Nuts to You, Magillicutty!

By now, you know that I love fall and that John has asked me to try to send him healthy foods. I've got a whole battery of healthy recipes I'd like to try, but somehow the ones full of butter and sugar are just so much more fun to attempt!

So, I hunkered down and tried a pumpkin pie nut mix recipe from Pinterest. Usually Pinterest recipes are either excellent or awful (with almost no middle ground), so there's always the thrill of the experiment. 

Thankfully, this recipe was a winner and is a keeper. The first time I made it, I tried it with just almonds and misread the directions by putting about three times the amount of cinnamon needed into it. I tried my best to salvage it, and thought I had screwed it up for sure. When John got the almonds, he asked me for more, saying that he had "housed" the bag. (Sometimes I question if his taste buds are working.)

The second time I made it, I tried it with a mixture of whole nuts (read below for specifics). Smelling them bake in the oven is delightful and makes it feel exactly like it's mid-fall. I'd make this recipe for no other reason than to have that smell permeate the kitchen!

You can find the original recipe at Kneed to Cook. I'm copying the original below with my notes, changes, and suggestions, but please know that the original recipe is not my original content.

You need:

• 2 cups of raw almonds (The first time I made this recipe, I used almonds. The second time, I tried it with 1 cup of whole walnuts and 1 cup of whole pecans. I rather like the mix better, but I'm also not a fan of almonds and neither is John.)
• 3 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• 2 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice seasoning (Enjoy how delicious it smells when you open up the canister!)
• 4 tablespoons of organic agave or honey (I used honey.)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Sea Salt (About a teaspoon works.)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment or foil.
• Into a bowl place your almonds.  
• Then add cinnamon, spice, agave or honey and vanilla.  
• Toss to coat each nut. (I found that this coating is too sticky and thick to really toss efficiently. I stirred instead. That was much more effective.)
• Spread the nuts evenly on the cookie sheet.  
• Sprinkle with sea salt.  
• Bake for 18-20 minutes.  (When directly out of the oven, the coating on the nuts will look clumpy and spongy. Never fear! When cool, the coating will be crystallized.)
• Let cool and serve. (Or pack and ship!  Or freeze 'em for Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas gifts. Or eat them standing up over your sink! )

That's it! An easy recipe with common, simply delicious ingredients and little prep or wait time! What's not to love?

Sandy Update: While we're directly in the path of the storm, right now, we're still just experiencing minimal rain and wind around 30 mph. Maybe there's still a chance that she'll stall off-shore? Just in case, my sister and I are laying low with a gigantic bag of Halloween candy, among other supplies. And no, that Halloween candy is not for any cute little ghosts or princesses that brave the storm for treats.

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