Put in a little peanut oil and mix it well.

I keep my natural pnut butter in the fridge and just use a sturdy spoon to scoop out what I need. I pour off the oil before storing, just to lessen the calories, which makes it even stiffer, but it softens well enough to use when a serving is left at room temp for a few min. Or scoop out what you need and microwave it for 5 seconds.

I think the Kitchen Table forum might be a good fit for you. Have you ever looked there?

I agree with above, some heat will make it more peanut-buttery.

Are you stirring the nut oil into the peanut butter after you open the jar, or are you dumping it off?

I stir the oil into the peanut butter and then keep "natural" peanut butter (and almond butter) at room temperature, but we go through it pretty fast and our kitchen temperature is pretty cool this time of the year, generally between 62-64-degrees F. in the winter. If the oil separates, just stir it in again. In fact, the almond butter states clearly on the label "No Refrigeration Necessary" (ingredients: dry roasted almonds, salt). I don't refrigerate homemade nut butters, either, unless the ambient temperature is 75-degrees F or over.

In the summer when the ambient temperature is much warmer, I stir the oil in when I first open the jar and then store it up-side down in the refrigerator, which seems to keep the oil blended into the nut butter once it's been stirred in. I remove the jar from the refrigerator prior to needing it, sit it upright, and it softens fairly quickly at room temperature. If not, place a user-friendly dab in small bowl and nuke it for 7-10 seconds if you are in a hurry.

-Grainlady

No, grainlady. I stirred it all in very carefully and stored upside down in fridge. While I am at it I use stevia all the time. Where do you get your flavored stevia.? I use the powdered but I noted you use the liquid, I believe. I heard of some snacks called Harvest snaps Lentil ones; Tomato basil, all kinds, and they said they were available at Walmart. We are snowed in right now, so will have to wait.Have you heard of these. So many of such things are lousy and expensive.Barb

I don't think any questions are 'dumb'... : )
Just ask. I remember when i first bought 'natural' nut butters and the oil separated. A bit frustrating. I did stir and fridge it.
Then later did the up-side-down. (and makes ya want the ol' skippy creamy-chunk) ...
I have one now in the fridge that is like cement, but i take it out and let it sit at room temp overnight, then it is a bit easier to 'spoon'. Oils soften with heat. Or a simmering warm water bath...a bit of a pain. So we tend to buy whole nuts and grind them when we want them for butters or chopped. All in the freezer. Really is so much cheaper but not so handy.

barb-

I agree with sleevedog, there aren't any dumb questions. It's something you haven't experienced that you need/want to know, and this is a handy outlet for information from people you trust.

BTW - I do use powdered stevia, and even grow stevia in my herb garden and use it in whole dried leaf, powder, and extract. Which one I use depends on what I'm adding it to. I get the liquid flavored stevia from Amazon or iHerb (there are probably many other sources for the same brands so look for best price and special offers). The brands I have on hand are NOW and SweetLeaf.

I saw a display of Harvest Snaps at Wal-Mart and I thought how clever marketing was to place it in the produce section of the store to make you think you were eating healthy produce. If memory serves me, the one I looked at was green pea and was made from 70% whole peas. The good news, there weren't very many ingredients in the list - peas, rice, oil, citric acid, and maybe something else - a chemical preservative. At least it came in under 5-ingredients, which is one of my personal "food rules" when it comes to processed foods.

Michael Pollen said it best in one of his books - eat all the junk food you want --- as long as you make it yourself. I make sweet potato chips at home in the microwave when we want the occasional chip to go along with a lettuce wrap, or cut some corn tortillas into wedges and bake them when I make guacamole or salsa. I make high-protein "crackers" with the pulp remaining from making nut milk and dehydrate them. Dehydrated apple slices and a few nuts or peanuts has always been a snack food available in our home. Believe me, if you have to do more then rip a bag open, you'll have and consume a lot less snacks (LOL).

-Grainlady

Grainlady and others. Thanks so much for your replies. I shake my head cause it sounds like I am a new bride or something, but believe me this is not how my Mom taught me how to cook. Would like the r ecipe for the guacamole,tortilla chips etc. Could do them in my little convection ovenl The thing that bugs me is the ingredients that I have to watch, It is mind-boggling and I have to become very experimental in my cooking. Sadly to say, I have to have it on paper. Trying to experiment with the puff pastry and not having too much luck with that also. Want to use that with vegetable wraps. Seems like I am at the library all the time, but this is the fifth day I have been stuck at home and have to substitute because of the grocery content.not being on hand. I'll just keep struggling along. Thanks.Barb