If there was one food I could not live without, dessert aside, it would hands down be peanut butter! Let’s be honest, the stuff is magic spread. When I studied abroad in Spain my junior summer of college, I literally packed two Costco size jars in my suitcase because rumor had it, Sevilla didn’t carry p.b. Between sampling and savoring every Spanish dish possible, – paella, chocolate and churros, rice anything… peanut butter snuck it’s way back to my soul.
Layered on toasted sourdough with honey drizzles, eaten as a protein/potassium snack with bananas, dipped by apples and carrots {yes, carrots- try it!} peanut butter is a one-hit wonder! There’s my peanut butter plug, but really, we go through a jar of it like, oh, I don’t know, every.other.day so I thought it would be super fun and easy to make our own peanut butter! And, the boys loved helping! Really, Ty mostly enjoyed eating it!
What you need to make homemade Peanut Butter:
A ginormous bag of roasted in shell peanuts {found at Costco}
Peanut Oil {found at Sprouts… Target, you disappoint!}
Kosher Salt
Food processor or Ninja {a poor man’s substitute for a Vita-Mix- works great and is a fraction of the price. Thank you Bed, Bath & Beyond coupon!}
An empty jar– I simply washed the empty peanut butter jar we finished that day.
Then get crackin’.
For an hour, Tanner and I shelled peanuts. Is that the proper word- shelled? Hindsight, it may have been a tad cleaner to do this outside on a blanket, but most fabulous things in life are messy, and so our kitchen floor showed evidence of shells and peanut dust. While we shelled peanuts, we talked about school ending and I asked him what activities, ya know, what fun summer adventure he wanted to have…
Ummm…. I just want to swim.
Kids… we think they want all these grand, over-the-top activities, when sometimes, all they want is to be outside swimming. Your wish is granted, my child!
Our conversation actually led to a couch date Bryan and I had later that night about family vacations. As in, where should we vacation this summer with the kids? If you have kids, you know where I’m going with this. There is no such thing as vacation with children. When my brother and sister-in-law got married in Kauai, we were like, “Where is the child drop-off zone so we can go kayaking and snorkeling for the day?” Point made.
So this summer we are taking family adventure days to a whole new level. A day we can pack in and live out. A week of vacation… perhaps when they are older and will appreciate the Bend Oregon brewery tour or stand back to admire the architecture of Boston’s history sans nap.
What else beside swimming would be fun? I look at Tanner, his eyes in deep concentration cracking those peanuts free.
The freckles on his nose wrinkle. I adore it when he does that face.
I want to go someplace they make chocolate! Really, are you in the running for best kid-of-the-year award? I’m so proud!
Like a chocolate factory?
Crack, crack, peanut shells fall all over the floor. Yep!
I think we can sacrifice a family adventure day for the greater chocolate good. Check!
Stay tuned to see the list we came up with. Yes, Jelly Belly Factory may be on the agenda.
What felt like two months later, we completed the task of releasing approximately 7,253 peanuts from their shell prison and had enough peanuts to adequately warrant a full jar. It was peanut butter makin’ time.
Homemade Peanut Butter
Recipe from Food Network
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 to 2 tablespoons kosher salt
De lish, right? Who doesn’t want to lick this from the jar!
Amazing how making something so simple can be so fun! And you never know the conversation you may share with your son or daughter in the process. I’ll start praying now that they too want to visit a chocolate factory this summer!