NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER LOVER’S DAY

March 1st was made for National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day. Ah, peanut butter. One day is not enough to recognize peanut butter. The goober has been paired, blended, and added with many tasty results!

The creamy, nutty goodness known as peanut butter is so amazingly delicious that when we pair it with creamy and dreamy chocolate, we almost have bacon.

We digress. Another great love is peanut butter ice cream. Blended smooth with a few chopped nuts and a drizzle of peanut butter syrup is a peanut butter lover’s dream come true.

The slang term for peanut butter in World War II was “monkey butter.”

A monkey visited the lab at Kellogg’s one day and dipped his banana in a jar of peanut butter, and he’s been ape over the combination ever since. Actually, banana slices with peanut butter sandwiched between them and dipped in chocolate make a terrific snack.

Peanut butter and bananas were a combination even fit for a king. Elvis Presley loved a peanut butter and banana sandwich or two.

Then peanut butter got its passport and traveled the world. It paired up with some shrimp and got a little saucy. The result is a Thai peanut butter shrimp that is so yummy it had to be true love.

Things heated up a little when peanut butter jumped into the stew pot to sweat it out with a spring chick seasoned with some cayenne. African Chicken Peanut Stew tastes better than ever.

One of the best times peanut butter has ever had is with marshmallows. Fudge enjoys a satisfying dessert status to be envied.

Fun Peanut Butter Facts:
  • It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.
  • C.H. Sumner first sold peanut butter in the United States at the Universal Exposition in St. Louis.  He sold $705.11 of the “new treat” at his concession stand.
  • Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup was introduced to America in 1928.
  • The oldest operating manufacturer and seller of peanut butter has been selling peanut butter since 1898.
  • Mr. Ed TV’s used peanut butter as a secret ingredient to get a horse talking.
  • Americans spend almost $800 million a year on peanut butter.
  • January 24th is National Peanut Butter Day.

NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER LOVER’S DAY HISTORY

National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day first made its appearance in 1990 commemorating the anniversary of when peanut butter made its commercial debut in the United States. Promoted by both the Adult Peanut Butter Lovers Fan Club and the National Peanut Board, the day found full cover peanut butter spreads in newspapers across the country. An un-named doctor was given credit for first providing peanut butter to his patients. In March of 1890, he began providing the spread to those patients who had difficulty chewing. More than 100 years later, we continue to celebrate the benefits of peanut butter, and its history, too.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #PeanutButterLoversDay

  • Fall in love with some peanut butter or a new peanut butter combination.  
  • Try peanut butter and apples.  
  • Or maybe fried peaches and peanut butter.
  • Try one of the recipes above.
  • Or how about peanut butter and bacon.  
  • Share your favorite peanut butter combos.
  • Use #PeanutButterLoversDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL TORTILLA CHIP DAY

National Tortilla Chip Day, a day set aside for the crunchy snack loved by millions across the nation, is observed annually on February 24th.

The tortilla chip is most commonly served with salsa, chile con queso, guacamole, cheese dips or other dips.  Tortilla chips are made from corn tortillas cut into wedges and then fried. The tortillas are made from corn, vegetable oil, salt, and water. Typically made with yellow corn, tortillas can also be made with white, blue or red corn.

Even though tortilla chips have always been considered to be a Mexican food, known as tostados, they were first mass-produced in Los Angeles in the late 1940s. It is said that the triangle-shaped tortilla chips were made popular by Rebecca Webb Carranza as a way to use the misshapen tortillas that were rejected from the automated tortilla manufacturing machine that she and her husband used at their Los Angeles deli and tortilla factory. 

Carranza realized that once the discarded tortillas were cut into triangle shapes and fried, they became a popular snack.  She then sold them for a dime a bag at the El Zarape Tortilla Factory.  Carranza received the Golden Tortilla Award in 1994 for her contribution to the Mexican food industry.

The United States is one of the primary markets for tortilla chips.

Another favorite dish made with tortilla chips is nachos.  The dish was first created around 1943 by Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya. Nachos are tortilla chips served with melted or shredded cheese, and often additional toppings are added, such as meat, salsa, refried beans, tomatoes, diced onion, lettuce, olives, jalapenos, guacamole and sour cream.

Try Jen’s Loaded Nachos, of any of the recipes from our collection.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalTortillaChipDay

Go and get your favorite dip and enjoy some tortilla chips.  Use #NationalTortillaChipDay to post on social media.