"national peanut butter day" news and stories

Happy National Peanut Butter Day!

Though PBJ sandwiches have been banned from many American schools due to allergies, we still pledge allegiance to the salty-sweet treats.

Peanuts have been used in cooking since the 15th century, when Africans first ground peanuts into stews, peanut butter as we know it today originated in 1890, when George A. Bayle Jr. began to sell ground peanut paste as a protein-heavy meat substitute for those who couldn't chew meat. Decades later, after some tweaking that would allow the product a longer shelf life, peanut butter was finally mass distributed. Today, the business is still thriving, with Jif peanut butter operating the world's largest plant, pumping out 250,000 jars daily.

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I wasn't sure how to celebrate National Peanut Butter Day. I could put up a bunch of recipes that include peanut butter (and I will, after the jump), but I also wanted to ask one of the more important questions of all-time.

How do you make your peanut butter and jelly sandwich?

I mean, what type of bread do you use? What type of peanut butter? Do you spread the jelly on top of the peanut butter or on the other slice of bread? Do you cut it or eat it whole? What do you drink with it?

I use a soft but hearty bread, like a Canadian White or Pepperidge Farm (Wonder Bread is way too flimsy and lame). I use crunchy Jif, and I spread the peanut butter and jelly on separate slices. I eat it whole, with a glass of fat free milk.

Peanut butter recipes after the jump!