"You Make Great Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches"

That's what my husband said to me a couple of days ago.  "You make great peanut butter and jelly sandwiches."  Really, Ron?  Gee...thanks.  Of all of the things I have cooked for you over the years, this is what you choose to comment on...?  PB&J????  Even if you don't know him or know his sense of humor, you'd have to know that he was just trying to irritate me, right?  I mean, what kind of a bozo can't make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?  There's no skill involved in that.

Actually, he meant that as a sincere compliment.  Here's why...  

Our son Erik had a cross country meet on Saturday, and I packed the cooler full of healthy drinks and snacks. The kids and my husband always pick at me...in good fun...because I do make a production out of it.  In addition to water, real fruit juices, homemade granola, fruits, and string cheese, I usually always pack several PB&J sandwiches.

I've started making them the day before and keeping them in the fridge or making them several days in advance and freezing them.  (Yes, you can freeze PB&J...I'll post about that later.)  I make several because, firstly, I want Erik to eat at least half of one before we leave the house so that he can have something on his stomach a few hours before he runs 3.1 miles in 95 degree weather.  

Secondly, none of my kids wants to eat first thing in the morning.  My husband seems to be going through that phase too, but he's been going through it for at least 15 years.  :)  In other words, they'll all be starving before we even get the chairs set up along the course.  The fruit and healthy snacks simply won't be enough for them.  

My PB&J sandwiches are made with whole grain bread, although they are usually not very happy about that. I use my homemade jellies and jams when I can, and I plan to experiment with making my own peanut butter soon.  Sometimes, I even use my homemade sourdough bread.  I try to make them as healthy as I can.  

I make sure that the proportions of peanut butter to jelly are right, because no one wants to take a bite of a big glob of sloppy jelly, right?  I make sure that they are prepared and packaged so that they are not soggy. (That would just be awful.)  I make sure to keep them at the right temperature so that they are not only tasty, but they're also refreshing on a very hot day.

Why do I do all of this when it's easier to just give them some cash and send them to the concession stand or stop by a drive-thru somewhere?  Why do I put up with their ridicule just so that I can provide them delicious and healthy food at exactly the time that they get hungry and want real food?????

Ron knows why........even if the kids would probably rather have drive-thru.

So, he smiled, and said, "You make great peanut butter & jelly sandwiches."  I accepted the compliment for what it was.  I smiled back and felt very blessed!

Thanks, and welcome to my world...