Peanut-butter

When I was in elementary school, my family was often eligible for the subsidized lunch program.

But all the other days of the year, my lunch was a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich. Grape jelly, of course. If there was a sale at the grocery store, Mom sometimes bought strawberry or peach jam. The taste wasn't very different, though.

So I tend to think of jelly and jam in terms of color – purple, red, or orange/yellow – instead of the actual fruit.

we ran out of birdseed so we put peanut-butter in the feeder and went inside to see what would happen. first the sparrows came and hopped forlornly about looking for seeds. then a bluejay swooped down, scattering the sparrows. it scooped up beaksfull of peanut butter, stopping after each each bite to strop its beak clean on the side of the feeder. finally a tufted titmouse arrived. it too liked the peanut butter. it was a much smaller bird than the jay, but it ate at least as much, and even after we got another sack of seed we kept putting out a dollop of peanut butter for »the peanut-butter bird,« as my son called it.

When I was a child I was known to chant peanut-butter in russian at random people who inevitably thought it was really cool.

The all consuming question with peanut-butter is undoubtedly: crunchy or smooth?

During college days I worked in a natural foods store. We had a machine that ground the peanuts unto warm creamy peanut-butter. I use it in place of other fats in gravy and in sauces. I love peanut butter and I love chocolate, but I don't like them mixed. Like in the »cup«.

Peanut butter creates a dilemma for some people: crunchy, or smooth? Whichever one you choose, it's sure to stick to the roof of your mouth.

I think that it should be stored upsidedown

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I need one right now.

Secretly, everyone wants to dip a big hunk o' chocolate into a vat of peanut butter and chew like there's no tomorrow.