Peanut butter sandwiches are uniquely American. And while the rest of the world turns their noses up on this lunchbox stable, we Americans never tire of them. Personally, I have enjoyed every one of the thousands I’ve eaten over my lifetime. But my 13-year-old son and I recently discovered a Quick Tip to make every sandwich better; at the price of only 5 seconds of extra effort. The problem: by lunchtime the jelly has soaked through the bread and made one slice soggy. The solution: Spread the peanut butter on both slices of bread. The peanut butter acts as a barrier to prevent the jelly from coming in contact with bread, and the bread will stay in great condition for up to 8 hours.
Spread peanut butter on both slices of bread
But if you leave the sandwich too long (over 8 hours) eventually even the oils from the peanut butter degrade the texture of the bread. Fortunately, that’s plenty of time for an average lunch. I do remember eating PBJs for dinner when I was a kid, but I won’t let my own children do the same.
Hey – an obvious tip (so simple!) but one that people probably don’t think of… because it is so simple. Good tip!
Re; what the kids eat for dinner…hmmmm… i do recall my parents letting me take two navel oranges to school for lunch, (gradeschool) as that was all i wanted. Not every day – just when orange season was in swing. She figured i had breakfast and dinner, so – why not?
of course nowadays, some seeing a gradeschool kid do that might think she had body weight issues – yikes. Nope – not me! Just loved oranges.
I think the same kinda thing can follow for dinner too… on occasion. some nights, let’s just have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. ; – )
Hi Lorri,
haha…yes, so obvious but I went 40-odd years eating soggy bread. I’m not sure what that says about me
For me peanut butter sandwiches for dinner played a much more prominent roll than just an occasional thing. There came a point, and I forget if it was 7th or 8th grade when I stopped eating my mothers cooking. And it was PB&Js that filled the years between when I realized that her cooking was terrible and the time I learned to truly fend for myself in the kitchen. So you can imagine how sad I became when “she” went through here “natural peanut butter” phase.
Mark
At my previous job, my office mate was a man that raised three sons with a wife that was an “adventurous” cook. Their standing rule was that the kids had to eat what was put on the dinner table or they could make themselves a pbj. I think it’s a great system … but I don’t have kids
Hi Katie, I guess I am a pushover. lol. I tell them they have to try one bite of everything I cook, and if they don’t like it I will make them pasta. They eat 90%, so that’s pretty good.
Mark
Sounds fine to me. It amuses me that we people that have no kids think we “know all the answers” but I can’t believe some of the shannanigans that some of my co-workers go to for their kids likes/dislikes. When did this become expected or so wide spread? The fast food generation where everything is your way? lol.
btw, my guy and I also bring our lunches literally 9 times out of 10. I like my own cooking and I always say: you choose where you spend your money! I haven’t tried making lunch bread…yet.
Hi – just found you – like your blog! Another tip – after spreading the peanut butter on both halves, with jam in the middle – keep going! And make a half-dozen for the freezer. Pop them in the lunch bag in the morning, and they’ll thaw by lunch. Influenced by six sigma – can’t help it.