PEANUT BUTTER! THAT WONDERFUL MIRACLE!!

Who among us would have made it this far in life without PEANUT BUTTER? In fact, how could we have survived childhood?

Let us picture a lazy, summer afternoon, about 1943, in my hometown of Clovis, N.M.  School was out and it felt like summer (and life) would last forever as time seemed to feel when you were a kid. Just about every house in our neighborhood--both sides of the street--had kids in the family--except one--three houses down the street from ours was the rented home of Priscilla Lane, the Hollywood movie star, whose captain-husband was stationed at Clovis AFB. (A story for another time...)

It is hot and groups of kids are out in front of houses, sitting under elm trees, playing marbles, jacks, or maybe telling ghost stories. About 3 p.m., unnoticed, one kid slips into his house for a moment and comes ambling out proudly eating a white-bread sandwich. (Who ever heard or cared about wheat bread back then?!)

KID-RADARS were automatically activated: FLASH: PNBJ SANDWICH, PNBJ SANDWICH!!!  And swoosh, suddenly there were no kids--they all disappeared into a dozen homes...and all came out--each eating his OWN peanut butter and jelly sandwich!! A wonderful treat...and in a way--a miracle!

Where did this miracle come from? Peanuts are the roots and you harvest them by pulling on the green leaves and taking them out of the ground. I have walked peanut fields near Portales, N.M. and seen this.  Peanut butter is a food paste made from ground dry roasted peanuts. It dates back as far as the Aztec Indians, as well as probably other societies.

In modern times a number of patents were issued, but George Washington Carver is generally credited with modern peanut butter, whereby vegetable oils and flavorings are added to make it spreadable.

In childhood years, when we brought a jar of peanut butter home from the store, it usually had a half inch or more of oil in the top of the jar. You simply stirred it good and it was ready to go. Today, it is beautifully mixed and smooth. Various sizes of peanut chunks are available; personally I favor the "extra crunchy."

What are YOUR favorite ways to eat peanut butter? Some like PNB and honey mixed and on buttered toast; PNB on celery sticks; PNB on biscuit with bacon or sausage; PNB ice cream, or Reese's PNB cups. PNB on a crispy piece of "winter wheat" toast and a veggie sausage is good! I have even heard of weird things, like a PNB and cucumber sandwich or a PNB and banana sandwich. Well, I guess it's weird only if YOU like it and I don't. LOL.

Now we come to what you ladies have been waiting for: nutrition. Sorry to disappoint, but Mil is not into nutrition. Anyway, we know that what is healthful today will be bad tomorrow...and vice versa. How could  generations of kids have turned out so well if PNB were not good for them?

Well, guess that's about it for this time. Besides, I have talked myself into a SNACK!! I think I'll go and make my favorite: a PNB san on Nature's Own Wheat Bread, slathered generously with good old orange marmalade! WOW! YUM! YUM!! Until next time...

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(Please send in YOUR weirdest PNB snack!)

by Mil, 2/17/12

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