Ask Jen about her dad’s peanut butter sandwich

There isn’t a question I will be answering this week, rather, a personal culinary adventure. And I say this with a smile on my face, a hint of an eye-roll and a ton of love in my heart.

My dad’s the best — I know, I know, your dad is the best, too, but to me, there’s no other man in the world who could ever compare to my dad. He’s brilliant. He’s ornery. He’s strong. He’s…Dad. And Dad, if you’re reading this, please don’t let your head inflate too much, K?

My dad doesn’t cook. Like, at all. Left to fend for himself, his diet would consist strictly of cereal, chocolate chip cookies and his version of a peanut butter sandwich – if you can even call it that. Let me explain:

Dad only eats whole grain bread; you know, the kind that is wrapped in cellophane and then put in a bread bag. Toast a piece of that heavy, delicious real bread and butter it. Real butter. No margarine. Now, the jar of Natural peanut butter. Not Jif, not Skippy, we’re talking about the kind that comes in a glass jar that the oil separates from. That’s the good stuff. Next up: Yellow mustard.

Wait, What?

Yes, I said yellow mustard. Squeeze some of that goodness all over that layer of peanut butter you just spread. You see, it acts like the glue that holds the shredded sharp cheddar cheese in place. You read that right. Sharp. Cheddar. Cheese. A handful of it. Hey, don’t knock it until you try it.

That’s it. Dad’s peanut butter sandwich. If you know my dad, you know that he’s a man’s man. He walks to the beat of his own drum, and gets a kick out of watching his kids and grandkids follow him.

My mom will ask my 4-year-old nephew if he wants a peanut butter sandwich for lunch. He answers, “Yes. Papa’s kind.”

I love that.

In honor of Father’s Day, I hope all of you have a story like mine, and a dad like mine.

Wishing a very happy Father’s Day to my Dad, John, and all the other dads out there. May your day be filled with the love of your kids and grandkids if you have them, and a meal fit for a king.

Go make something awesome,
Jen