Monday, February 27, 2012

Jacob's Ladder Finished Blocks


I finished the last four Jacob's Ladder blocks and put them up on my design wall.  The blocks were in a better arrangement until they started falling off the wall.... so I pinned them back up in a semblance of the arrangement I had at first.


I will be moving blocks around until I figure how to:  1) balance the lighter and darker fabrics, and 2)  not have so many obvious "L" shapes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 


 I don't keep peanut butter in the house because I like it too much.

So, when the grandbabies were visiting last weekend, I got a jar of peanut butter... what I thought was a jar of peanut butter, that is.
It was in the peanut butter section... and I picked the "reduced fat" because I like to pretend that peanut butter can be "healthier"...  see that big, bold "REDUCED FAT" on the label?


Do you see what is printed in a much smaller font on the label right beside the Peter Pan brand name???
 Yes!   It's not peanut butter... it's peanut SPREAD!  And right below the "peanut spread," in even smaller font, it says:  60% peanuts!  Yes!   ONLY 60% peanuts!   So, just what is in this so-called "peanut spread?"
Ingredients list from the label:   Roasted peanuts, corn syrup solids*, soy protein concentrate*, sugar, less than 2% of:  hydrogenated vegetable oils (cottonseed and rapeseed), salt, minerals (magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, iron phosphate, copper sulfate), and vitamins (niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid).  CONTAINS: peanuts, soy.  

See the little asterisk (*) beside the second and third ingredients?   The label addresses that:

* Ingredients not in regular peanut butter.

So... just when (and WHY?) did someone start messing with my peanut butter???

 
If I wanted "corn syrup solids" and "soy protein concentrate," I would have had those on my shopping list!    

You can barely tell there are peanuts in this stuff at all!  
 

Who would have thought we've have to start reading labels on peanut butter?


<\rant>



19 comments:

  1. Sounds quite yuk, I've been reading the peanut butter labels for a while now, ever since I found they had been putting sugar in it (here in Australia that is) I prefer my peanut butter to be just peanuts.

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  2. So by "Reduced Fat", they really mean "Reduced Peanuts".. ?? grr. I think I will stick to good old "fat included" (real) peanut butter. lol btw, I thought the L-shapes in your Jacob's Ladder layout looked kind of cool. Like a tetris puzzle. :o) Any way you make it, it will be a cool quilt. xo

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  3. Give those Floribunda blocks a good scramble and it will get the "Ls" out of there! : )
    Nice rant!

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  4. Hello,

    Good luck with Jacob's ladder. I made my own peanute butter a few years back. It is basically peanuts and oil blended in the blender. No added things at all.
    Happy days.
    Bev.xoxo

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  5. You have done lots of work the past week to get all those JL blocks done! It looks great! I had a hard time keeping mine in order and resorted to paper clips, safety pins and scraps of paper to number every block and row.

    No one wants peanut spread! I will have to be careful not to get that stuff. Do the grocery stores and manufacturers think we are stupid? I guess we will have to scrutinize every label from now on.

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  6. I also refuse to keep peanut butter in the house for the same reason, but sometimes you have to have it. Thanks for the heads up.

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  7. I know what you mean about labels. Even with the low fat you have to watch the sugar content. I always thought peanut butter was peanut butter. Now I have to go read some labels in my pantry...lol Hugs

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  8. I hadn't seen this before! Thank you for pointing that out. I never would have thought to take a second look at peanut butter containers but I sure will now.

    Food companies have become so sneaky with this. My personal peeve is products that look so good in the picture on the package but when you open it, the actual product is about a 1/4 the size of what is pictured on the box. It's only afterwards that I notice the fine print on the box that says "picture enlarged to show detail"! If you see that on a box know that it's code for "actual food inside is puny"!

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  9. Thanks for the heads up on the ick. My workaround for keeping peanut butter in the house is that I am pretty good at not opening things that are sealed so I have resorted to buying the individual serving size peanut butter which is lots more expensive, but if I need a fix I only open the one serving which gets me through but doesn't leave me with an unsealed container. I think it's worth the money.

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  10. Got so involved with the peanut butter that I forgot about the Jacob's ladder. I love it, it's like looking through lattice work. Wow.

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  11. Again Freda, you make me laugh!! But you are right - what are they doing with our food!!??

    Jacob's ladder blocks look wonderful!!

    Have a great week!!

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  12. Right there with ya on that peanut spread stuff... I go for the peanuts and nothing but peanuts variety - cuts back on my salt and I get all that peanutty goodness!!!! :-)

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  13. I love peanut butter so try not to keep it in the house either...when I get a craving I go to the natural food store and grind the peanuts in their machine...that way I know what goes into it and can just grind enough for a few servings.

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  14. Oh your quilt is going to be so yummy. Is this for you? I can't remember & I thought a good question since you are often sharing (giving) your work with others. Sometimes a quilt wants to be kept. :) These blocks are so beautiful - great fabrics. *karendianne.

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  15. The quilt is going to be great and I certainly agree with your rant on peanut butter spread.
    Lillian
    lillianscupboard.wordpress.com

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  16. wow..that is crazy all those extra ingredients! Makes you wonder which is worse for you? The filler in fat reduced peanut butter or just plain peanut butter? I'd go full fat every time! :-)

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  17. How many calories in it compared to the real stuff?

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  18. Ewww..... peanut spread? Are they kidding? My daughter gave us some dehydrated peanut butter. According to her, it keeps forever, and if you want/crave some, you have to work for it. Hmmm.... I haven't tried it yet....

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