Quite Possibly the Best Gift Ever Given*

Posted on July 25, 2007 by Jenn

[Warning: serious melodrama ahead!]

Peanut butter used to be a staple in my diet. I have actually eaten whole jars without a single slice of bread - by spoon only. That seems like an eternity ago to me. A little over three years ago I was given a complete battery of allergy tests and I was told I was allergic to nearly everything - including peanuts. Never mind the fact that I had actually had a PB&J sandwich the morning of my testing with no ill effects. Never mind the fact that peanuts had never bothered me before. From that moment on, I was to carry an epi-pen and stay away from one of my favorite foods. No more spoonfuls of peanut butter. No more peanut butter cookies. And worst of all, no more Reese’s Cups. I couldn’t even lick my finger when I was a little messy making the girls’ lunches! (sigh) I think this must be akin to some level of hell. Tempted daily by what I couldn’t have. I’ve tried several “alternatives” to peanut butter, but none of them quite had that je ne sais quoi.

But not anymore. Today Brian brought me the best anniversary gift I’ve ever received. Quite possible the best gift ever given. For our 15th anniversary, my beloved gave me this:

sunbutter.gif Sunbutter is made from ground roasted sunflower seeds. I know it sounds kind of nasty, but believe me its taste is soooo yummy and creamy and surprisingly peanut-y! For those who really want to know the details, it’s a little stickier than your normal PB, and it does have a slight sunflower aftertaste, but I could get used to this stuff. When I realized exactly what my dh had just given me, I actually cried tears of joy. I’ve already eaten 1/4 of the jar with a spoon. They even have recipes for all those yummy PB goodies I’ve been avoiding at the fellowship meals at church. If this stuff tastes as good when you bake with it, my husband has just changed my life!

Now if only the Hershey’s folks would make Sunbutter Reese’s Cups…

*Okay, okay, I guess it comes in a close second behind Jesus as a salvation gift for all mankind. ;)

8 Comments »

Comment by Rusty

July 26, 2007 @ 11:22 pm

Thank you for posting this! One of our kids is allergic to peanuts and I was not aware of Sunbutter.

Comment by Kathy

July 27, 2007 @ 9:54 am

You might want to give cashew butter a try, too! Oh my word. I don’t know if anyone sells it. My dad had a Champion juicer that had a nut butter attachment and he would make cashew butter with it several times a week. For 40 years.

Comment by Brian

July 27, 2007 @ 11:48 am

Rusty - I think your kid would like this. I can eat peanut butter but I’d be happy with just the sunbutter if it was a little less expensive. So for now I guess it’s regular PB for the rest of the family. BTW, I found mine in the health food section of Kroger. And I think you can find it at Publix as well. Not sure about the other national chains.

Kathy - I know that Jenn has tried several things but not sure about Cashew butter. Just curious, do you know what the cashews per ounce ratio was?

Comment by Jenn

July 27, 2007 @ 1:46 pm

Rusty,
I hope that you can find and try this stuff. Brian mentioned that it was more expensive than regular PB, but I think it’s comparably priced to other PB alternatives or even most “natural” PBs. At least it seemed to be at Kroger. Hope it’s a hit at your house, too!

Kathy,
Yes, I tried cashew butter and almond butter, too. They’re not bad. I guess I even enjoyed them, but they are not peanut butter. I missed the real deal peanut-flavored stuff. Sunbutter is as close as I’ve found. Call me hard core. :D

Comment by Milly

July 28, 2007 @ 1:29 am

I’d think about having the PB allergy thing rechecked when I hadn’t eaten some. With most Peanut allergies you have to watch a ton of stuff because it was processed in the same place. I love sunflower seeds I’m looking for that stuff.

Comment by Kathy

July 29, 2007 @ 12:16 am

Nope, I don’t know the ratio…I figured it must be about 1:1 …there’s no waste.

Ok, I will have to try the sunflower seed butter! Jenn’s lackluster reaction to cashew butter has convinced me it must be really wonderful! (Was the cashew butter fresh from a grinder and unsalted? Yum!!!)

Comment by Jenn

July 29, 2007 @ 8:17 am

Kathy,
Honestly, I’m not sure. I only had it once, and if I remember correctly, someone brought it to me. And keep in mind that I was tasting it looking for a peanut butter substitute. I’d gladly try it again if I could find someone with that juicer, though!

Comment by Angie

September 2, 2007 @ 11:16 pm

Kathy-

You don’t know me, and I came across this website through a Google search. You said that you tested positive for allergy to many things including peanut butter, but you had and PB&J sandwich the morning of your test. Allergy tests can be wrong (skin tests have 30% false positives). If you have no ill effects when you eat it, you probably aren’t allergic to it. I have children with life-threatening food allergies, so I’ve been through several tests - both skin and blood tests and I have seen some bad reactions when they eat something that they are allergic to. If my kids eat or touch something that they are actually allergic to, they have a reaction right away. One of my daughter’s blood tests indicated that she was allergic to wheat, but I’ve never seen any noticable reaction to it. The doctor said that she probably was not allergic to it even though the clinical test said ‘yes.’ Anyways, it sounds like your doctor over-reacted to the test he/she gave you and you should look into it further. Perhaps you can actually have your beloved peanut butter after all!

Blessings,
Angie Morris

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