It’s Peanut Butter Jelly Time

I’m getting antsy. I don’t get antsy. But, I’m getting antsy. Why would I be getting this way? What would cause such irritation? It’s been three days since I’ve been able to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Three whole days! That’s a lifetime for someone who usually has PB&J every day. This isn’t like a little kid either, who gets the magic of peanut butter and jelly packed in their lunch by their parents. This is the pleasure of accomplishing the art of the perfect PB&J and satisfying your hunger at the same time. I haven’t had peanut butter and jelly in so long because I am out of bread. I don’t have new money until April 1. The financial crunch has hit me in the form of not having bread to make sandwiches. Yes, maybe I overspent last month and I’ve run dry due to my need for some other things, but that will not happen again now that I know the consequences. The peanut butter and jelly sandwich is an artform. It is perfecting the correct ratio of peanut butter to jelly, choosing the best peanut butter, the best jelly, not having bread that is too thick and making sure that neither the peanut butter nor the jelly makes its way out of the sandwich during consumption. After years of hating PB&J throughout childhood, I have come into the land of loving it. This may seem trivial to some of you, but having given up most processed and heat then eat types of food for Lent (including fast food) has made peanut butter and jelly the staple of my eating for the past thirty some-odd days. Plus, PB&J is Friday Fast approved, which means I know I can enjoy it any day during the Lenten season. Now I don’t know if I’d ever go back. PB&J is at the top of my list when it comes to making a meal.

It’s something that almost all of us have come into contact with at some point during our lives, but how much do we know about it. Like did you know that there’s a PB&J Day? The timing of this blog couldn’t be more appropriate because it’s this Friday. That's right, Friday, April 2 is officially PB&J Day, an event created by the PB&J Campaign to promote that most healthy, eco-friendly of sandwiches. The PB&J is a sandwich popular in North America that includes a layer of peanut butter and either jam or jelly on bread, commonly between two slices, but sometimes eaten open-faced. A 2002 survey showed the average American will have eaten 1,500 of these sandwiches before graduating from high school. Formally created by Julia Chandler in 1901, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich was then considered a delicacy. Served as a meal staple in World War II, it quickly became popular in American homes thereafter. Other nut butters, such as almond, cashew, soybean, sunflower, or hazelnut/Nutella (cocoa flavored hazelnut butter) are sometimes used to make similar sandwiches. Many jams and jellies are used to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, though most commonly dark berries such as grape(my favorite) or blackberry are used because the flavor goes well with peanut butter. Some variants add honey, syrup, chocolate, marshmallows, raisins, bananas, butter, marshmallow fluff, other dried fruit, or another slice of bread. A combination of peanut butter and Nutella is also popular, as is peanut butter with honey or bananas instead of the jelly. The peanut butter and jelly sandwich is a high energy food, peanut butter being high in fat (and hence calories), jelly in calories from sugar, and bread in calories from starch. The peanut butter provides protein, and the bread, depending upon type, some dietary fiber. Like I said, it’s a magic food.

Now I’ll give you some peanut butter and jelly tips in order to make a proper sandwich. For a good sandwich, the peanut butter should be smooth and easy to spread. One way to achieve this is to store peanut butter at room temperature. The smooth texture should have no lumps or chunks of peanuts. Smooth peanut butter is the most popular texture of peanut butter paired up with jelly in a sandwich. Two tablespoons is the recommended serving size for the average diet. When combined in a sandwich, jelly adds sweetness to each bite, finished off with the saltiness of the peanut butter. Jelly comes in a variety of flavors. Smucker's is one of the most renowned jelly brands in the world and a great choice for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Jelly is made from real fruit juice or crushed berries. Jelly, because of its consistency should be spread on after the peanut butter for proper distribution on the sandwich. Jelly should be refrigerated after opening to preserve freshness. Deciding what bread to make a sandwich with is entirely up to the person eating the sandwich. Bread can be either room temperature or refrigerated. Some prefer the softness of bread at room temperature while others find the peanut butter and jelly easier to spread on refrigerated bread. Follow these very simple rules and guidelines and you will have the perfect PB&J in under a minute, depending on your spreading speed.

Even if you don't know how to cook, you can make a PB&J sandwich! It only takes 4 steps, though there are many ways that the steps can be completed based on personal preference. It should go roughly like this: spread peanut butter, clean knife, spread jelly, and press together. It’s that easy. So, on Friday when you are thinking about what you’re going to have for lunch (or dinner…or even breakfast), remember that it is PB&J Day.