I just told you about Chinook Seedery, a local sunflower seed company that will certainly see a boom in business now that baseball season is nearly here, but you might be surprised to find out about another local company�s connection to the baseball industry.

HomePlate Peanut Butter launched in 2015 with the goal of creating a peanut butter with excellent taste and texture but without the additives of most store-bought peanut butter.

But why HomePlate? We don�t usually think of peanut butter and baseball, so what�s the connection?

Founders Clint Greenleaf and Danny Peoples, a former book publisher and retired baseball player, respectively, knew that peanut butter is the inexpensive food of choice among minor league baseball players and that even major league players who aren�t on a budget liked the ease and nutrition found in high-quality peanut butter.

They teamed up with a number of other retired players to start the company with three peanut butters � creamy, crunchy and a smooth honey-sweetened variety. HomePlate uses non-GMO peanuts grown in Georgia to make their spreads, and unlike many nut butters in the natural foods space, theirs don�t separate on the shelf or require stirring before use. The jars cost between $4 and $5 and can be found at Central Market, Randall�s, Fiesta, Royal Blue, Thom�s Market, Riverside Market, Sprouts and, starting next month, Whole Foods Market in the Southwest region.

We tried the honey peanut butter in our Facebook livestream taste test on Wednesday:

As the official peanut butter of the Professional Baseball Clubhouse Managers Association, HomePlate peanut butters are now found in the clubhouses of all 30 MLB teams and a number of minor league teams, including the Round Rock Express and San Antonio Missions.

HomePlate Power Cookies

In tomorrow�s food section, we�re going all out with nut butters, so I thought I�d feature these no-bake peanut butter cookies from HomePlate. You could use any kind of nut butter in this recipe, including a chunky homemade butter made with the nut or seed of your liking.

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 scoop chocolate protein powder (optional)

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1 tablespoon shredded coconut

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup honey

In a large bowl, stir together rolled oats, cinnamon, salt and protein powder, if using. Mix in pumpkin seeds, coconut and chocolate chips. Combine peanut butter and honey in a small bowl and microwave until thinned, about 20 seconds. Add to bowl and blend well. Shape into cookies on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate for up to an hour, then store in a sealed container.

� HomePlate Peanut Butter

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