A Day in My Honor

I have distinctly discussed my disdain for the stupid and gimmicky “National Day(s) of _________ (whatever food/behavior/hobby)” before. These lame days are made up to fuel content for morning radio show hosts and social media marketers who have a creative mind the size of a pea. However, when they decide to throw something on the calendar that specifically mentions yourself, how can you not recognize it?

Today is National Peanut Butter Lovers Day.

Today is a day created for me...National Peanut Butter Lovers Day

Today is a day created for me…National Peanut Butter Lovers Day

You don’t even have to know me that well to understand that I have an obsession with peanut butter. When people label me, they don’t call me a blogger or a marketer or a gym rat. Rather, most folks just dub me a peanut butter nutcase.

Want to know how I celebrated National Peanut Butter Lovers Day? I ate a half of a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast and a full peanut butter sandwich for lunch. Some might call it a nice ode to a silly date on the calendar; I call it what I eat every single day.

For my whole life, I have consumed peanut butter sandwiches. But don’t fool yourself, today we are celebrating something far greater than just sandwiches. Let me remind you, March 1 is called National Peanut Butter Lovers Day. If my only venture into the peanut butter world was with two pieces of bread on the outside then I would be making a mockery by asking for recognition on this special day.

I eat half of a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast and a full peanut butter sandwich for lunch every single day.

I eat half of a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast and a full peanut butter sandwich for lunch every single day.

(SIDE NOTE: Although there is much more to this day besides peanut butter sandwiches, PLEASE click this link and read my recipe for the ultimate PB sandwich).

Truth be known, my taste for peanut butter has been applied in more ways than that of Bubba Gump’s love of shrimp. In fact, if you inserted me into the famous scene of “Forrest Gump” where Bubba talks about the different types/usages of shrimp and had me talk about peanut butter instead, the camera would have rolled on for at least a minute longer.

I enjoy peanut butter ice cream, peanut butter cookies, peanut butter pancakes, peanut butter Pop-Tarts, peanut butter milkshakes, peanut butter trail mix, peanut butter cereal, peanut butter pudding, and peanut butter donuts. I like items stuffed with peanut butter such as pretzels, French toast, and Easter eggs. I like peanut butter candy such as Reeses Cups/Reeses Pieces, Butterfingers, and Fast Breaks. I like peanut butter topped on items such as celery, bananas, hamburgers, and graham crackers. And yes, you better believe it, I love peanut butter right from the jar!

This is my peanut butter hamburger I ate at River City Café, a famous burger place in Myrtle Beach.

This is my peanut butter hamburger I ate at River City Café, a famous burger place in Myrtle Beach.

When it comes to my top flavor of something, peanut butter is my undisputed favorite (sorry marshmallow and banana). And when it comes to the question I am asked all the time regarding my love of peanut butter (what is your favorite kind?) the answer is always crunchy. You see, I don’t really even prefer a brand, just as long as the spread has actual peanut pieces in it. So give me Jiff, Skippy, Peter Pan, generic brand, etc. because it doesn’t matter. As long as it is crunchy, I am a happy man.

Up until this point, I have shared with you common knowledge. You all know I love peanut butter. However, I feel like I have to make this blog post worthwhile and share with you a peanut butter item I don’t particularly care for. In fact, there are two. Oh my gosh, here we go…

I detest peanut butter salt water taffy and peanut butter Jelly Belly jelly beans. I remember as a kid picking out a piece of salt water taffy from a bucket and diligently making sure that I didn’t choose either a peanut butter piece or a purple piece. To me, peanut butter salt water taffy always had a strong flavor that tasted more like coffee rather than the real deal. The peanut butter Jelly Belly tasted very similar to the salt water taffy. It just contained that very fake peanut butter taste, a taste that made me mad that a product would ever try to associate itself with the wonderful flavor of peanut butter. But besides those two disasters, you would be hard pressed to find anything else “peanut butter” that I do not like.

Happy National Peanut Butter Lovers Day to me! If there was a peanut butter cocktail, chances are I would drink to it. But until then, eating to it is just fine for me. Don’t Blink.

Peanut Butter Sandwiches for Days

Okay, there is one thing you have to know about me: I really like peanut butter sandwiches. I like peanut butter sandwiches so much that for the past five years I have ate one for lunch pretty much every single work day. With the exception of going out to lunch once in a blue moon or opting for something else because I forgot my PB sandwich at home I would not hesitate to say that 99% of my work day lunches have consisted of a peanut butter sandwich.

This little quirk of mine has drawn attention from my co-workers. At Montana people would check in on me and mockingly (still good naturedly of course) ask if I had my sandwich that day. Before anyone would offer me anything if someone brought in a shareable lunch item they would preface it by saying “Now I know you have your peanut butter sandwich but would you like to try some…?”. On my birthday my former boss gave me a loaf of bread and a couple jars of peanut butter as a present.

When I arrived at Coastal Carolina and I brought out my green container with my peanut butter sandwich while informing my new co-workers about my constant lunch fare I am sure they wondered who they had hired. But they have had fun with it as well. Believe it or not, the sandwiches I make here in Carolina taste just as good as they did in Montana.

I eat a peanut butter sandwich for lunch every single day.

I eat a peanut butter sandwich for lunch every single day.

Let me answer the two questions I get asked most often: No, I do not use any jelly or jam. I eat plain peanut butter sandwiches…just the bread and the peanut butter. And no, I actually don’t have a preference when it comes to peanut butter. When I go to Wal-Mart I buy whatever is cheapest. Usually it is their generic Great Value brand but sometimes there is a sale on Jiff or Skippy so I opt for either one of those.

For the longest time I would just eat the peanut butter sandwich for lunch and that was it. I would use that as my own personal excuse to go crazy gorging myself at dinner that night. But since I have arrived at CCU I have started to add a bag of chips or Cheez-Its to my menu. Here at my new work I take full advantage of my one hour lunch. Whereas at Montana I would work out during the noon hour and then throw down my sandwich in two minutes at my desk I actually socialize here. Sometimes I eat with the graphics guys in one of the cafeteria type places on campus or sometimes I eat in our conference room with other co-workers. It is hard to make a peanut butter sandwich stretch an hour so that is why I have added on the chips (and I still overdo it at dinner).

I make my peanut butter sandwich the night before.

I make my peanut butter sandwich the night before.

You might be wondering how this got started. I don’t really even know. I grew up eating plain peanut butter sandwiches. I love peanut butter itself in general. When I entered the workforce and I wanted to save money it just made sense to buy a loaf of bread on Sunday and have it last me through the week. I don’t tire of items very easily and I still look forward to my PB sandwich every single day. One thing I should point out is that I make a pretty mean sandwich. I don’t go light on the peanut butter so that helps hold me over until dinner time.

Call me a little kid but I enjoy my lunch choice. Sure it is boring and sure it is not the most nutritious item ever but it works for me and it allows me to not worry about lunch plans. Oh yes, while the type of bread and brand of PB can fluctuate there is one thing that always stays the same…I only eat crunchy peanut butter. If you try to tell me that the creamy version is better we most likely can’t be friends. Always look forward to your lunch! Don’t Blink.