National Peanut Butter Day

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By Diane Forrest,

When I was a kid I took my lunch to school.  I went to a small school, and they didn't have a cafeteria.   I never had to wonder what was going to be in my lunch, it would be a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Then my brother got the idea that he liked it stirred up together, and so that’s how I got mine too.  I didn’t like it that way, and haven't eaten many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches since.  However, my uncle, who will be 73 this year, still has one every day for lunch.  Even Elvis liked peanut butter sandwiches.  Only he put banana on it then fried them in bacon grease.

Peanut butter is a wonderful food. I love opening up a brand new jar and taking the first whiff.  You would think peanut butter has been around for a while, but actually, it has only been in existence since 1884.  Peanuts are native to the Americas, and were first mashed up by the native Aztec Indians.  George Washington Carver is often credited with the invention of peanut butter, but actually, Marcellus Edson from Canada received the first patent in 1884.  In 1903 a doctor in St. Louis, Dr. Straub, invented a peanut butter making machine in able to provide protein to the elderly who had no teeth.

Cookies!!
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Peanut butter is full of protein and vitamins and fiber.  There are many products you can eat that contain peanut butter.  Crackers, cookies, candy, ice cream, pies, cakes, are but a few.  My husband used to order peanut butter milkshakes even, and I wasn't so sure about those.  I always imagined the peanut butter would clog up the straw.

I love homemade peanut butter cookies though, and did some research about why you make the cris cross shapes on the top.  That was mainly done so people could tell what type of cookie it was.

Today is National Peanut Butter Day.  Why not pack your lunch with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or fry up a peanut butter and banana sandwich, or even bake a batch of peanut butter cookies.  Anyway you try it, have a peanut buttery day.

PB & Banana
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Elvis Presley's Peanut butter and banana sandwich:

Ingredients

• 2 slices of white bread
• 2 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter
• 1 small ripe banana mashed
• 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Spread the peanut butter on one slice of bread and the mashed banana on the other. Press the slices gently together. Melt the butter (or to be truly Elvis-like, melt bacon fat!), over low heat in a small frying pan. Place the sandwich in the pan and fry until golden brown on both sides. Eat it with a glass of buttermilk. Please note: Elvis tended to eat 12-15 sandwiches a sitting! So belly up!