National Peanut Day is September 13th, 2016. 

To all who are allergic to this special bean (because they are legumes, not nuts) I am so sorry. You are truly missing out. If peanuts were people, they’d be what we call a Renaissance man because they really can do it all. Of course, they’re great eaten plain. You can never go wrong with a can of Planter’s for a party, dry roasted with salt–or if you’re feeling adventurous, with just a touch of honey.

If you put enough of them in a blender they make peanut butter, which is a superstar in its own right. Everyone has “their” brand (I’m a Skippy purist myself) that they absolutely have to have. Chinese food enthusiasts know well the savory delight that is peanut chicken satay, proving that this plant can hold its own in the savory category.

Peanut butter also becomes a childhood classic when paired with jelly on white (raspberry preserves, if you please), and it can even make celery of all things palatable to a little kid, provided that you slather on enough of the stuff and top it with raisins. You can bake into cookies that have their own design (because you have to crosshatch your peanut butter cookies) that are then served best warm with a tall glass of milk.

But this isn’t even the best part yet–nothing warms the heart of a peanut butter fanatic more than seeing the fluorescent orange wrapping of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, the ultimate commercial testament to the peanut. Not only are they delicious on their own, but have their own world of spin-offs: cheesecake bars and s’mores dip and cereal bars and banana bread and so much more.

As you can clearly see, peanuts are a gift to mankind, and deserve to be treated as such.