The perfect PB&J sandwich.

Today I went on an outing with the Relief Society up to Silver Lake. We packed lunches, walked around the lake, and some women who were not wearing a sling went kayaking for a little bit.

For lunch I took a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I may perhaps be the world's expert on pb&j sandwiches. After all, I ate one every day of my life for my first 15 years or so. Well, almost every day. Maybe there were 10 or 12 days where I ate something else. And I've eaten hundreds since then.

Peanut butter and jelly is the perfect take-along sandwich. If made properly, it does not get soggy or stale. There is no mayo gone bad. It doesn't stink like warm tuna or egg salad.

When I was in 7th grade, part of my allowance included money for school lunches. If I chose to make a lunch at home and take it, I could pocket the money and have a little savings. I chose the middle road. I paid my sister, who was in 1st grade, to make my lunch for a mere fraction of the cost of a school lunch (by the way, this is why she has all the money, and I have none). I taught her the proper technique, and she was a whiz at making pb&j for me.

To make the perfect pb&j sandwich, you must spread peanut butter thinly on each slice of bread. This forms a seal that the jelly cannot ooze through. Then your sandwich is never soggy, and the stronger peanut butter flavor is mellowed slightly by being in two thinner layers with the jelly between. Trust me, I know. I did it today, and it worked like a charm.