What I'm Craving: Chocolate and Peanut Butter

Who doesn't love chocolate and peanut butter? I am so crazy about peanut butter, I don't even allow it in the house. Seriously. I love it that much. However, when it does happen to appear in a cupboard, Alex is likely to find me on the couch, eating it by the spoonful until the jar is empty. I make him hide it from me, or insist he eat it all in a single day, so I am not tempted to devour it.

However, as I have had it in my house less and less, my cravings have decreased dramatically. (A good tip: if you know you can't resist a certain type of food, don't buy it. It works.) If you are going to eat peanut butter (or chocolate), there are definitely better choices than others.

Always purchase natural peanut butter. A good peanut butter should just be comprised of peanuts, oil and a little salt. Have you ever looked at the ingredients of a normal jar? The list is not pretty. Though natural tastes different, popular brands such as Smucker's, Peter Pan and Jif are now making natural brands, and once you get used to the less artificial taste, you will find it much better in taste and texture. The biggest complaint? You have to stir in the oil, which can be messy, and by the time you reach the bottom of the jar, it's like a rock (because you can't possibly stir the oil all the way to the bottom).

A simple solution to this? As soon as you get the jar, store it upside down in your cabinet or fridge. Problem solved. It mixes automatically, making for a smooth, consistently creamy texture.

What about chocolate? While there are a million types of chocolate, always go for dark chocolate. It's full of antioxidants and can give you a mental boost as well. The higher the percentage, the better (I like as dark as 85%, which really takes the edge off of a sweet craving).

So, one night, when Alex was craving something sweet, I rummaged our cabinets and came up with the following treat, which he swore was the best thing he ever ate.

Get one freshly made tortilla (Whole Foods bakes their tortillas daily - they are phenomenal. I buy a giant batch of them and just store them in the freezer), and if you have a gas stove, turn on the burner and lay the tortilla directly on the burner for a few seconds, flipping often. Take it off once it is slightly crisped (or you can just warm it up in the oven).

Take 2 tbs. of natural peanut butter and place it on a dish. Take half of a banana and mash it up with a fork on top of the peanut butter. Add a square of dark chocolate to this mixture and pop it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, or until the chocolate begins to melt. Spread the mixture on the tortilla, drizzle a little agave nectar (or honey) on it and roll it up. Voila! A perfect treat that won't break the calorie bank and will satisfy your sweet and savory cravings.

Enjoy!!