November is National Peanut Butter Lover's Month

Of course, November makes us think of food...yummy turkey, pumpkin pie.  But there's an important part of most of our lives that gets overlooked this time of year.  Peanut Butter!  The wonderful, gooey spread even gets its own month to celebrate.

Did you know that peanuts are not actually nuts at all? They are legumes, like beans, peas, and lentils. Peanuts may be a favorite food, but their shells are used in kitty litter, wallboard, fireplace logs, paper, animal feed, and sometimes as fuel for power plants!
And you might be surprised to learn that two peanut farmers have been elected President of the United States: Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter.

Here are some more delicious peanut butter morsels:

 The average American child will eat 1,500 peanut butter sandwiches by the time he or she
 graduates from high school.
 
  75% of Americans have peanut butter in their homes

 Americans eat about 3 pounds of peanut butter per person each year, totaling about
 500 million pounds... enough to cover the floor of the Grand Canyon.

 Americans eat enough peanut butter in a year to make over 10 billion peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!

 Americans spend almost 800 million dollars a year on peanut butter, making it one of the mostfrequently purchased items in the supermarket.

 This year, annual consumption of peanut butter is expected to reach a record 800 million pounds- that's enough peanut butter to form a line of 18-ounce jars stretching almost one and one-third times around the world.

 Nobody consumes as much peanut butter as Americans; however, it is popular in Canada, Holland, England, Germany and gaining popularity throughout Eastern Europe.

Beyond the Yummy ~ Not just for Peanut Butter anymore....

Peanut Butter Jars are ASWESOME for crafts!  
 
Neat ways to use PB Jars:

Bug Catcher

Step 1:Decorate your empty PB jar using glitter glue.  Step 2:
Fill decorated jar with fireflies or ladybugs.  Step 3: With a rubber band, secure a piece of cheesecloth or some plastic wrap over the top.  Step 4: Using a toothpick, pierce a few air holes into the plastic wrap.  Time needed:  about 30 minutes

Sand Art

Step 1:Pour 2 inches of first color sand into jar. Pour in at least 1inch but no more than 2 inches of the next color sand. Repeat process with various colors until you have filled the jar. You can use as many colors as you like.  Step 2:  Run a toothpick or wooden skewer straight down along the inside of the jar to create a pretty pattern. The design is formed from the various colors and different levels of sand. Using the skewer or toothpick you can create zig zags or swirls to enhance the design. Cover with lid.  Time needed:  about 1 hour- Adult supervision suggested.

Gift Jars  (Great for the upcoming holidays)

Directions: Step 1: Decorate your PB jar with stickers or glitter glue.  Step 2: Fill with candies , small items or even homemade peanut butter treats.  Step 3: Have an adult help use pinking shears or scissors, cut the edges of the fabric or felt to make a decorative edge.  Step 4: Place fabric or felt on top of the jar and secure with ribbon.  Time needed:  about 30 minutes

Easy Peanut Butter Recipe

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients:

 2 cups peanut butter, divided
 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
 2 cups powdered sugar
 3 cups graham cracker crumbs
 2 cups (12-oz. pkg) Semi-tweet Chocolate mini-morsels

Directions:

GREASE 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
BEAT (with adult supervision) 1 1/4 cups peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. With hands or wooden spoon, work in remaining powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs and 1/2 cup morsels. Press evenly into prepared baking pan. Smooth top with spatula.

MELT (with adult supervision) remaining peanut butter and remaining morsels in medium, in microwave on medium, for 30 seconds at a time, stirring constantly, until smooth. Spread over graham cracker crust in pan. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until chocolate is firm; cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

*references, peanutbutter.com, national peanut butter lovers month, nestles.com