When almond butter first became a thing, I got really excited and ran out to buy some. And then, boom. Huge disappointment. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t peanut butter.

I think that was my problem. I was looking at almond butter through the lens of peanut butter and expecting something just like that. When I learned to step back and appreciate almond butter on its own, then it was so much more delicious. Plus, then I could open up all the baking doors and make those fun desserts happen!

It’s the same deal with white chocolate. If I look at it like chocolate, then nope, not interested. But once I start to see it as a dessert on its own, white chocolate becomes totally legit.

A lot of life is like that. If we let our expectations rule our reality, we’re probably doomed to be disappointed. It’s like when someone talks up a movie a lot and it just doesn’t wind up shaking your universe. That happened to me with The Martian, and I wish I could have just seen it before anyone framed it as the best movie ever for me. It would have been a better experience.

Expectation definitely becomes a problem with human interaction. I can’t tell you how many parents of students I teach compare them to other siblings or to themselves, expecting that the child we’re discussing will or should be the same way. No matter how much I gently suggest to them that everyone is different and brings varied talents to the game, they only want to see what their minds have taught them is the norm.

And don’t get me started on relationships. When I was younger, I had a type. That type was the exact opposite of Kenny, and it turned out that I didn’t know squat about what was best for me until I opened myself up to the possibility of a different kind of man. Thank heaven I got the message at the right time, but what about people who keep doggedly pursuing a type of person who they’re positive is right, only to realize time and time again that it’s not working out?

You see? Almond butter inspires an awful lot of deep thought.

These bars are almost like candy. There’s no flour or egg in here either, so yay for that! But these are filled with almond butter, powdered sugar, and regular butter. Mmm. And let’s not forget about that layer of melted milk chocolate on top.

My almond butter-hating brother tried these and was pleasantly pleased to discover that they were surprisingly delicious. And I haven’t stopped knocking them back, either. I’m on batch number three!

It’s hard to adjust our expectations when we’re so biased (often unknowingly) in a different direction. But if we just keep trying new things, we’ll open up the possibilities. And that’s very good news for life, and especially for dessert!

They are addictive as all get-out. That sugar-salt coating on each peanut is beyond. So you can imagine what happens when they get dipped in milk chocolate and hardened into clusters. #anarchy

To be perfectly honest, I made a batch with the full intention of sharing. Then my family fell on them like they were going out of style, so I hid a few. It might not be dignified, but it’s necessary.

We all have moments that lack dignity, and that’s just the human experience. For instance, I got into a somewhat public fight with somebody a few weeks back and it was not really resolved, so now we’re in that super-fun standoff that adults employ where they ignore one another with intention. It’s a shame, and it’s not dignified, but it’s human.

I rarely lose my temper, but when I do, it just comes out. In my opinion, it’s far better to get those feelings out and get over them than to bottle them inside. It’s not easy to offend me, but when it happens, watch out. I get very angry, and fast.

The good news is, I’m very forgiving. Really. After my initial bout of anger, I typically feel like moving on almost immediately. The problem is, the person I’m arguing with might not feel the same. So the standoff continues, and I just sort of go along with it because, really, it’s easier than dredging things up and then maybe having another fight.

I’m only talking about this because these moments occur so rarely in my life that when they do, I find it traumatic. And what better way to get over trauma than to blog about it? I don’t typically go around fighting with people. I’m pretty even-keeled. So when it happens, I have a really hard time coping with the aftermath.

If I have to, I’ll cope with honey roasted peanut clusters. They’re easy. Take a look!

I also like these as a snack option because they have that protein from the nuts, so they’re not a total nutritional loss. And, I mean, chocolate. Mood-booster! Especially on those hard days.

We can’t be perfect all the time, and I think it’s probably best we forgive ourselves for our lapses in being the best version of ourselves. It’s yet another hard part of living in this world with a sense of responsibility and dignity. Hey, at least there’s chocolate.

The problem is, if you only eat healthy foods all the time, sooner or later you’ll face-dive right into a vat of Reese’s and just not be able to stop. It’s human nature. Deprivation is not the way. Take that, Hollywood celebrities who pay people to whip up healthy cuisine 24/7!

If you want chocolate, eat it. If you want kale, eat it. See how that works? And eat when you’re hungry, and stop when you’re not. Pretty basic philosophy, and it allows you to eat bars like this when the mood strikes. These are phenomenal.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about social media and the duplicity of the whole process. We all put on our happy faces and go to work every day, and we’ve extended that approach to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and what-have-you. People see the best pictures, ones we’ve staged ourselves. They see enviable beach getaways, Hallmark-worthy family scenes, and written dedications to loved ones that are cheesier than a Lifetime movie.

It’s really tempting to present a version of your life that isn’t reality. We can put whatever we want out there, and it’s rarely a reflection of what’s really happening. So I guess my question is, why?

Some of it is obvious. I’m definitely not going to post my son vomiting everywhere on New Year’s Eve with a joking #FML. Nor am I going to talk about those days when my patience and energy is worn so thin after a long day at work that all I want to do is Netflix binge rather than play endless games of Connect Four with the kids. And I definitely won’t post a video of my daughter angrily calling me a “poopy butt” when we’re not seeing eye to eye.

If we all realize how deceptive social media is, then I guess its power is somewhat lessened. But I’ve read so many studies about how social media is making us feel worse about ourselves and feeding an unhealthy obsession to project ourselves outward.

No solutions here, people. I’m on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. Follow me! Insert winky face here. In all seriousness, though, I have no answers. I just felt like babbling about it for a while.

Speaking of babbling, I could go on all day about these bars. In my house, dessert falls under two categories: give it away because people need it, or give it away because I’ll eat the whole batch in ten seconds if these don’t truck the heck outta here.

Definitely option two. I ate a few and then got them out of the house. The base is a soft peanut butter cookie bar, and then you swirl melted milk chocolate into the top. It’s easy and it’s decadent. That’s my favorite combo!

And now, feel free to share these bars all over social media. Or not. Hey, none of us is immune from the pull of a seemingly perfect life. I will tell you one thing, though: these bars are perfect, and they don’t need Facebook to make them feel like hot stuff. They’ve got that all going on by themselves!

Last week, I once again had a snow day, even though there was very little snow in evidence. That’s the great thing about moving to the DC area from the Midwest. When I lived in the Midwest, snow days were rare and precious, not to mentioned hard-earned. Here, they happen at the drop of a hat. But hey, this teacher is not complaining!

When my daughter got to the icy driveway, she just stopped completely and started crying. She was that petrified to walk to the car. But after some coaxing and the promise of truffles, she made her way toward her car seat.

Yes, my daughter loves truffles. She’s only 4 and a half, but she eats everything, including salad. And dark chocolate is her favorite. Every year, she gets a rich, dark chocolate birthday cake. But I had to appease my other children, who prefer something lighter. So I made these milk chocolate goodies instead!

Truffles are easy to make, relatively quick, and a heckuva lot cheaper than what you buy in any store. All it takes is some cream, a smidge of butter, and milk chocolate. When you’re done, you have a plate full of rich truffles, perfect to eat while staring out at icy driveways.

When these were ready to roll, I coated them in almond meal, which is just finely ground almonds. It comes in a bag at Trader Joe’s, or you can grind your own with a food processor. Either way, I am a chocolate almond addict, so this coating made me a lot happier than the classic dusting of cocoa. It added an extra something to the flavor, too!

The truffles are definitely better chilled, at least, in my humble opinion. They get fudgier and denser. Essentially, these truffles are a thicker ganache, so one will probably go a long way toward satisfying any cravings.

That is, until the next snowfall. There’s something about truffles and snow that just goes together, so whip up a batch and keep them handy for inclement weather. Or hey, if you live in a more temperate climate, that works too! Just think how lucky you are not to be driving through icy streets and dirty snow.

But you know, a snow day is still kind of magical. And a snow day with truffles is perfection. Savor the moments!