Going Nuts

I have to warn you that this post is all about nuts. And the title is the best I could come up with. So, feel free to roll your eyes. Believe me. I did.

I just love nuts. They are right behind cheese in my list of favorite foods.

I love that they are healthy ( in moderation, of course). And filling. And crunchy. And salty.

I love cracking them open. Chopping them up. And adding them in to anything I can think of.

I like eating them right out of the bag.

Unless it is cashews. They are the one nut that I'm not too fond of. And I have no good explanation why. Kev loves them, though. So, they are always around.

One of my sisters HATES nuts. She won't even eat peanut butter.

I think she is weird. And I refuse to discuss it with her. It makes my blood pressure go up.

Anyway, the point of this is to tell you about my NEW favorite butter....

Trader Joe's Almond Butter....with sea salt. I am NOT kidding you when I say this is the best stuff this side of the Mississippi and every where else in the World. I bought it back in November on my birthday shopping journey. And I've been savoring it. Not knowing when I would get to go back.

But now I have a plan. And I'm going in two weeks. So, the pantry is a free for all eat-a-thon. And anyway, I just couldn't hold out any longer.

There is something different about this butter... and if you have only ever tried peanut butter - you will notice it right away. It is somehow smoother and lighter and just adds a new dimension to your morning toast.

I usually prefer the "chunky" in nut butters... for that added crunch. But I am totally ok with this stuff being creamy.

It is just that darn good.

And INEXPENSIVE! Which may be the best part. Usually nut butters ( besides peanut) are hella pricey. But I think I got this jar for FOUR dollars. That is basically HALF of what the grocery store has it for.

It has brought a new found enjoyment to a PB&J. Which I had yesterday for lunch.

Then this morning, I came up with this as my pre-run snack...

SCRUMPTIOUS!

(This snack reminded me of the peanut butter and banana sandwiches my Dad always made for me when I was little. He worked third shift for a little while... and my Mom taught. So, for lunch it was just me, Dad, and Sesame Street. And peanut butter. And if we were out of bananas... he made my sandwich with mayo. Mayo + PB. I LOVED it! But it truly scares me to death to try it as an adult. Even though I'm sure he still eats it.)

It makes me laugh when I think about a diet I was once on that FORBID bananas.

Can you imagine?

We eat bananas daily. What in the world did we do without them?

I really can't remember. But I'm sure it involved lots of tears.

And I just have to mention that my "little" snack was the best fuel I could have asked for. I've got the sweat stains and flushed cheeks to prove it.

So, if you haven't tried any other nut butters besides peanut.... give it a go. You will LOVE them. Unless you are weird. And then I don't want to hear about it.

And on a side note: I realized this morning that NONE of my links were working in my posts. That made me so sad. And it means that you have missed out on great recipes and pictures for the past month. So, I put my thinking cap on and figured out the problem... and now every thing should be up and running. In case you want to go back to get some recipes.

The kid that helps me in my computer class ( Kev) was sad that I wasn't linking correctly... but happy that I figured it out. There is hope for me yet!