The Winco and Trader Joe's experience!

So, I've been in the US of A for over a month, and I had never been to Winco or Trader Joe's! How bad is that, right?! Pretty awful, especially for a complete foodie like myself. So a couple of nights ago I went with two friends to both Winco and Trader Joe's. And let me tell you, this country just gets better and better, and hasn't disappointed as yet.

Winco is so big and awesome! On the down note, I found out I had paid a lot more for my organic creamy peanut butter online, and left Winco with a very large jar of Adams crunchy peanut butter. When I see peanut butter, I get peanut butter. But anyway, they have these huge bins of nuts, granola, dried fruit, grains, seeds, everything!! They even had chili coated mango?! Yes! And you could buy chocolate by the pound. For the record, dark chocolate coated strawberries are divine. Fact.
And then they had fridges full of almond milk and, even better, coconut milk. Hmmmmmm, hmm.

But then we hopped back into the car and went to Trader Joe's. I guess it's like Wholefoods but a little cheaper. They have some amazing dark chocolate bars, imported from Belgium, naturally.

All this, and it wasn't even 7:30pm.

I was also introduced to organic peanut butter panda puffs! It is so lush! I had it in a mug with coconut milk. It's like that really unhealthy, too sweet golden nuggets cereal back in England, but a hundred times better. And um, eating cereal from a mug is so cool, go try it.
also what I love about this cereal is that it doesn't have bucket loads of sugar, which would give me a headache, it is sweetened with cane juice, which although not ideal is far better and healthier than what they could put in it.

So this was pretty much the highlight of my weekend; don't judge, you know you're jealous!

Crunchy vs. Smooth; the great peanut butter debate

I was tweeting with a friend this week on the topic of peanut butter. And specifically on which one is better. She was decisive in this matter and said that she liked both however if push came to shove and she had to say which was better, she would have to go with crunchy.

I, being more indecisive as I usually am, said that it completely depended on what kind of mood I was in. And thinking about it there are many other factors too such as how I am feeling, who I'm with and most importantly, what I'm eating it with.

Now I love nuts, and I love nut butters, but peanut butter has a special place in my heart. And I'm not talking about that Skippy stuff with it's added partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (very bad for you), and sugar.
I prefer my peanut butter to be peanuts, peanuts, peanuts, with a little dash of peanuts and salt and sometimes peanuts.
Yes, I know companies add oil, usually palm oil or vegetable oil, i.e. oils with none or very little health benefits.
But this isn't a health rant, boring! As all things are okay in moderation, except perhaps trans-fats, aspartame, MSG and glucose corn syrup, but pretty much everything else, unless you're allergic, then I strongly recommend avoiding!

But, back to the issue at hand here.

CRUNCHY VS. SMOOTH

Now, I personally feel that smooth is my preference after a hard day, or emotionally draining day. There is something hugely comforting about coming home from stress and hard work and eating a peace of  bread (gluten-free off couse!) covered in perfectly smooth peanut butter with lashings of Grandma's deep pink, dripping, seed-studded, feel-good homemade raspberry jam. There is no effort needed to eat this, it is all soft and good. There are not bits of nuts that need to be crunched down, it's just easy chewing. After a tiring day you don't want to eat something that takes effort!

When comfort is key, I must admit that a peanut butter with little added sugar can sometimes be preferable. As long as it's not Skippy.
When I'm ill, and I haven't eaten anything for near 24 hours my go-to meal is always lightly toasted bread smothered in smooth, slightly salty peanut butter, topped with beautiful golden honey and garnished with banana slices. When you're completely wiped out after an illness you don't want the harshness and abrasion  of crunchy peanut, you want the smooth, texture that sticks to your teeth, as if it were giving you a hug.

However on a normal day, when I am not ill, emotionally or physically, you know, those days when you can jump out of bed and get on with life easily enough; well on those days I like my peanut butter, loud and crunchy!
I like my peanut butter to be more savoury than sweet, I mean it's far more natural that way, and it tastes much better. Who wants added sugars and syrups that were synthesised in a lab? Eeew, no thanks!
 Besides, if it's not quite sweet enough than you have the excuse to add honey.

Crunchy peanut butter on rice-cakes is a brilliant pre-exam meal. And if you're like me, it's a good post-exam meal too.

So to be really honest, I really don't ever want to have to choose between the two. I love my peanuts whole, blended to a semi-smooth butter, and completely pulverised into a smooth and comforting goodness.

And of course there are all the different things you can make with peanut butter.......... hmmmmm, the possibilities are endless..... now I must go in search of peanut butter.......

How about you guys, which do you prefer? How do you enjoy your peanut butter?

Also, I know it's early but international peanut butter and jam day is on the 2nd of April!!

Chow now!