Peanut butter and jelly: Comfort food
What is it about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that are so good that I still love to eat them? Is it the happy childhood memories associated with the PB&J sandwich? Maybe it’s the salty/sweet combination. Whatever it is, after I made my daughter a PB&J on whole wheat bread, I made one for myself because it looked so good.
I prefer creamy peanut butter while my husband likes the crunchy, which I just don’t understand. It’s not peanut butter if it’s crunchy. I can’t imagine biting into a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with all those little peanut pieces. No, it’s creamy all the way and since my husband doesn’t even eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, he doesn’t get a say in what kind of peanut butter we by.
When it comes to brands, I don’t have a preference. In fact, I’ve got a generic brand in my pantry right now. And I’ve tried one of the natural peanut butters, which my dad once told me are so much better for you, but the effort required to stir the Peanut Butter to get it into the consistency I wanted was quite a pain. Since I’m a bit of an instant gratification girl when it comes to my PB&J sandwiches, I decided to stick with the unnatural peanut butter.
The peanut butter and jelly sandwich has a history that tells us that it’s a purely American creation. According to this site, peanut butter was introduced in St.Louis at the World’s Fair. Peanut butter was also given to our GI’s during World War II as an inexpensive protein which they mixed with their rations of jelly to help make it more flavorful and to keep it from sticking to the roof of their mouths. When GI’s returned from war, the sales of peanut butter and jelly skyrocketed.
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich is one of my favorite comfort foods. How about you?
my favorite PB sandwhich is PB and Banana! It’s very comforting on a cold day like today. I found your blog today on Blissfully domestic looking for new recipes. I have lived the last 7 years in Indiana, but my first 32 years I grew up in Oscoda MI (the finish line for the AuSable canue marathon in August). I miss tubing and growing up on the AuSable very much. I love your blog!
Comment by Brenda — April 21, 2009 @ 7:18 pm
Thank you for stopping by, Brenda. I’m glad you like my site. I’ve never had a PB and Banana sandwich but I know others who have and love it. In fact, I think Elvis did too, so you’re in some pretty famous company!
What a small world that you’re from Oscoda. The canoe marathon is now the last weekend of July and it goes by our place at about 2:30 – 3:00am. Since we’re right in front of the Mio dam, hundreds of people come to watch the canoeists go under the bridge on M-33. It’s very cool, but makes it hard for my kids to sleep when those hundreds of people start cheering loudly.
Comment by Kim — April 21, 2009 @ 7:25 pm
my favorite comfort food is homemade baked mac n cheese – crsipy cheese on top.
For peanut butter – Crunchy is just gross – but my dad lived in MI most his life and prefers it – maybe it is a MI thing? I like mine creamy and it has to be Jif and it can’t be fat free or sodium free or free of anything that otherwise should be in it.
Comment by Terra — April 21, 2009 @ 8:50 pm
When you figure out why PB&J is so delicious, let me know. I eat enough of it to wonder the same thing =)
My all-time favorite comfort foods, though, are:
a) Rice and milk. We ate this all the time when I was a kid.
b) Chicken casserole.
c) Stir fry. Mmmmmm.
d) Mashed potatoes with gravy.
Seriously, I’ll spend three hours in the kitchen if it means I’ll feel happier at the end of it lol.
Comment by Sarah @ BecomingSarah.com — April 22, 2009 @ 12:51 pm
Okay Kim, we are PB&J kindred sisters!
I love, love, love PB&J’s — and it’s gotta be both — and creamy, for sure — and I grew up on the natural stuff — and I still think it’s nasty (sorry, Mom!)
And wanna know a secret?…..
I love my PB&J with a slice or two of cheddar cheese — NOT ON the sandwich, just to munch on on the side. Yum-o!
Hugs!
Comment by Kim H. — April 24, 2009 @ 7:21 am