Give It Up

 

40 days.  That’s a long time to wait.

Today marks the beginning of the Lent and the traditional first day of giving up certain types of luxury or taking on types of almsgiving and good deeds.  Many people give up food items, or other guilty pleasures like shopping, gaming systems, or even weekly manicures. 

In the past I have given up coffee, desserts, ketchup, pasta and even trips to Starbucks.  Those years were hard, but this year might be a little bit of a tougher challenge.

My sacrifice this year? 

Peanut Butter 

I love it.  On almost everything.  It really shouldn’t be a surprise since my maternal grandfather “Pop” loved it just as much or maybe even more than me.  I come by it honestly. 

Pop would buy the economy sized jars of JIF from a wholesale store like Sam’s to always have on hand.  He not only loved peanut butter pops (peanut butter on a spoon) but had a secret way of eating it out of the jar. Since he didn’t want to get in trouble with Nana for eating too much of the sticky stuff, his tactic was to eat from the middle jar outwards, leaving a peanut butter rim around the jar. 

This way, when you looked at the jar in the pantry, it looked full, until you picked it up and realized that the entire thing was almost gone.  He was tricky I tell you, and would always leave his mark in our jar if he came to visit our house;  there was always a scoop missing.  It sounds funny, but every time I reach for my jar of PB, it’s a simple reminder of how much I miss him – this one’s for you Pop!

 

 

As I begin my Lenten sacrifice, here are some of my favorite items to eat with peanut butter that will be missed dearly.  Hurry up Easter!

• waffles
• bagels
• bananas
• apples
• French toast
• granola bars
• pancakes
• PB&J
• banana bread
• oatmeal
• ice cream
• pretzels
• cinnamon raisin bread
• cheez its
• graham crackers
• s’mores
• smoothies

 

 

Peanut Butter Fun Facts:

• It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.
• Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, a physician wanting to help patients eat more plant-based protein, patented his procedure for making peanut butter in 1895.
• The world's largest peanut butter factory churns out 250,000 jars of the tasty treat every day.