The blog challenge prompt is “Share a DIY that you have discovered or enjoy”.

This one will save you some pain in the pocketbook, and I have to thank my friend Barb for it. When I was a newly divorced mom of 2 toddler boys, I wanted to learn how to make Christmas candy, so Barb invited me and the boys over one evening. The boys played with her 3 kids and I watched as Barb showed me how to make many types of Christmas candy from scratch. It was absolutely eye-opening to see candies I only knew as store-bought created before my own eyes.

The one that stuck with me was peanut clusters. My dad (and the rest of the family) loved peanut clusters, so this was a perfect, inexpensive Christmas gift for him. IF I made it myself.

Have you bought peanut clusters lately? They are around $25 a pound at Walmart, and I hate to see what they are running at less economical stores.

I can make 2 1/2 pounds of peanut clusters for $6.45 if I use store brand ingredients, $9.97 if I want to fancy it up with some name brand stuff.

It takes less than 20 minutes (and that’s if the chocolate is drying slowly).

You need 2 ingredients:

16 oz jar of dry roasted SALTED peanuts

24 oz. package of chocolate flavored almond bark

I get nervous about doing the double broiler method because chocolate that seizes is the worst, so I microwave my almond bark to melt it.

Break the almond bark into chunks and put it in a microwave safe bowl. Nuke it for a minute and then in 30 second increments until it is melted smooth.

Add the entire jar of peanuts to the melted chocolate.

On wax paper or parchment paper, drop the chocolate covered peanuts by spoonfuls.

Let them dry and enjoy.