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YUM! Virginia Cocktail Toffee Peanuts

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Virginia Cocktail Toffee Peanuts Virginia Cocktail Toffee Peanuts: Too Good to Believe

I love what I do… whatever it is that I do.  You know, the thing that allows me to do food reviews, such as the forthcoming one for Virginia Cocktail Peanuts.  I was sent a adorable little tin of Toffee Virginia Peanuts to review and, I have to tell you, it was one of the most delicious things ever delivered to my door.  I’d love to be able to say that I’m enjoying them right now as I’m writing this review, but alas, they aren’t just gone, they’re long gone.

I can, however, say that I’m fondly recalling the flavor as I’m typing the words.  That’s something, right?

After one bite, the first thing I thought of – besides, “Mmmmmm… so good… mmmmm” – was how perfect these peanuts would be for sticking in a gift basket or gift bag.

  • Mother’s Day
  • Father’s Day
  • Birthdays
  • Christmas
  • Graduation
  • Weddings
  • Easter
  • Valentine’s Day
  • Boss’ Day
  • Secretary’s Day
  • Etc…

If you’re like me, you love to give people cool, original things they probably haven’t seen before.  If there were a point system for gift giving, being unique would rack up more points than anything else. When someone looks at me wide-eyed and says, “Where’d you find this????,” I do a little happy dance inside – as the chorus of Yay, Me! plays over and over.

They’d also be a MOST welcome surprise tucked into a care package for that very special someone across the miles. They’d think of you with each crunch.

Virginia Cocktail Peanuts come in a fun variety of flavors (Sea Salt, Toffee, Jalapeno, Milk Chocolate, Cajun, Unsalted), so you’ll find something to suit everyone you know.  A word of warning, though: You’ll most definitely want to order some for yourself.  Trust me, these are impossibly delicious peanuts.  If I hadn’t scarfed mine down so quickly, I could have done something really clever like tossing them into a bowl of popcorn or eating them with yogurt.  You know, something creative we foodies are supposed to do – something worthy of our title.

But, nooooo. I simply enjoyed them right out of the tin. One after the other.

The sad thing is, I’d do it again. Would not change a thing.  I’d pop one sweet and crunchy little toffee peanut into my mouth, make that face we all make (while hoping no one sees us making it), suck my teeth a little bit, then go back for another.

Click through for more information about Virginia Cocktail Peanuts.  I know you’ll want to order some for Mother’s Day.  If you need me, I’ll be in the corner crying because my tin’s empty.

Virginia Cocktail Toffee PeanutsAwww, the memories…

16 Tasty Year Round Uses for Candy Coated Almonds

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Candy Coated Almonds

I recently had the pleasure of reviewing a bag of Oh Nuts Candy Coated Almonds.  Being a complete nut fanatic, I couldn’t wait for the bag to arrive in the mail. When it did, it took me all of 2 seconds to tear into it. I was probably on my third candy coated almond before the mail carrier was off of our street.

I have no shame when it comes to nuts, coffee, chocolate, or catfish. No shame whatsoever.

My mind has been buzzing over the many uses for these wonderful and beautiful candy coated almonds. I’m afraid that the pictures here just don’t do them enough justice. They’re so bright, shiny, and colorful!

Below are just some of the ways I’ve come up with for enjoying these little lovelies.

Blue and White Candy Coated Almonds

  1. Celebrate March Madness with your favorite team’s colors. I bleed UK Wildcat’s blue and white, so it’s little wonder that I chose these two colors! Leave the delicious candy coated almonds in candy dishes, throw them in a bowl with fresh popcorn, or use them to spell out your team’s initials on top of a cake.
  2. Use colorful candy coated almonds in Easter baskets and/or as Easter decorations.
  3. During baseball season, choose the colors of your favorite team. I’d have St. Louis Cardinals’ colors in baskets, candy dishes, bowls, etc.
  4. These beautiful candy coated almonds would make excellent wedding favors. There are countless wedding favor bags and boxes available.  Simply order candy covered almonds in the chosen wedding colors and fill the bags/boxes.
  5. These are perfect for snacks at the office. Keep the bag in your desk drawer and you’ll have healthy snacks readily available throughout the day.
  6. Fourth of July? Red, white, and blue candy coated almonds would be gorgeous on cupcakes, cakes, and cookies.
  7. You could use these almonds as favors at a baby shower, much as you would a wedding.  There are colors available that make me instantly think of baby showers: pink, blue, yellow, white…
  8. Speaking of pink, activities and fund raisers for breast cancer awareness would be a perfect fit for the beautiful pink candy coated almonds.
  9. A bag or two of candy coated almonds would be delicious additions to gift baskets, whether it’s for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, or Christmas.
  10. Send a few bags to your favorite college student.  We all love to send treats to those we love and, quite frankly, Oh Nuts products are PERFECT for this. Nuts travel well and won’t spoil or get “messy” like a lot of other treats. As a bonus, they’re as healthy as they are delicious!
  11. Use beautiful red and white candy coated almonds in heart-shaped candy dishes as part of your Valentine’s Day decor.  Give some as gifts to your favorite valentine as well.
  12. Choose red, green, white, gold metallic or silver metallic  for Christmas decorating. They’d be beautiful additions to fruit baskets.
  13. Orange and Black Candy Coated Almonds are perfect for Halloween!
  14. St. Patrick’s day cupcakes call for green candy coated almonds.
  15. NFL fans can choose their team’s colors for tailgating snacks.
  16. The metallic colored almonds (see #12) are also ideal for New Year’s Eve AND silver or gold wedding anniversaries.

White Candy Coated Almonds

Health Benefits of Almonds:

  • Since almonds are a plant based food, they contain no cholesterol.
  • Almonds are loaded with protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E and other antioxidants and phytochemicals.
  • Studies show that just 3 ounces of almonds a day can actually lower a person’s cholesterol by 14 percent. 14 percent!
  • When we munch on healthy snacks, like nuts, we stay away from unhealthy and harmful snacks like chips. That, alone, makes them worth their weight in gold.

Caramel Corn Recipe

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Southern Living 1988 Annual Recipes Cookbook

As I said in a recent post, I’ve fallen head over heels in love with Oh Nuts.  Their delicious pecans are the star in the recipe below.  Caramel Corn is outstanding for snacking on during ball games or as you run in and out of the house finishing up your Christmas shopping!

This recipe is from a favorite old cookbook in my collection, Southern Living 1988 Annual Recipes (Southern Living Annual Recipes). Try it, you’ll absolutely love it and your family will sing your praises through their sticky teeth.

Caramel Corn

Vegetable Cooking Spray
6 Quarts popped corn
1-1/2 cups pecan halves
1-1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1-1/2 cups raw peanuts
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coat 2 large roasting pans with cooking spray. Combine popcorn and pecans in pans; set aside.

Combine sugar, butter, corn syrup, and peanuts in a large saucepan; bring to a boil, and boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in soda and vanilla.

Pour mixture evenly over popcorn mixture. Stir with a lightly greased long-handled spoon until popcorn is well coated. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and immediately pour onto waxed paper, breaking it apart as it cools. Store in airtight containers.

Yield: 6-1/2 Quarts

*** Be sure to check out Oh Nuts! for nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and gift sets. Keep them in mind year-round as well (Valentine’s Day, Easter, birthdays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, Hanukkah, Halloween, Thanksgiving…)  Buy nuts in bulk for the best bargain.

Oh Nuts!

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Buy Pecans Online at Oh Nuts!

I’ve got nothing but big love for Oh Nuts.  Big, huge, colossal love.  For one thing, I’m the biggest nut lover in the world and for another, they recently sent me two huge bags of walnuts and pecans to review for the food blog. Seriously, if they ever come up with a word that means bigger than big and larger than large – it’ll describe my love for Oh Nuts.

These people know all there is to know about nuts and the proof is in the pudding… rather the proof is in the nuts.

My favorite nut happens to be the Heavenly pecan, but I’ve never met one I didn’t like.  I’ll be adding a few nut-licious recipes to the blog over the coming days – all in honor of my new buddies at Oh Nuts.  The first one stars my much beloved pecans, but I’m sure you saw that one coming.

When you purchase 1 lb bags of walnuts or pecans from Oh Nuts, you’ll flip over the convenient bag they come in almost as much as you do the delicious nuts. Almost.  The bags are great looking, for one thing, and for another they’re extremely easy to get in and out of…. which is a GREAT thing for snackers like me!  I knew I wanted to use the nuts for holiday recipes, but I found myself repeatedly getting into the bags for convenient, delicious, healthy snacks.

Today is Cyber Monday, as you probably know, and if you place a $50 order or more on Oh Nuts today, you’ll get FREE shipping.  There’s nothing about that I don’t love.

Oh Nuts actually has more than just nuts. A LOT more.  You could, literally, do the majority of your Christmas shopping on this one website – and do it today for free shipping. Below are just some of the great things you’ll find on Oh Nuts:

  • Nuts (you didn’t think I’d leave them out, did you?)
  • Candy
  • Dried Fruit
  • Chocolate
  • Baking Supplies
  • Baking Goods
  • Gift Sets
  • Gift Boxes
  • Ice Cream
  • Ice Pops
  • And more!

See Oh Nuts for more information. Trust me, they’ll blow you away.

So, just how healthy are nuts? Read what Real Age has to say about these delicious treats:  Health Benefits of Nuts (The link will open in a new window.)

Pistachio Lovers, Rejoice

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Wonderful Pistachios Bag

If you love pistachio nuts as much as we do around our house, you’ll certainly roll out a welcome mat for this news. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition gives us nut lovers a reason to crow with pride. Better yet, it gives us another reason to reach dip into our bag of tricks.

Penn State University researchers tell us that a diet that includes pistachio nuts may be beneficial to people with high cholesterol. Apparently the nuts increase the level of antioxidants that lower lipids and lipoproteins in the blood. Lipids and lipoproteins are risk factors in heart disease.

What’s more, pistachio nuts are also high in lutein, beta-carotene and gamma-tocopherol. Beta-carotene is the precursor to vitamin A and gamma-tocopherol is a common form of vitamin E. According to the researchers, Lutein is also found in green leafy vegetables.

The study states that antioxidants such as these are important weapons in fighting and preventing high cholesterol because they can prevent low-density lipoproteins – so-called “bad cholesterol” – from oxidizing, migrating into the blood vessel walls and causing inflammation. The antioxidants stop them in their tracks before they have a chance to harm you.

Good stuff.

You know what a nut lover I am – kind of attests to the whole “you are what you eat” premise I guess… making me a chocolate-covered nut that tastes suspiciously like coffee. I can live with that.

For a little over a year, I’ve been making small changes around our home in efforts to encourage my loved ones to eat healthier. Nuts are one of the most ingenious ways to do so. I leave little bags of nuts on the counter, canisters of nuts near televisions, and even place some in candy bowls. They disappear as though by magic. Granted, the disappearance act is faster when they’re encased in chocolate, but it’s all good. The dark yumminess brings antioxidants of its own.

Life’s good.

File this under under “Things I feel compelled to say” – because I KNOW, YOU KNOW, but keep in mind:

  • I’ve never met a nut yet that was calorie-free, so be sure you keep calories in mind when popping them in like popcorn.
  • Don’t leave nuts around, anywhere,  that small children or animals can get them.  As delicious as nuts are, they’re also choking hazards and small hands and paws of any size should never be allowed to risk it.

The image at the top of the post is a big, beautiful bag ofWonderful Pistachios Roasted and Salted Shelled Pistachios (32 Ounce Value Bag). Heaven.

Outstandingly Delicious and Healthy Snacks for Game Day

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One of our biggest pitfalls as a family trying to eat healthy foods is snack time.  I make healthy meals and, even when we eat out, we make healthy choices.  But when we’re watching football games, basketball games, baseball, Survivor, The Biggest Loser, or anything else on TV – we love our snacks.

Also – aside from my youngest daughter and our cats – the members of my family come and go all day and night.  It can be exhausting for us homebodies watching them come and go.  I’ve noticed that they all love to snack along their journeys… fuel for the road, I suppose.   I try to keep healthier options in the kitchen and dining room for them to grab.  Sure, we’ll have various forms of chocolate at any given time – I won’t even try to deny that.  Besides, you’d smell the chocolate on my breath and call me out.

I always remind people that chocolate…

  • Is actually good for you – nutritionists sing the praises of dark chocolate almost as much as I do
  • Chocolate makes the world go round
  • Chocolate is sexy

So, you can count on this  kitchen always, always, always boasting plenty of chocolate goodness just as surely as there will always be a coffee pot ready to play .  The coffee will warm your body as the chocolate warms your mood.  But potato chips, soft drinks, and fried, greasy crap has been exiled from our home.

Nuts are also remarkably good for you, so I keep several candy dishes filled with different kinds of nuts and nut blends.  The largest candy dish is currently holding chocolate covered raisins and chocolate covered nuts.  Another has almonds, which are a huge hit in my family.

Recently, I happened upon a combination that blew me completely away: Mariani Vanilla Yogurt Raisins and walnut pieces. I keep these yogurt covered raisins on hand because I’m totally addicted to them. They are ridiculously delicious. They had commandeered a large candy dish and I couldn’t find a spot for a bag of walnut pieces I’d just brought home from the store. So, I tossed the walnuts in with the yogurt covered raisins. When I passed by, I’d either pick out the raisins or the walnuts until I saw my husband grab a mixture and put them in his mouth. In an unsettling display of monkey-see/monkey-do, I jumped over and tried it for myself.

Holy deliciousness, Batman!!!

The combination reminds me of one of my favorite cookies, Iced Oatmeal Cookies. For whatever reasons, the vanilla-flavored yogurt, the raisins, and the walnuts make a powerhouse combination that convinces your mind that you’re eating the best Iced Oatmeal Cookie ever made. With less calories.

Try different combinations of nuts and dried fruit with your snackers… but, whatever you do, try the Vanilla-Flavored Yogurt-Covered Raisins paired with Walnuts first. It’ll blow you smack away.  These yogurt-covered raisins are also outstanding when eaten with fruit such as pineapple wedges, grapes, strawberries, raspberries (!!!), blueberries, blackberries, and so on.

Below is a great recipe for Trail Mix Bars from Mariani – makers, not only of the yogurt covered raisins I eat like a cat with salmon, but also makers of many outstanding dried fruits and other snacks. Look for them on the shelves at your grocery store. In my favorite store, they’re located in the health food section.

Mariani Trail Mix Bars Recipe

2 cups margarine
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
6 cups mixture of Mariani Premium Banana Chips – crushed, raisins, mixed nuts, and chopped, Mariani Premium Mixed Fruit.
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3 cups granola

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix margarine, brown sugar, and white sugar until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda, and add to butter and egg mixture. Stir in trail mix, oats, and granola. When mixed, drop spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

For more healthy recipes from Mariani, see their website.

Did you know that walnuts are very good for your brain? Click the link to learn how!

A Site and Blog to Go NUTS Over

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Pecan Caramel Chocolate Turtles Gift Box

You pretty much know my culinary passions by now – coffee, chocolate, nuts, cheese, buttermilk, cream cheese, coconut, tea, onion rings, salads, paninis, and dessert (all desserts, thank you very much).  Sure there are plenty of others I adore, but the group I  just named?  I live for them.

Something I’ve always noticed about this group, however, is this:  Quality matters.  Whether it’s coffee beans, chocolate, cheese, or cashews – know this, you almost always get what you pay for.  If you’re serious about what you cook and feed your family, then you HAVE to be serious about where you get your ingredients and staples from.

To that end, I want to tell you about a fantastic site for those of you who love nuts as much as I do:  Superior Nut Store.com.  I’m the sort of nut fanatic who stands at the counter eating walnuts out of the bag as she crumbles them into her cookies, bread, fudge, or whatever.  This sort of passion for all things nutty pretty much identifies me and I love Superior Nut Store’s dedication to making a nut lover’s world go round.

On Superior Nut.com you can find tins, gift baskets, boxes, peanut butter topping (Yum!), dried fruit, towers, and countless other beautiful gifts.  You should keep this website in mind not only for Christmas gifts but also for cooking during Thanksgiving and Christmas.  There are also some spectacular goodies that would make Back to School less brutal and Halloween more funtastic.

In an effort to totally destroy what’s left of my willpower, Superior Nut Store has combined two of my greatest loves: chocolate and nuts – and they’ve done it in ways that makes me weak in the knees.  At the top of the post is the Pecan Caramel Chocolate Turtles Gift Box (Rich, smooth caramel is combined with hand picked premium Pecans and is topped with Milk Chocolate. – Superior Nut Store.com).  Yeah, I knew you’d like to see that staring you in the face.  I figure if I’m going down, I’m taking y’all with me.

You’ll noticed I’ve included another picture for you below.  It’s the Almond Butter Crunch (Fresh Butter is simmered with Roasted Almonds to Create a Mouth Watering Toffee, we then dip it into a rich Milk Chocolate and Top it With More Roasted & Chopped Almonds. Our Old Fashioned Almond Butter Crunch is truly unique and absolutely Irresistible! – Superior Nut Store.com).  And you’re welcome.

You’ll also want to check out Superior Nut Store’s blog for some killer recipes.  I’ve printed out quite a few that I intend to cook asap.  But first things first, I’m taking a candy break.  Must have something chocolaty and nutty….

Almond Butter Crunch

Oh! Nuts and Oh! Candy and Oh! My!

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Pecan Caramel Chocolate Clusters from Oh! NutsOhhh man! Have I got a website to tell you about? Well, actually it’s not so much the website that has me purring Ohhhh man as much as it is what the website can hook you up with.

How do Pecan Caramel Chocolate Clusters sound to you? How about Roasted Cashews? Or Toffee Pecan Cinnamon Buns. I hate to brag, but I have a Pecan Caramel Chocolate Cluster in my mouth right now and I’m not even lying. Mmmmm, if this candy were any better I’d….. Never mind, it couldn’t be any better.

You’d think that the rich, delicious caramel or the always perfect pecans would steal the show with this candy, wouldn’t you.  That’s what I thought, too, until I took the first (of many!) bite.  The chocolate is some of the most amazing chocolate I’ve ever tasted in my life.  I have no unearthly idea why it’s so spectacular, but I’ve never tasted any better.  It is just unbelievably delicious – it tastes exactly like chocolate was meant to taste. 

I just went back to scour the website for more chocolate goodness and it didn’t take me long to find EXACTLY what I’m ordering next: Chocolate Covered Pretzels!  Click the link to see all of the glorious varieties.  I also was amazed to see that my newfound heroes have Gourmet Coffee Beans as well.  Into the shopping cart, caffeine!

If I can get my mind off of Chocolate for one minute (notice I said mind and not mouth), I want to also tell you about their roasted cashews.  They’re amazingly delicious fat little bits of Heaven.  They’re perfect right out of the bag, but if you need a chocolate fix…stat!…. they’re danged amazing dunked in melted milk chocolate.  Just melt the choclate in a crock pot on low, then carefully dip each fat little cashew in the chocolate bath (I’m so jealous..).  Place them on waxed paper and allow them to “set.”

So good you won’t believe it.

Last but not least, I’ve also tried the Toffee Pecan Cinnamon Buns candy.  These little devils are unlike anything you’ve ever had, this I promise you.  Personally, I love mine alongside a great cup of coffee – the flavors just go together in such a way that my head gets all swimmy.  The cinnamon flavor on the candy compliments the coffee and the coffee returns the favor…or should I say, flavor.  Halfway into the experience, you’d swear you were enjoying a Toffee Pecan Candy with a cup of gourmet cinnamon-flavored coffee.

You HAVE to check this website all the way out and jump in with both hands and mouth open.  Do like I’m doing, trying a few things out at a time.  I WILL make my way through everything connected to chocolate, nuts, and coffee.  Sure, it’ll take me a while because they have so many varieties, but I don’t mind – really, I don’t.

Did I tell you how unbelievably amazing this chocolate is?  I did?  Oh, okay, then I’ll just take my candy and head to the deck….

*** If you want the best chocolate imaginable, or roasted cashews that’ll take your breath away, and/or candy that that’ll make you happy to be alive, check out Oh! Nuts.com – talk about delicious Mother’s Day gifts!  You might want to go ahead and get “Dad’s” too while you’re there, Father’s Day isn’t that far off. 

Also, be sure to keep this website in mind when other holidays and special days roll around:  Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Anniversaries, Birthdays, Graduation, Weddings, Showers, Fourth of July picnics, my birthday… I’m just sayin’…first day of school, last day of school, big games, small games – oh! nuts, you get the idea.