With Father’s Day approaching, I thought it would be fun to highlight some recipes that remind me of my dad. Somewhere along the way, it was decided that Grandpa likes NUTS. That may be because he used to have a big bag of peanuts in the shell on hand that he’d crack and snack on whenever the mood struck. Grandma finally got fed up with the mess he left behind and the next birthday Grandpa got a big bag of peanuts – and a dustbuster. Grandpa’s birthday is the day after Christmas and while visiting during the holidays I noticed that Grandpa had received SEVERAL packages of nuts. I asked him if he really liked nuts? He told me he liked nuts, so they were just as good a gift as any. Upon further pressing he admitted that he wasn’t quite sure how we had all decided he liked NUTS – a lot! Probably because Grandpa is hard to buy for. Unless it’s a tool (which I’m pretty sure he has one of nearly every tool on the face of the earth), there’s not much else we kids are creative enough to get him.
We even stopped at the “Dang Good Candy Store” in Chillicothe, Texas to get him some nuts once. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but for me, (who rarely stops on a long road trip without good reason), it was a special event. While visiting Grandpa later that year Grandpa was showing me some nuts that he said my brother had given him (they were the ones from the Dang Good Candy Store). Now it is not unheard of for me to not get credit for gifts I’ve given. More than once my mom has said, “Hey, look at this that your sister gave me!” when it was a gift I went in on. It’s not that I want credit, it’s just that I hope they don’t think I’m so cheap I never send gifts. But this was different. I wasn’t going to let my little brother take credit for those NUTS, so I set Grandpa straight.
So if your Dad or Grandpa likes NUTS, here’s a couple of recipes you might try – There’s bound to be one that you like because they include something savory, something sweet and something spicy. Mix up a batch for Grandpa and add the printable tag, Or you can just stop at the dang Good Candy Store in Chillicothe, Texas and get your own.
Love you, grandpa! Happy Father’s Day (and I’m not sending you NUTS this year!)
PARTY MARTY’S SPICY NUTS
INGREDIENTS
1 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts
2 ½ tsp. Old Bay Seasoning (Old bay is a spice blend for seafood found with other spices and seasonings)
Pinch of cayenne pepper
½ tsp. sugar
2 tsp. olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 250F.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the spices and sugar and mix well.
- Add olive oil and mix.
- Place peanuts in a resealable bag and pour spice mixture over the peanuts. Shake well.
- Spread peanuts on the parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes.
- Cool before removing them from the baking sheet.
SAVORY ROSEMARY AND GARLIC ALMONDS
INGREDIENTS
1 T. butter
1 c. raw almonds
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. Rosemary leaves, crushed
1 tsp. coarse sea salt
Chili powder to taste ( ¼ tsp.will give a very mild hint of chili, and add more if more “kick” is desired).
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix all the spices together in a small bowl.
- Melt the butter on the stove.
- Add the almonds and stir until they are heated through (about 5 minutes).
- Remove from heat and add the spices, stirring thoroughly.
- Allow the almonds to cool slightly in the pan, stirring occasionally. Best when served warm.
CINNAMON SPICE ALMONDS
INGREDIENTS
½ c. granulated sugar
½ c. brown sugar
3 TBSP. Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 egg white
3 cups raw almonds
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix sugars, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.
- In a second bowl, whisk egg white and vanilla until foamy.
- Add the almonds and coat thoroughly.
- Add the cinnamon mixture to the almonds and stir until almonds are coated evenly.
- Spread on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
- After removing the nuts, you may need to break the nuts apart using a wooden spoon or other utensil. Store in a cool, dry container.
PRINTABLES
Print these out to use as tags on your Dad and Grandpa’s Day Nuts!
