Peanut Butter has been a staple in the lives of most kids (except those with nut allergies, whom it kills) and remains so for many adults. In the days of lunch boxes without ice packs (like my grade school days), peanut butter was a sandwich spread that never had time to get rancid or sour by the time you got to eat it. That your tongue stuck to the roof of your mouth was just one of those things. My mother used every combination: peanut butter alone, peanut butter and marshmallow fluff... nauseatingly sticky and sweet...not a meal but a dessert, peanut butter and jelly...same complaint, peanut butter and bacon... a rare treat and an edible sandwich for me, and, almost tolerable...peanut butter and sliced bananas. A thermos of milk with a cork that always smelled sour, and an apple or pear (in season) made up lunch in a metal box with a picture on it that was one of the few choices you got to make at the beginning of the school year. None of the memories I have of those lunches is particularly fond.
Later in life I learned to make and appreciate Asian peanut sauce which is lovely, especially when on the 'hot and spicy' side. A far cry from the peanut butter days of my grade school showing progress along with so many other achievements like laser surgery, space stations, cancer cures, and Sesame Street that teaches our children most of what they learn in life. It also functioned as a great tool for defending yourself and hurt your hand like heck when it collided with bullies.
Now dietitians have made an exception to the no fats or sweets rule to dieting and some are pushing this diet. Peanuts act as an anti-oxidant among many other wonderful properties. There are many recipes Internet, even those with peanuts. The Peanut Institute publishes this one for healthy peanut snacks.
Peanuts can, in fact, be added to any trail mix. For those with access to Costco, try the one that mixes peanuts with rice snacks. Doesn't all this make you feel kindly to those nice farmers who grow them? Well, some people have a bit of a problem with peanut farm subsidies. You can read what some crabby tax payers think about spending their hard earned money on keeping them rich. Spoil sports!
But all that glitters is not gold and neither are peanuts. That is why the Airlines have taken away our little package of peanuts (though my hunch is the attendants rebelled at having to serve so many people water rather than expensive alcoholic drinks.)
Later in life I learned to make and appreciate Asian peanut sauce which is lovely, especially when on the 'hot and spicy' side. A far cry from the peanut butter days of my grade school showing progress along with so many other achievements like laser surgery, space stations, cancer cures, and Sesame Street that teaches our children most of what they learn in life. It also functioned as a great tool for defending yourself and hurt your hand like heck when it collided with bullies.
Now dietitians have made an exception to the no fats or sweets rule to dieting and some are pushing this diet. Peanuts act as an anti-oxidant among many other wonderful properties. There are many recipes Internet, even those with peanuts. The Peanut Institute publishes this one for healthy peanut snacks.
Peanuts can, in fact, be added to any trail mix. For those with access to Costco, try the one that mixes peanuts with rice snacks. Doesn't all this make you feel kindly to those nice farmers who grow them? Well, some people have a bit of a problem with peanut farm subsidies. You can read what some crabby tax payers think about spending their hard earned money on keeping them rich. Spoil sports!But all that glitters is not gold and neither are peanuts. That is why the Airlines have taken away our little package of peanuts (though my hunch is the attendants rebelled at having to serve so many people water rather than expensive alcoholic drinks.)
No comments:
Post a Comment