Peanut Butter and Jelly

My favorite food!  It is most kids favorite food! Always has been probably always will be.....I know, I know....yes I am a diabetic.....but I cannot help it.  It is AWESOME. I have always loved peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Over the years, from a young age, I have developed what favor and process of PBJ is the best (according to my palate). My mother used to buy grape jelly and I always made it with that forever.  Then one day my mom bought some strawberry jelly, probably for biscuits or toast.

(On a side note, I used to cook an entire can of biscuits and sit there on the couch on Saturday morning eating the whole thing by myself with jelly and butter.....my wife wont let me do that anymore.)

There are certain things that I have discovered a PBJ just must have or else it isn't worthy to be called a PBJ. I have tried over the years (20+) to get my wife to understand that these certain things cannot be sacrificed.  Unfortunately, she has many times, failed to fulfill these PBJ requirements and the almighty PBJ has suffered! Okay, maybe a little over dramatic!

The first part of the PBJ is the bread.  It has been a long time since I have eaten white "wonder" bread.  Even as a young teen my mother got me started on WHEAT bread so it has become a foundation of any of my sandwiches but especially the PBJ. You cannot use a heal unless.....there just isn't anymore bread and you have to feed your PBJ fix.....then it is acceptable.  I have had to do this many times in a crunch to prevent PBJ withdraws.  And it has to be two sandwiches.....yes two.....yes I know I am diabetic.....TWO!

The peanut butter: My wife over the years has purchase....dare I say it?....inferior peanut butter products just to save a few pennies for our budget.....Now let me tell you I am all in favor of meeting our financial budget and goals, but more importantly I am in favor of EATING our budget and taste goals. You cannot, absolutely cannot buy anything but REAL not store brand peanut butter....YECH! And it has to be EXTRA CRUNCHY....not just crunchy.....certainly not in no way can it be SMOOTH....it has to be extra crunchy.....you have to TASTE the nuts and hear them crunch.  And yes it sounds like a good idea at first to get organic peanut butter......but come on! if you have to stir up the jar every time to get rid of the ponding OIL on the top.......NO WAY.....don't do it!

There is a certain selection of jelly that is also now important....News flash...Grape is out....SINCE HIGH SCHOOL! Strawberry jelly is the favor....always. Back in the day when I was lifting weights for competition (Don't laugh...it did actually happen.  I was 4th in the Nation weighting 165). I ate what I thought would give me high protein and energy to lift weights....so peanut butter with honey.  It was okay but the honey really did drip out pretty bad.....or if you made them up early is seemed to turn to sugar...yech...but that was a long time ago.  Now...Strawberry! Be very careful that you buy Strawberry.....the jars look very similar. Red Raspberry is the same color, same jar, same size.....but not the same!  Oh and the biggest pet peeve......Not Jam!  Jelly! Yes there is a difference....Brand name please so I know that it is REAL STRAWBERRIES because of the giant chucks of strawberry that you need to spread around on the bread.

So that is it.....now a glass of milk to wash it down......if we don't have any it just ruins the finish. Don't laugh....I am totally serious! Too many mothers and wives are destroying the foundation of solid PBJ production and causing the PBJ lovers of the world to have a screwed up perception of what a true PBJ should be like.  Oh yeah, one that thing, don't s p r e a d it on.....pile it on.....come on, dont be stingy! PBJ my friends! Share with us how you like your PBJ.