Naturally More Peanut Butter

The kind folks at Naturally More sent me a jar of their peanut butter to try. I have to admit I was skeptical, after all their tag line is "what peanut butter should be," and that's a pretty tall order to fill.

Naturally More contains 25% more protein and 50% more fiber than regular peanut butter. They've added egg whites, wheat germ, and flax seed. That sounds healthy, but not necessarily yummy.

After stirring the peanut butter I gave it my knife test: does the peanut butter drip off the knife because it's got a bit too much oil? Yep. Runny peanut butter is never a happy thing for me.

I struggled to keep an open mind, and took out a spoon for a straight-from-the-jar test. Gritty. Again, not a happy thing for me. But the flavor was good! And in spite of the unpleasant texture, there's something compelling, almost addictive, about the flavor. I usually save good-tasting but bad-textured peanut butter for baking, but I've eaten almost half of the jar with a spoon.

The fact that it's full of flax seed and flax oil is a huge plus. Highly recommended as a mega-food, people add flax to their diet to boost their immune systems, fight cancer, and improve cardiovascular health. I'll be buying a replacement jar of Naturally More soon. I might try the organic variety, and they also have an almond butter product. I didn't expect it to work out this way, but I'm such a fan now I may spring for one of each!

Stealing Peanut Butter From the Dead

British comedian Russell Brand has admitted to grave robbing. Did he take something valuable? Jewelry perhaps? No.

During his recent appearance on the Late Show, he told host David Letterman that he took peanut butter from the grave site of writer Jack Kerouac. "Around his grave were all manner of tributes left by well-wishers. Some people had left things like a book of poems or flowers, more conventional, but someone had left a jar of peanut butter. That's no use to you in the afterlife, is it? I was hungry. I took it. I asked the crew, 'is that respectful to steal from a grave?' I was able to argue that in the spirit of the beat, in the spirit of rebellion and revolution he wouldn't mind if I had that peanut butter. So I took it."

Peanut Butter and Jelly Pizza

These peanut butter and jelly pizzas are so easy to make a child can do it--and things always taste better if you make them yourself!

We used Mama Mary's prepared individual size pizza crusts, spread them with peanut butter and then jelly, popped them in the oven for about 6 minutes, and it was time for the pizza party!

These are also delicious with chocolate chips sprinkled over the top--both instead of and in addition to the jelly!

Krema Natural Creamy Peanut Butter

Krema has been making peanut butter for over 100 years. The ingredients are: peanuts. That's it--no salt, oil, sugar, or any of the really bad stuff. A number of people have recommended that I try it, and it sounded like a winner. I hate to admit it, but I think I may have found a peanut butter I don't much care for. The flavor is terrific, and I love the absence of extra ingredients. It's the texture that bothers me: it doesn't feel good straight off the spoon. There's a gritty sort of texture, and although it disappears if you bake it into a recipe, I can't open a jar without sneaking a spoonful for a snack.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls

Last week I got to wear my wicked stepmother hat the entire week, and one of the "mean and dreadful" things I subjected my little darlings to was making and eating these no-bake cookies. The kids thought these were not only easy to make but fun, and of course they loved eating them. I'm really gonna have to work on the wicked part; apparently I'm not very good at it.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls

1 c. powdered milk
1 c. oatmeal
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. honey

Mix everything in a large bowl and roll into bite-size balls. Store in the refrigerator.

You can toss in a handful of mini chocolate chips or raisins before rolling into balls if you like. You can roll the balls in powdered sugar, or decorate with mini chocolate chips if you want to be a bit fancy. Stack a few and make a peanut butter snowman!

Guest Post by Diana of Diana's Daily Ramblings

Here is a yummy recipe using peanut butter submitted by Diana at Diana's Daily Ramblings.

Diana is a creative, crafty work from home mom who likes to create quick and easy meals that are within her budget. Her family lived in Malaysia in 2001 and enjoyed Chicken Satay and other recipes made with peanuts. She has taken these Beef Satay Patties to a potluck and it got rave reviews. Try it out and let Diana know what you think of the recipe!

Beef Satay Patties
~2.25 lbs of lean Ground Beef
1 Tablespoon Corn Meal
1.5 teaspoons Sesame Oil
3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2-3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon grated Ginger (or Ginger Powder)
3/4 cup Peanut Butter
1.5 teaspoons Sugar

Mix all ingredients. I have found that just digging in and using my hands works best. It will look like this.


Make large meatball-patties and put them on a cookie sheet. I prefer to use a broiler pan so that any fat from the meat drips down.


Bake @ 350 degrees for 15-20 mins. Serve over rice. The meatballs look dry and plain, but they taste divine!


BONUS: Not only do they make a good lunch the next day, they still taste GREAT!

Peanut Butter and JellyFish Plush Toy

This is another one of those finds that's got me giggling non-stop. It's a Peanut Butter and JellyFish Sandwich Plush Toy from San Diego artist Mandy Jouan. Handcrafted in felt and fleece, it's sure to bring smiles wherever you play with it. Visit her Sappy Moose Tree shop for more fun and quirky items.

OOPS! A Glitch with Guest Bloggers

I've just discovered that many of the emails I've sent to you, oh very kind prospective guest bloggers, have been disappearing into the vast void of cyberspace. This problem has also reared its ugly head with many of the emails that have been sent to me.

I apologize if you thought I was ignoring you. And I know you weren't ignoring me. (If you were, we can pretend, OK?)

So here's the new plan: I will attempt to contact everyone who left a comment experssing interest in doing a guest post one more time. If you're reading this and haven't heard from me, go ahead and send me your post. Make sure you include a photo or two if you have 'em, and links to your blog or site. A one- or two-sentence bio blurb would be terrific. Email everything to me at luckygirltrading at yahoo.com. If you don't hear from me within 24 hours or so, leave a comment asking whether I have your post--because most likely I don't.

Back to our regular peanut butter fun tomorrow!

Win a Family Vacation from Skippy

Skippy Peanut Butter is having a terrific promotion. The grand prize is a 4-day/3-night trip for four (4) to Cedar Point, Ohio. Trip includes round-trip coach class air transportation from the major United States airport nearest to Grand Prize Winner's home to destination city, three (3) nights sponsor-selected hotel accommodations (based on quad occupancy), four (4) days' admission tickets for four (4) people to Cedar Point Amusement Park, four (4) days' admission tickets for four (4) people to Soak City Amusement Park, and $2,000 spending money awarded in the form of a check (ARV: $7,200). First prize is A Charlie Brown Christmas on DVD.

Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, who are 13 years of age and older. No purchase necessary, and you can enter once each day through December 31, 2008.

November is National Peanut Butter Lovers Month

The best way I know to celebrate this month-long holiday is by eating peanut butter every day. Now that I think about it, I pretty much do that anyway, so I guess I should come up with some other ways to celebrate. Here's a partial list of ideas:

1. Try a new peanut butter recipe.
2. Share my love of peanut butter with a friend or neighbor.
3. Create an amazing sculpture with peanut butter dough.
4. Make my own peanut butter.

Please help me add to this list! How will you celebrate Peanut Butter Lovers Month?

Have a Peanut Butter-licious Halloween

These cute little pumpkins are easy to make and absolutely delicious! Just melt a package of peanut butter chips, mix with a can of vanilla frosting, and add a few drops of orange food coloring. Take a small piece of the dough and add green food coloring. Cover the dough and chill for about an hour. Roll the orange dough into balls and draw the pumpkin "seams" with a toothpick. Use the green dough to make stems and press them lightly on top of the pumpkins. If you're feeling the need to create jack-o'-lanterns, you can add some mini chocolate chip eyes and teeth.

The Creamy Peanuts Winner

Congratulations to micaela6955 of Creative Writings 101! If you haven't seen her blog, click on over and scroll down a bit--the photo of the pumpkin is too funny!

We're all looking forward to her review of this yummy-looking candy, and I hope to be better at posting in the meantime. Sorry for the lack of exiting stuff, it's been a bad week here. Tomorrow is another day, right?

Vintage Reese's Coffee Mug

How awesome would it be to drink your morning coffee from this vintage mug?!! I found it on eBay, and from the photos and description it seems to be in new condition. It's listed as a pre-1970s item, but I haven't been able to find out what year these were made.

GIVEAWAY! Creamy Peanuts from Sugar Dreams bakery

Made from scratch by Stacie of Sugar Dreams Bakery, these Creamy Peanut candies could be yours! Creamy Peanut Butter and Merckens Chocolate combine to make a wonderful little taste treat for peanut butter lovers, and I'm drooling just typing the description.

I haven't had the chance to try these little bits of peanut buttery goodness yet, so I'm going to let the winner of this giveaway write a review and post it here.

Here's how to enter:
1. You must have a U.S. mailing address and be willing to provide it in the event you are the winner.
2. Visit Sugar Dreams Bakery and look at the mouth-watering assortment of treats. Then come back here and leave a comment telling why you should be the person to guest post this review.
3. Get a second entry by posting about this giveaway on your blog, linking to this post and to Sugar Dreams Bakery, and leave a second comment here with the URL of your post.
4. Get another entry by making a purchase from Sugar Dreams Bakery, and posting a separate comment here with the transaction number.
5. Comments will be accepted through October 28, 2008.
6. On October 29 I'll use the randomizer to select a winner, and notify you via email or comment on your blog. Make sure that there is a link to your Blogger profile, blog, or email address with your comments.

Exclusive Discount for Peanut Butter Blog Readers

You all remember the You're the Peanut Butter to My Jelly card, right? Sarah (of Sarah Marie Stationery & Wrap) was so taken with your lovely comments that she's offering 25% off of the PB&J card and 15% off everything else in her Etsy store to everyone who reads this blog! Just enter "PBBLOG" in the buyer's comments when you checkout through Etsy.

Guest Post by Kim from Kimmi's Krazy World

Our Family Couldn’t Live Without Peanut Butter!

We go through a huge jar of peanut butter about every 3 weeks. It’s always Peter Pan Creamy … that’s our favorite! My husband has a PB sandwich almost everyday of the week for lunch. You would think that would get old … but not to him. On top of that, he eats it sometimes at night on graham crackers or in a milkshake. Anything with PB in it is his favorite dessert. He has kidney stones, which PB is bad for … but he eats it anyway!

Our dog Noel even gets treated every morning with a spoonful of peanut butter. She won’t take her pill unless it is wrapped in a big lump of peanut butter. Trust me, I’ve tried to wrap it in something else and she just snarls her nose and walks away.

Now as for me…. I love peanut butter, but maybe not quite as much as those two. However, I do use it for more than just eating. Some wonderful tricks I have learned to use peanut butter for are: Getting chewing gum out of my daughter’s hair, baiting a mouse trap, removing glue from fabric, and my all time favorite is adding a spoonful of it to a pan after frying fish … it absorbs the smell that usually stays in your house forever!

Our favorite peanut butter recipe is the Peanut Butter Crunch Bars. They are so simple and easy to make. They never last more than an hour in our house.

Peanut Butter Crunch

1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup white sugar
1 cut smooth peanut butter
10 cups cornflake cereal

Cook syrup and sugar until mixture comes to a boil. Stir constantly. Remove from heat and add peanut butter. Stir until smooth. Pour mixture over cornflakes in a large bowl. Mix until the cereal is thoroughly coated. Then spread in a buttered 9x13 inch pan and press down lightly. When it cools, cut into squares.

I hope you have enjoyed my guest post for The Peanut Butter Blog.
Please remember to check out my blogs at
www.kimmiskrazyworld.com
www.talktimewithkim.com
www.kimskountrykitchen.com

And the Winner is ...

Angel from Nytro Girl! The Powers That Be--also known as the randomizer thingie--have chosen her to win the very sweet You Are The Peanut Butter To My Jelly card from Sarah Marie Stationery & Wrap.

If you didn't win this time, you can shop to your heart's content--Sarah Marie has a ton of really cute things!

Our PB2 Winners

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. I try to get in a minimum of one post every other day, but I started physical therapy and it's really kicked my butt. Too bad they haven't discovered a peanut butter cure for arthritis--maybe one day.

Here's the picks from the randomizer:


Congrats to Dee from Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House and Mike from Rambling Stuff. Go check out their blogs if you have a minute, and feel free to express your jealousy at their wins.

There's still a few hours left to enter the giveaway for the You're the Peanut Butter to My Jelly card, so enter now if you haven't already.

I've got some terrific posts lined up for next week, including another fabulous giveaway.


*************UPDATE***************

Unfortunately Mike won't be able to receive his peanut butter. Poor fellow--but that means we have a new lucky winner! It's echoeve from Echo Kirkland! Go check out her blog, and make sure you scroll down a bit for some bizarre and creepy art.

Peanut Butter and Jelly for Your Dolls

I know that many of you have been worrying about the scarcity of peanut butter for your dolls and stuffed toys compared to the abundance of PB products for humans. Worry no more! I found this cute set of miniatures on eBay. Made to a 1:12 scale, it's perfect to adorn the table in a dollhouse or Barbie's lunch. (Dime not included.)

Guest Post by Christine from The Power of Housewife Word of Mouth

Growing up we were always a two-jars-of-peanut butter family. I have always loved creamy, while my sister Jen is a crunchy peanut butter lover. One summer we went to my grandmother's on Long Island, New York, to spend a few weeks with her, and my sister was overjoyed to see crunchy peanut butter in her pantry.

The next day at lunch she made herself a sandwich using the jar provided and also a jar of strawberry preserves (with whole strawberries). It was one huge gloppy mess. She took one large bite, and then looked a little puzzled as she crunched.

The next thing we knew she looked at the sandwich and started screaming. There were some sort of small bugs nesting throughout the peanut butter! She ran right to the restroom and up came her entire lunch. When we took a closer look at grandma's peanut butter, it was over four years past the due date! The rest of the afternoon we spent clearing out grandma's cupboards and throwing out food and such past due, and of course headed right for the grocery store to restock her shelves.

From then on Jen has been a creamy peanut butter eater like me. Just the thought of crunchy turns her green to the gills.

Visit Christine at http://housewifewom.blogspot.com/

GIVEAWAY! Say It With Peanut Butter

I love being able to include peanut butter in parts of my life where it's least expected, and this artisan-created card is perfect. I found it at Sarah Marie Stationery & Wrap. It's an original illustration letterpressed with soy-based ink on 100% cotton paper, complete with coordinating envelope.

This little sweetheart of a card can be yours. Take a look around Sarah Marie Stationery & Wrap (she's got some lovely things besides this card) then leave a comment here by midnight on October 18, 2008, telling us who's the peanut butter to your jelly. Make sure that your comment includes a link to your Blogger profile, your blog, or your email address so I can contact you if you're a winner. You must have a U.S. mailing address to enter. On October 19 I'll use that randomizer thingie and choose a winner.

Want an extra chance to win? Blog about this giveaway, linking to both this post and Sarah Marie Stationery & Wrap, then post a second comment here.

GIVEAWAY! PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter: The Best Thing Since PB in a Jar

I first heard about PB2 powdered peanut butter from Lady Rose at The Diet Pulpit. She said it was really good, and I have to admit I didn't think I'd agree with her. Seriously, powdered peanut butter that you mix with water, with most of the fat removed? How good could that be?

Well, Lady Rose was absolutely right--this stuff is good. Really good! As in blindfold a few people and let them do a taste test, and PB2 will win. The folks at Bell Plantation have perfected a way to remove 85 percent of the fat calories from peanut butter, while keeping the peanutty-good taste. It looks, and tastes, like really good peanut butter.

Mix a single serving in about 30 seconds, and save yourself a ton of calories and fat. And lucky me--they've just introduced Chocolate PB2! This has a delicious milk chocolate and peanut butter flavor. It's amazing on toast. And bagels. And a spoon.

If you've been avoiding peanut butter because of its calorie load or fat content, this is the solution. If you haven't been avoiding peanut butter--and I certainly haven't--it's still the answer.

The exciting news is that Bell Plantation has given me a jar of regular PB2 and a jar of Chocolate PB2 to give away on this blog! To enter:

1. You must have a U.S. mailing address.
2. Leave a comment on this blog stating which flavor (regular or chocolate) you would like most if you win. Make sure I can follow a link to your Blogger profile or your blog, or leave an email address with your comment.
3. Earn a second entry by blogging about this giveaway, including a link to this post, and leaving a second comment here directing me to your post.
4. Comments will be accepted through October 17, 2008.

On October 18 I'll use that randomizer thingie to select two winning numbers. The first number it selects will receive their first choice of PB2 flavor. The second number it selects will receive the remaining jar.

The Mystery Photo Was . . .

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Tapioca Pudding! Congrats to Reeni who had the first correct answer. Go check out the beautiful pumpkin cakes on her blog--they look delicious.

I seem to crave comfort food in the fall, and this fits the bill.


Ingredients
1 egg, beaten
1/3 c. sugar
3 TBSP Minute Tapioca
3 c. skim milk
2 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla

Mix egg, sugar, tapioca, and milk in a large microwavable bowl. Add chocolate and peanut butter but don't try to mix. Let bowl stand for 5 minutes. Microwave on high for 2 minutes; stir. Repeat microwaving and stirring until the mixture comes to a full boil. Stir in vanilla and refrigerate.

You can also cook this on the stove over medium heat, stirring constantly until it comes to a full boil.

Guess the Photo Contest

If you're looking at this photo and wondering what my camera has captured, know that I'm giggling just thinking about it.

This is a close-up of something I made. Be the first to leave a comment correctly identifying this concoction and you win!

What do you win? Well, along with all the fame associated with winning on The Peanut Butter Blog, I'll also send you one peanut butter cookie soap from Sugarlane Soaps. That's one cookie, not one batch of soap--sorry, these are too much fun for me to part with an entire order.

This competition is open worldwide. Make sure to leave a way to contact you with your comment: either a link to your Blogger profile, a URL, or an email address.

Here's a hint to get you started: this contains peanut butter. Hope it helps!

Who Won?

The lucky winner of the Van Vacter PBJ Bagel Knife is Topher! That guy makes some seriously yummy-sounding (and looking!) food, so maybe if we all start reading his blog we can convince him to start updating it again.

I've got another giveaway coming up later this week, so make sure you come back to check it out. Better yet, click on one of the subscribe options in the upper right corner and you won't miss a single delicious drop!

Peanut Butter Jar Safes Are Not So Safe

I've heard of people who use empty jars and cans to stash valuables, hiding them in their kitchens next to real food to fool thieves. This guy, however, went a bit over the top with that idea. According to the Forest City, Arkansas, Times-Herald:

A trooper with Arkansas State Police arrested a Texas man Thursday after finding drugs hidden inside a jar of peanut butter. According to an arrest report, troopers stopped Cyrus David Gharbi, 24, of Arlington, Texas, just before 1 p.m., near the 246 eastbound mile marker on Interstate 40.

The trooper stopped the vehicle after noticing that Gharbi’s license plate expired earlier this week, and during the stop, Gharbi consented to a search of the vehicle. During the search, troopers found a jar of peanut butter which contained not only peanut butter but also about 220 hydrocodone and oxycontin pills in a plastic wrapper hidden inside the jar.

The Most Creative "Peanut Butter"

HeHeHeHe. I can't stop giggling over this. Butter-colored clay shaped to look like a peanut, then wrapped in a (margarine and butter-ish spreads count, right?) butter wrapper. You could have so much fun with this sitting on your desk! It functions as a desk toy, paperweight, conversation piece, or object d'art, and it would make a terrific gift for a co-worker or fellow peanut butter lover.

This hand-crafted original piece of art is from Amanda's Shop of Random Things. Check out her shop, you're sure to find something to get your giggles jump-started.

Peanut Butter. HeHeHeHe.

A GIVEAWAY! My New Favorite Gadget: The Van Vacter PBJ Bagel Knife

The Peanut Butter Man and I have a long-standing disagreement about the best way to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He uses a butter knife to spread the jelly on one slice of bread, then cleans the knife on the other slice of bread before dipping it in the peanut butter. I spread the peanut butter first, then stick the knife back into the peanut butter to get a little snack to tide me over until my sandwich is ready. Then I tip the jelly jar and usually it drips some out on top of the peanut butter, or if it needs a bit of help I'll grab a spoon. I'll smear the jelly around with my freshly-licked knife, cut the sandwich in half, and enjoy my little bit of heaven.

I have to admit, when I first saw this knife I was skeptical. Let's face it, there are new gadgets and gizmos every day, all proclaiming to be the most awesome things since sliced bread, and most of them end up either in the trash or forgotten in the junk drawer.

After just one use I was hooked. This knife is amazing! Its wavy blade makes it the perfect tool with runny peanut butter--no more drips all over the outside of the jar or on my plate. It works great with cold, stiff peanut butter from the fridge, too. No need for jelly spoons--it holds the jelly just as well as it holds the runny peanut butter.

I love the tip of the knife because it's the perfect shape for scraping the last bits of goodness from the bottom of the jar. The serrated edge cut through soft white bread as neatly and easily as it cut through a bagel. And the handle is perfect: not slippery, not heavy, not too skinny. This knife is also awesome for cream cheese, mayonnaise, or just about anything else you might want to spread on bread.

You can see more about this knife and the complete line of Van Vacter products on their website. If I've convinced you that you can't make it through another PB&J without one of these knives, you can get them from Sur La Table, Williams-Sonoma, and Broadway Panhandler.

I'm very excited because Van Vacter gave me a knife to give away to one of you! Here's how to enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post telling how you make a PBJ
2. You must have a mailing address in the U.S.
3. Earn a second entry by blogging about this giveaway, including a link back to this post; and leave a second comment here with the URL of your post
4. Comments can be posted through October 5, 2008. On October 6 I'll use the randomizer thingie and select a winner.

And the Winners Are . . .

Today's the big day: two of you lucky readers will be receiving a batch of delicious peanut butter cup shortbread, compliments of Cookies by Kristin. The randomizer thingie chose numbers 8 and 17. Congratulations to Fringies and Beaded Tail!

For those of you who weren't so lucky this time, head on over to Cookies by Kristin and order some shortbread. You won't be sorry! (And if by chance you are, please feel free to send the shortbread along to me and I will be more than happy to enjoy it on your behalf!)

Award Time

I am embarrassingly behind on acknowledging rewards. The Brillante Weblog Premio 2008 Award was given to us by Three Fates Design. If you haven't visited this blog, you're missing out on some amazing eye candy!

Fringies also passed this award along to us! The photos of her kids are adorable. And she has a delicious peanut butter cookie recipe posted--it's worth clicking and copying!




Zip 'n' Tizzy was kind enough to bestow this award on us. There's always something there to make me smile, so click on over and have a look. I love the header photo with kids playing in boxes!

I am honored, thrilled, and totally tickled to receive these awards! Thank you!

Peanut Butter and . . . Greeting Cards

Partial to marshmallow with your PB? Or is bacon more your style? This unique set of 4 greeting cards let you choose the right PB combo for your recipient. The set includes one card each of grapes, banana, marshmallow, and bacon. Printed from original art by Wind Up Bird Studios, the cards come with envelopes suitable for mailing. The cards are 100% mouldmade alpha-cellulose paper and have a soft felt finish, ideal for pen, ink, watercolor and other mediums. They're deckled on four sides, giving each card a soft and sophisticated look. Each card is left blank inside for you to personalize your message. What a delicious way to say "Hello!", "I Miss You," or whatever might be on your mind.

Using The Presidential Election to Sell Candy

The L.A. Burdick Company is marketing two collections of chocolate candies with a presidential campaign theme. Their McCain Campaign Chocolates include peanut butter half moons covered in milk chocolate--the only peanut butter candy in either collection. As I write this, the McCain candy is running a distant second to the Obama Campaign Collection (which of course contains no peanut butter). You gotta wonder, are peanut butter lovers that severely outnumbered, or are shoppers trying to make a political statement? Hmmm.

Peanut Butter Cup Shortbread Giveaway

Cookies by Kristin is a new shop on Etsy--just about one month old--but I'm hooked already! These peanut butter cup shortbread cookies are baked fresh when you place your order and then shipped Priority Mail so you get them quickly. Melt-in-your-mouth delicious, I could easily down half an order with my morning coffee. At $6/dozen, that makes this the best $3 breakfast I've ever had. And for that matter, the best shortbread cookies I've ever had. They're good for late night snacks, too. And mid-afternoon snacks. And dessert.

Kristin is not only an awesome baker, she's also very generous. She's giving away a dozen fabulous peanut butter cup shortbread cookies to two separate winners! Here's how to enter:

1. You must have a U.S. mailing address.
2. Have a look at Cookies by Kristin, then come back here and leave a comment telling what flavor of shortbread cookie you'd love to see in her shop next. (I'm hoping for a peanut butter and strawberry combo, sort of a PBJ flavor!)
3. Earn an extra entry by posting about this giveaway on your blog, with links to both this post and to Cookies by Kristin; then leave a second comment on this post letting us know where to find your post.
4. Earn a third entry by making a purchase from Cookies by Kristin, and comment here with your transaction number.
5. Make sure there is a link to your blog or an email address accompanying your comment so that I can contact you if you're a winner.
6. September 25, 2008, is the last date to comment. On September 26 I'll use that randomizer thingie to select the winners.

I've been busy lining up more terrific giveaways, so come back soon and see what else I'm giving away!

Grow Your Own Peanut Butter

I always thought of peanuts as warm-climate plants that need a huge amount of growing space. Seems I wasn't exactly right--good news for all of you! They've been found growing high in the Andes mountains, and they're even grown commercially in Canada. You can grow them in a child's plastic wading pool and even in a deep plastic dishpan on your patio or balcony.

The Mother Earth News has a terrific article on growing peanut plants, complete with resources for seeds. I've got to measure my back yard now to see how many peanut plants I can fit there next spring. It's never too early to start planning, right?

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Peanut Butter

I tried PB Loco's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Peanut Butter today. WOW.

This stuff is so rich I had to take my sandwich apart and spread some of the peanut butter onto a new piece of bread. It's delicious. The ultimate comfort food. And it would be amazing over vanilla ice cream.

I could go on and on about how much I love this peanut butter, but I'm going to make another Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Peanut Butter sandwich now.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Hairpins

Handcrafted with love from polymer clay, two PBJ sandwich halves adorn 2" silver-toned hairpins. With creamy peanut butter on one slice of white bread and grape jelly on the other, these hair accessories are simply sweet! Get yours at mack on Etsy, $6.
N

Perfect Peanut Butter Journal

If you've been hunting for the perfect thing to chronicle your peanut butter experiences, search no more! This 6.5" x 8.5", 50-sheet/100-page recycled notebook is practically calling for your peanut butter notes. Recipes, flavors, doodles--it can handle them all. Get it at Ivy Lane Designs.

Win a Jar of P.B. Loco

Kristle at Stir-Crazy! is giving away 3 jars of P.B. Loco peanut butter. I love every flavor I've tried so far, but they make so many different flavors there are plenty I haven't been able to check out yet. I really want to get my hands on a jar of their Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and the new Sun-Ripened Apricot flavors. Check out her giveaway post and enter--you'll be glad you did! Giveaway ends September 18, 2008 @ 12 Noon, CST.

Guest Post by Christine from Best HomeSchool Place

I've never been a guest blogger before, so I wanted to make sure this was good. I've always been a big peanut butter fan, so I'm going to share some of my more unusual peanut butter things, a couple of recipes and a great how to video AI found on one of my other favorite blogs. But to start this post off right, I'd thought I'd share a photo from one of my favorite tv shows.

From Project Runway season 4
This great dress, although not as exciting or innovative as some of the other dresses, was made completely out of Reece's Peanut Butter Cup wrappers. I don't think this picture does it justice, but it is a cute and wearable party dress. Does it look like it was made from candy wrappers? I don't think it does. Although it wasn't the winner of that episode, it wasn't the loser either.

My favorite Peanut Butter Recipes

This is something my mom always made me when I was a kid. One of the few things in my lunch box that I wouldn't trade or give away. Mostly because the other kids thought it would taste gross, and wouldn't even TRY it. Which was fine with me, because I loved it, and knew that if someone else wanted it, I'd probably give it to them. LOL! What is it, you ask? It's a peanut butter & sweet pickle sandwich.

Now, I know that most of you are going "YAK!!", by now, but trust me, it is delicious! You have to use the best creamy peanut butter, Jif was always my favorite. Then you need the best Vlasic sweet pickles, the sweeter the better. Cut the pickles into thin slices. Make sure the peanut butter is on both slices of bread, with the pickles in the middle. It may take you a little bit to build up the courage to eat it, but once you do, you'll be hooked. Much like you'd be hooked on peanut butter & banana sandwiches. If you like those, then you'll like the sweet pickles too.

Brownies

The next recipe I just came up with. I was wanting some brownies during the Labor Day weekend. We only had a little bit of cocoa powder, and no chocolate chips. I was trying to figure out what else I could put in the brownies to give them that extra something. Of course, what else goes with chocolate better than good old peanut butter! Then all I had to do was find a good recipe. Easier said than done, evidently. I went all over the internet, my main source of information for everything, and couldn't find a simple, easy to make, good peanut butter chocolate brownie! So I decided to make one up myself . . . well, actually blend two recipes into one.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup butter softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In large bowl beat butter and peanut butter until smooth.
Mix all ingredients in order given.
Bake for 30 minutes in 9 x 13 in greased pan
Check with toothpick to see if it is done in the middle

Baking time may vary according to your oven. Mine is slow to heat up, so it took about 40 minutes to cook.

These are now my all time favorite brownies! They came out smooth, creamy, rich, and delictable . . . if I do say so myself! LOL It's a simple recipe, so feel free to add to it what you think would make it better. And if it comes out even better, let me know!!


Unusual Uses

Now for the two unusual uses for peanut butter. The first is one, that I have NO idea where I got it from. I think my sons heard of it on Mythbusters, or some other Discovery Channel show. I'm always amazed at what my sons get from that channel, it's great! Anyway, peanut butter can get rid of hiccups!!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the cure for hiccups is the amazing, ever useful, never leave home without it, PEANUT BUTTER! And it works every time!! Just take a spoonful of peanut butter and suck on it till the peanut butter is all gone. The hiccups should be gone before the peanut butter is, but that doesn't really matter, because you've got peanut butter!

And finally, the last thing I want to share with you is this fantastic "how to" video I found at Momspark . It's all about how to make Peanut Butter Play D@h (not the registered trademark stuff).







Momspark Video Blog Episode 1 "Peanut Butter Play Dough" from Mom Spark on Vimeo.


I hope you enjoyed my little post about all the interesting things you can do with Peanut Butter. I've enjoyed being a guest blogger here at the Peanut Butter Blog. If you'd like to read more of my stuff, you can find me at Wyndsong's Sacred Place, Best HomeSchool Place, and Type-A Mom

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cheesecake

Mr. Peanut Butter's birthday was last weekend, so the kids and I made him a peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake. I wish I could share a photo of it with you, but the cheesecake disappeared before I could get the camera set. Yes--it was that good! I'll share my recipe, but you may want to make two of them. Seriously. You've been warned.

Ingredients
2 8-oz pkg cream cheese
3/4 c granulated sugar
3 eggs
4 squares semisweet baking chocolate
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c peanut butter*
1-1/2 tbsp flour
1/4 c milk
1 prepared graham cracker or chocolate pie crust

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix one package of cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, and vanilla until blended. Add 1 egg and mix. Melt chocolate squares and stir into batter. Spread evenly in bottom of prepared pie crust.
In a separate bowl, mix the other package of cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, the peanut butter, and the flour until blended. Add 2 eggs and mix well. Stir in milk. Pour evenly over chocolate layer.
Bake for about 40 minutes or until the center is set.
When cool, garnish with chopped peanut butter cups, bits of chocolate bars, chocolate syrup, or whatever strikes your fancy.

* I always use a bit more for extra peanut buttery goodness

Terry Bradshaw's Peanut Butter

I found this vintage jar on eBay today. I had no idea that former football player Terry Bradshaw had his own brand of peanut butter. From what I can find, it was only sold in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area during the late 70s and early 80s. I did find a funny quote from Bradshaw about it in his book, It's Only A Game:

The only thing that was wrong with our product was its taste. Apparently people didn't seem to like the taste very much. One newspaper arranged a taste test conducted by a panel of young people, and we won the top award for Least Desirable. Other than that it was a fine peanut butter. It had a real nice label.

The brand didn't last long so the jars are rare, making this one a collector's item.

News, War, and Peanut Butter Face?

Can you imagine if network TV news reporters gave us the news this way? Eeeeewwwww.

Feed Your Brain With Peanut Butter

Did you know that peanut butter is a terrific "brain food"? It's a rich source of vitamin E, an antioxident. Antioxidents protect cells from potentially harmful substances you encounter every day in your environment or the food you eat. Peanut butter also contains thiamin (vitamin B1), which helps metabolize carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Your brain uses carbs for fuel, so eat more peanut butter and get smarter.

Eat Peanut Butter and Save the Earth

P.B. Loco has a free shipping special until September 5: buy $40 of peanut butter goodness and your order ships free. No coupon code needed, the free shipping should automatically appear in your cart.

They also sent me some interesting facts about eating peanut butter instead of meat:

Reduce Global Warming by Eating a PB Sandwich. It may be hard to believe, but by eating a peanut butter sandwich (or some other plant-based meal) rather than an animal-based meal, such as a burger, you save the equivalent of almost 3.5 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, including 2.5 pounds of carbon dioxide.

Conserve Land by Opting for a PB Sandwich in Lieu of a Burger. We can save land by eating more plant-based foods and less animal-based foods. Animal food products require 6 to 17 times as much land as soy to produce the equivalent amount of protein. Choosing peanut butter over meat for lunch saves 12 to 50 square feet of land from deforestation, overgrazing, and pesticide and fertilizer pollution.

Conserve Water by Eating a PB Sandwich. Plant-based meals also save water as compared to meat-based meals because it takes less water to grow plants than to raise animals. Thus, opting for a peanut butter sandwich over a ham sandwich conserves about 280 gallons of water. Do this three times a month and it has the same effect as switching to a low-flow shower head.

Guest Posts Wanted

It's the beginning of my busy season, and things are starting to get a bit hectic here. I know that many of you have some fantastic peanut butter recipes and anecdotes. Share them with our readers and get your 15 minutes of fame right here! I'll include a link to your blog, website, or anywhere you like, and a brief bio blurbie thing. We can post your photo, too--that would be fun! Leave a comment here if you're interested in contributing to the nutty goodness and I'll be in touch very soon.

Peanut Butter Cup Purse

Show the world your love of Reese's with this purse made with a recycled candy bag. It's about 10" x 7" plus straps, lined with cotton and protected with clear vinyl. Handcrafted and unique, you can get this sweet bag at Angel Kisses.

And the Winner Is . . .

We had 16 comments, but one of them was mine. I used randomizer.org to choose a winning number from the 15 real comments and skipped over my comment when counting to reach winning #11. Congratulations Sara at News from NOLA! Let me know when you're back home after Hurricane Gustav has passed and I'll drop your handy-dandy new Grandpa Witmer's peanut butter mixer in the mail.

Gold Peanut Necklace

I love this necklace! It started as an actual peanut which was used to create a mold, and the final piece was cast in 14K gold. When you buy this necklace you'll also receive the original peanut. This is absolutely an original, one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry--my favorite kind! From Laurie Brown Jewelry, $424.

Homemade Peanut Butter Hardtack Candy

You know how Oprah finds really amazing new things and then gives them away to everyone in her audience? I just had the most amazing homemade peanut butter hardtack candy! I got it from Country Quilt Tops, where you can also order from a selection of other flavors, including Cinnamon, Buttersotch, Spearmint, Peppermint, Bubblegum, Bavarian Cream, Pina Colada, Apricot, Wintergreen, Banana Cream, Peach, Butter Rum, and Mint Chocolate Chip.

This candy is perfect for those times when you can't open a jar and dig into the real thing. If I was Oprah, I'd absolutely send some to each and every one of you. But since I can't, click on over and order some for yourself. A half-pound package is under $3, and I guarantee* you'll love it. Seriously, go order some!

* I guarantee that if you don't love this candy you can send it to me and I will enjoy it on your behalf.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cutting Boards

When I found this gem all I could say was, "WOW!" And I'm still WOW-ing! This pair of cutting boards was handcrafted in butcher-block style from Purple Heart (imported hardwood), Paduak (imported hardwood), and White Oak (domestic hardwood). Each board measures 3/4" x 6" x 6", a perfect size for small cutting jobs, use as a cheese tray, or trivet. Get yours at Catzinthehouse, $10.50.

Just Plain Fun To Read Award

I'm a little behind on taking care of details (okay, a lot behind!), and I've neglected to announce that The Peanut Butter Blog received the Just Plain Fun to Read Award! This award has been graciously bestowed upon this blog by Carole at Carole's Thoughtful Spot, a blog that's also just plain fun to read. If you haven't seen it before, click on over and check out the crazy cow creature on her header! Now, as is the tradition of this blog, I share this award with all of you, my fun-loving readers.

Bonk Breakers

Justin Nyberg at Outside Blog tested these new Bonk Breaker energy bars. I have zero need for the extra calories packed into an energy bar, so I'm going to pass on testing these personally. Based on Nyberg's review as well as a quick search of other reviews, it seems that Bonk Breakers rock! No icky or chalky aftertaste, and moist enough to eat during a run without a gallon of water to chase them. This is the first energy bar I've seen described as tasting like "real food," and not a dense, chewy, food substitute.

The company is also introducing a Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate Chip variety, and if the reviews for their Peanut Butter and Jelly version are any indication, they will be awesomely good. Can't find them in your local store? Head to Bonk Breakers and pick up a box.