Smuckers has these new "Mosaic" jams that are really good (not too sweet/syrupy) - we like the strawberry-blackberry one. I like that plus a borderline-unhealthy amount of Target brand natural peanut butter (smooth) on whole wheat bread.

Slab on peanut butter, lick knife, slab on jelly, lick knife. Cut in half diagonally. Give to kids.

Anonymous wrote:What is "Bonne Maman" and how does everyone know about it but me? Is it found in regular grocery stores?

Bonne Maman is an excellent preserves/jelly brand that is usually stocked on the higher shelves in the jelly section. I find it too expensive to use on a daily basis, but the stores do put it on sale periodically, and when the do I stock up. I particularly like their Apricot and Four Fruits preserves flavors (but not on PB&J).

Bonne Maman is quite simply the best jam in the world. Especially apricot.

It is easy to find at good grocery stores.

put a thick layer of peanut butter on one side, and a very thin layer on the other. On the thin-layer side, add jelly - but only to the middle, and spread out but don't go within 1 cm of the edges. This way when it is put together/held/bitten the jelly will not squirt out the sides and ruin clothes/faces.

Also - having peanut butter on both sides prevents the sandwich from turning soggy. You can put in the fridge or freezer for lunches, and they will defrost with NO sign of sogginess. I know people who sit and marathon-make 100s of peanut butter sandwiches before school starts and stock up the freezer, then put them in the lunchboxes the night before. I just make 5 on Sunday nights, and they are in the fridge all week. The oil in the peanut butter prevents the sogginess that jelly brings.

You also have to decide whether you want jam, jelly, preserves or marmalade.

Jelly is made with fruit juice, no actual fruit, so is the clearest and thinnest. No chunks.

Jam is the clear winner for an award winning pb&j, with more pieces of actual fruit in it and a slightly looser, spoonable texture. Here, chopped or pureed fruit is cooked with sugar, so pieces of the fruit end up in the final product.

Preserves are less likely to be preferred by your little ones, as they contain the most fruit, more often than not in whole pieces, and have the least gel-like consistency.

Marmalade is preserves made with citrus - and who would eat that with peanut butter? Not I.

What is "Bonne Maman" and how does everyone know about it but me? Is it found in regular grocery stores?

In the trash

Sad

A good potato bread
Any good Peanut butter that doesn't have a ton of ingredients
Jam - this is key, it's so much easier to spread and has a higher flavor concentration

I put a very thin layer of PB on both sides of bread, then jam on one side. Put together, slice as needed, and voila. Putting PB on both sides also means it freezes very well if needed.

Anonymous wrote:Screw white bread. Something with some texture and substance.

Screw PB with hydrogenated oils.

‘Textured’ bread ruins PB&J!

Smooth Jif, PC black label cherry jam on fresh sour dough.

Screw white bread. Something with some texture and substance.

Screw PB with hydrogenated oils.

Anonymous wrote:Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Whole Wheat Bread (the kind with grains sprinkled on top)
Smucker's strawberey jam
Giant's store brand creamy peanut butter

Liberally spread a layer of peanut butter on the bread. Put a lot of strawberry jam on half the slice of bread, and fold over like a taco (this bread is somewhat rectangular in shape, being wider than tall). The fold allows eater to eat the sandwich without spilling jam. You can put two half sandwiches in one sandwich bag.

I also prefer to do the fold over style!

I use honey wheat, jif natural and strawberry jam.

Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Whole Wheat Bread (the kind with grains sprinkled on top)
Smucker's strawberey jam
Giant's store brand creamy peanut butter

Liberally spread a layer of peanut butter on the bread. Put a lot of strawberry jam on half the slice of bread, and fold over like a taco (this bread is somewhat rectangular in shape, being wider than tall). The fold allows eater to eat the sandwich without spilling jam. You can put two half sandwiches in one sandwich bag.

honey wheat bread
crunchy peanut butter
BLACKBERRY jam
diagonal cut; best if eaten immediately.