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OMG, alktraz!!! Pindakaas! Neu smeuiger dan ooit!! When I took my first trip to Europe at age 15, I always had to find peanut butter. Got hooked on yogurt and quark, but couldn't go very long without my pb/pindakaas/Erdnussbutter!

Some people have had good results using methods like EFT (emofree.com) to help with cravings/addictions. I wonder if that would help Ed and others.

I do eat peanut butter even while trying to lose, and because it's high in calories and fat and protein (not wicked high in protein, but high enough relative to the fat) that it's a great snack (either plain or on an apple or a slice of that very thin, dense, perfectly square whole grain bread). But everybody is different and if a jar of pb is too deadly to have around, then don't torture yourself. I think THE MOST helpful dieting maneuver for me is to have dinner pretty early in the evening, preferably by 6 and not a heavy meal, and then not eat anything else the rest of the evening. A few nights a week I have a strenuous karate workout so I don't eat before hand, then have some vegetables and some yogurt, or a homemade fruit smoothie when I get home. If I absolutely have to have something later in the evening - hot cocoa! 12 oz milk, 1 heaping tsp cocoa, 2 tsp sugar. Good protein, not too high in calories, and it fills the chocolate void too.

Dear Casarone, asking how a fatty like me can eat a jar of PB in two days is like asking an alcoholic how they can possibly drink a fifth of whiskey in a single binge. The only exaggeration I made was the time it takes to polish off an entire jar of PB. That is, I can usually polish off a jar in *less* than two days.

Why all this demonising of peanut butter? Week after week people talk rapturously about ice cream, chocolate, bacon etc... on this blog, and never have I heard such negativity. And unlike those other popular foods this is a whole and healthful food! Why all these problems with portions that were never mentioned with the other foods?

Peanut butter is a wonderful food, and one that I enjoy every day for beakfast. On whole grain toast it's the best way to start my day, and I can last until lunch without scarfing down a bunch of junk. It's also a very affordable souce of healthy fats and protein, easily accessible to all, free of additives and processing (if you get the "just peanuts" kind), vegan, and popular with all ages to boot.

The perfect food! (and that's why my name is PeanutButter)

PB is fine, provided you can exercise portion control--when losing weight, I had to cut it out, but now I do eat nut butters in portion-controlled and measured doses. The single-serve stuff only comes in bad brands, nothing like Crazy Richard's/Krema--not worth it.

I don't know why everyone here eats it on white bread--pb must be on multigrain for a true pb experience, or eaten straight IMHO!

I find actually that sometimes a portioned controlled bag of honey roasted cashews is a better way to sate my craving.

Actually I like cashew and almond butter even better than pb!

Your wife is the wise one: PB does not belong in the house of a serious dieter. Don't kid yourself. If you could control yourself around food, you wouldn't need to be dieting in the first place.

The only way I can keep PB in the house is if I just admit to myself that I'm going to eat 1,200+ calories (the amount in one jar) of PB in two days.

I have seen individual packets of PB-can't remember if it was Jif or Peter Pan but hey had them at my local grocery store which is Wegmans. Maybe you just need to ask the customer service desk if they can get them in from their distributor.

Peanut butter is nutritious, but if you feel you can't control yourself portion-wise, don't have it in the house. That kind of stress will sabotage your progress.

Peanut butter is chock full of all kinds of nutrients a dieter needs. I especially like it stuffed into celery or spread on apple slices.

This is also really good: Take a tablespoon-sized blob and roll it in your favorite crunchy cereal or granola, and eat like candy! Delicious!

Hey!
You have many eatouts to eat there... check out this site for more information.. www.yummyuck.com.. you can also read reviews, other people's experience and price structure without steppin in to it.

From my hot and steamy St. Louis childhood summers:

barbecued ribs, made in the old stone grill in our back yard
watermelon
Corn on the cob
tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes...
"Bomb pops" from the ice cream man

and frozen custard from Ted Drewes! (Preferably a hot fudge sundae, jumbo size!).

@ Paris, I didn't mean to be rude, I just am a fierce defender of my cities culinary superiority and would be upset that a visitor in search of great chow might end up at Palisade or House of Hong or Salty's. All fine establishments for what they do, but not the best of the best like Maneki and Quinn's. Yes I would add Salumi, Monsoon and a few others up here to the list, but I was impressed with Culinary Rabbit and Kimberlee's knowledge of the area as admitted non-locals, so I felt the need to validate. Since Crydecker, from his/her intro, appears to be a lover of the finer foods, I don't think sending him/her to a Salty's is appropriate. That's all. I'm not here to offend, I'm just trying to help guide people to the appropriate restaurant.

Actually, my neighborhood in Seattle, Greenwood, has some nice if sometimes funky places, including Northside Grill (Morroccan-American, kofta, burgers and more), Olive You (Turkish-American), Gorgeous George (wonderful, wonderful Lebanese/Palestinean food - George is a great guy too -- eat at George's!!!), sushi at Mori's, neighborhood Thai, Indian & Pakistani, cheap Mexican at Gordito's, Bick's Broadview...

And Shoreline has lots of cool Korean places on Aurora Ave N.

Chandler's Bayhouse on south Lake Union -- great place for seafood (love that whiskey crab soup!) and nice view of the marinas and hills.

Always check out the International district (and Uwajimaya Village food court) for Asian food fun. All of Seattle, it occasionally seems to me, heads for dim sum just when I want to go! People line up quite early. We do, of course, have some recommendations for you. These places also have full menus.
China Gate 516 7th Ave S, International District 206-624-1730. China Gate is still one of the best with a wide variety, quality is usually high. Daily 10am-2am. Accessible
House of Hong 409 8th St International District 206-622-7997. Terrific choice. Named as Best Dim Sum in KING 5's Best of Western Washington Viewer's Poll this year, as well as AOL Cityguide's City's Best Chinese Food in Seattle. Dim sum is everyday until 3pm. Mon-Thu: 11am-10pm, Fri: 11am-Midnight, Sat: 930am-Midnight, Sun: 930am-10pm. Accessible
Ocean City Restaurant 609 S Weller St International District 206-623-2333. Humongous multi-level dim-sum palace, with a small noodle, soup and barbecue shop attached to the building that does take-out business. Sun-Fri 9am-1am, Sat 9am-10pm. Some stairs to elevator
Honey Court Seafood Restaurant 516 Maynard Ave S International District This restaurant is always packed in the early morning hours and is usually fairly busy during the day. No need for reservations. Slightly funky space, but good food. Mon 10am-2am, Tue-Fri 10am-230am, Sat 9am-230am. Accessible
Ho Ho Seafood Restaurant653 South Weller Street International District 206-382-9671. One of the International District's most popular spots for fresh seafood. Garlic crab, crispy halibut, and long green beans in garlic sauce are popular dishes. Excellent congee. Not dim sum but other splendid choices. Recommended. Sun-Thu 11am-1am; Fri-Sat 11am-3am. Accessible
Chinese Noodle 661 S. Weller St International District 206-652-5258. Utilitarian, specializes in two Hong Kong-style any-time-of-day favorites: congee and wonton noodle soup. Thirty variations are available, substituting different kinds of noodles or additional enhancements, such as beef ball, fish ball, barbecued pork or even seasoned pig feet. Breakfast, lunch, dinner; open daily. 930am-9p.m.

I love Wild Ginger too, and Sazerac at the Monaco Hotel is a must go for great food.

Palace Kitchen 2030 5th Ave 206-448-2001 Palace Kitchen, Tom Douglas’s popular third restaurant, opened right under the monorail at 5th and Lenora in the spring of 1996. “As much a bar as a restaurant, Palace Kitchen features an enormous horseshoe-shaped bar, Italian chandeliers, lush velvet drapes, and gilded mirrors, as well as a 10' by 40' painting, Palace Feast, and an intimate private dining room. Nightly rotisserie specials turn over an applewood fire, and the big-flavored menu features a lengthy list of appetizers. Palace Kitchen was nominated for Best New Restaurant in 1996 by the James Beard Foundation.” All of Tom Douglas’s restaurants (they include Dahlia Lounge, Etta’s and Lola) are exceptional!

Racha Noodles & Thai Cuisine 537 1st Ave N, at Mercer 206-281-8883. Bright, colorful, ornate and energetic noodle house. Picks include Pud Kee Mao noodles (order with eggs, veggies, prawns); soups; Thai salads; eggplant with prawns; Neau Yang steak strips appetizer.