friday feast: one last lipsmacking, creamy-crunchy spread for peanut butter lovers month

~ jama

November 30th already?  I’ve been having so much sticky fun, I hate to see the party end (sniff)!

Cornelius’ favorite: Ashdon Farms Peanut Butter Bears

This has definitely been the nuttiest November on record here at Alphabet Soup. So glad all you giddy goober peas emerged from your solitary shells, sent in poems, and feasted with us every Friday. At first I wasn’t quite sure whether I’d be spreading it on thick or thin, but thanks to all the generous Peanut Butter Poets, we had just the right amount of food to savor and digest each week. I’m so glad Father Goose Charles Ghigna initially suggested a Peanut Butter Poets Poll. It was the perfect excuse inspiration to turn a singles poll dance into a month-long poetry party. 🙂

Peanut Butter Cheese Ball via The Girl Who Ate Everything

We’re topping things off today with another lipsmacking menu that brings to mind Santa and his elves. Actually, Santa never had it so good with this bevy of beauties: Linda Baie, Cathy Ballou Mealey, Betsy Hubbard, Mary Lee Hahn, and Renée LaTulippe. And Santa himself? None other than our brilliant, beloved (and oh so cuddly) Children’s Poet Laureate, J. Patrick Lewis (who, BTW, is also this week’s Eye Candy)! No, we don’t mess around here. We serve up only THE BEST.

Are you ready?

Help yourself to a Peanut Butter Cup mustache (nibble gently, close your eyes, and think of Pat),

Mustache Peanut Butter Cups via Treats for my Sweets

put on these magic peanut slippers,

(One size fits all in Neverland)

and once again, go full-tilt, shell-shocked, cracked to the nines NUTS!

If peanut butter be the food of love, spread on . . .

* * * * *

♥ LINDA BAIE ♥

I have been all over the place with my likes through the years, but lately the best for my taste buds, with apples, is Jif natural creamy. I used to love chunky, but my grandson finally persuaded me to change, & I did for him, of course. For a treat, my daughter says to have honey roasted peanuts ground at Whole Foods. My friends who know how much I love peanut butter keep telling me to try cashew butter, but I still haven’t. Maybe someday! I am loyal to my PB.

 

 

PB THOUGHTS

peanut butter
yes, you oughter
add marshmallow
for fluffer-nutter

better than those other treats
it’s really really
good to eat
(jelly topping makes it sweet)

apple slices
will entice
when adding some
peanut delight

and do remember
when late at night
you feel the need
for something light

just dip a spoonful
from the jar
then add some Ritz
for a snackin’ blitz

it’ll fill your tum
make you hum
peanut butter
yum and yum

Copyright © 2012 Linda Baie. All rights reserved.

Linda at TeacherDance

 

Putting on the Ritz (White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies)

* * * * *

♥ CATHY BALLOU MEALEY ♥

I’m 100% neutral to the brand and smoothness or creaminess of the PB as long as there is an equal proportion of Nutella on the bread, toast, or waffle!

. . .  there is one last unfilled category near and dear to my heart, peanut sesame noodles. I fell in love with them at an MIT haunt called Mary Chung’s, where the addictive dun dun noodles with shredded chicken were an absolute mouth-burning must. I’d be remiss if I didn’t send you my ode to the ever-delightful, endlessly delicious Mary Chung dun dun noodles.

Mary Chung’s Dun Dun Noodles via The Fresh Dish

AN ODE TO MARY CHUNG’S

Peanut butter, sesame
Honey, scallion, dried chili.
Melt and stir them in the pot,
Add some noodles, boiling hot.
Shredded chicken — toss on top,
Yum yum dun dun — I can’t stop!

Copyright © 2012 Cathy Ballou Mealey. All rights reserved.

Cathy Ballou Mealey at bildebok

 

Chocolate Bread with Peanut Butter and Nutella

* * * * *

♥ BETSY HUBBARD ♥

I was excited to see your posts dedicated to peanut butter. I am a loyal peanut butter fan and am glad that so many people are giving it some due respect. I am a straight up creamy Jif girl.

PBJ Cupcakes made with beets

A PEANUTTY MISTAKE

Peanut butter crunchy
peanut butter cream
peanut butter fluff
would be a peanut butter dream.

Peanut butter crackers
or peanut butter cake
but peanut butter beets would be a
peanutty mistake!

Copyright © 2012 Betsy Hubbard. All rights reserved.

Betsy at Teaching Young Writers

 

 

Chocolate Cake with Beets and Peanut Butter Banana Saucy Frosting

*****

♥ MARY LEE HAHN ♥

My favorite brand is Naturally Nutty. They have amazing flavors and all kinds of nut butters, but my favorite is Butter Toffee Peanut Butter. It has flax seeds and hemp seeds in it to add to the crunch and the healthiness.

Peanut Butter and Fruit Sushi

 

Peanut Butter Goes with ALMOST Everything

Four pairs
for my peanut butter
that you’ll never see:

liver,
oysters,
spam and
sushi.

Copyright © 2012 Mary Lee Hahn. All rights reserved.

Mary Lee at A Year of Reading

 

Peanut Butter Sushi

* * * * *

♥ RENÉE LATULIPPE ♥

It’s a good thing I’m not much for brand loyalty, since the only PB brand I’ve found in my area in Italy is the Dutch brand Calvé. And it’s gooood. Very dense and smooth (97% peanuts!) and yummy with strawberry jam. Only problem is that the jars are too small (Italians are not given to excess).

Boxing Day PBJ Sandwich by Lee Zalben

 

BUTTERLY LOVE

I suppose baloney
would do in a pinch
or even pastrami
piled an inch
high on some rye
a swipe of dijon —
that most fragrant
of sandwich-cologne
but I’d never betray
you, my legume love
now you spin me
in this nutty
OBSESSION
I’m jelly before
your butterly beckoning
and this is my
confession:
with cold cuts, pâtés,
spreads, I’m through
because, PB,
I’m stuck on you.

Copyright © 2012 Renée LaTulippe. All rights reserved.

Renée at No Water River

 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Tart

* * * * *

♥ J. PATRICK LEWIS ♥

Ho ho! Nothing finer than an off kilter recipe concocted by the one and only to officially ring in December merrymaking!

Pat: I’m a chunky kind of guy — literally! Ha.

Holiday Peanut Blossoms

CHRISTMAS PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE RECIPE

Though ingredients can be identified only under
electron microscopes not yet invented, try to find,
then combine:
An ebenezer of anti-humbug flour
A pot of rainbow residue
Unicorn tears
2 dew drops from a Middle-Earth flower
4 Chicken Little egg yolks
A learical of peanuts from the rare Bong-tree
A paradise of charlie brown sugar

Add entire contents to a sieve that’s been to sea.
Stir with the whisk broom of a garden gnome.
Roll into succulent circles, then spork.
Bake at 350° on INDESCRIBABLE.
Let cool past impatience.
Share (if you must).

If recipe fails, add wit and good cheer.
Otherwise you will spend a dreary Christmas
with dullards like ginger snaps, Pfeffernüsse,
and, give me strength, Aunt Mae’s fruitcake.

Copyright © 2012 J. Patrick Lewis. All rights reserved.

J. Patrick Lewis

 

 

Christmas Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies

* * * * *

Was that as good for you as it was for me? Oh, so magical! I especially love “the whisk broom of a garden gnome.”

Wonder if you can smoke those Bong-tree peanuts? 🙂

It was also interesting to hear what things peanut butter does and does not go with, and to have Cathy add some spice to the mix. I’ve since learned about a few other combinations I’d be hesitant to try, among them, PB with pickles, olives, Marmite, horseradish, and onions (Ernest Hemingway liked thick slices in his PB sandwiches). But I really need to break out of my PB&J-only mindset, since PB is great in soup (made my first batch recently) as well as in stir fry sauces and salad dressings. I will heretofore follow up on all my “butterly beckonings.”

Good to know: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s preferred last meal would be Toasted Wonder Bread, melted Skippy Super Chunky PB, bananas and bacon (he’s an Elvis-y kinda guy).

But wait! There’s more!

* * * * *

PB vs. Jelly by Lee Zalben (Nutropolitan Museum of Art)

♥ PEANUT BUTTER POLL RESULTS ♥

Truth be told, choosy moms are still choosing Jif®. It’s touted all the time as America’s #1 favorite and our poll confirmed that. Jif was an early frontrunner and never lost its lead. Second to Jif was the “Other” category, followed by Skippy, Peter Pan, and last, lonely Smuckers. More Jif fans preferred creamy to crunchy.

Of those who chose other brands or had no particular brand preference, more females liked chunky/crunchy, disproving the theory that women usually go for creamy.

These crunchy “other brand” females also tended toward the all natural options, breaking from tradition and hydrogenation, often eschewing salt and sugar, embracing the formerly male-dominated chunky hunk peanut butter world.

I am woman, watch me shatter the jar.

The willingness of both genders to try new brands reflects a more health-conscious, food-savvy society taking full advantage of the seeming endless variety of choices currently available. Among the U.S. brands mentioned:

  • Teddie
  • MaraNatha
  • Crazy Richards
  • Naturally Nutty
  • PB2 (powdered form)
  • East Wind
  • Trader Joe’s
  • Smart Balance
  • Planter’s

Sheesh! I’m old mature enough to remember when Skippy ruled supreme and how big a deal it was when Jif first came on the scene (1958). Needn’t feel sorry for Smuckers brand — the J.M. Smuckers Co. owns the Jif trademark along with a whole bunch of others (Pillsbury®, Crisco®, Dunkin’ Donuts®, Folgers®, et. al.)

This poll was so much fun, I’ve decided to do a different poll every week, so please visit the sidebar often (and bring refreshments)! 🙂

* * * * *

STICKY THANKS ONCE AGAIN TO ALL THE PEANUT BUTTER POETS!! AND THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR CELEBRATING PEANUT BUTTER LOVERS MONTH WITH US HERE AT ALPHABET SOUP!

♥ Seriously good: Nora Ephron’s favorite Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies (via Epicurious)

♥ Don’t miss “15 Ways with Peanut Butter” at Cooking Light for more great recipes.

♥ New book alert: Creamy & Crunchy: An Informal History of Peanut Butter, the All-American Food by Jon Krampner (Columbia University Press, 2012)!! Jon shares his original recipe for a “Simon and Garfunkel” sandwich at the Peanut Butter Lovers blog.

* * * * *

Our favorite Peanut Butter and Jellyfish poet Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is hosting today’s roundup at The Poem Farm. Please take her this Peanut Butter Nutella Cupcake:

 

Do you think it’s big enough? Enjoy all the poetic goodness and keep spreading the love!

Always and forever, NUTS TO YOU!

———————————————

*Peanut Flat Slippers via BuySlipper.com

Copyright © 2012 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

63 thoughts on “friday feast: one last lipsmacking, creamy-crunchy spread for peanut butter lovers month”

    1. Hi Charlotte! I’ve had a lot of fun this month discovering all these new ways of using PB. Thanks for s-p-r-e-a-d-i-n-g the love!!

      Like

  4. Aren’t you a cleverly nutty sleuth to find recipes to rebut the claims of Betsy and Mary Lee. 🙂

    Thank you for including me in this super-smooth roundup of nutastic poets – I am honored to crack shells with them!

    And Pat’s poem is uncanny – I have both an Aunt Mae AND a sieve that’s been to sea. I’m all set for the holidays!

    Loved this PB series, Jama. Your posts are awe-inspiring and drool-worthy.

    Like

    1. That’s truly uncanny!! Does your Aunt Mae make fruitcake? I’m probably the only one left on this earth who actually likes fruitcake — it has to be homemade, light and buttery, though, none of the packaged store-bought stuff. I love that your sieve has been to sea :). Thanks for joining the party and professing your undying PB love and devotion!!

      Like

    1. They used to call peanuts that in Civil War days :). There’s even a famous song called “Goober Peas.” Cute name for a picture book?

      Like

  7. Thanks for sharing everyone’s ‘butterly beckonings’, Jama! These are all fun poems…just make sure you don’t overindulge with Pat’s “Bong-tree” – that could get you in trouble. 😉 As far s the PB and pickles…I’ll hold off on trying that until I get pregnant.

    Like

    1. The PB + pickles combo is supposed to be good. There was an article in the NYT recently about it (click photo). I think I need to grow my own Bong-tree :).

      Like

  8. Jama, you are the researcher extraordinaire! Here I have been eating PB for years, & never knew there were so many ways that others were showing their love for it. The pictures again are divine, and I love all the other poems of PB love & whimsy. It looks like a good book for you to pursue! Thanks again for including me. BTW-a long time ago I had a student who brought PB & pickle relish sandwiches in his lunch. Your post brought back that funny memory. It’s been a terrific month of fun!

    Like

    1. Thanks for your tasty contribution, Linda — it led me to discovering those white chocolate cookies that uses Ritz crackers! I’m constantly amazed at what people invent. Sounds like the PB + pickles combo is an unsung favorite — I will have to try it and report back.

      Like

  9. Great post, Jama! Fun poems from all your poets. I’m wondering how much an “ebenezer” is? I have plenty of anti-humbug flour. The peanut butter and pickle sandwich looked pretty good to me, and Mayor Bloomberg’s sandwich sounded good, too. Maybe I need some breakfast…

    Like

    1. I’m wondering the same thing. I LOVE Pat’s recipe poem. What a mind, what a mind! We’re low on anti-humbug flour here at our house. Better stock up for the holidays. 🙂

      Like

  12. Oh what a marvelous month you have celebrated in word, photo and recipe Jama! Thank you for including my ode to the mouth-burning, tongue-tingling, addictive Dun Dun noodles from Mary Chung’s. All the tasty treats and peanut butter poems have been marvelous Mmm, mmm, mmm.

    Can’t wait to see if strawberry month will arrive in 2013? ;-D

    Like

    1. Strawberry Month — now there’s an idea!

      Of course you know I am now totally fixated on going to Mary Chung’s. Read some Yelp reviews and the dun dun love seems to be universal. So glad you sang its praises with us!

      Like

  13. A perfect final act for this month of nutty fun! Jama, your compilation/recipe-and-photo-finding/pithy-description-skills are beyond compare. Thanks to Linda, Cathy, Betsy, Mary Lee, and Renée for these creamy, crunchy contributions. (And of course Renee has a sieve that’s been to sea…!) Red hats off to J. Patrick Lewis for the perfect recipe to transition us from this peanutty party into the holidays.

    (Oh, and Jama I thought of you a couple-three (?) weeks ago when CBS Sunday Morning had a bit on peanut butter and pickle sandwiches – then read about them here these last couple of weeks, too!)

    Like

    1. So glad you joined us this month, Robyn — now I know of two cool PB poems written by you. You’re right — Pat’s poem is perfection in more ways than one. His bevy of beautiful elves came through with wonderful poems too.

      I think I might have seen that CBS morning segment. Can’t escape those pickles!

      Like

  14. Pingback: Spicy, Salty, Sweet and Saucy | bildebok from Cathy Ballou Mealey

  15. Love peanut butter. What a great post. Great food and fun poems! Actually, my made me peanut butter and pickle sandwiches for my lunch box. I must have liked them — not so much now.

    Like

  16. I should know better than to read your blog on an empty stomach, Jama. Now I have an overwhelming urge to go back cookies! Such a delightful assortment of goodies for us here.

    Linda’s poem had me when she was spooning it from the jar. One of my favorite ways to eat PB.

    I enjoyed the unexpected peanut delight in
    Cathy’s ode.

    Betsy’s peanutty mistake made me giggle but it might just make me eat the beets!

    And Mary Lee’s made me snort out loud. Of course I wouldn’t get that close to sushi to start with. Ha!

    Renée’s love song to peanut butter was pitch perfect.

    As for peanut butter and pickles, I only eat them one way, creamy Jif on white bread with thick slices of sweet pickles. Nom! Nom!

    Like

    1. I must be missing something — you like PB and pickles too! PB sushi is something you’d probably like — no raw fish, eels or shrimp :).

      Like

  17. Hi, Jama. Thanks for the poetry…and the peanut butter! I am definitely going to make those peanut butter reindeer cookies with my girls for the holidays. They are too awesome!!

    Like

  18. Hi, Jama. You have the best food photos. Speaking of things that DO NOT go with peanut butter, when I was growing up one of our neighbors was fond of peanut butter spread on a raw, whole tomato. Ew.

    Like

  19. This whole series was so awesome. It was great to be part of the line up of peanut poets today, thank you. I love what you found for beets and peanut butter, sooo hilarious. I pictured you looking for all the pics and info to make this post and feeling victorious with the sushi and beet combinations!

    Like

    1. You know me too well! I was excited to see the PB and beet combinations. I’d heard of beets in cake before, but wasn’t sure if anyone had actually used PB in the frostings. Thanks for writing such a fun poem. I think you should make those cupcakes sometime :).

      Like

      1. Well, your wish might come true…I told my husband about your find. His response, “oooh, that sounds good!” He loves beets; those cupcakes could become dangerous.

        Like

  22. It’s over? Sigh–that was so much fun! Thanks for the poems, the photos (where do you find the pix of these enticing eats?!) and the general deliciousness of your talk about food and poetry.

    Like

  23. Pingback: 2012 Poetry Friday Archive « Jama's Alphabet Soup

  24. I think this has been one of the best months. I love all this nuttiness. The poetry, the pictures, all the delicious treats, everything is wonderful. And to think you’ve left a way for us to come back and visit is the best. Thanks, Jama.

    Like

    1. Once a nut, always a nut! I’m reading Jon Krampner’s new book right now and learning so much more about this sticky subject. Thanks for playing along this month!

      Like

  25. I don’t know why it is so, but I always get to your posts when I am most hungry, Jama…and whew! what a lot of treats to enjoy here – as Linda’s poem notes:
    it’ll fill your tum
    make you hum
    peanut butter
    yum and yum
    Thank you, Jama, for another delicious feast of a post!

    Like

    1. Help yourself to any and all treats in this post, Tara. Screen licking is highly encouraged :). Thanks for joining in on the fun!

      Like

  26. Thank you for the cupcake! And for all of the fun. You are so good to us, Jama. I can only imagine what it would be like to visit your home in person. I loved these poems and this whole series. xo, a.

    Like

  27. I gobbled up all the pea-nutty poems and devoured your wonderful images, Jama. And I’ve never made pb sushi, which I can’t wait to try.

    Like

  29. I used to make peanut butter cookies, Jama and I would also place melted chocolate as a topping along with sprinkles. Now I am inspired to bake those cookies again and put chocolate kisses instead on top, I think that would be wonderful. Perhaps for my daughter’s birthday? We shall see how that goes. 🙂

    Like

    1. Yes, of course you must make those cookies for her birthday! The combination of PB with chocolate goes back to the ancient Mayans, I think. So it was always meant to be.

      Like

  30. Wow! I had no idea so much information and ideas existed for the use of peanut butter. If my husband were to make the peanut butter and cheese ball for us, I’d get fat in a week. Maybe he can prepare it for a potluck and then we can eat the leftovers. 🙂 The peanut butter Christmas cookies would make a great seasonal variation on a much-beloved treat, My dad loves chess and so I sent him a link to the picture of the peanut butter and jam chess game. Thanks for sharing!

    Like

Comments are closed.