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Thursday, February 25, 2010

PB&J

This morning I had to test a kindergartener, the first one I have tested all year. I thought his lunch started at 10:30, but it actually started at 10, so he missed it. I had him get his lunch and brought him back to my room so he could eat in there. For lunch he had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich I have never had peanut butter and jelly sandwich in my life, but today I wanted one.

Weird, right?

Or is it more weird that I have never had a PB&J sandwich?

When I was in school I was the kid that never brought a sandwich for lunch. And I mean any kind of sandwich, not just PB&J. My mom would pack me soup, Chef Boyardee, cheese and crackers, tuna fish and crackers, salads, cut up vegetables, fruit salad, etc. Pretty much anything other than a sandwich. I still am picky about my sandwiches, but will now at least eat them. Still though, I don't like plain old bread, unless it is a salami and provolone cheese sandwich. That can be eaten on sliced, white bread. All the other sandwiches I eat, however, need to be on some kind of textured bread. I don't like sandwiches that just melt in my mouth. Ugh, just thinking about it grosses me out.

Obviously my issue is with texture. But still, the smell of the PB&J today made me want to try it. Maybe my tastes are changing. My palete has changed a lot in the last 5 years and I eat many more foods than I did when I was younger. I used to equate never having with not liking, but I have finally realized that this is not the case. A part of me is thinking that I have made it this far in life without it, why should I try it now. It makes me unique. But is not having a PB&J sandwich really note worthy? No.

So if I try it, do I go traditional? White bread, creamy peanut butter, and grape jelly? How do you like it?

27 comments:

  1. Oh! I *love* peanut butter and jelly! My favorite is on 12 grain bread, with homemade raspberry jam and creamy Jif. Although, growing up I always had it on white bread with grape Smuckers.

    Good luck!

    (and YES it's TOTALLY weird you've never had PB&J!) :)

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  2. I was just talking about this with a co-worker the other day! I was the same way growing up. I usually had yogurt in place of the sandwich, but would sometimes have a Chef Boyardee or soup.

    While in law school I started to realize that sandwiches would just be easiest and cheapest. When it comes to sandwiches, I have to have my bread toasted, otherwise, it really doesn't work for me. I have no idea why. I still normally bring a salad for lunch, but every now and then will do sandwiches for the week.

    I never had a pb&j until first year of law school. Now I only like it with strawberry jelly, but still, I love it. It's best on toasted bread, but even without toasted bread, it's pretty delicious. Definitely try it! If you're weird about texture though, be careful what jelly/jam you buy. I hate seeds to I go with strawberry jelly, jam has seeds (or it might be the other way around). Just something to look out for.

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  3. I might have a solution for you. Toast some nutty whole grain bread. Then spread on the pb and the jelly. I like raspberry best, but strawberry is good too. The pb gets a little melty, and it's not soft gooey bread.

    Also - pb and j on a tortilla. That is a fave from my childhood!

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  4. you've never had PBJ?? so strange!!

    I would go for some kind of wheat bread, skippy creamy PB & grape jelly. always grape jelly. :)

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  5. I love peanut butter and strawberry jelly on wheat. Actually, I prefer almond butter over peanut butter.

    And while your never having eaten a pb&j was shocking, I was even more shocked that the little boy has to eat lunch at 10 a.m.?!?! For real? What time do they start classes?

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  6. Did you drink Strawberry milk as a kid? I was often teased for drinking "pink milk"!

    I prefer my PB&Js with Smuckers organic reduced fat peanut butter (tastes like the inside of a Reeses peanut butter cup) with Smuckers grape jelly in the sqeeze bottle on gluten free bread.

    Hubs prefers his PB&Js with Giant brand creamy peanut butter with Smuckers grape jelly in the squeeze bottle on Fiber One Country White Bread.

    You will love it, the PB&J combo is great with plain oats or on top of ice cream or coconut milk ice cream - sooo yummy!

    Let us know how it goes!

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  7. omg i live for PBJ. Here's how i make mine,

    I use whole grain/whole wheat bread. Hubs like his toasted but i find that weird. I put peanut butter on both slices of bread - i use the creamy type not the chunky type. Then put jelly on top of one of the slices with peanut butter. This keeps the bread from getting too soggy. I usually grape or strawberry jelly. But i also like preserves too - especially strawberry preserves with small chunks of strawberries in it - omg so good.

    I can't believe you've never had a pbj sandwhich! That's madness! But I, like you, often equate not liking with not trying. A lot of foods in the past few years, I've tried and actually enjoyed despite having thought that i wouldn't like them (even though I had never tried them)

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  8. Crunchy peanut butter with grape jelly on whole wheat bread-cut diagonally. Make sure that if you're going to take it on-the-go, that you put it in a container, rather than a bag. This is so that it doesn't get smushed. There is nothing more gross, in my opinion, than a smushed pbj.

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  9. Um, what?! Yes. It is totally weird that you've never had PB&J!

    I also like mine on a multi-grain bread, with creamy peanut butter and raspberry jam...

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  10. i agree with everyone else, you're totally a freak for NEVER having had a PB&J... or maybe "special" is the right word. either way, you're one of a kind girl.
    and i swear buy honey whole wheat, creamy pb, and concord grape jelly. i go heavier on the pb than the j.
    the one thing i would recommend avoiding (besides white bread, so gross) is putting it on potato bread. it's the ONLY kind of sandwich i can say that about.

    now I want a pb&j too!

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  11. Wow - I'm learning so much about people and their PB&J preferences from this post. People sure are picky about their pb&j! I pretty much like any pb&j, so long as it's fresh. Nothing grosser than a soggy sandwich of any kind!

    I say try lots of kinds & figure out what you like best. Sort of like Julia Roberts in Runaway Bride when she figures out what kind of eggs she likes. :)

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  12. I never took sandwiches either. My mom always packed me the same things you listed. I only like sandwiches if they are fully loaded -- delicious bread, lots of meat, cheese, veggies etc. And those kind of sandwiches do not fare well in the lunch box. I cannot believe that you have never tried a PB&J though! That's unreal. You must try it and let us know what you think. You just made me want to go make one. I prefer whole wheat, crunchy PB and raspberry jelly.

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  13. I'm french and i LOVE PEANUT BUTTER WITH JAM ! but my favourite is PB with honey : a delight ! but thanks not for lunch only for breakfast ! we don't have same habits !

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  14. Am I the only one that thought, "Maybe she's pregnant?", when I read this? Cravings...hmmmm :)

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  15. I would NEVER take pb&j in my lunch (and I refused school lunches, so packed all the way through high school) b/c they would get soggy in my lunch. Even now the only time I eat them is if I am craving one on a weekend.

    If you are going to have your first ever, I would definitely recommend either Jif or Skippy PB (Peter Pan is gross) and raspberry jelly (but I don't like grape as a general whole). I don't think the bread matters. I don't eat white bread ever, so I don't do my sandwiches on them, and I don't think it would make the sandwich taste any better. Go with whatever you have at home. They are delish, so enjoy it if you do!!!

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  16. Definitely weird that you've never had one. Go for white bread, crunchy peanut butter (that's what i like) and whatever kind of jelly...I like strawberry or raspberry personally. The creaminess and jelliness is pretty much amazing.

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  17. Crazy girl!!

    I like mine toasted, with strawberry or seedless blackberry jam and creamy pb :)

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  18. HAHAAHA you are too cute!

    I actually had a PB&J for dinner tonight... grocery day is Saturday ;)

    I like whole wheat bread, buttered on both sides, then smooth PB on one side (really thick) and jam on the other side.

    When I eat it, I always have to eat it with the PB half on the top!

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  19. I can't believe it! No PB&J...ever?!? I don't eat them much anymore, but as a kid they were staples in our household. That and bologna sandwiches (ewwwww).

    I like mine toasted, on wheat, with JIF creamy peanut butter and red raspberry jelly.

    My issue with non-toasted PB&J is the texture...sticks to the roof of my mouth!

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  20. I didn't have PB&J until college, and then it was on toasted wheat bread which helped me get past the texture issue. I love peanut butter on toasted multi-grain bread with a bit of Nutella, but only once in a while.

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  21. I was a peanut butter and fluff girl growing up! I had it again for the first time in a while and it reminded me how much I miss it!

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  22. I just found your blog and I love it. So cute. I was raised in Bethesda, MD (just outside of DC) and now live in Princeton, NJ. :)

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  23. I had a peanut butter (no jelly) sandwich almost every day in elementary school! I got so tired of it. I do like to have a pb&j every so often though.

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  24. this is hilarious! never! never a pb and j????? that is what my kids crave every single day at 11:17am!

    smuckers "simply fruit" strawberry jam
    jiff creamy or crunchy peanut butter!

    love your blog as well! you've got a new follower!

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  25. This is a pretty funny post, although I'm not sure how you managed to be a kid in America and never have a PB&J. I absolutely love crunchy peanut butter, so I would recommend that. Maybe it would also help you with the texture issue. As for bread, anything will do and I always use whole grain, although white seems to be the classic for this kind of thing. If you really wanted to use a textured bread, go ahead. I've had pb&j on a million different kinds of bread and think it's great with all.

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  26. Wow, you sound just like my brother! Except one of the few things he will eat is PB&J, minus the J (my mom tells a funny story where he accidentally ate my cousin's PB&J and then did what Tom Hanks does in Big when he eats the caviar and tries to scrape it off his tongue... haha)

    I think you should go for it! You only live once, right? I like the classic way the best (although I'm a strawberry jelly girl myself) but any way qualifies as having tried it!

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