SAVORY ROASTED ALMONDS

So, yesterday I was partaking in one of those extremely overpriced flavored nut packs, and as tasty as they were, I couldn't help but think "I can totally figure out how to make these myself". Some ladies buy fancy shoes, fancy purses, or fancy makeup... I spoil myself with fancy snacks. However, as my days of corporate employment are coming to a close, a girl must learn to make fancy snacks on her own. I studied their salty, crispy parmesan crust and mix of herbs. I finished the bag (not difficult since there are about nine almonds per package) and set forth to make my own. No time to waste, I get a rush out of things like this.

A plain almond only satiates the mildest of hunger, but my goodness, these almonds are like the princess of nut snacks. They are the fancy shoe, fancy purse and fancy makeup of the snack family. I will show you big fancy nut company! Mine are fresh and I can have more than nine at a time! It's the little things isn't it?

SAVORY ROASTED ALMONDS

The spice measurements here are pretty moderate, if you like it spicier or love lemon for example, adjust as you desire. I know the sugar seems a bit out of place here, but it helps with the crust. Also, because ovens are all a bit different, test them after the recommended time. Note that they will dry out and crisp up even more once they cool out of the oven.

3 Cups/16 oz. Raw Almonds

2 Small Egg Whites (OR 1 Extra Large Egg White)

1/3 Cup Fresh Thyme Leaves

2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

1 Tbsp. Dried Oregano

1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder

3 Tbsp. Lemon Zest

2 tsp. Black Pepper

1 1/2 Tbsp. Natural Cane Sugar/Sucanat

Sea Salt

1/2 Cup Finely Grated Parmesan Cheese

Oven to 275'

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. In a bowl, or pestle and mortar, add the thyme, red pepper, oregano, garlic powder, black pepper, lemon zest and sugar together. If you have a pestle and mortar, grind all of the spices together to break them up a bit. You won't get much of a paste, but the thyme should break down a bit and the red peppers will get smaller. Otherwise, the back of a heavy spoon will suffice as well.

2. Whisk the egg whites until frothy (about 2 minutes). Add the almonds, and fold them over to coat. Add the spices mixture and mix again until they seem evenly distributed.

3. Spread the nuts out on the baking sheet and give them all a very generous grind of sea salt. Sprinkle half of the parmesan evenly, and toss to coat. Make sure the nuts are spread in a single layer, and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the nuts. At this point, I added a fresh grind of black pepper all over, but that is your choice.

4. Bake in the middle rack for 25 minutes. Remove to cool completely before serving. And a final little dusting of parmesan when they are hot out of the oven never hurt anyone either.

OAT'NANA PUCKS

Last night, I was struck by how grateful I am to live where I do. Hugh took me swimming. A romantic early evening dip, as I never do this on my own accord. The air was warm and the ocean temp about 70 degrees. Deep blue and crystal clear. It had been FAR too long since I’d been out swimming. It ends up being quite a workout for me, treading water, as I am terrified of sea creatures chomping my feet off. Hugh made a good looking life saving device. The ocean is so vast, that it reminds me how small we are in this wild and precious life. It was calming and reviving at the same time; much needed. Regardless of where you live, I know that you’ve had those moments of being overwhelmed with gratitude. I may sound sappy, but if your heart is any bigger than a pea, thoughts as these have crossed your mind.

Bringing it back to the treats at hand, because you and I can both be grateful for these pucks of oatty goodness. I don’t bake cookies often because my greedy tendencies seem to surface every time I do... I intend to give most away, but once they are warm and sweet smelling out of the oven, I get protective and hoard them. I freeze most, to have them only when I really NEED a cookie. I manage to easily convince myself that I always NEED a cookie. These are so tasty and hearty, that I even NEED them around breakfast time. The good news: these lil pucks have no eggs, sugar or butter, but I assure you, they still taste like a treat.

OAT ‘NANA PUCKS // 3 dozen mini pucks

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks.

Heidi's recipe calls for almond meal, but I like nut crunchies. The almond meal does however, help act as a binder. So I added wheat bran. If you have gluten allergies, omit the wheat bran and use almond meal. Also note that these cookies can be a bit crumbly in texture. If that bothers you, add a beaten egg to the wet mix.

3 Well Ripened Bananas

2 tbsp. Good Vanilla Extract

¼ Cup Coconut Oil (olive oil works fine)

2 Cups Rolled Oats

1/3 Cup Wheat Bran

2/3 Cup Finely Chopped Almonds

1/2 Cup Unsweetened, Shredded Coconut

1 tbsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Baking Powder

¾ Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips or Carob Chips

Oven to 350’

Mush the ripe bananas with a fork. Mix the wet ingredients together: bananas, vanilla, and oil. In another bowl, mix remaining dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and gently mix. Fold in the chocolate or carob chips. The dough will be loose. Here, my favorite line in her recipe, ‘don’t worry about it’. Ha.

On a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat, make mini balls, then give them a gentle smush to flatten them. I like them in balls, Hugh prefers them in pucks, shape as you wish. They don’t really change shape while baking, so spacing 1’’ between is fine.

Bake for about 14 minutes until puck or nugget is firm. Do not undercook or they will crumble.

Hoard.

CHERRY NUT GRANOLA

I’m big into snacking. Probably so into it, that it’s more of a shortcoming. People comment, “I saw you driving, you were eating”… yes, thank you, that is typically the case. If managed correctly, small meals throughout the day are better for your metabolism. I’m flabbergasted that my snacks-on-the-hour approach hasn’t made diet headlines yet.

I like when granola has chunks,almost like mini cookies within the granola. I did some research and found a tip from The Traveler's Lunchbox to give some of the oats a grind. To be honest, this didn't exactly work for me, but it likely has to do with my proportion of wet ingredients. The theory of the oat flour acting as a binder, completly makes sense. My goal was to keep the fat and sugar down, so my clumps were few. Exisiting, but few.The recipe below is quite tasty and my quest for 'light' clusters remains.

Granola has an oat base, where you are welcome to change the nut and dried fruit additions as you please. I like to use a tad of butter and brown sugar for crunch, and agave nectar because it is not as sweet as honey. Most homes have honey on hand, and that will certainly work out just fine. We gifted some, made Hugh breakfast with a bit of plain yogurt and will pack the rest as the perfect sustenance for our 4th of July beach day. I will say that after the breakfast ration, dark chocolate chips were added- highly recommended for optimum snacking.

CHERRY NUT GRANOLA // Makes about 6 Cups

3 Cups Quick Oats

3 tbsp. Flax Seeds

3 tbsp. Sesame Seeds

1/2 Cup Raw Pumpkin Seeds

1/2 Cup Raw Sunflower Seeds

3/4 Cup Raw Pistachios

3/4 cup Raw Slivered Almonds

2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Sea Salt

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce

2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil or melted butter

2 tbsp. Agave Nectar (or Local Honey)

1 tbsp. Real Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 Cups Dried Cherries

**If you double this recipe, make sure to bake it in shifts. If the layer of oats is too thick, it will steam itself. If you put one sheet on the lower rack, it won't crisp up because of it's upstairs neighbor.

Oven to 325’

1. In a saucepan, on low heat, melt the brown sugar, applesauce, agave nectar/honey, olive oil/butter and vanilla. Let it warm through so the sugar breaks down and all flavors incorporate.

2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, salt, nuts and seeds. Slowly drizzle the wet mixture on the oat mix and stir until all oats are covered. It should look pretty moist but not 'wet'.

3. Spread the granola in an even layer on a baking pan (also known as jelly roll pan; ½’’ sides). Place the rack in the middle of the oven and bake for 15 minutes, stir. Granola should take about 45 minutes to cook, continue to stir every 15 minutes for even color.

4. Pull out the granola and fold in the dried cherries. Allow the granola to cool completely before adding chocolate chips or putting it in a container.