an all-american classic

i once had a roommate who was an amazing cook -- she graduated from culinary school, was a professional cake decorator, and worked at a bakery. she told me that everyone asked her what her favorite food was, expecting some extravagant answer. Far from their assumptions, she had to admit that a good old fashioned peanut butter and jelly sandwich was never surpassed by the wonders she was known to whip up. this mature adult could not think of anything better than the all-american classic.

peanut butter and jam/jelly sandwiches are not simply about eating a sandwich. there is a special place in our hearts for the smells, sounds, items, tastes, and scenery that remind us of our childhood. what screams CHILDHOOD MEMORIES better than the sandwich staple: pb & j? is there anyone who hasn't had a pb {and} j? is that even possible?

true, my favorite food/flavor is peanut butter which only makes my affinity for pb & j even more intense. however, i believe it is my favorite because of the memories the combination of flavors and textures in a pb & j provokes. when i slather two pieces of bread with crunchy peanut butter and homemade jam, slap them together, and take a bite .... something happens inside me. my heart flutters. my mind focuses. in the faint recesses of my remembrance i can picture a beautiful day in a park at fort monroe, virginia where i spent the best part (and better half) of my childhood. my happiest, carefree memories stem from that army base peninsula and they all come flooding back with each taste of scrumptious peanut butter. pb & j is the all-american classic for a reason. we all love things that remind us of childhood - when the hardest part of life was deciding whether to have grape or strawberry jam with your peanut butter. go ahead! treat yourself to a sandwich that will feed more than just your stomach.

amazing what peanut butter, two pieces of bread, and jelly can do for the heart, mind, and soul.