One of the things they don’t tell you in parenting classes is that the songs from your baby’s favorite annoying TV character will be engrained in your mind long after your child has outgrown it.

Case in point: Every time my husband asks if I want him to pour the milk for dinner, we both break out in the “Nothing like a glass of milk” song from “Barney.”

We still have Barney’s “Popcorn” song memorized and don’t even get me started on our ability to recite Sandra Boynton’s “Moo, Baa, La La La.”

Our kids may be 11 and 13, but there are moments in life that immediately take me back to their infancy, be it a TV show, song or even a food.

Take peanuts, for instance. My husband usually has a jar of peanuts in the pantry and is apt to grab a handful as a snack. When our daughter was a baby, she called them “Tenants.” We sometimes put that on the grocery list – mostly for nostalgia, but also because it embarrasses her and I’m still somewhat sleep deprived.

Peanuts aren’t something I seek out when snacking, baking or cooking, but while researching them as part of National Peanut Month, I learned they are more than something to munch on at a baseball game.

According to the National Peanut Board, peanuts have a higher antioxidant capacity over grapes, Concord grape juice, green tea, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli and carrots. Peanuts and peanut butter contain more than 30 essential nutrients and phytonutrients, and are naturally cholesterol-free.

In botanical terms, the peanut is considered a legume, which is a fruit. In culinary terms, it is considered to be a plant cultivated for an edible part, which makes it a vegetable.

And all this time I just thought it was a “tenant.”

HOMEMADE PEANUT BUTTER

• 15 ounces roasted peanuts, shelled and skinned
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons honey
• 1 ½ tablespoon peanut oil

Combine the peanuts, salt and honey in a food processor. Process for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Put the lid back on and continue to process while slowly drizzling in the oil; process until the mixture is smooth, 1½ to 2 minutes.

Store the peanut butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Makes approximately 1½ cups.

Source: Good Eats 3: The Later Years by Alton Brown (Stewart, Tabori & Chang; Sept. 27, 2011)