Archer Farms Vanilla Cranberry Peanut Butter

Vanilla Cranberry Peanut Butter from Archer Farms is my new favorite breakfast food. It's got a nice consistency, not like the runny cinnamon flavor I tried. It has just enough sweetness and fruit flavor to be a good substitute for jelly when you're craving a PBJ but don't want any jelly drips to sneak out from between the bread (yes, I sometimes eat when I drive). It's delicious on a toasted bagel or English muffin. Try it on pretzels for a nice salty-sweet snack.

The Perfect Tote for Your PBJ

Lunch bags just don't come any better designed for carrying around your PBJ than this one. It's about 10" wide by 10" high by 4" deep, so there's plenty of room for your lunch. Even better, it's customizable! You can choose peanut butter with grape jelly, peanut butter with strawberry jelly, or fluffernutter (peanut butter with marshmallow fluff); the main bag can be red, brown, or black; and the strap can be peanut butter color or black. $30 from dirtsa.

Win Peanut Butter During Bloggy Giveaways Carnival

If you like giveaways, you'll love this! There's a giveaway carnival in the blogosphere this week, and the last I checked there are 562 giveaways in progress. You know I had to check out the list for nifty peanut butter prizes, and I found that Superdumb Supervillain is giving away a jar of P.B. Loco. Click over to enter because we aren't participating this time around--but look for us to be a part of the giveaway carnival next quarter.

Peanut Butter Fudge: Trailer Park Cooking Show

Clean Your Car with Peanut Butter

As I was blog surfing today I came upon this post at Pookie and the Boys. I'd never heard of using peanut butter to remove automobile wax from plastic and rubber, but apparently it works.

I have heard that it works to remove sticky sap from your car's paint. Cover the sap with peanut butter and leave it for about 10 minutes. Rub it off with a soft cloth, and not only will your car be free of sap, it will smell good too!

Peanut butter can also remove water marks from finished furniture, and to clean leather. I've heard it can be used to help remove chewing gum from fabric or hair, but I've never had any luck with it in a gum battle.

If you know of any other non-food uses for peanut butter, please share!

You'll Never Want Plain French Toast Again

I found this recipe at Rachael Ray. It is amazing! Pretty easy to put together, and definitely worth the effort. Next time you want to impress someone at breakfast, serve this. If they're not impressed, they probably weren't worth impressing anyhow.

Stuffed French Toast

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup jam or jelly
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• dash salt
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 8 slices bread
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp butter
• whipped topping

Mix the jelly and 3 tbsp water. Heat until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. Set aside, but keep warm.

Mix milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt with a wire whisk. Transfer the mixture into a shallow bowl.

Spread each slice of bread with about 1 tbsp peanut butter. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over 4 slices, and top with the remaining slices of bread (peanut butter sides down).

Soak the sandwiches one at a time in the milk and egg mixture. About 5 seconds should do it, and depending on how large your bowl is, you may need to turn the sandwiches to soak the other sides.

Melt 1/2 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 sandwiches and cook until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Repeat with the remaining butter and sandwiches.

Serve with the whipped cream and jam syrup.

Famous People and Peanut Butter: Hubert Humphrey

I worked in publishing during an earlier chapter of my life. We did a number of books about politics and presidents, and I picked up a fair amount of useless trivia. Here's your trivia for today:

“My favorite sandwich is peanut butter, baloney, cheddar cheese, lettuce, and mayonnaise on toasted bread with catsup on the side.”
--former Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey

Now there's a combination I never would have dreamed of. If any of you are daring enough to try it out (and survive!), please let us know how it tastes.

We Have a Winner!

Randomizer.org chose comment #9. Melanie, I enjoyed hearing about your Teen Winners--and I hope you enjoy this coffee! Next time your mom bakes a batch, maybe you can get her to share a photo and the recipe?

This was fun! I never thought of stirring milk into the jar of peanut butter, or mixing it with maple syrup. For those of you who didn't win this time, click on over to Higher Groundz and pick up a bag or six. Really--this coffee is that good.

An Award and A Feature!

I'm proud and thrilled to announce The Peanut Butter Blog has received its first award. The Sweet home blogger award comes from Lapidary Queen Wannabees, a blog I love to visit. There's always something interesting and creative going on over there, so go have a look. With this award comes the responsibility of passing it along to 5 other blogs. After much deliberation, I've decided that all PB Blog readers deserve this award, so consider yourself awarded! Congratulations!

And in other exciting news, this week I'm the featured seller on the NC Triangle Etsy Team blog. Click over and have a look if you're interested in what I do besides eat peanut butter. ;)

Painted Peanut Butter

Not so long ago I posted about a painting titled "Peanut Butter Toast for Breakfast No. 2". The artist, Rosemary Cosentino, has been kind enough to let us enjoy another of her paintings. This one has found a new home in Fredericksburg, Texas, where some lucky person can enjoy its magnificence daily. That toast looks so realistic that I get hungry just looking at the picture. Go check out her blog--she has some amazing paintings!

No Peanut Butter for Expectant Moms?

If you're pregnant or know someone who is, you've likely heard about the latest food scare. In a recent study conducted by The American Thoracic Society, pregnant women who ate nut products at least several times a week were found to have children who are 50 percent more likely to develop asthma. You can read an abstract of the published journal article for free, or the complete text for $10.

While the scientists caution that further studies need to be done before any official warnings are put into place, that's not going to make a peanut butter-loving expectant mother worry any less. So what should you do? First, don't panic. Second, it's probably not a good idea to eat peanut butter on a daily basis if you're pregnant. Cut back to a serving of peanut butter once or twice a month. And remember, it's only temporary--after your beautiful, healthy baby is born, you can resume your peanut butter-fest.

How Many Pieces of Toast in a Scarf?

Sometimes I am awed into near-silence by the creativity people put into their peanut butter creations, and this is one of those times. This scarf is 78 inches of hand-crocheted toast, topped with alternating jam and peanut butter hearts. Get yours from Kelly of Kellyz Kreationz. Unique. Fun. Toasty!

Reader Submission--Peanut Butter Pranks

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Elton John's Ice Cream

This is one of those times I wish I lived in Vermont. Ben & Jerry's is making a limited-batch ice cream in honor of Sir Elton John's first visit to the state. Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road--“an outrageous symphony of decadent chocolate ice cream, peanut butter cookie dough, butter brickle and white chocolate chunks,”--will be available from July 18 to July 25 in Vermont Ben & Jerry's shops and at John’s sold-out Champlain Valley Expo show on Monday. Proceeds will go to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

The Best Coffee in the Universe--and a Giveaway!

I had the best coffee in the universe this morning. No joke--it was the best cup of coffee (or three) I've ever had! I am now a huge fan of Peanut Butter Cup flavored gourmet coffee from Higher Groundz. Knowing that it was flavored coffee before I tried it, I was on alert for chocolate and peanut butter flavors, and although I could taste them they were subtle. If I hadn't known what I was drinking, I doubt that I would have picked up on them. This tastes like just darned fine coffee!

You've got to try this, even if you aren't a fan of flavored coffee. The generous folks at Higher Groundz have given me a 1/4-pound bag of ground deliciousness to give away. To get yours:

1. You must have a mailing address in the United States, and you must supply me with your mailing address if you're the winner.
2. Post a comment here, telling us your favorite thing to do with peanut butter.
(This is a family blog, so keep it family-friendly!) Make sure you include a link of some sort with a way to contact you in your comment.
3. Earn an extra entry by blogging about this giveaway, posting a link back here, and leaving a comment alerting me to your post.
4. Your comment(s) must be posted by midnight (Eastern U.S. time) Tuesday, July 22, 2008.

On Wednesday, July 23, I'll use that nifty randomizer.org thingie to choose a number, and if that number corresponds to your comment, you too can enjoy the best coffee in the universe!

PBJ Friendship Necklaces

Remember those split heart necklaces from your childhood, meant for best friends to wear? This polymer clay jewelry artist took that idea and improved on it: peanut butter and jelly sandwich best friends charms! Add a pair of chains, and you've got a pair of PBJ-lover necklaces. You can choose between raspberry, grape, and strawberry jelly--and the charms are scented! You can also choose diagonally cut or square cut sandwich halves. Get yours at DanzDzynes, $14.

Another Reason to Be a Law-Abiding Citizen

When I was about 9 years old or so, my Brownie Girl Scout troop took a tour of the local jail. I have no idea why we did that, and I can't imagine hauling a couple of dozen little girls through a jail these days. But tour we did, and the only thing I remember about that day was making a conscious decision, right then and there, to never do anything that might possibly land me in jail. Why? Well, the toilets were in the center of the cells--with not even a curtain to hide behind--so if you had to go you'd be exposed to the other prisoners and the guards and the visitors and anyone who happened to be just passing through. That was so not gonna happen to me, no way. I'd explode before I'd drop my little undies and sit on what served as a jail cell toilet in front of people. Avoiding a life of crime seemed better than exploding, so I've managed to stay out of jail so far.

Now this guy, Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County, Florida, has removed peanut butter from the jail's menu. He's trying to save money by changing some of the food the county serves to the inmates. "If you want to eat peanut butter and jelly and drink juice and caffeinated drinks, fine, stay out of jail," Sheriff Grady Judd said.

That's just fine with me. I am not going to debate whether inmates "deserve" peanut butter, the merits of saving taxpayer dollars, or the issues of the U.S. justice system. I'm just going to stick by the decision I made when I was 9, stay out of jail, use the toilet in private, and enjoy peanut butter when I feel like it. Here's to freedom!

Peanut Butter is Fine Art

I am constantly amazed at the number of artists who consider peanut butter a suitable subject for their work. It's so wonderful to know I'm not alone in my opinion of peanut butter, and I consider these people geniuses! This 5 x 7" painting is titled Peanut Butter Toast for Breakfast No. 2, and was painted in oils on archival canvas by Canadian artist R. L. Cosentino. $150 from Cosentino Fine Art.

Cheeseburgers with Peanut Butter

One of my recent posts received a comment along the lines of "Is nothing sacred?". That pretty much sums up how I feel about this "PB Triple Play" burger, available at Carson's Sports Grille in Maryville, Missouri. They took a perfectly good burger, added Monterey Jack cheese and bacon--so far, so good--then added peanut butter. I think we all know how much I love peanut butter. And I love a good burger, but have never let the thought of adding peanut butter to it enter my mind. Apparently, as the cheese melts the peanut butter becomes soft and gooey, and the resulting taste is supposed to send your mouth to Nirvana. Hmmm.

If you've been to Carson's Sports Grille and had this burger, or have had something similar, please share. I am not up to trying this one out, but if it's truly that good I might have to at least let the thought of trying it pass through once or twice.

Crocheted Cookies

Fat-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, and calorie-free--cookies don't come any better than that! These sweet peanut butter blossom cookies are crocheted. The pattern was created by Cynthia Rae and is available from Candypop Creations, so you can make as many as you want and not gain an ounce!

Wash Your Mouth (with a PBJ?)

This soap makes me smile every time I look at it! Yes, it's soap, in the form of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It's actually four individual soaps, so you can use them all together or just wash with bread if you feel like it. I know that some of you (yes Travel Beggar, I mean you) avoid soaps that look like they might be edible. But for everyone else--you have absolutely got to check out this soap!

These are handcrafted by a 3rd grade teacher in Oklahoma who started making soaps for her own children because her little one has such dry and sensative skin. She started making them fun soaps--bath time is more fun with a fun soap, right?--and it has grown from there. She's been making soaps for almost four years now, has sold them on eBay and now on Etsy at Sugarlane Soaps.

I heard a rumor that Sugarlane will also have food candle tarts. I'll keep you posted!

Reader Recipe--Waffles a la Peanut Butter

This recipe comes from my oldest daughter, Allison, who has become a huge fan of The Peanut Butter Blog.

2 frozen waffles (she used chocolate chip)
peanut butter (she used chocolate peanut butter)
ice cream (she used Edy's Banana Nut)
whipped topping

Toast the waffles, spread each with peanut butter. Scoop ice cream onto the peanut butter side of one waffle, top with the other waffle (peanut butter side down). Add whipped topping.

This would also be good with Moose Tracks ice cream, and some roasted peanuts sprinkled on top.

This is Gabriel, my grandson. He seems to be less than thrilled that his mom won't let him enjoy the waffles.

Skippy Natural Peanut Butter

I have to say, this tastes pretty good. It has a strong peanutty taste. The fact that it doesn't need stirring or refrigeration is a huge plus. I hate stirring natural peanut butter, I always make a mess and end up with an oily jar, and the peanut butter is never properly mixed. Chilled peanut butter is difficult to stir and to spread. Skippy Natural contains no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, but for some reason it contains palm oil. And sugar. Coming from a big brand, it's a bit easier to find in the stores than many natural peanut butters, and given the choice between Skippy Natural and a jar with hydrogenated oils, I'll take Skippy Natural any day. It did work really well in the PBJ cheesecake. I'd love to hear about your favorite brand of "healthy" peanut butter, so feel free to let me know in a comment.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cheesecake

This cheesecake is one of my favorites, and it's a snap to make (it would have to be--I tend to be a lazy chef!).

1 prepared deep dish graham cracker crust
16 oz. cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 tbsp flour
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup jelly

Beat softened cream cheese, sugar, peanut butter, and flour together with an electric mixer until well blended. Mix in eggs, one at a time, and then milk. Pour into crust.

Bake in preheated 350°F oven for about 55 minutes or until the center is set. When the cheesecake has cooled, stir the jelly with a spoon until smooth, then spread over top of cheesecake. Refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving.

Vintage 1966 Skippy Peanut Butter Ad

I found this vintage Skippy ad on eBay. Do you remember their "Are You a Nut Nut" campaign? I have no clue why a peanut wearing a goofy admiral's hat is supposed to convince people to buy peanut butter, but it is sort of cute and very memorable. The ad's approximately 13.5 x 10", suitable for framing, and priced to buy now at $9.99.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Glass Cufflinks

I always enjoy visiting Artistic Flair, Deb DiSalvo's blog. She makes some of the most unforgettable fused glass pieces anywhere, and a visist to her blog always leaves me in awe.


This week I discovered that she's created fused glass peanut butter and jelly cuff links. These are so cute! She's made a pair in strawberry jelly color, and another in grape jelly color, so even the pickiest PB&J lover will be thrilled.


If you've got a minute, a visit to her Etsy Shop will be worth the effort. There's something new added regularly, and it's always something beautiful and uniqe.

Now For a Song

What Time Is It? Half Past Marshmallow Fluff

This has got to be one of the most unique homages to peanut butter I've seen recently. It's a 4x6" close-up of a peanut butter, jelly, banana, chocolate, and marshmallow fluff sandwich used as the background for a clock. Handcrafted by New York Clocks who likes to create with found objects, so you could be the only person in the world to have a clock like this.