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Nuts to you! If it had nothing else but wake up America to peanuts we might want to thank Oriental cooking for the peanut. Far Eastern cooks used peanuts in many of their recipes, giving the dish a crunch and a little sweet taste. Americans learned to use them crushed and mixed together with butter to make a spread for sandwiches and crackers and an added ingredient in cookies, muffins, breads and sauces. The average peanut butter sandwich is more economical and contains fewer calories and less fat than a tuna salad sandwich, a hamburger on a bun or a bologna sandwich. What would you say is the quickest sandwich to make and is full of nutritional values....protein, high in fiber, low in salt and cholesterol ?

What else could it be but peanut butter. Bud's Mom often made a peanut butter and banana sandwich along with a glass of milk when the kids came home from school for lunch.....and an apple to eat when they ran back to school

Let's have p.b. sandwich for lunch, a snack or even p.b on toast for breakfast Do you know what your license plate number is? Mine is --- PB&J!

PEANUT BUTTER BARS
½ c. butter or margarine, softened
½ c. each, sugar, packed brown sugar and creamy peanut butter
1 egg, beaten
1 t. vanilla
1 c flour
½ c. quick-cooking oats
1 t. baking soda
¼ t. salt
1 c. chocolate chips

Icing:
½ c. powdered sugar
2 T. creamy peanut butter
2 T. milk

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugars and peanut butter. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt; stir into the 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. Meanwhile, combine icing ingredients until smooth; drizzle over bars. Cool completely and drizzle is set. Makes 3-4 dozen.

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PEANUT BUTTER HONEY BARS
1-1/2 c. flour
2-1/2 t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
½ c. packed brown sugar
¼ c. milk
6 T. butter or margarine, melted
½ c. peanut butter
2 beaten eggs
¼ c. honey
1 t. vanilla

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar; set aside. In another bowl, combine milk, melted butter, peanut butter, eggs, honey and vanilla; mix well. Pour into the dry ingredients. Stir just until blended. Spoon into 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan. Makes 12 muffins.

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CRISPY CHICKEN WITH PEANUT
BUTTER 'N HONEY SAUCE
1 c. salad dressing
2 T. peanut butter
2 T. Dijon mustard
¼ c. honey
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into ¾ by 2 inch strips
1-1/2 c. finely crushed potato chips

In a bowl, combine salad dressing, peanut butter, mustard and honey. Pour half of mixture into a shallow dish (pie pan works). Put chips in another shallow dish. Dip chicken strips in sauce, letting some of sauce drip off end; coat with crushed chips. Place on greased or sprayed cookie sheet or a 9x13-inch baking dish. Bake at 425 degrees 8 minutes. Using a tongs, turn strips. Continue baking 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve with remaining peanut butter sauce. Makes 4 servings.

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PEANUT BUTTER QUICK BREAD
½ c. peanut butter
1 T. shortening
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg slightly beaten
2 c. flour
2-1/2 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
1-1/4 c. milk
1 t. grated orange rind
½ c. chopped dates

Combine peanut butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl; blend thoroughly. Beat in sugar; add egg and mix well. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In a small bowl combine milk and orange rind. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk, twice, beating well after each addition. Fold in dates.

Turn batter into well-greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until bread tests done with a toothpick inserted near center of loaf. Let bread sit in pan 15 minutes before removing it to a rack to cool. Makes 14-16 slices. Note: It tastes best after completely cooling so wrap the bread in foil and refrigerate over night to meld flavors and make it easier to slice.

Thought for the Day: From Family Circus cartoon...Dennis is sitting at the table with a sandwich in his hand saying, “I know we have peanut butter, but do they make peanut margarine too?” Alice is going to have a p.b. and j. sandwich for lunch today....with an apple for dessert!

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