Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

You know how a lot of things taste better the next day?

All the flavors and spices have a chance to come together and marry in a beautiful harmony through a process that just can’t be rushed.

I’m beginning to believe this is true of almost everything.

Take for example my peanut butter sandwiches. Not something that immediately sounds better after having sat for a while. But… I’ve learned something vastly different.

I had to go to a friend’s graduation party (I hate other people’s outdoor parties, they’re usually the death of me. I ALWAYS pack my own food for these). So for my packable, on-the-go, just-in-case dinner, I made a BLT but minus the bacon and mayonnaise and plus peanut butter and horseradish mustard.

(Yea, so not really a BLT anymore I guess, but there was lettuce and tomato.)

To keep it fresh, I packed it in my lunchbox with an icepack. When I got to my friend’s house, I just stuck the whole thing in the fridge. Long story short, there wasn’t much I could/wanted to eat. I had some fruit and that held me over for a while. Since it started to downpour, I ended up going home before my wonderful sandwich could be consumed.

So I just ate it for dinner anyways.

…

…

Nope. Not ready for words yet.

…

Okay, this sandwich was FREEZING cold. The plastic wrap had compacted everything. The peanut butter united with the mustard, the lettuce was crisp, the tomatoes were cold and the juices ran with the peanut butter. Mmm…

If I had eaten it fresh, sure it would have been delicious. But letting it sit for a few hours (possibly overnight, I don’t remember) brought its deliciousness to near indescribable.

Another sandwich that has stood the test of time through the night in the fridge is the simple honey with peanut butter sandwich (I’ve written about this before: ….).

I’m not sure what happens exactly to the honey and peanut butter, so I’ve got no answer scientifically. Judging by taste and all around good, yumminess, the honey sort of infuses itself with the peanut butter while thickening it. Then together they begin to solidify (not completely or else it would probably be inedible, but to a nice tinker, sturdy texture).

The bread does stale a little bit from the cold, however, it’s not a bad thing, it kind of works with the rest of the sandwich. Almost creates a sort of crispiness on the outside.

I usually chill all my peanut butter sandwiches overnight just so I don’t have to rush to make them the next day, if they’re an on-the-go lunch. For all (including the two mentioned above) I tend to use my homemade peanut butter, which has no added oils, salt, or sugars. However, I have been branching out recently. I’m still not sure how regular peanut butter would work in those specific situations, but most taste beautiful (yes beautiful) when refrigerated overnight in a sandwich.

Two days ago I went to the grocery store to get a few things, bread being one of them. I found the normal choice, Sara Lee Light Whole Wheat (I tend to buy low-cal breads, this one only having 45 calories per slice, that way I can stuff it as much as I want to with peanut butter). However, I began to think/daydream about oatmeal bread. I love oatmeal bread. So the search resumed and shortly I found a 100% Whole Wheat Oatmeal bread (I don’t remember the brand off the top of my head, and I’m too lazy to walk downstairs to look in my cupboard at the moment).

Thus, a sandwich was made.

(A refrigerated sandwich at that.)

The refrigerated oatmeal bread was dense and wonderful. My lunch box smelled like peanut butter.

Left me craving another sandwich.

Which I may end up making later today…

Who knows what really makes these sandwiches so alluring. It's not like I'm against warm sandwiches. Toast is a staple for me. Melty peanut butter is practically it's own food group in my book. Maybe it's the anticipation. The waiting. The knowing it's made and awaiting a first bite. Maybe absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Though, in this case, it may be taste that's grown.

No Additives, It's Not Real!

A couple months ago when both The Boy and I were quite busy in our own lives, and extremely exhausted when we finally were together we had planned an entire day to spend together. My idea was to get us out and about and enjoying the outdoors…or something. However, the side affects from the 99.3 fever the night before, had other plans. My body was no longer ravishly fighting off an infection, but I sure wasn’t up to doing much.

He was sweet and decided to stay with me anyways. We chose to relax at my house and watch movies.

When lunchtime came, I wasn’t sure what to offer him (he rarely eats at my house). I chose my tasty Peanut Butter Captain Crunch and he landed on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He used a store bought container instead of my homemade (perfectly fine, all the more for me). I wasn’t offended at all; homemade peanut butter does have a different taste than most store bought brands.

Over our lunch, The Boy decided it was time to confront me about a mistake I’d been making.

“You know, the peanut butter you make isn’t real peanut butter. It’s just pureed peanuts.” He said with a confident smirk.

“Uh, you do realize that’s all that any peanut butter is?”

“There’s no butter in yours, it’s just really tiny bits of peanuts.”

Okay…I could sort of see where this was going now.

I replied, “There’s no ‘butter’ in any peanut butter. They add oils to peanut butter, but they’re only to make it smooth and easier to spread.”

“Exactly.” He smiled smugly, “Yours is just peanuts. It doesn’t count, Hannah.”

Yes, by now, he was getting on my nerves. He may have only been joking, but still. I knew I was right, so I planned to just let him argue his side till the conversation died.

“You don’t need any of that stuff,” I explained, “peanuts are all fat to begin with, you don’t have to add any more oil unless you want to. It’s healthier this way.”

He was unconvinced but finally gave up trying.

…Until about 20 minutes later at my grandma’s house. My grandma even pulled out her jar of peanut butter to see what’s in it. Peanuts, hydrogenated vegetable oils, sugar, and salt. The hydrogenated vegetables oils are described as cottonseed, soybean and rapeseed, additives simply to prevent separation.

(Separation of the peanut oil from the peanuts, in case you were wondering.)

So I went through the list. Peanuts, yes. Hydrogenated vegetable oils, mmm doesn’t that sound yummy? Thanks, but no thanks. Sugar, can’t eat it. Salt, not bad, just not a fan. Various other additives and preservatives…Umm, my rule, if you can’t pronounce it or remember it or it’s just in there to “prevent separation” of the actual product itself, you don’t need it. And honestly, if someone’s fighting so much for that extra oil in there, I think they should be able to deal with having to stir the natural stuff back in every now and again.

Just saying.

My boyfriend remained stubborn as a mule, my grandmother seemed to sort of agree with me, and I decided that I’d make enough of my point.

I’m not against brands like Jif or Skippy; I’m not doubting their deliciousness. I often use Jif to Go for ants on a log, or even a quick snack. I’m just saying, peanut butter is peanut butter. You don’t need preservatives and extra fat to make it so.

In fact, I’ll eat any of it.

Homemade:

Teddie (absolutely love the fact it comes unsalted!):

Jif (Jif to go is the perfect serving size to make ants on a log, I actually use 3 celery sticks cut in half):

PB2 powdered peanut butter:

Smucker's (just realized I can eat this stuff, so happy):

Peanut Butter & Co. (a personal favorite, any flavor really):

And due to the amount of peanut butter I’ve been stuffing my face with lately, I figured it’d be good to get a gym membership again. (No worries, it’s also just because I’m an adrenaline junkie and the gym is my number one fix.) So I joined up at the local YMCA. It turned out to be a full day actually. The Boy came with and so we spent the day driving around looking for adventures, and then stopped at the Y on our way home.

So far I’ve had two workouts, every minute of them was glorious. I posted a Facebook status of, “Sweat pouring, lungs burning, legs shaking…Best feeling ever. Back at the gym and feeling great!” I can’t help it; it’s my happy place.

Surprisingly, I did pretty well for not being in a gym for about a year. I set workout goals and then marked what I actually accomplished.

For my first workout they looked like this:

For my second:

I didn't make 3 miles on the bike, but I did make extra on the treadmill, plus my strength training. 

The strength training went well. (As you can tell my arms are weak. I’m working on it.) But other than that, my numbers were all pretty much what they used to be. And no matter what they are now, they’re only going to get better, right?

I’m just nervous about keeping this up during school. I’m thinking of getting an EARLY start Monday’s, Wednesday’s, and Friday’s. And if I keep up my determination, I should be able to stick with it.

My Golden Ticket

Okay. So I may have gone a little crazy.

When cutting out all these various foods, I may have expanded my love for certain food groups a tad too much. Well, okay, maybe not ENTIRE food groups… More along the lines of just one, extremely tasty, heavenly, sweet, savory, delectable food item known around the world.

Peanut butter.

As a child, peanut butter was my alternate option for protein. A good scoop of peanut butter got me out of eating chicken, beef, fish, the oh so dreaded pork chop, and other proteins my mother tried so diligently to get me to like that I rejected. It was also used for those out of control blood sugar drops.

Hannah starts crashing? Crying and fighting due to need of food? Stick a spoonful of peanut butter in her mouth, that’ll shut her up!

It was like a magical food.

Peanut butter was my Golden Ticket.

Now, in my late teens/early adulthood, peanut butter is a main staple in my diet. I’ll be honest; it’s probably half the reason for all the strange comments and looks I receive daily.

Okay, maybe not the peanut butter ITSELF. But most likely my strange obsession with it, or all the odd things I pair with it.

Though it could also be the sheer amount that I consume daily…

My mom asked me a few days ago, “Have you checked the toxicity level of peanut butter?”

Like I said before, when I’m creating my own dishes, experimenting with food, it’s where I can go and just totally be myself. It’s not the only place; however, it’s definitely one of my top escapes.

Coming up with tasty dishes that I can freely enjoy without subsequent repercussions from either my blood sugar or my stomach… It’s like… Words cannot describe.

Those who are reading this and dealing with any food restrictions know what I’m talking about.

Peanut butter replaces cheese, meat proteins in some meals still, and I use it in various sauces I’ve concocted. It’s an all around necessity in my kitchen.

Peanut butter is even the deciding choice for what friend I’ll stay with during the Zombie Apocalypse. I had three offers, I told them each, whoever is willing stock enough peanut butter (that is, if enough peanut butter could be stocked to keep me satisfied) will be able to have my darling presence during that horrific time. (Surprisingly, it narrowed my options quite nicely.)

Yes, I’ll admit, peanut butter isn’t exactly the best for those watching their fat intake. Yet for a girl needing help to keep up her weight, with a diet low in proteins and magnesium and the “good” fats, peanut butter remains my golden ticket to this day.

It’s a weird and wacky world I’ve created through my diet, but as long as the normal world never stops producing peanuts, I’ll be happy.