National Peanut Butter Day and Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day

National Peanut Butter Day - January 24

I celebrated National Peanut Butter Day yesterday at breakfast with a toasted English muffin topped with peanut butter and coconut.  Very tasty!

It took a long time for me to grow to like peanut butter.  I have never had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  I thought Reese's peanut butter cups were awful until college.  I've never had a desire to spread peanut butter on celery (Ants on a Log) or an apple.  Peanut butter cookies were okay but never my first choice.

I always enjoyed peanuts (but, again, not my first choice of nuts) but just didn't get the appeal of peanut butter.

A jar of peanut butter will last for years in my house.

I've slowly come to like peanut butter in limited quantities.  I love a good peanut dipping sauce.  Chicken and broccoli in Thai peanut sauce is delicious.  A thin layer on an English muffin accompanied by coconut, honey or chocolate is a good breakfast or snack.  

Peanut butter day also reminded me of a day I spent in Plains, GA with my family last April.  Plains is best known as Jimmy Carter's hometown (growing up and now) and for peanuts.  This little town does a wonderful job of keeping it's small town feel while accommodating lots of tourists.  The Jimmy Carter  Museum and homestead is wonderfully maintained and operated.  President Carter continues to teach Sunday School when he is in town at a little Baptist church.  The main street of the town is lined with cute stores that sell antiques, souvenirs, and lots of peanuts.

In Plains, I was introduced to peanut butter soft serve ice cream -- I would definitely try that one again.

For more information about this spot, visit the Plains GA site

Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day - January 25

Bubble wrap!  Not as easy to find these days since companies have found less expensive ways to pack their boxes.  Whenever I do receive a box with bubble wrap, it is impossible to resist popping the bubbles.  Since I live alone, I don't even have to share the popping privileges!  

CNN has a great article dedicated to Bubble Wrap on their site today.  If you're yearning for the sound of bubbles popping, the videos are a must watch.  

My Yummy Lunch Today

 -

Wrapping up this post, I had to share a picture of my yummy lunch today.  I made Eggplant and Spinach Curry served over jasmine rice.  It was a hot and spicy dish because I used a couple serrano peppers, along with plenty of fresh ginger, curry powder and other traditional Indian spices. To complete the sauce, I used a combination of milk and tomato sauce for a creamy and slightly tomatoey finish to the dish.