LA Nut

I love nuts.

Always have, always will.

Adam and Eve had it made when God told them all the nuts and fruits and berries were theirs to eat. In my opinion, meat just isn''t needed in a perfect world.

So on one particularly domestic Saturday, I decided to put my nutty love to work and make my own freshly ground peanut butter. I had seen (and am still mesmerized by) the Whole Foods machinery that also does this, and so I thought, "It can't be that hard. I must do it too!".

After bopping around the internet for a minute, I quickly learned that all one really needs to make their own PB is:

* a food processor

*1-2-3 cups of shelled peanuts

* 1 tablespoon of safflower oil per cup of peanuts

* sea salt to taste

So easy!

Now, "easy" recipes have gotten me before, so I was determined to succeed on this one. I also truly wanted this to be a homemade experience so instead of buying pre-shelled peanuts in a can, I bought a 2lb bag of whole, in-shell, organic peanuts. Looking back... this was not a smart move. Peanuts are dirty. And messy. And take FOREVER to peel. Roughly an hour after I began my little-house-on-the-prairie project, my kitchen was covered in peanut shell dust and I had myself convinced I was stricken with aflatoxin poisoning.

Live and learn.

Once all the peanuts were finally shelled, however, it was a simple toss in the food processor (about 1cup at a time) followed by a tablespoon of the oil and sprinkling of salt. Pulse, pulse, pulse....and you're done! Freshly ground peanut butter to put on your muffins, toast, cookies, carrots, trail mix, cheese....anything you (or I) would like.

I also just happened to have on hand a little vintage jar with the perfect logo lid to store my PB. This may or may not be a remnant of a certain vintage-jar-themed wedding that has helped me decorate every square inch of my apartment. 

When I excitedly told my husband, "Look!! LA Nut is even on this lid!!!" he sweetly responded, "YOU are the LA Nut, my love."

Finished product.

So maybe I am. Maybe. I. Am....

PS. This picture has nothing to do with making PB, but I took it after my crazydog licked up all the shell dust, then proceeded to sit at the window and watch, cry, sing, bark, and beg for friends...for a very long time.