2 Teaspoons of baking powder

1 Teaspoon of salt

1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

1⁄3 Cup of Sugar

3 Teaspoons of Cinnamon

1 Cup of raisins

Icing

2 1/2 Cups of Powdered Sugar

6 Tablespoons of Milk

* If icing isn’t your thing, you can use a drizzle of honey!

How To

• Mix flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and sugar.
• Use a fork to blend in shortening until it is a fine mixture.
• Add 2 cups of milk/buttermilk and mix
• Add in raisins and mix some more.
• Add cinnamon and swirl it through the batter using a knife. Don’t over mix the batter.
• On a well floured surface place the batter.
• Flour the top of the batter and pat down to about 1/2 inch thick.
• Cut into 2 inch circles and put onto a greased baking pan
• Bake at 400ºF for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
• Once the biscuits are done, remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit.
• While cooling, whip up your icing by combining the powdered sugar and milk. Add the milk one tablespoon at a time until its the consistancy you like.
• Grab a cup of hot tea and have a “civilized moment”. Be sure to hold your pinky out!

Tico Tidbit #1: This will not be beneficial to those on a diet

Want some McDonald’s French fries? Don’t front like you do not want em. Heck, I know I wouldn’t turn down any. Those golden, delicious, perfectly salted, sticks of culinary excellence are AMAZING. Now imagine that those could be delivered to your door along with a Big Mac, Coke, and even a pineapple pie or some Happy Meals for the kids! Yup all that and more is available in Costa Rica.

I was so confused when I first saw a motorcycle zooming by me with a “McDonalds” Hotbox on the back. I just didn’t get it. Then I thought back to all the times my family and I would ride by a McDonalds or hit up the drive-thru. There is a picture of a motorcycle next to a phone number. Stupid me never put it together. They have “Servicio Express”! The delivery fee is about $1 or $2 extra depending on the distance. The delivery guy doesn’t expect a tip but giving a little something is appreciated!

Back in the states I was used to getting pizza or Chinese food delivered, but never fathomed a “quarter pounder” showing up at the front door upon request. In CR it is pretty common for “Soda’s” and “Fast Food Restuants” to deliver. Sodas are usually a combo of a restaurant & convenience store and sometimes it will double as a bar or club. The food is really affordable and tasty. They are everywhere down here. Yet another reason I love Costa Rica.

Oh and in case you are #Team Burger King or if you are one of those healthy folks who prefer Subway, don’t worry. They deliver too!

Toros

TOROS are coming, TOROS are coming! Ok I am so super crunk about the TOROS! I'm like Ralphie and his Red Ryder BB gun in "The Christmas Story". Now for those of you who are unfamiliar with this Costa Rican phenomenon, please allow me to school you. Basically you have brave and/or drunk upstanding citizens hanging around in a stadium waiting for a bull to be released upon them. Then said people try not to get murked by the bull. As the night progresses the bulls they release are more and more aggressive. Fun right? Now I will never have enough cojones to go out there and run with the bulls myself, but I sure as hell like to watch.

Toros takes place during "Fiestas de Verano", which is pretty much a "Summer Jam", Block Party, &Fair sort of combo. If Toros isn't your thing, there is a ton of other stuff to check out. You can check out the Quebradas & Calle Vargas Facebook. There you can get the full schedule of events and peep some videos of the action. Hope to see you there!

* Oh and just FYI Costa Rican people are really a peaceful folk so there is no stabbing the bulls with ish or any other cruelties. NO SHANKING HERE!!!

Mangos

Give my kids a mango and you are guaranteed at least 20 minutes of silence!  When you are a mother silence is truly golden! Unless you can't see your kids and don't know what they are up to. In that instance, silence usually means your kids are up to no good. If you don't know where your kids are at this very moment please take a second and GO INVESTIGATE IMMEDIATELY! I'll wait....Everything O.K.? 

We all have visions of our dream house. Mine included having a plethora of fruit trees and ducks...we'll talk about the ducks later. So, one day Im chatting with Alfredo, the Tico genius who has taught us everything about our property & being Tico. I was telling him all about my grand visions to plant all of these fabulous fruit trees. Upon mentioning mangos, a perplexed look grew across his face. Now at this point my Spanish sucked. I mean it really sucked. We were using google translate and hand gestures to get by. I just figured I pronounced something wrong. He began talking and I wasn't getting it... I bust out with one of the only phrases in my spanish arsenal "No entiendo". He then motioned for me to follow him and proceeded to give me a tour of my property. Along the way he would point out different trees and tell me what fruit they bore. He taught me a cool little magic trick.Take a leaf, tear it, & sniff it. It smells just like the fruit of that tree!!! Turns out not only did I have a mango tree, but I had several! #Winning.

* Alfredo started out being our neighbor. Then he began to oversee our coffee farm. Now he is family... 

Where is a Girl Scout when you need them?

Ain't no Girl Scouts in Costa Rica :( When cookie time rolls around I miss those smiley little girls standing in front of the grocery stores pedalling overpriced goodies. Everyone has their favorites, there are the "Thin Mint" folks, "Samoa" people, "Shortbread" guys, so on and so forth. But me I was a sucker for the "Do-Si-Dos". Those things are little pieces of peanut butter bliss! I could have some shipped down but I'm sure they would "magically disappear" in customs. Determined to get that little piece of home I hooked up a few "Half-Way to Heaven Peanutbutter Cookies". These cookies are "Que Rico"!!! Imagine a "Do-Si-Dos" but with a moist cookie and an even richer filling....Hear that?....Yes that was the sound of heaven opeing up and the angels decesnding sings songs of praise to the almighty "Half-Way to Heaven Peanutbutter Cookies".

* I had to do a bit of tweaking to the Broma Bakery recipe because down here you cant always find stuff :)

List O' Stuff

For the Cookies

1 1/2 Cups of Quick Oats

1/2 Cup of Flour

1/2 Cup of Sugar

!/2 Cup of Brown Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

1/2 Cup of Smooth Peanut Butter

1/4 Cup of Honey 

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Softened

1 Egg

For the Filling

1/2 Cup of Powdered Sugar 

1 Cup of Smooth Peanut Butter

1/3 Cup of Honey

How To

• Preheat Oven to 350ºF. 
• In a Medium bowl, mix the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt.
• In a Large bowl, mix the butter, both sugars, egg, peanut butter, honey, and vanilla extract.
• Pour the oat mixture into the large bowl. Stir until it is mixed well. 
• Place 1/2 inch balls of batter onto an a lightly greased baking sheet. (try to make an even number of balls)
• Bake for about 8 minutes. 
• When baked to your satisfaction, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
• While the cookies are baking...whisk together the powdered sugar, honey, and peanut butter until it is airy. I suggest using an electric hand mixer for about 5 minutes or so. 
• On a clean work surface, place half of the cookies upside down.
• Put a good dollop of filling into the center of each upside down cookie. 
• Top each upside down cookie with a cookie and press down a bit until the filling just comes to the edges.
• Sit back, Relax, and go "Half-way to Heaven"