National Peanut Butter Day

Peanut butter is a food paste made primarily from ground dry roasted peanuts. It is mainly used as a sandwich spread and commonly combined with jelly / jam in a sandwich. It is also used in desserts and cookies – sometimes instead of oil.  The Aztecs were making a form of peanut butter long before peanut butter was available to the masses in the civilized world. Their peanut butter was purer than the peanut butter available today – no additives or preservatives, and was probably more of a paste than the peanut butter sold in stores.

Five fun facts:

1. It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.
2. Peanut butter was patented by Marcellus Gilmore Edson of Montreal, Quebec in 1884.
3. Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter were both peanut farmers.
4. The Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup was introduced in 1928.
5. The fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth is called Arachibutyrophobia.

Five Peanut Butter Recipes:

1. Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cake with Peanut Praline and Caramel Sauce– This GIANT cake will remind you of your favorite candy bar. It has chocolate, peanuts, peanut butter, and caramel all rolled into one. You could make two 2-layer cakes— eat one and freeze the other.
2. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Mousse Pie– This delicious dessert is a cinch to make – everyone will think you spent hours whipping it up. We dare you to eat just one slice.
3. Chocolate Peanut Butter Overload – Chocolate ice cream with peanut butter cookie dough, peanut butter fudge sauce, and chocolate covered peanut butter candies This recipe combines two most perfectly matched flavors in an intense combination that is sure to thrill any true peanut butter lover.
4. Quick Pumpkin Peanut Butter Soup Recipe-This flavor lineup is unbeatable, and makes such a strong statement you have nothing more to do than to bring all ingredients to a boil, and blend. Be sure to use pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie mix.
5. Peanut Noodles with Shredded Chicken & Vegetables– These Peanut Noodles with Shredded Chicken & Vegetables make a simple and fun dinner your whole family can enjoy! If you can’t find a bagged vegetable medley for this easy noodle bowl, choose 12 ounces of cut vegetables from your market’s salad bar and create your own mix.

Click for more Peanut Butter Recipes.

Nutritional Information for 2 tablespoons of chunky peanut butter (with salt):

Calories: 188
Fat:  16 g
Carbohydrates:  7 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sugars: 2.7 g
Sodium:  156 mg
Protein: 8 g