Celebrate National PB&J Day With @Welchs #PB&JYourWay

There are many things that remind me of childhood and I find that, as I grow older, I become more and more nostalgic. Certain foods are triggers for happy memories as a child with my mom, sitting in the kitchen, helping her prepare a big feast or even just a small lunch for us. One of my favorite foods to make with my mom was a PB&J! Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

Now that I have children and am currently homeschooling, making lunch together occurs on a daily basis and one of the foods most often requested by the kids is, of course a PB&J sandwich. I never argue with that choice and always indulge in one for myself. I mean, why not? They are so delicious that I can't resist.

I used to think that PB&Js could only be made one way, but boy was I wrong! Just by asking a few family members, I realized that everyone has their own signature PB&J and, of course, we have our own. Since National PB&J Day is April 2nd, we decided to celebrate with several different signature PB&J sandwiches from our family. Welch's sent two jars of jelly, their Natural Strawberry Jelly & the Natural Grape Jelly to help out with our own creations! I was so excited to give these a try because Welch's Concord Grape Jelly and Natural Grape Spread are made with Welch's very own Concord grapes, which are grown in Canada and the US! Plus, Welch's Natural Spreads contain no high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavoring, artificial coloring and no preservatives!

Here are some of the ways our family members like to make their own PB&Js:
1. Grandma's Mixed PB&J - Mix up delicious Welch's Strawberry Jelly with your choice of peanut butter in a mixing bowl. Then, spread it on bread for a great sandwich!

2. Auntie Maimee's Fruity Delight PB&J- First, toast up your slices of wheat bread. Then, slice up some ripe bananas and add them to a mixing bowl. Then add in a few Tablespoons of peanut butter and SQUISH, SQUISH, SQUISH! (The kiddos LOVE this part!). We prefer it a little chunk. Lastly, we spread the peanut butter/banana mix on one slice of bread and just enough Welch's Grape Jelly to coat the other slice. Put together, cut off the crusts and voila! Instant deliciousness!

Mama's Crunchy PB&J

How do we make our own PB&J? Well, my children like the old-fashioned PB&J with Welch's Grape Jelly, peanut butter and white bread. However, I prefer something a little different. When I was pregnant with my first son, Josiah, I craved peanuts and peanut butter more than anything else in the world. Something about the saltiness along with grape jelly just made my tummy rumble! So, as I was sitting, thinking of making a sandwich late one night, the idea popped into my head to make a supreme crunchy-style PB&J, so that is exactly what I did! I had some unsalted peanuts that I crushed up into smaller pieces in a bowl. I made my delicious PB&J with peanut butter on one side and Welch's Grape Jelly on the other. Then, I added the crushed peanuts on top of it. The result? Pure bliss! If you love a crunchy PB&J, this is THE way to do it. Click Here to view my awesome video!

In honor of National PB&J Day, Welch's is celebrating with the "PB&J Your Way" contest! Go to the Welch's Facebook page and tell them your creative spin on this classic sandwich for a chance to win $500 and a one year supply of delicious Grape jelly! Plus, 50 others will win a sandwich keeper!

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Welch’s. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.