These past couple of weeks I've found myself a bit reminiscent of childhood comforts. One of these is as illustrated in the painting by Abbey Ryan above. I searched and searched for the best picture of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and to me this one depicts the one that most matches my mind's idea of a childhood comfort.
As a child we ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches almost daily. I remember taking them out of a crinkled brown sack at lunch time while in school. I think the apple that was place in the bag with the sandwich was the reason for the bread always being smashed and the grape jelly seeping through. I was always a bit embarrassed by the looks of my smashed sandwich when my friends all seemed to have perfectly constructed, cold cuts with cheese. After many years of eating this for lunch, day after day, I became kind of disgusted with even the thought of peanut butter and jelly.
I'll bet I went years without eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and gave it little thought. Even when I had children of my own; very seldom did I give them a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch unless they asked for it. Even then I would suggest something else. Funny how something can be so deeply ingrained in our minds from childhood and we totally avoid it in adult life.
Something that was perceived as a negative childhood memory has now become a much cherished comfort today. It is only Smucker's grape jelly and Peter Pan peanutbutter that will satisfy this craving. Tonight I had such a craving and decided that I would eat one of these sandwitches for dinner. Wouldn't you know it; we were out of bread. :( We got into the car, Ray and I, and went streight to Kwik Trip and I bought a loaf of white bread. First I made my sandwich and then Ray decided it looked and smelled so good, he wanted on too...
Thank you Lord for bringing comfort in the simplist form tonight. I am blessed.
15 comments:
Ha ha...this picture and post made me laugh, as did the mental image of you and Ray heading hastily to the Kwik Trip for white bread. Was it Wonder Bread? :-D
I too have only recently returned to peanut butter and jelly--something I NEVER thought would happen. (Peanut butter and honey is good too.)!
What a great post! Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are now, and have always been my most favorite food. Every day for lunch in elementary school, I carried this sandwich and Doritos. You are so right about Peter Pan and Smuckers - those are the only brands! I will switch up on jam flavors though - grape or red plum.
Thanks for the smile.
Denise
SO...no, they don't have Wonder Bread at Kwik Trip:)
Denise...that's funny because I always wondered if anyone like PBJ as a kid.
Yummmy....My favorite sandwich! Usually, I bring it to work, it's just easier to bring and very tasty, too!!! The picture sorta' made me drool :) God bless sister and I'm gonna' go and make myself one now I think.LOL...
I HATED it when I was a kid. No what else I find newly yummy? Bologna and American cheese. LOL
RCUBE...really, your favorite? Today when I looked again at that picture it made me want another one. I am a bit full right now since we just got back from eating out so it will wait another day and then...look out PBJ.
SO...I too like bologna and american cheese with mustard! Never had cold cuts or cheese in the house growing up, but as an adult we always have it around. I don't eat cold meat so much anymore just because of all the fat and calories, but I like it!
So...by the way, what exactly is American cheese anyway, processed cheese food? That's not real cheese it is?
That is something we don't eat here.
I like cheese and jam sandwiches though.
Thanks for popping in on my blog.
Peanut butter and jelly? hmmm I never was a fan of peanut butter and jelly.......but I had a babysitter one summer make peanut butter and Kayro syrup sandwishes all summer long.
Actually, I have always wondered just exactly what American cheese is...haha. I don't like it, never buy it, except...once in a great while I want bologna with mayo and proccessed cheese product. We NEVER but never ate white breat growing up. My mother thought white bread was a tool of the Devil or something (I never buy white bread either) but I'd love it when I could eat lunch with my buddy next door, George, and eat bologna on WHITE bread. Also thought white bread toast was a wonderful thing. Funny.
Yes, funny how something that becomes so disgusting to us, we return to that love.
I love me some pbj also. I don't do white bread and haven't for years and years. But, when I have a pbj, my wheat bread MUST be soft. I like Simply Jif (it's lower carb/cal content) and of course my favorite jelly is Smuckers, blackberry, no sugar (made with splenda). I was so excited years ago when Smuckers started making several flavors in no sugar. It really does taste good to me. It's still very sweet. I also enjoy the grape, strawberry, apricot all in splenda.
This picture looks good. Sometimes I don't put enough pb and j on mine pbj.
I tried pb and honey as singing owl said and it wasn't bad. It's a different taste obviously but an alternative if jelly is gone.
I had the same experience growing up. We even ate it at times for dinner and so much so that I did not give it to my kids until they actually asked me for it because their friends ate it :)
It took me into my thirties to have one again and it was a treat although it's been a while since then.
Glad it was an enjoyable moment for you and your hubby.
Blessings.
O and you can't eat it without Wonder Bread :) that's what we had it on.
This made me smile and crave a cold glass of milk! My Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches have turned to Peanut Butter and honey. Sometimes I go on binges and eat one every day for lunch for weeks on end. Always with a cold glass of mile - and now on very soft whole grain bread.
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!
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