I'd love it too! I like to eat all over in Grand Rapids, I've got a list of new places to try and I have old favorites too. There's a relatively new Mexican place downtown called maggie's Kitchen, they even have barbacoa made of beef cheeks, there's a Caribbean place with some kind of goat dish that's only got curbside service, a fish place on Kalamazoo down by the Mediterranean Market, and there are old standbys like Pietro's. I love the Blue Water Grill but that's clear over off Plainfield on East Beltline, and there are a lot of places I haven't even tried downtown near VanAndel and The B.O.B. Any preferences? Sushi? Indian? Fish? Diner? Even chain restaurants if you have a favorite, heck, we've even got a Sonic now, right across the street from Gordon Food Service on Alpine, LOL. You tell me when and we'll find a where! I'm definitely going to have to check D&W for Koeze's, though, and the one on 44th has DeRueze's Gourmet Market right next door. They now have a cut rate gourmet department where they get pallets full of stuff for really cheap, it's fun but you never know what you'll find for a buck... Annie

I do so love these cookalongs! I wasn't able to participate this time, due to being sick as a dog during most of it. I had the flu and now a bunch of fluid has taken up residence in my lungs and refuses to leave. Anyway, here's my two peanut butter contributions, neither of which I was able to make this time, but both of which I have tried and are good, and relatively healthy. Peanut sauce for pasta (from the Smuckers Peanut Butter jar lid) 1 cup natural peanut butter (not the hydrogenated kind with added sugar) 1/2 cup warm water 1/2 cup ketchup 1 TBLSP soy sauce (I use low salt) 1 tsp. garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic, minced) 1 1/2 tsp. rice wine vinegar (or cider vinegar, but rice is great!) Can add some ginger, hot pepper and lime juice if you want it with more kick. Combine to for a smooth sauce. Pour over pasta and sauteed vegetables. Saute an onion and a green or red pepper at the very least for this pasta. You could add broccoli and many other veggies if you are a veggie lover like me. Can also add pork, chicken or tofu. Serve over pasta--lo mein noodles, or any other shape of pasta you like, or rice pasta or buckwheat pasta. Garnish with chopped roasted peanuts and cilantro or parsley if you like it. Frozen Banana Treats (these are GREAT to make with kids, and are at least a little bit on the healthy side with milk and peanut butter providing protein) 1 large banana 3/4 cup chunky peanut butter 1 1/2 cups milk 1 TBLSP sugar 5 oz. chocolate chips Blend banana, peanut butter, milk and sugar in blender. Put chocolate chips in the bottom of 6 oz. wax cups, pour banana mixture into cups and freeze. Add popsicle sticks after about 1 hour so they will stand upright. Yummy!

Here's my favorite oatmeal peanut butter cookie - taken years ago from an old Sisterhood Cookbook: OATMEAL PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES 1/2 Cup Trans-fat Free Shortening 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 C packed brown sugar 3/4 C white sugar 1 C peanut butter 2 eggs 1 1/2 C AP flour 2 t baking soda 1 t salt 1 C quick oats ***************************************************** Preheat oven to 350. Line cookies sheets with parchment. Cream together shortening, butter, peanut butter, and sugars until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the oats until just combined. Chill an hour or so (not sure if this step is necessary, but I always chill it at least 3-4 hours if possible). Drop by level tablespoons-ful onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake about 15 minutes, until just light brown. Don't over bake. Cool on wire racks. These freeze very well. With my obsession with peanut butter, they don't last long at all in this house:-) Enjoy! DONNA

The secret to both is cream and sugar. If you want a real caramel swirl, use a caramel sauce not caramel candy, which is very solid and sticky, and sometimes brittle when frozen. Add cream, which, brcause of the fat, makes it harden at a lower temperature. There are any number of recipes out there, including specifically for ice cream. Same with the peanut butter. Peanut butters processed differently behave differently, so there may be some trial and error involved, and there are also recipes specifically for swirling in ice cream. Sugar neutralizes some of the sticks to the roof of your mouth-ness. Cream does the sauce for ice cream thing. Food gums might also work, but you have to be good at using them, and like eating them.