pb&j


a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. it’s perfect. simple ingredients in between two pieces of bread. add a glass of milk and that’s all you need.


is there a genesis to the peanut butter and jelly sandwich? oh, probably. perhaps it dates back to the ancient egyptians who used it initially as part of their embalming technique only to discover it made a great snack. or maybe it was found quite by accident because there was nothing left in the house besides a roll of stale crackers and moldy cheese. with that choice, i think i’d go for the sandwich too.


actually, the peanut butter sandwich dates back to the early 20th century in its widespread use. while bread and jelly have been around for hundreds of years, peanut butter didn’t become a real hit until the 1904 st. louis world’s fair. with the marketing of peter pan and skippy peanut butters in the 20s and 30s, pb&j became a lunch box staple. by world war II and the ensuing rations, peanut butter and jelly was a meal for many people tightening their belts. it was cheap and satisfying.


it’s the simple things that have the greatest longevity. peanut butter and jelly are the perfect combination. like romeo and juliet. milk and cookies. burgers and fries. apple pie and ice cream a la mode. oddly enough, it’s the most fattening foods that seem to be paired up. maybe that’s what broke romeo and juliet up. it wasn’t two warring families and a bottle of poison. juliet’s ass got too fat to fit in her jeans. must have been the pb&j…

3 comments:

Karen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Karen said...

Pea-nut, Peanut Butter. And JELLY! (are you familiar with Marcia Louis? She sings a mean rendition of that song, to be sure. Ask my kids to regale you sometime. And lest you not be able to last that long, you can check here: http://cdbaby.com/cd/marcialouis2

I am a fan of the PB&J, but with a twist. PB & Banana...yum. PB & Bacon (crispy, please) ...yummier. And my new fave: Almond Butter (chunky if you please.)

Even my poor children are being affected by my unconscious need to upscale this staple: H now confessed to me that she PREFERS *gasp!* the Trader Joe's natural peanut butter to the mainstream varieties. Hurrah! A future gourmand is born. Of course Mr. Wisenheimer has not been so easily swayed. He's a Skippy boy thru and thru!

eileen said...

almond butter...hmmm...perhaps i should visit your house when it's snack time...