I assume everyone has heard about the salmonella outbreak by now, and the advice to cut out the peanut butter for the time being. Believe me when I say that a ban on the eating of peanut butter products will go down in my family history as a disaster worthy of its own title.
What am I supposed to throw into a school lunch when I’ve overslept and have only three minutes prep time? How can we live without our peanut butter chip granola bars? I went to the grocery store this morning, and it was really only then, as I cruised the aisles wistfully bypassing one desired item after another that I realized the extent to which my gustatory life revolves around peanut butter. Couldn’t buy my favorite breakfast cereal. My daughter will have to forego her usual bed-time snack.
I’ve relied on peanut butter to be an easy, affordable, yet surprisingly guilt-free way to assuage hunger within my family. I’m not all that great at domestic stuff. (In fairness to myself, I do know the rules for writing a sestina, so I’m not useless.) Without peanut butter, I’ll be forced to put thought and effort into meal planning, and even snack planning. I’m not sure I’m up to the task.
Nomadic Noesis 
That’s one advantage to a peanut allergy — this tragedy has left me unscathed. We buy almond butter at the Costco sometimes. It’s not quite the same, though, and not nearly as cheap.
So when do we get to see your Peanut Butter Sestina? 🙂
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The sestina will be done when I’ve had time to work through the trauma.
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Isn’t fresh ground OK? The local co-op or whole foods etc… has fresh peanut grinders here. I don’t think it was peanuts, but the processing plant that contributed to the contamination.
My kids won’t eat peanut butter and I wish they would. With 6 kids in my family of origin, a trip to the park and the swimming pool included, a jar of peanut butter, a jar of jam, and a loaf of white bread for a picnic.
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