National Peanut Day recipes

Today is National Peanut Day so I thought I would provide you with some Peanut trivia and a recipe or two.

First the trivia:

• The peanut isn't really a nut. It's a legume, related to beans and lentils.
• Peanut butter was first introduced to the USA in 1904 at the Universal Exposition in St. Louis by C.H. Sumner, who sold $705.11 of the "new treat" at his concession stand.
• Peanuts have more protein, niacin, folate and phytosterols than any nut.
• Peanuts have more antioxidants than grapes, green tea, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, and carrots.
• Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth
• Peanuts and peanut butter contain over 30 essential nutrients and phytonutrients.
• Peanuts flower above ground and then migrate underground to reach maturity.
• Peanuts are cholesterol-free. (my favorite!)
• Two different presidents were peanut farmers can you name them both?  (answers at the bottom)
• November is National Peanut Butter Month, so we might get to speak about these wonder nuts, excuse me legumes again!

Now the recipes:

Cinnamon Roasted Nuts

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup walnut halves

1 cup peanuts

1 egg lightly beaten

1 tsp. water

3/4 cup sugar

1 T. Backyard Patch Cinnful Dessert Blend

3/4 tsp. salt

Combine the nuts.  Mix together the egg and water and toss with the nut mixture.  Combine the sugar, spices and salt and toss that with the nuts until they are well coated.  Spread nuts in a single layer on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 300 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.  Break up any large clusters and allow to cool.

Recipe courtesy of The Backyard Patch 630-248-7278 www.backyardpatch.com

I think I have shared the recipe before, but with the winter approaching, I thought it a good time to share it again.  Besides this is a great project to make with the kids on a rainy fall day.

Just-for-Birds Pudding
½ pound lard
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
½ cup raisins
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup mixed bird seeds
¼ cup honey or molasses
about 3-4 cups cornmeal
Soften the lard and peanut butter briefly in the microwave to make it easier to mix. Add raisins, seeds, honey or molasses, and as much cornmeal as the mixture will absorb. I keep this in the refrigerator and soften it in the microwave when I'm ready to put it out. I "butter" it directly onto tree branches and place big dollops of it on the tops of bird feeders; it will, however, stain tree bark. You can also freeze it in a square cake pan, cut it into blocks, and insert the blocks into suet feeders.

Presidential Peanut Farmers - Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter!