#15: Try PB&J.

Note: I'm writing this post from a hospital bed, so I apologize if my writing is not up to par...)

A 2002 survey showed the average American will have eaten 1,500 of these sandwiches before graduating from high school. I will have eaten one.


#15: Try PB & J.

Let me start with a little backstory. When I was a child, I was told I had to avoid all things peanutty as my dad was deathly allergic to peanuts. Many people think that means I was a deprived child, denied the joys of Peanut M&Ms, Nutella, NutterButters, Snickers, peanut butter crackers, peanut butter and banana toast, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (the #1 selling candy in America, as I learned while completing my 83rd goal at the Hershey Factory), and most importantly, PB&J sandwiches.

I was just raised to have a distaste in peanut products. I haven't known any other way. In recent years, I have finally been given permission to eat peanut products, but I've just had no interest in even trying it. I realized though that I have to be missing something if so many people eat one every day and rave about it. Plus, I love jelly!

At the beach, I told Aunt Amy about this little experiment I'm doing and she insisted that I read her the list. When it came to this goal, she told me she had never tried a PB&J sandwich either, but for the opposite reason of myself: she has a soft spot for peanut butter but hates jelly! She thinks the texture and consistency are weird. I will admit, jelly is a little difficult to spread, but come on... it's fruit and sugar! (I mean, really, how do you enjoy a semi-solid spread made out of crushed legumes more than a sweet, sugary, fruity concoction???) Anyways, she said she would happily help me to cross this goal off my list before the end of the week if I would let her and, timid as I was, I agreed. It calmed me to know I'd have a partner in this new experience.

When we went grocery shopping, Mom picked up a small jar of grape jelly and a small jar of Jif smooth peanut butter. Aunt Amy and I reached an agreement that we would each get to spread one piece of bread with the ingredient we didn't like, that way we were fair with the amount of nasty we each had to endure. That doesn't mean we were unfair and put one little drip of each, but we didnt cake it on either to make each other gag.

On the morning before Mom and I left the beach (we had something the next day so we had to leave early), Aunt Amy and I agreed to have the sandwich with breakfast. We each got a big glass of water to wash it down afterward. We took some pics of each of us with the ingredients. I spread a fair share of peanut butter on one slice of whole white bread and Aunt Amy (still somewhat cautious) put a modest amount on the other. We pressed them together, cut it in half, and counted to three...

One... two... three... *munchmunchmunch*

Before I start talking about my feelings on the sandwich, let me just say you must recognize that I already resented peanut butter without even tasting it, but I tried to be unbiased. I gave it a shot. That said, while I fully expected it to be terrible, it turned out not to be quite as bad as I had gone into it expecting. That is... not QUITE as bad. I still have trouble understanding why kids would request this for lunch every day. Not just this, but this in a warm, mildewy brown paper bag. I don't know; my best hypothesis would be that parents force their children to eat it since it's so easy to make, but I honestly couldn't even finish my half for breakfast, let alone eat one or two for lunch every day for the entirety of my high school career. It made me appreciate Mrs. Kalivas' cooking even more than I already do!

Aunt Amy said it wasn't half bad and that she'd give jelly a try in the future. I might try some other peanut products in the future, but I highly doubt I'd ever enjoy them very much. No matter, I still accomplished it. I have to thank Aunt Amy for being a part of this... I hardly ever see her so it means a lot to say she helped me with a part of my list, and I csn't think of anyone I'd rather have eaten my first PB&J with. Other than maybe PB&J Otter, but they got cancelled.

So, there you have it. I am no longer a PB&J virgin. But I think I'll be taking a vow of PB&J celibacy now. =)

Watch the video all the way til the end, when Uncle Marty makes a short but funny and notable cameo...