I like peanuts, and I am an even bigger fan of peanut butter. But that does not even begin to describe my lifelong relationship with the tasty legume.

I was, and I guess still am, a picky eater. There were many things as a child that I would not eat. That list of unacceptable foods was a mile long. One of the food items that made the short acceptable list was peanut butter.

Nearly every day I had some form of a peanut butter sandwich packed in my lunch box. My favorites included peanut butter with honey, and a combination of peanut and apple butters. I even remember my mom letting me carve the letter “B” into a new jar of peanut butter. The only combination I didn’t eat was most people’s favorite, PB&J.

Even as an adult, one of my go-to quick lunches — and sometimes breakfast — is a good ol’ peanut butter sandwich.

I like plain peanuts, as well. Roasted peanuts and trail mix have been among my favorite snacks. My love of peanuts even extends to Kung Pao chicken and the peanut sauce in some Thai foods. I seem to be able to pick out the peanut dishes on a menu.

The person who first came up with the combination of peanut butter and chocolate should get an award akin to the Nobel Peace prize. I am pretty sure it could end international conflicts. What can get better than those two together in a decadent dessert?

From ice cream to candy, it is all good to me. I have fond memories of my favorite ice cream shop, Yarborough’s, as a child and ordering their peanut butter cup ice cream cone. One of my family’s often-requested homemade desserts is peanut butter pie. My mom has passed on the recipe to me and now I have shared this pie with friends and my husband’s family.

And then there are the peanut butter balls that we make almost every Christmas.

Imagine my surprise when I recently moved to the Suffolk area to find out about the Obici family and the footprint that Planters has in the area. I was excited to see the Mr. Peanut statues around town and hear about the annual festival dedicated to peanuts.

The 35th annual Suffolk Peanut Fest is scheduled for Oct. 4-7 at the Suffolk Executive Airport. The festival draws some 125,000 people annually. It boasts a peanut butter sculpting contest, a peanut toss, free concerts, exhibitors, arts and crafts, a motorcycle rally, fireworks, bingo, amusement rides, a demolition derby, a truck and tractor pull.

For more information about the festival, call 539-6751, email info@SuffolkFest.org or visit www.suffolkfest.org.