How to Make “Hippy” Butter

I learned a long time ago that Murphy decreases my productivity when I work from home. And, today was no different!

For some reason, Murphy felt the need to sit in my lap today and would not leave me alone until I allowed him up. It took him awhile to get comfortable on my lap, but eventually, he found a comfy spot on my left arm. It’s a good thing Murph is cute because it definitely wasn’t easy to type with a pug on my arm!

How to Make “Hippy” Butter

I’ve received a few comments and questions about my “hippy” butter, so I thought I’d give a little tutorial on the blog this afternoon. 😉

I find that a lot nut butters, besides peanut butter, are typically pretty expensive, so I save money by making my own “hippy” butter at home. I use peanut butter as the base, but add various other nuts and seeds to increase its nutritional profile and make it a little more fun. Here’s what I do:

• Start with a jar of peanut butter as well as your choice of nuts and/or seeds. I pretty much use whatever is in my pantry. This week, I had a bag of walnuts, the remnants of bag of sliced almonds, golden flaxseeds, and chia seeds.

• Add your nuts, seeds, and a big scoop of peanut butter to a food processor. I don’t measure anything, but the key is to find a peanut butter that is a little oily on top when you first open the jar. The peanut butter and oil help smooth-out and blend with the nuts and seeds to make it a nice, course nut butter.

• Then grind/blend until you get your desired nut butter consistency. I typically end up adding another scoop of peanut butter to get it just right.

• Store in an old jar and enjoy your “hippy” butter! 😀

Lunch

Keeping in mind my meeting with the RD last week, I tried to make a well-balanced lunch with mix of healthy carbs, fat, and protein to help me feel satisfied.

I had grilled tofu with buffalo sauce on a piece of toasted Ezekiel bread.

Leftover Drunken Risotto with Sausage.

And a side salad with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

I might be getting the hang of this new way of eating. This meal was very satisfying!

Even still, I wanted something sweet after lunch. (Hey, what can I say? I love sweets! They make me happy.) So, I made myself a Sandwich Thin with “hippy” butter and caramel sauce. It was heavenly! 😀 And, the best part, I ate it and didn’t feel the need to continue eating; I was already satisfied from lunch.

Busy afternoon ahead: taking Murph for a walk, heading downtown for a workout, and then to my writing class.

See ya for dinner! 😎