"pbj" news and stories

As if the carb mash-up otherwise known as the spaghetti taco wasn't enough, more examples of weird foods that kids love keep pouring in from parents around the country. Fruit sculpted into animal shapes or made into smiley faces are big themes from mom and dad. But when kids have their way? Bring on the PB& J in a cone! For a gallery of kids' wacky food indulgences, visit the New York Times.

Happy National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day!

The childhood brown-bag staple is a classic many adult Americans still hold close to heart. Though the first official record of the immortal PBJ combo was recorded in 1901, did you know that peanut butter, when it first made its appearance, was considered a specialty product? It was once served in upscale eateries paired with unexpected items, like pimentos, at New York's Ye Olde English Coffee House, or served with watercress at the Vanity Fair Tea-Room. According to Peanuts: The Illustrious History of the Goober Pea, "That peanut butter could be combined with so many divers products demonstrated that it was a relatively neutral platform providing a nutty taste and a sticky texture that bound together various ingredients."

As the price of the specialty item decreased and sugar was added, appealing to a younger audience, peanut butter became a national sensation in the early 1900s -- and it became a go-to filling for sandwiches, which increased popularity with the appearance of sliced bread in the late 1920s. According to Peanuts, "As a consequence of low cost, high nutrition, and ease of assembling, peanut butter sandwiches became one of the top children's meals during the Depression."

And the sandwich has stuck with its popularity -- to date, the average American boy will eat some 1,500 peanut butter sandwiches before reaching the age of 18!

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Not to be confused with National Peanut Butter Day, which was in January, this is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day.

I've already asked in that link above how you make your peanut butter and jelly sandwich, so how about we check out some variations on the classic pb & j? Here's a Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly from Disney Family, and here's one for Ignacio's Super Peanut Butter and Jelly, which is made with three slices of bread.

And how about a Fried Peanut Butter and Jelly from Recipezaar?

Granola fans should introduce themselves to Bear Naked granola, if they aren't familiar with it already. The award winning, good-for-you cereal is on of the best selling and best tasting granolas in the country. Made with wholesome, all-natural ingredients, the company's goal is to make sure that their customers enjoy living a healthy lifestyle and eating healthy - starting with granola, of course. Their granolas are hand-crafted in small batches with real whole grains and other "bearly processed and utterly naked ingredients." They have been available in three flavors for a couple of years now: fruit and nut, apple cinnamon and banana nut. This month, the company is rolling out two new flavors, Peanut Butter and Jelly granola and Peak Protein Blueberry Walnut. The peanut butter flavor is designed to taste like one of the most popular sandwiches in the country and to appeal to kids as well as adults. The blueberry flavor is intended to remind eaters of freshly baked blueberry muffins.

Only the blueberry flavor is available at their online store right now, but both should be on store shelves alongside the original flavors within a couple of weeks.

Back-to-school season means that more kids will be packing sandwiches with them on a daily basis and, more often than not, the sandwich of choice is peanut butter and jelly. Between nut allergies and simply growing bored with the same old sandwich, non-peanut butters are growing in popularity - which also means that they are more widely available than ever before. A few years ago, almond butter was relegated to health food stores, and now it appears on the regular shelf with cashew butter, soy butters and sunflower seed butter, which is completely nut-free for those with allergies.

These non-peanut butters can be substituted for peanut butter in more than just sandwiches. They make excellent cookies and work well in what would ordinarily be peanut flavored sauces and dressings. Most of the butters come in crunchy and smooth versions, as well.

Do you use non-peanut butters? If you can't find any at a store near your, you can try making your own cashew butter, but once you have a good source, you can branch out into other recipes. And don't forget to try them on toast or in pb&j!

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