10 Life-Changing Peanut Butter Sandwiches for Your Best Ever Cheat Day
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Posted by
John Romaniello
This is an article about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Why would be publish such a thing? Simple. Because we want to. And, chances are, because definitely want to read it.
More to the point, anyone who’s been reading this site for a while knows three things about the collective member of the Roman Fitness Empire:
- We love food. In particular, we love steak…and we’re way better at cooking it than you.
- We also love ice cream. Which is why we occasionally have some epic cheat days.
- We tend to be somewhat inappropriate, and often use the word “buttsecks” when we probably shouldn’t.
But, life isn’t all about sex, steak, and ice cream—more’s the pity. While those are certainly three of the Pillars of Happiness, man cannot subsist solely on his vices.
You probably know this. And you also know that for most of us here at RFS, the vast majority of our dietary intake is made up of clean, whole foods—sometimes upgraded versions of traditional versions.
What you might not know, however, is that one of our favorite foods of all time is one of the most ubiquitous meals around: the peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Of course, while the PB&J is good, it’s not what we consider to be perfect. It’s a bit too plain. Too basic. So we set about trying to improve upon it. Led by none other than Sir Dr. Giovanni Vincenzo Romaniello, III, Esq.1, the Chief Bro King2 of the Roman Fitness Empire, we started experimenting.
In the end, we came up with TEN incredible takes on the classic American lunchbox staple. And today, we’d like to share them with you.
Behold this video, featuring our fearless leader in all his glory! Behold the magnificence of the upgraded PB&J:
Pretty cool, huh?
As promised in the video, here is a break down of the recipes:
1) The Summer Special
INGREDIENTS: Sunflower Seed Butter, Watermelon-Orange Marmalade
This is one of the coolest things I’ve tried. Normally, I don’t like sunflower seed butter; I just find the taste weird. The marmalade, on the other hand, is amazing; it’s like biting into a piece of fruit. Together, they make for a delicious, summery mix that’s like eating a fruit basket in a soft, edible bread blanket.
2) The Let’s Pretend It’s Healthy
INGREDIENTS: Naturally More Almond Butter, Polaner Sugar Free Strawberry Preserves with Fiber.
This sammich is really delicious. As I said in the video, it’s made with the best possible ingredients (at least from a calorie reduction and volumetric standpoint), so it’s kinda healthy. If you put this on Ezekiel bread — a protein-packed bread made from assorted grains and legumes — it’s even better. You could feasibly work this into your diet on a slightly higher calorie day.
3) New York Cheesecake PB&J
INGREDIENTS: White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter, Blueberry Preserves
Seriously, this tastes like cheesecake. The white chocolate flavored PB has a very rich taste, so it’s not really suited to most spreads; however, the blueberry brings out the sweetness further, and together they make a sandwich that’s basically dessert. To make this even better, I’d recommend bland-tasting bread, like a basic wheat. Full flavored breads mess with the balance.
4) 2 Pies, 1 Sandwich
INGREDIENTS: Pecan Nut Butter, Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Based on my two favorite pies, this one turned out better than I’d dared to hope. Most of the time, pecan butter doesn’t go well with, well, anything, because it has a very “dry” taste. Happily, the sweetness of the strawberry offsets that beautifully — eat up.
5) The Million-Dollar Baby
INGREDIENTS: Macadamia Nut Butter, Trader Joe’s Organic Super Fruit Spread
Honestly, don’t make this sandwich. It costs like 90 dollars. Okay, it’s not that much. But it’s only “okay.” I just like the name. The superfruit spread is delicious on toast, by the way – it just loses it’s flavor when mixed with anything.
6) Roman’s Cinna-Raisin Revenge
INGREDIENTS: Cinnamon Raisin Swirl PB, Pear Preserves or Fig Jam
Notes: As I said, I generally make this one on cinnamon raisin bread. For the healthier folks out there who like to try to be clean even with “cheat” foods, you can actually get cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread, which is pretty tasty.
7) The Swedish Surprise
INGREDIENTS: Mighty Maple PB, Lingonberries, Swedish fish.
Notes: Who puts Swedish fish on a sandwich? Um, ME. They’re my favorite candy and I love them. I mostly put them on the sandwich as a joke, but it turned out to be highly delicious. Like everything else from Sweden, they were nicely complimented by the flavor of the lingonberries.
And now for some NOT featured in the video…
8) The Clusterfluff
INGREDIENTS: Superchunk Peanut Butter, Marshmallow Fluff, Chocolate Chips
This is not even remotely healthy, it’s just tasty. The fluff is sticky, so having the crunchy texture of both the super-chuck peanut butter and the chocolate chips makes for a nice balance. Delicious — you really have no idea.
9) Hawaiian Heaven
INGREDIENTS: Macadamia Nut Butter, Pineapple-Mango Jam
Notes: So-named because of the ingredients, the Hawaiian Heaven is extremely sweet, but also very satisfying. The mac butter makes this pretty filling, it goes down smooth, and for some extra sugary goodness, you can enjoy this with a nice glass of juice.
10) The Trick or Treat
INGREDIENTS: Pumpkin Seed Butter, Pumpkin (fruit) Butter
Notes: I’ll be honest and say that I’ve only had this one once, so my memory is hazy. The reason I haven’t had it again is because pumpkin seed butter is pretty hard to find. Obviously, this tastes like pumpkin, and if you add some graham cracker crumbs it tastes like pumpkin pie. Highly recommended. (Harry Potter fans, wash this down with a mug of pumpkin juice to complete the trifecta.)
Okay, that’s certainly enough to get you going!
So, homework for today: 75 comments about either of the following
-
a) Your favorite cheat day foods
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b) Your OWN PB&J variations. (NOTE: You must come up with a name for it!)
Comments for This Entry
tchal
Loved PBJ's since kidville and it took my first Alpha cheat to give birth to my "Holla A-B J!" 1 whole Trader Joe's Challah toaster-oven'd to medium 12 tbs Trader Joe's crunchy Almond Butter 12 tbs Trader Joe's organic strawberry preserves It's soft in the middle and firm and slightly crispy on the outside with AB&J oozing out the sides. Dished up with a big cup of Guatemalan coffee with coconut milk and honey...it's how I start my Saturday cheats : )October 6, 2013 at 4:33 am
Laura
Grilled cinnamon honey roasted peanut butter and fig jelly sandwich on banana bread french toast. Your welcome.August 30, 2012 at 4:51 pm
Lexi Dogon
a) fave cheat day foods - frozen yogurt with delicious toppings, sweet potato fries, sushi WITH the rice, dark chocolate, ...actually, anything chocolate....... a really good montreal bagel b) the F.I.G. J.A.M ( F#$% I Am Great , Just Ask Me ;) - fig jam or fig preserves - roasted thinly sliced green apples - natural peanut butter ( i like kraft....Canadian after all)May 8, 2012 at 5:15 pm
Jason
I'm a nut butter junkie, I actually just switched to making my own because there aren't enough available brands. If you want the most GODLY tasting nut butter I've ever had get the Honey Almond Butter from Justins. http://www.justinsnutbutter.com/products.php I have no idea if anyone else has posted this. If it's a repeat, it just should be boasted about again.July 21, 2011 at 7:45 am
Steve Auxier
Excellent movements. I totally forgot about these very effective arm movements..great postJune 19, 2011 at 10:42 am
Scott Jones
Try this one. Peanut butter and cabbage. It's way better than it sounds. Hell, if I use raw almond butter, I don't even have to wait for a cheat day. By the way, love my new FPFL. Many thanks.June 16, 2011 at 12:43 pm
Miguel
I'd like to call this one "the goombah" if you have a big sweet tooth and like the combo of pb and chocolate then you gotta try this out: peanut butter nutella whipped cream bread awesome! ps. I don't know if this disqualifies it as a sandwich, but it's easier to eat it open-faced lol enjoy!June 15, 2011 at 12:16 am
John Romaniello
That sounds delicious! Regarding the calorie content of chicken etc - check out NutritionData.com or CalorieKing.comJune 13, 2011 at 12:57 pm
Raj
Roman, Try this... Toasted Warm Bread with all natural peanut butter, strawberry and grape jelly (no added sugar) and chocolate chips. YUM... great cheat day treat for me.... I love PB&J. Also, totally off topic but for XFLD, how do you know how many grams of protein,carbs... are in all natural foods like chicken, fish...June 12, 2011 at 7:56 pm
David
I quite often have a tbsp of Peanut Butter and a cup of yogurt. I stir it together in a bowl and eat it as is.. with no bread. Quick energy without all of the calories. It tastes like pudding so I call it Peanut Butter Pudding!June 9, 2011 at 10:45 am
Nusin
I loved your ideas. Definitely my type of things for cheat days. My favourite is Nutella and sliced banana sandwich which is nice and satisfying to eat once in a while...May 30, 2011 at 3:04 pm
John Romaniello
AWESOME! This stuff looks great. Thanks for that! I'll definitely be ordering some of that.May 29, 2011 at 12:34 pm
John Romaniello
You could always use almond butter =)May 29, 2011 at 12:33 pm
John Romaniello
PB and molasses? Now THAT sounds interesting. I may have to try that!May 29, 2011 at 12:33 pm
Tamar
I know it's unAmerican, but I have a major aversion to PB&J. (It's right up there with ketchup, as far as I am concerned.) But my Dad likes PB with molasses. I guess I would name it the Uncle Remus, since they always buy Brer Rabbit molasses.May 29, 2011 at 12:02 pm
Zac
Y'know, being allergic to peanuts I always feel cheated when it comes to PB&J... Life is so much pain...I'm going to go sob into a dry piece of wholemeal bread now and dream of what it would be like to be normal *flounces off*May 24, 2011 at 3:15 am
Murds
Hey Roman, check out http://www.vtpeanutbutter.com/. Its Natural and even has Whey Isolate in it! My mother bought me like 10 jars for Xmas this last year and its all I ever buy any more for my pb needs. They also have some delicious flavors. Odd as it may sound, I make Peanut butter and banana omelets. Sometimes, if I'm feeling frisky, Ill make a peanut butter, banana, and nutella omelet. Call me crazy!May 23, 2011 at 6:41 pm
Danielle
Man those sound really good. One of my favorite sandwiches comes from when I was little. My mom used to make me a peanutbutter and honey sandwich every day for lunch :) But now I use organic raw almond butter and raw honey. It is definitely DEEE-lightful :)May 20, 2011 at 11:22 am
Robert
Dear Roman, Awesome article i really like peanut butter and jelly, so i definitely plan on on trying some of your recipes. In addition i like to make oatmeal raisin cookies with chocolate chips for my cheat day.May 20, 2011 at 6:41 am
John Romaniello
For paninis...i have to go with my favorite sammich of all time... The CUBAN. Seriously, it cannot be beaten. I will defend it to the death.May 20, 2011 at 1:03 am
John Romaniello
I will def do this. That's a great idea with oatmeal. LOVE it. Thanks!May 20, 2011 at 1:02 am
John Romaniello
I can get down with this. It's got hazelnuts...you get a pass.May 20, 2011 at 12:58 am
John Romaniello
I love Justins! Great stuff there. Can't wait to try some on protein pancakes.May 20, 2011 at 12:54 am
John Romaniello
I'm pretty sure they ship. And you can get it in a number of supermarkets. Regarding the apartment, it's a decent size (for NYC) - I'm quite happy with it. And thanks for the compliment about the hair!May 20, 2011 at 12:54 am
John Romaniello
It's not terrible, but not the best. Ideally you should be having less fat and more carbs post workout. BUT if it's working for you, keep at it. In general, eaten by itself there is nothing "cheaty" about peanut butter.May 20, 2011 at 12:52 am
John Romaniello
How delicious is it, seriously? It's so good. Glad I could help out =)May 20, 2011 at 12:51 am
John Romaniello
Hmm. You know, I really should do more with honey. Good idea. And thanks for the comment, sir =) Glad you liked the blog!May 20, 2011 at 12:51 am
John Romaniello
Hell to the yes. Ben and Jerrys is my go-to ice cream. They have this new red velvet flavor I'm quite fond of, and Jimmy Fallon has a celeb flavor named "late night snack" that's great. Mmm...cheat days.May 20, 2011 at 12:50 am
John Romaniello
Is rhubarb easy to find? I've only been able to get it sporadically. I wonder if it's regional. But if you have a recipe for how to make it, I'd love to give it a shot. Thanks =)May 20, 2011 at 12:49 am
John Romaniello
You are NOT wrong about the cereal. Seriously, I could live on cereal if it wouldn't make me fat. Okay, I'm doing a blog post about cereal. It's decided. Thanks for the idea, sir!May 20, 2011 at 12:48 am
John Romaniello
Sweet! Happy to provide good recipes, my man. Would love to see some ideas from you, of courseMay 20, 2011 at 12:47 am
John Romaniello
Well, from what I hear, vegemite is sort of a love-it-or-hate-it sort of thing, so I guess PB and J is similar. I love the stuff =)May 20, 2011 at 12:46 am
John Romaniello
Actually, that sounds delish. I have tried peanut butter and sweet relish, as well - give that a go, but I recommend using smooth PB for that.May 20, 2011 at 12:45 am
John Romaniello
Surely. You could call them "feast days" as someone suggested. And, my friend Vince Del Monte calls them "treat days," which I think is a very good way to think about it. Hope that helps!May 20, 2011 at 12:45 am
patti
salty satisfaction and pucker power...the peanut butter and pickle sandwich...the TRUE cheat day treat. Roman, you know you wanna try it, do it.May 20, 2011 at 12:37 am
patti
Peanut butter and PICKLE, no joke... slice'm thin...for that salty crave!! toasted or NOT...doesn't matter!!May 20, 2011 at 12:32 am
anotheraussie
I agree, you americans are crazy - so many different kinds of nut butter, and then you weirdly mix in with jam - eeew!May 19, 2011 at 11:04 pm
Dean
Can't wait to read all of this blog post. I'M A PNB LOVER SINCE WAY BACK. Love it, Love it. Yum yum. Thanks Roman.May 19, 2011 at 10:41 pm
Marisa
@Kirk, you could call it a "feast day". Feast day then Fast day... I was inspired so I bought some jams and nut butters, yet I never eat bread so I'm wondering what to put them on!May 19, 2011 at 6:10 pm
Dianne
Justins chocolate hazlenut butter on my homemade protein pancakes with a mashed banana! Almond butter on those protein pancakes with homemade blueberry jam/sauce (very chunkyMay 19, 2011 at 5:35 pm
Jay
My favorite sandwich is raw Sicilian almonds with Fat Toad Caramel sauce (made with goat's milk). This sauce is ridiculously delish. Sometimes I like to add bananas on Ezequiel bread...mmm. My favorite meal on cheat days is Dominican breakfast called Los Tres Golpes (means "The Three Punches"). It is mashed plantains with fried salami, fried cheese and fried egg and hot sauce. It is a heart attack but I love it.May 19, 2011 at 3:28 pm
Sean Tomaszewski
I normally have free "meals" not days so i tend to go out to eat to keep myself from pigging out. Normally it'll be a steakhouse of some sort, but i LOVE PF Changs with a burning passion. However, if i were to pick one thing normally "off-limits" on my diet days to enjoy than it would definitely be Ben&Jerrys!May 19, 2011 at 2:31 pm
rocky
Whoa roman where's the jiff? Jiff is like the god of peanut butters man. I never even knew there was another type of peanut butter until I was in like 9th grade. But I have a pb& fluff every cheat day. There the best. But my favorite cheat day food by far is cereal.May 19, 2011 at 2:28 pm
Laura
...and PB + whole grain bread = complete protein.May 19, 2011 at 2:18 pm
Tim
Bold Roman, very bold. My own variation: Almond butter, and honey on Ezekiel bread. Yup, I pretend it's healthy - but I love it. Thanks for the new ideas. TimMay 19, 2011 at 2:14 pm
Reka
If it is true that you are what u eat... then I'm NUTS!May 19, 2011 at 12:52 pm
Natalie Kita
OMG, I REALLY should have waited til my cheat day to read this, cuz I am seriously drooling right now, fantasizing a cheat day wherein I eat every single one of these. Not nice, Roman. I still love you though.May 19, 2011 at 12:25 pm
Janet
Love it! I'm checking right now to see if the PB and Company ships, totally want a NY Cheesecake sammie (not to mention Sarabeth's strawberry/rhubarb mmm), I'm jumping on the food-porn wagon! P.S. Unless your bed is across the counter from the kitchen, appears you have a very nice nyc apartment my friend. P.S.P.S. I'm also liking the shorn locks, you rock the look and should consider keeping it short for the summer!May 19, 2011 at 12:20 pm
Lauri Bernard
LOL! I just got nailed by my trainer for my peanut butter & banana addiction. So love these combos Roman. On my cheat days going to try each one ( over the next few months ). Also it is super easy to make your own strawberry rhubarb freezer jam. That way you control the sugar & no pesky artificial sweetners.May 19, 2011 at 12:17 pm
Kirk
Thank you Roman so much you insightful recommendations, I appreciate them. Just a little note: is there a positive way of wording "Cheat Days"? "Cheat" draws attention to guilt. And I want to feel good about your advise. Thank you again.May 19, 2011 at 11:29 am
michele b
Also...cinnamon raisin Ezekiel toasted with almond-flax butter is one of my current (non-cheat) staples!!!May 19, 2011 at 10:51 am
Matt Letten
I discovered Sunflower Seed Butter a year ago, while doing the velocity diet. I fell in love. I had never been able to have peanut butter growing up due to my nut allergy. I definitely understood why people love it so much. yummmo.May 19, 2011 at 10:50 am
michele b
When I was in 6th grade, one of my friends busted out a pb&ham sandwich, and I thought she was insane. Not so. Turned out to be quite tasty. Haven't had one in years, but remember it being delish. Go figure!May 19, 2011 at 10:48 am
Tara
PB&J...def one of the best foods on earth. There's this place by me called the Peanut Mill where they fresh grind peanuts in your choice of texture, from smooth to extra chunky. And it comes out of the machine WARM. OMG...can't even go there anymore to buy it cuz I'll just sit on the couch with a spoon and the container. So bad. ;)May 19, 2011 at 10:48 am
Stacey Diehl
"This is called the 'Let's pretend it's healthy...'" Ha!May 19, 2011 at 10:30 am
Gail
My favourite - now a family favourite..."The Door Stop Special"...3 pieces of bread, one with natural peanut butter topped with potato chips (got to press it down a little to help them stick), with Vegemite (a downunder delicacy) on the next piece of bread and layer cheese, beetroot (beets), tomato and lettuce and the final piece of bread lightly coated with mayo. Press down to hold it together and then open your mouth wide....AWESOMELY good!May 19, 2011 at 10:27 am
Karen Praxel
Wow, I think I do cheat days a little different than all you guys :) I love sammiches, too but I'd take a nice panini with some real cheese, salami and some crusty french bread as a cheat before a PB and J. What about an amazing pasta dinner with garlic bread? But one of my favorite along these lines is PB with sliced oranges!! Everyone says it sounds gross but you MUST try!May 19, 2011 at 9:49 am
David
John, I don't like Jelly's... Is Peanut Butter alone OK for post-workout? I usually eat 2 tablespoons, no bread, after workout. I hope I'm not using a "cheat" day, every workout!May 19, 2011 at 9:41 am
Yesenia
I recently switched up peanut butter for the Almond Flax butter, thanks for the tip.May 19, 2011 at 9:26 am
Shanna
OMG!!! I think I may have just fallen in love with you, Mr. John Romaniello!! I could live off peanut butter and jelly sammiches. Strawberry rhubarb anything is my favorite, but I can rarely get ahold of any rhubarb. :( One sammie I really like to make has PB, but not J. I'll call it Apple Butter Twist. Slather two pieces of bread with chunky PB, sprinkle with cayenne pepper (also pretty good with a little cinnamon added in), add thin slices of apple, and thin slices of sharp cheddar cheese. Smash together, coat the outsides of the bread with a little butter and toast in a frying pan until warm and melty. YUM.May 19, 2011 at 9:24 am
kt
Toasted Cinnabon Bread (leaves out those pesky, inappropriate raisins) and nutella (okay, not a real nut butter, but still ...) ... ;)May 19, 2011 at 9:16 am
joe
peanut butter banana delight usualy this on toasted bread but its awesome in a sammy also, 2 slices bread with smooth PB with sliced banana on top and of course some honey drizzled on top. yumMay 19, 2011 at 9:06 am
Tony Roe
Wtf. Most of my comment disappeared. My favorite cheat day meal is a dead-even tie between: 1.) Marie Calendar's Dutch Apple Pie w/vanilla ice cream 2.) A package of Oreo Double Stuf cookies and milk 3.) Almost any type of cereal.May 19, 2011 at 8:15 am
Tony Roe
Epic. I really wanna try that Clusterfluff sangwichz!May 19, 2011 at 8:13 am
Don
This is only the second time I've ever posted, but I had to say I absolutely loved this, along with the way Roman presented it - just the right attitude!May 19, 2011 at 8:05 am
Shelly
Last night I made a PBJ sandwich for my cheat day lunch today, so I really chuckled when I saw this timely blog! I also put the peanut butter on both slices of bread to cut down on the jelly "bleeding" into the bread.May 19, 2011 at 7:53 am
JeanneGrrl
I need a name huh? Well I'll call this one the "no I'm not pregnant - why do you ask?" sammich -- creamy peanut butter and dill pickles, thinly sliced lengthwise, on potato bread. Fun post!May 19, 2011 at 7:37 am
Nancy Haycraft
Love the ideas. One healthy thing I do for a butter sammich on a not cheat day is to spread my choice of nutter butter on the bread then line as many frozen red raspberries as will fit on the bread and use those to replace the jelly. It is yummy and satisfying without added sugar.May 19, 2011 at 7:26 am
Scott
I put the peanut butter on both pieces of bread because I don;t like the jelly to get soaked up into the bread. Will work with all your sandwiches. Duba-Buda-Peanut-Buda.May 19, 2011 at 7:19 am
Kayden
OMG! You have no idea how happy the Clusterfluff made me! It's EXACTLY what I like to put on my oatmeal on a cheat day haha. ( I don't eat oatmeal on cheat days because I'm lame, I just actually love it and it's probably one of the carbs I crave the most.) But seriously, try cooking some oatmeal, throw a bunch of marhsmallows in at the last second, and give it a quick stir, and then top it with a huge scoop of nut butter and chocolate chips. It's like a huge creamy, melty, bowl of reeses. Mmmmmm.May 19, 2011 at 6:58 am
Debbie G
Hey John, I think this is the best informative post I've ever seen anywhere! Thanks for making fitness fun and pb&js legal. Keep up the great and entertaining work, please...May 19, 2011 at 6:47 am
Stephanie
Fun post, Roman! On cheat days I find myself only wanting to eat out at restaurants so I don't waste money buying cheat foods that will tempt me from the pantry for the rest of the week. Is it simply a matter of will-power for you that you can have these things around and only eat them on cheat-days? Do you have a special hiding place for your cheat food so it's not directly in sight? Or do you have to throw away your jars of marshmellow fluff after only one use? Just curious about what your strategy is!May 19, 2011 at 5:38 am
Debi
You forgot PB and Nutella!! It's a household fave! Better than fluffernutter ; )May 19, 2011 at 5:23 am
caroline
The PB molasse sandwitch... 2 toasts, peanut butter and yes molasse mixed with the peanut butter! The breakfast of a champion! When I was young, that was my breakfast... Not anymore!!!May 19, 2011 at 5:05 am
Graeme
Never tried pn/b with any other thing like jelly but have had hot scones with rassberry jam and insweeten whipped cream as a treat.May 19, 2011 at 4:49 am
Kerrie
OMG Food Porn.....Peanut Butter and Jam sandwiches....Heaven !! Had to turn this off ...too much !!May 19, 2011 at 4:05 am
Kerrie
OMG Food Porn.....Peanut Butter and Jam sandwiches....Heaven !! Had to turn this off ...too much !!May 19, 2011 at 4:05 am
Melissa
Love PB AND J. Just the classic. Superchuncky PB. I would take and PB and J instead of steak.May 19, 2011 at 4:03 am
xena
OMG first of all Roman you are too cute with your short hair and all! ;) Ok PB&J is like a old school favourite. However I have not been eating it for years..but let me tell you something:that's about 2 change real soon,ha! And I'm also going 2 try some of that what Ty said mixing the PB with omg should I dare nutella?!! and also Tara Kelly's suggestion, the grilled PB/cottage cheese(really? omg! lol)/chicking sammish! Thanks you guys! :)May 19, 2011 at 3:44 am
Jen
Yes I understand PB&J sandwiches are awesome. But really? You'd consider it against a steak?May 19, 2011 at 3:25 am
Fred
This is seriously legit! I'll be sending you some wicked good Swedish candy (for the lack of Swedish nut butters...) so you can put together the "Swedish Surprise 2.0" For cheat days in general, I'm just a sucker for candy and cookies. Btw, if you're into brownies, we found this awesome bakery down in the food court at Grand Central Terminal you should totally check out. The blondie brownie (?) in particular looked absolutely delicious, but alas the slightly (read: morbidly) obese sales person must have managed to devour it (the sneaky bastard!) prior to putting it with the rest of our goodies in the bag.May 19, 2011 at 2:54 am
jamal
love this post, a pb and j sandwich is probably the most amazing thing on earth, well second most if you know what i mean, on some cheat days i might get a little out of hand, but what i do is use the pb companies white chocolate pb, strawberry jam, some vanilla whey powder, mix it in a blender, then spread over Ezekiel sprouted English muffins, most of the time w/ the cinnamon flavor, it depends how im feelin, sometimes Ill us raw cashew butter and blueberry jam, i mix it up, like you would, one thing is for i will never stop eating them, I see no reasons for pastries, when you can get creative n your own!May 19, 2011 at 2:47 am
Ylwa
This was fun through and through. Funny to make, funny to film and funniest of all - eating them! Sweden har a sad line-up of nutbutters compared to you guys. At best you can occasionally come across some almondbutter, that costs about twice as much as peanut butter, so I usually make my variations myself. I want to try the fluffy stuff with the chocolate peanutbutter and crushed peanuts instead of chocolate chip. It's got to be what sammiches would taste like if snickers made themMay 19, 2011 at 2:31 am
Leon
I go with the Aussie. In South Africa you get lots of brands of peanut butter. All are smooth or chunky. A few brands contain no added sugar or salt, and that's about it. But personally I hate the stuff. Especially if you mix it with jam (sorry - jelly). I really hated it when my mother gave me peanutbutter sandwiches for school. Even worse if it was mixed with jam or syrup. I'd rather have plain Marmite (ask the Aussie, he'll know what it is). That said, try mixing peanut butter with Marmite/Bovril. Not as bad as it sounds (or looks). That being said: great idea to spice things up. I'd love to try some of those other nut butters by the way. But I'll probably have to make my own then.May 19, 2011 at 2:16 am
Laura
I just read your spider story and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I laughed with intensity while simultaneously feeling your pain. It was the epitome of excruciating. I am not arachnophobic, as a rule; however, there was a day last summer when a gigantic Sherman tank spider came out from behind the pillow I was leaning against, cruising about 50 mph only two inches from my bare leg. I did find that a bit unsettling. Fortunately, I am owned by three ferocious felines who were in need of a snack.May 19, 2011 at 2:15 am
Tammy
You Americans are just crazy with your food. Here in Australia we have crunchy or smooth peanut butter. We have almond butterwhich i love, but that is about the extent of it. I cant remember the last time I had peanut butter and Jam (jelly sorry) sandwich have always looked at it as a real no no when trying to be healthy and lose weight.May 19, 2011 at 1:55 am
Marv Lyons
Not big on jelly with nut butter. Favorite is Trader Joes Almond Butter (3 kinds) but equally important is the BREAD. The best at TJ is their multigrain loaf. Separate bread stand. It actually has a rich taste and tooth.. Squeeze bread it's not. Ciao.May 19, 2011 at 1:14 am
Ty
Clusterfluff sounds incredible. Cheat day favorites: doughnuts (largely due to convenience, as it's really only the first two that are delicious), sweet potato pie (in November), this thing from the Korean bakery that's essentially soft bread filled with sweet peanut butter (it doesn't have an English name), cinnamon raisin bread, and the Best one is chocolate-peanut butter no-bake oatmeal cookies. Did you share a sandwich with your cameraman?May 19, 2011 at 1:07 am
Asa
One can never go wrong with peanut or any other nut butter and all kinds of stuff. Nutella, bananas, honey, etc. Yummy for your tummy! :)May 19, 2011 at 1:02 am
James
Hey John, you took a simple classic food and really jazzed it up with your creativity. Thanks for the tip!May 19, 2011 at 12:54 am
Scotty
cheesecake factory's chocolate truffle tower cake....yeah thats right!!!May 19, 2011 at 12:40 am
Gaby
I don't make PB & J's because in my country you can only find some shity peanut butter with trans-fats and it don't even taste good :/ For my cheat days I like chocolate chip cookies with coconut. YUM :)May 19, 2011 at 12:32 am
tara kelly
p/b and choco chips is a classic! try w/o bread...stick your mouth together good....May 19, 2011 at 12:28 am
Dietrich Marquardt
Not exactly PB & J, but it does involve PB (one of my all time favourite foods!). I'll dub it the "Satay Sandwich (or sammich)". Basically, it involves coating two slices of bread with a thick mixture of peanut-butter and cottage cheese (I tend to go heavy on the PB). And here's where it gets weird (but don't judge me until you've tried it... seriously) - add slices of roast chicken. You can add some cheese (preferably no/low fat) if you like. Toast it using a George Foreman grill and voila... something resembling satay chicken, but looks like a sandwich :)May 19, 2011 at 12:24 am
Glenn
You had me at "Superchunk Peanut Butter, Marshmallow Fluff, Chocolate Chips"...May 19, 2011 at 12:19 am