I'm a big fan of peanut butter and honey sandwiches (PB&H). Forget about the jelly, it's better with honey. With peanut butter, I prefer the simple sweetness of honey over fruity jams and jellies.

One of my favorite breakfast items is an open-faced peanut butter, banana and honey sandwich, a PBB&H if you will. It's open-faced because I use a thick cinnamon swirl bread from Trader Joe's. It's a hearty wheat bread with a great cinnamon flavor. For breakfast, I usually toast a piece of bread, spread it with creamy peanut butter, slice a banana and drizzle a little bit of honey on top. Two open-face PBB&H sandwiches are very filling and keep me fueled up during long bike rides.

The funny thing is, I refused to eat peanut butter for almost fifteen years. My disdain for peanut butter started during nursery school. My family and I just immigrated to the States and I was literally fresh off the boat. Well, we took a boat from Saigon to Hong Kong, and flew the rest of the way to a small Pennsylvania town, New Cumberland.

Each day after nursery school let out, I would go to a classmate's home, whose mother baby-sat us until my mom finished work. This is were I was first introduced to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I recall it wasn't too bad initially, but I was used to savory banh mi, pho and rice plates.

Unfortunately, every day for the rest of the school year, my classmate's mom would ask her daughter what she wanted for lunch. Her answer was always a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I was a shy 4 year old, who barely spoke English (I'm the kid holding the flag in the picture below). Her mom would ask me what I wanted and I would respond timidly with "uh, same." I didn't know what to say and I knew she didn't know how to make bánh xèo, a Vietnamese sizzling crepe.

PB&J, ugh! It was always PB&J on white bread with the crust cut off. It was a cruel Groundhog Day scenario for a foreign-born, food loving four year old! Over and over for four or five months, it was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch. Man, oh man, did I wish my classmate would answer with anything but PB&J! Every blue moon she would ask for something different, but the only thing I can remember eating at her house was PB&J.

On the last day of nursery school, my mom picked me up and asked me what I had for lunch. I answered simply with "peanut butter and jelly." Of course, I had told my mom that I didn't like peanut butter, but I didn't tell her why. Surprised by my response, my mom asked me, "I thought you didn't like peanut butter?" And I answered, "Yes."

Learning for the first time that I didn't like peanut butter, my classmate's mom was horrified. She asked me why I didn't say anything. I shrugged my shoulders and responded with "don't know", thinking to myself, I don't know how to tell you that I hate peanut butter!

From that day onward, I refused to eat anything with peanut butter. Reese's peanut butter cups... no. Peanut sauces... no way. PB&J... hell no! Fifteen years later, I rediscovered peanut butter as a starving college kid at Penn State. At that time, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich suddenly tasted so good!

As you can see, I've had a love-hate relationship with peanut butter. I love it now, and really enjoy PB&H sandwiches, peanut sauces and peanut butter frosted cupcakes. Currently, Trader Joe's organic peanut butter is my preferred brand. I go back and forth between creamy and crunchy. I'm on a creamy kick right now.

So, that's my peanut butter saga. Do you love peanut butter? What's your favorite food with peanut butter? What's your favorite brand?

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