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Do you like peanut butter? Good, or maybe not so good, but that’s what it’s about today.

Did you know that it takes almost 4,000 peanuts to fill a five pound container of peanut butter? Half of all peanuts eaten in the United States are used to make peanut butter. This is crazy... East Coast people prefer creamy peanut butter, West Coast people like theirs chunky. Now, how in the world do they, whoever it is, know that? It is one of the most often purchased items in the grocery store with sales of over one billion. Americans eat enough peanut butter in a year to make over 10 billion peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, estimating two tablespoons per sandwich. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches are one of our favorites for a light lunch, however, peanut butter and jelly run a close second. When we bought a different car, the license number was XXX-PBJ. It didn’t take long to learn those numbers. About sandwiches... Hubert Humphrey’s favorite sandwich was peanut butter, baloney, cheddar cheese, lettuce and mayo on toasted bread with ketchup on the side... I’ll stick to peanut butter and bananas.

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BANANA CAKE WITH PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
Cake:
2-1/4 c. flour
1-1/4 t. baking powder
1 t. each, baking soda and salt
1 c. mashed bananas (three medium)
1 c. buttermilk, room temp
2/3 c. shortening (not butter or margarine)
1-1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 t. vanilla

Icing:
1-8 oz. pkg. cream cheese softened
1/2 c. each, light corn syrup and creamy peanut  butter
1 c. chopped unsalted peanuts

In a medium bowl, combine first four ingredients, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together shortening and sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and banana mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Beat until well blended. Spread in a greased and floured 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake completely in pan on wire rack.
To make icing, combine cream cheese and corn syrup in a small mixer bowl until smooth. Add peanut butter, beat until well blended. Spread on cooled cake. Garnish with chopped peanuts. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. Makes 16 to 20 servings.
Note:  If you don’t have buttermilk, put 1 T. vinegar or lemon juice in a one cup measure. Add milk to make one cup. Let sit five minutes.

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PEANUT BUTTER BARS
1/2 c. each, butter or margarine, softened, sugar, packed brown sugar and creamy peanut butter
1 egg, beaten
1 t. vanilla
1 c. flour
1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 c. chocolate chips

Icing:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 T. creamy peanut butter
2 T. milk

In a mixing bowl, cream together first four ingredients. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, combine next four ingredients; stir into creamed mixture. Spread into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes. Combine icing ingredients. Drizzle over bars. Makes about three dozen bars

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PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES WITH 
TOFFEE BITS
1/2 c. shortening
3/4 c. creamy peanut butter
1-1/4 c. packed brown sugar
3 T. milk
1 T. vanilla
1 egg
1-1/2 c. flour
3/4 t. each, baking soda and salt
1-1/3 c. (8 oz. package) milk chocolate toffee bits

In a large bowl, beat together first five ingredients until well blended. Add egg; beat until just blended. Combine next three ingredients; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. Stir in one cup toffee bits; saving remainder for topping. Drop batter by heaping teaspoons about two inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Top each cooke with remaining toffee bits. Bake at 375 degrees for seven to eight minutes or until set. Do not over back. Cool two minutes on sheets. Remove to wire rack, cool completely. Makes about three dozen cookies.

Thought for the Day: When nobody around you seems to measure up, it’s time to check your yardstick.

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