It's been a while since I've last posted an entry here and it's mostly because I just haven't had much to say that I thought was original or worthy of commentary. So while it has been tempting to gloat about the New England Patriots or about the rising star of Barack Obama, nothing has quite stirred me enough to do more than comment in others' blogs for some time now.
Until today.
This afternoon I prepared my usual big-day-in-sports snack, a Fluffernutter* and a Diet Coke. As I was assembling the necessary ingredients (whole wheat bread, peanut butter, and Marshmallow Fluff) I came face to face with one of the weaker legs of my marriage. Why the heck do we keep our peanut butter in the refrigerator? We don't buy the all-natural, organic, oil-on-top style of peanut butter as the grocery store house brand is quite good enough. Nowhere on the package is there a recommendation that the contents be refrigerated. And yet, for the entirety of my marriage I've had to risk tendonitis every time I've wanted to sweep a knife through the peanut butter in order to make a sandwich. No such luck.
In our house, with its constantly refrigerated peanut butter, making a peanut butter sandwich is a test of wrist and forearm strength. Cold peanut butter is only slightly more malleable than concrete and is a danger to slices of bread of all kinds.
So why do I say that this reveals something about my marriage? I say this because clearly I have subsumed my preference for soft and creamy room-temperature peanut butter to the obsessive and unconsciously mother-driven kitchen habits of my spouse. Why, I wonder, have I allowed this to happen? Is this some sign that I am a better husband than one who insists on storing his peanut butter the way he prefers? Or is it a sign that I have allowed the balance of power to rest squarely too heavily on the other side of the equation?
Damned if I know the answer, but I am definitely interested in knowing where you keep your peanut butter once the jar is opened.
* For those who do not know about Fluffernutters, here's the story.
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lioneljay posted on Feb 03, 2008
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Comments
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TinSoldier said on Feb 03, 2008....
Umm, not in the fridge?
Then again, we don't put butter (margarine, actually) in the fridge unless the weather is warm, and unlike when growing up we don't keep bread in the fridge either.
Oh, and I've never had a fluffernutter, although I've heard of them.
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gingersoul said on Feb 03, 2008....
LJ...oh, how so refreshing....i thought all the Soulcast men were glued in front of the tv watching those buffed asses running up and down..and there you are... talking about peanut butter.....
This post makes you even more dear to me...;-)
To answer your question....the philosophical answer could be....another question...
Are are indeed this gentle and tempered man who doesn't care showing this sign of weakness in allowing his wife to keep the peanut butter in the cold, while not necessary, or is the peanut butter jar the only proof of this kindness of heart?
Utlimately...are you allowing the jar in the fridge because in doing so you feel entitled to other actions that maybe your wife is not that happy about? I dont know...leaving the toilet lid always up?.. .
As for me...i don't like peanut butter.....but my daughter loves it . So i buy it and keep it in the pantry. Only when i buy the organic one the jar goes in the fridge...
When i was married my ex liked peanut butter and never questioned the fact that it was in the pantry...do i have to guess your wife has some serious issues here?
Did you ever try to move the jar and see her reactions? Would she scream at you or furtively move the jar back in the fridge?
You are right......this peanut butter jar could be the corner stone of your marriage..lol...
Always a pleasure reading you, my friend....:-)
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Lucytorial said on Feb 03, 2008....
must be room temp, every time I see it or the vegemite in the fridge I crash them straight back into the cupboard... there is nothing worse that rock hard pn butter... especially if you like the crunchy kind... then its like badly mixed cement... my hb has a habbit of refrigerating everything with a lid on it... I've even found cooking oil in the fridge! (wtf is that about) -
lioneljay said on Feb 03, 2008....
TS, Ginger, and Lucy, thanks for your thoughts. As I think back over this issue (and it's a small thing, really) I think that we must have had the discussion very early on. She believes that almost all food belongs in the refrigerator if it's in an opened container. I see it as being overly cautious, which is very much in keeping with the rest of approach to life.
Note that I've edited my original post to include a link to an informational page on Fluffernutters. It's the king of snack sandwiches.
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lioneljay said on Feb 03, 2008....
Oh, and Ginger: I have been watching the game. :D After all, the Patriots are my second team and I have to support them.
I'm also looking forward to watching the Obama for President ad when it appears (if it is shown in my state).
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secretlife said on Feb 03, 2008....
in the pantry.peanut butter needs to be soft.i can understand maybe keeping the jelly in the fridge-but peanut butter?ok, here's what my parents did, cause my mother was an oddball-my mother would not touch peanut butter or jelly unless she was the first person to open it. she always bought the smallest jars of both...so she'd have to buy it often.once someone else ate out of the jar she couldn't eat it again...she's odd like this about alot of things, but the only separation is with peanut butter and jelly.once we realized this, we solved the problem. she got her own separate jars of peanut butter and jelly.i think this is what you need.badly. -
nursecutie said on Feb 03, 2008....
I've never put peanut butter in the fridge before. That would be yucky to me. We just leave it on a shelf in the kitchen. One of my friends puts everything in the refrigerator. Things like bread and crackers and cookies. Yuck! I never understood that because then they get damp and squishy.......
xxoo natalie xxoo
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Lucytorial said on Feb 03, 2008....
well I have to put bread, crackers and stuff like that in the fridge because of the humidity, bread will only last a day before it goes mouldy if I don't, crackers go soggy and there is nothing worse than shoving a cracker in your gob and it kind of just sits there limply denying you crunch... -
MissMimi said on Feb 03, 2008....
Very interesting. Peanut butter storage as a metaphor for balance of power in a marriage. In our home, it's not peanut butter storage, but it damn sure is a whole variety of other things that drive me crazy. I know exactly whereof you speak.
It's a pleasure to see you posting again, sirP.
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lioneljay said on Feb 03, 2008....
It doesn't matter any longer. Since my Patriots just lost the game, I figure I'm about to go into a multi-month period of depression. I can only eat peanut butter when I'm in a good mood. -
Lucytorial said on Feb 03, 2008....
yeh I just heard on someone elses post that NY won, not that I care... do you want anything to ease the pain lioneljay?? -
TinSoldier said on Feb 03, 2008....
Dude, I was rooting for the Pats too, but still. What a great game! (Although I was busy cooking through most of it). -
sweetsoul said on Feb 03, 2008....
My peanut butter is currently in the fridge but that's because it's all natural. If it's not natural, it's definitely in the cupboard.As for your other question - I think it depends how many jars of peanut butter there are in your house. :) -
Eilan said on Feb 03, 2008....
We keep our peanut butter in the kitchen cabinet that houses the cereal, oatmeal, and rice. That's what passes for a pantry in our house.
I do have some natural peanut butter that's supposed to be refrigerated, but I don't like the consistency of it when it's cold. And I accidentally bought crunchy instead of creamy.
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lioneljay said on Feb 03, 2008....
Lucy, I'm doing an inventory of the liquor on hand right now. I suspect that it's nearly enough to dull the ache. Not sure about mixing gin and bourbon and brandy in the same night of drinking but a man has to do wihat a man has to do. ;)
TS, the Giants played a far better defensive game than I think anyone expected of them. What were you cooking? That's much more interesting to me.
SS, there is but one jar of peanut butter in the house and for some reason this afternoon it spoke to me of power exchange. Oh well, the places one's mind can go on a quiet day, eh?
Eilan, so far it's unanimous and I'm thinking of calling for a special legislative session on the matter. Film at 11.
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Lucytorial said on Feb 03, 2008....
okay guys... I'm confused... WHAT THE HELL is fake peanut butter??? we only get one kind here, the real kind, no artificial colours, preservatives or flavours... whats with the fate shit?? I don't get it, how do you make fake pn butter??? -
TinSoldier said on Feb 03, 2008....
lj -- I was making chicken chili. But it came out a bit too spicy for my family due to the chipotle chiles called for in the recipe. It was almost too much for me. Almost.
But still very good, and I plan on freezing the leftovers.
I'll post the recipe if you want...
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silverwhisper said on Feb 03, 2008....
:D -
Lucytorial said on Feb 03, 2008....
someone gonna answer?? how do you make fake peanut butter?? -
Zayda said on Feb 03, 2008....
Lucy: All natural peanut butter consists of nothing but the ground peanuts and the natural oil that comes from those peanuts. So it actually separates into a layer of the ground peanuts and a layer of oil if it sits for a long time. It's recommended that you refrigerate it to 1) preserve it, and 2) slow down the separation into a layer of the ground nuts and a layer of the oil.
Other peanut butters that you can buy, that are creamed for you, have natural emulsifiers and preservatives (not artificial preservatives) and are not just simply ground peanuts. Jif, for instance, is peanuts, sugar, and other ingredients.
As to LJ's pondering and musing, we have two jars of peanut butter in our house, creamy for the husband and little man and crunchy for me. Both are in the kitchen cabinet. The only time we refrigerate peanut butter is if it's the 100% natural kind. I have sesame butter in the refrigerator right now though. -
Fallyn said on Feb 03, 2008....
my grandmother keeps it in the cupboard.
my mother kept it in the fridge until i was a teen and kept taking it out.
my peanut butter is always in the cupboard.......hard cold peanut butter drives me crazy. and i've never had a jar go rancid.
i keep butter in the freezer, the fridge and in a cupboard.
i buy it in bulk cause it's SO much cheaper that way.
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dailyachesandpains said on Feb 04, 2008....
LJ! Fluffernutters! I haven't had one in SO long! Are they native to New England or something? I think I haven't made one because I can't stand the sticky Fluff!We never put PB in the fridge. The butter is out unless it's summer. Bye the way, the butter out of the fridge is what Mr. Daily grew up with and I now live with. I had never heard of people keeping it out until after we were married and lived together, lol! With my OCD, it drives me NUTS being on the counter. I need a clean counter top with nothing on it at all.Sucks about the Pat's, doesn't it! Well my fellow New England fan, Red Sox pitcher and catchers report for spring training really soon! Oh and don't forget, rings are going to be presented on opening day!Daily -
destinydiva said on Feb 04, 2008....
very clever post lj! I dont like peanut butter, so I dont have to worry about storing it... but my mum stores everything in the fridge once its been opened.... my mum and dad have this argument over jam!! (actually I think it does say on our jars..once opened keep refrigerated...I will check when I go my mums!!)
anyways my mum always wins! my dad likes his jam room temp my mum insists it must be refridgerated... so my dad gives in and has cold jam!!
I dont know if its an act of love or just compliance to avoid conflict??? :-) cool post!!!! :-) xx
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silverwhisper said on Feb 04, 2008....
LJ quoth:
while it has been tempting to gloat about the new england patriots.
[says nothing]
and to answer your question: in the cupboard. i don't really understand the concept of keeping it in the fridge, to be honest.
ed -
quietone said on Feb 04, 2008....
Oh, it has to be soft...in the cupboard..other wise its like p.b. fudge! I love fluffernutters only I prefer it on white bread that is really fresh and soft also. How in the world do you manage to spread it on bread when it has been in the fridge? -
rupert7 said on Feb 04, 2008....
In the fridge,where else???? -
sweetsoul said on Feb 04, 2008....
LJ the comment regarding how many jars was meant figuratively. -
Mamie said on Feb 04, 2008....
in the cupboard....there is nothing worse than a torn piece of bread...LOL to Secret! Your mom had her own jar!! funny! -
nytquill17 said on Feb 04, 2008....
Our peanut butter lives on my desk. It's not supposed to; it's supposed to go on the bookshelf that I've appropriated for a pantry. But I often need a little dose of protein and carbs for my blood sugar, so the peanut butter lives with me now!
I should really get the all-natural stuff though. I've been thinking about it even before I saw this post. If I do, I'll keep it in the fridge.
My husband thinks that everything in our fridge had gone bad long before it really has. He "doubles" time, too - things that I bought a week ago are two weeks old to him, and something I put in the fridge a few days ago, he thinks has been in there a week. So I spend a lot of time convincing him that our food is still good (I've given up trying to adjust his time-warp because his memory is always right *wink*). I'm always saying things like, "No, that's just a spot of butter in your jam, not mold," or "That's exactly what it's supposed to smell like."
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simplyklo said on Feb 04, 2008....
Since I'm a single mom I wouldn't dream of putting the peanut butter in the fridge - that would be too much work to scoop the hardened peanut butter onto the bread to make my kids' sandwiches and would undoubtedly lead to a morning tamtrum on my part. (I hate it when people put the butter in the fridge too ... unless it's 100 degrees in the house, what's the point?!!!!) -
lioneljay said on Feb 04, 2008....
Holy mackerel, there's been a lot of conversation here since I last checked in.
Mimi, thanks for dropping by. And I find that peanut butter with its sometimes smooth and sometimes sticky texture is actually a fair metaphor for power exchange situations.
TS, your story sounds familiar. For last year's superbowl I modified my usual chili recipe to includ some chipotle peppers and was roundly booed for the effort. Like my Bears last year and my Pats this year, the chili was a surprise loser.
Z, I actually like the natural peanut butters a lot but the type we buy is plenty good enough, particularly in light of the volume that our two boys generally consume. I've never quite understood the appeal of crunchy peanut butter, but chacun à son goût. And thanks for providing Lucy with the needed explanation.
Fallyn, I read your comment and wondered what impact it would have if I simply moved the open peanut butter to the dupboard. However, now that I have begun to see the peanut butter as a metaphor for power and control, I'm thinking that a direct confrontation would be more appropriate.
Daily, Fluffernutters (capitalized because it's actually a trademark) are a New England phenomenon because the company that makes Fluff (Durkee-Mower Inc.) is based in Lynn, MA. Indeed, it doth suck about the Pats. I have colored the air blue with my private thoughts on the matter and will not embarrass myself by repeating them here.
Destinydiva, thanks for stopping by. I believe that most jams and jellies can survive a certain amount of time at room temperature but for longer periods (beyond a few days, perhaps) refrigeration is needed. That said, a very cold jam simply doesn't have the same flavor as one that is warmer.
Ed, meh! I don't understand the concept either. In fact, what I find interesting about this situation is that my wife follows directions like a good German. She measures ingredients whenever she cooks, even when making something where the precise chemistry of baking isn't in play.
Quietone, I'm delighted to hear that someone else around here loves Fluffernutters. Spreading cold peanut butter is the best way to acquire a preference for sturdy bread.
Rupert, you seem to be in the minority here. What's your reasoning for using the refrigerator, if I might ask?
SS, I had a feeling that you were speaking figuratively. I'm coming to the conclusion that we need a few more jars around here.
Mamie, thanks for stopping by. I agree with you on torn bread - it's one of lifes uglier small aggravations.
Nytquill, have you ever thought of putting dated stickers on your food - if only to assert yourself to the hub? I munch almonds as a way of keeping my energy up without consuming excessive amounts of carbs.
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lioneljay said on Feb 04, 2008....
Simplyklo, it's good to see you back here. Did you grow up eating Fluffernutters up there in your part of the woods we know as Maine? -
the_infernal_optimist said on Feb 04, 2008....
Ewww! Refrigerated peanut butter? Gross! You're a better spouse than I am - that would be grounds for a serious argument in this apartment. :-D Luckily, we both think the peanut butter is just fine in a cabinet or on the corner of the counter with the snack stuff (we don't have enough cabinet space for everything, tiny kitchen).
Now I want a fluffernutter! I'm glad I'm not the only SCer who loves those.
~Infernal
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one.way.or.another. said on Feb 04, 2008....
i hate peanut butter..ugh! but frankie (my best friend) keeps ours in a cupboard i think, i generally dont go near it though (: -
Battycat said on Feb 04, 2008....
I'm with you one.way, YUK, I don't have peanut butter at all :-) -
4lorac said on Feb 04, 2008....
pnt bttr, where ever it happens to land, but not the fridge. got 2 grandsons that live on the stuff, cant keep it in the house long enuff to worry about if its been on the counter too long. I take it to work with me in little containers to put on my celery....better for my blood sugars than chips or candy huh. jelly get refridgerated, hate moldy spots. now for the kicker, where do you keep your ketchup...I refridgerate it, the other half leaves it out....yuck, says the hi acid content wont let it mold.... -
wombat said on Feb 04, 2008....
I keep it in the cabinet on the shelf--but if it looks watery around the top, I toss it out. I didn't know what a fluffernutter was until I met my Yankee dude. Also, where I used to work, a customer asked me if we had any fluff. After I stopped laughing--(and tried to sell him a bag of marshmallows) I found out it actually said "Fluff" on the jar! Cracked me up. -
lioneljay said on Feb 04, 2008....
Infernal, it seems that this post has drawn more than a few Fluffernutter lovers. It's my mission in life to spread the word about the glorious Fluffernutter.
One.way and Battycat, thanks for dropping by. I've met very few people who absolutely will not eat peanut butter under any circumstances. Welcome anyways. :D
Welcome, 4lorac. We keep our ketchup in the refrigerator but as I don't use the stuff I really don't care where it's stored.
Wombat, I gather that your yankee friend showed you the way away from the dark side and now you're a fan of the Fluffernutter. Right?
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soleme said on Feb 04, 2008....
A fluffernutter sounds delicious, I have to try one.
I keep my peanut butter in the frig. and a jar in the cabinet for my husband. Ice cold peanut butter goes great with sliced apples.
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desertsienna2 said on Feb 04, 2008....
I hate all peanut butter but do like praline. No jars around here, thanks. -
desertsienna2 said on Feb 04, 2008....
Hoff Sommers applies Paulo Freire's principle of transition to supremacy movements in successful political struggles to the mainstream feminist movement. She encapsulates this transition using the two terms "equity feminism" and "gender feminism." Hoff Sommers describes equity feminism as the struggle for equal legal and civil rights and many of the original goals of the first wave of the women's movement; while describing "gender feminism" as the action of accenting the differences of genders for the purposes of creating privilege for women in academia, government, industry, or advancing personal agendas. (This thesis is echoed by Tammy Bruce, former president of NOW, in her book The New Thought Police.) -
lioneljay said on Feb 04, 2008....
Desertsienna2, welcome to my blog. Praline butter sounds wonderful. I'll see if I can find some. However, I'm not entirely sure why you posted your second comment here. It doesn't seem to be germane to the discussion - unless I'm missing something.
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wombat said on Feb 04, 2008....
lioneljay: No, actually, even though I like peanut butter and I like marshmallows somewhat--I found I didn't like them together--so I guess I am still a wandering fool.....ha. -
lioneljay said on Feb 04, 2008....
Wombat, have you actually tried a Fluffernutter? I despise marshmallows but find the flavor of Fluff to be quite different.
Try it, you'll like it.
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wombat said on Feb 04, 2008....
I took a bite of his sandwich. Maybe I didn't give it a fair shot. Will try again sometime maybe! -
onemind46 said on Feb 12, 2008....
peanut butter must be smooth and very spreadable. -
lioneljay said on Feb 21, 2008....
For anyone who's interested, room-temperature peanut butter is more aromatic and definitely more flavorful than when it's kept in the refrigerator. -
silverwhisper said on Feb 22, 2008....
o, i've always known that, LJ. :>
ed -
lioneljay said on Feb 22, 2008....
Ed, are you telling me that you experimented with refrigerated peanut butter? :p -
silverwhisper said on Feb 22, 2008....
sadly, i have--but i didn't inhale!
ed -
rupert7 said on Feb 22, 2008....
I just follow instructions...my wife puts everything in the fridge!!!
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