I make my own chocolate covered almonds every once in a while. I started eating them a long time ago when I read that the combination is very heart-healthy.
The Fire Drill got a couple dozen residents out of their apartments to enjoy a refreshing cold treat on this 100 degree day.
We seem to eat a lot of nuts around here; my husband is especially fond of them so I keep a glass jar of mixed nuts on the kitchen island. For several months now we've had the Kirkland Deluxe Mixed Nuts from Costco; they are about the best price around. Recently I'd been thinking of Spanish peanuts, the kind with the "skins" on them. My dad loved those, and I remember dumping a handful of peanuts into a cold Coke in the summertime as a kid. (Then I could have a Coke and some peanuts using only one hand and drive my bike with the other.) So in my last grocery order I got a can of those Spanish peanuts and they are so good. Even my husband (who loves cashews best) has been enjoying them.
My dad managed G.C.Murphy stores and they roasted their own nuts in the store. I always liked the Spanish peanuts, too...little tiny peas with the skins on. They are so good when they're warm & fresh. I meant to post in this thread the other night. I made popcorn (nature's perfect carrier for salt & butter) for the first time in a while. Then I had some chocolate, which also goes good with salt.
One of my favorite childhood "smells" was the local Sears store. They had candy, popcorn, and fresh roasted nuts in a little kiosk in the middle of the store, and the smell of those nuts roasting was sheer heaven.
His stores had snack bars where they made everything from sandwiches to full meatloaf & potato meals. Back in the day you made sodas by shooting the syrups in a glass, then adding the seltzer water. Since I would be there with my father after closing, I could get back there and make my own concoctions (chocolate, vanilla, cherry & cola syrups plus ice cream plus seltzer water.)
When the holidays roll around, I make a Sweet Hot Mustard, like the Hickory Farms stuff. I started making my own some years ago when I got sticker shock at the teeny portions in the expensive Hickory Farms box...plus their crackers stink. A 1# summer sausage is pretty cheap. And a half a can of quality mustard powder (Coleman's) makes a 2 cup batch of sinus-clearing mustard. Maybe I'll fire some up this week. I got all the ingredients on hand.
We eat a lot of pickles, olives, and jarred peppers with meals. I recently bought some green olives that are stuffed with hot peppers and they are really good with a nice kick to them. Don't know why I hadn't tried those before; I guess I get into a rut with stuff.
I'm on a mission to retest my food dislikes to see if my tastes have changed. Green olives are on that list, but I'm not real eager to test them out.
For snacks I use to buy cashews by the gallon can but now gumming it nuts are a no no Nanette. I eat an almond, honey, and peanut butter mix on graham crackers for a dessert snack and cheddar cheese bites with Cheez Its for my main course snack. I sometimes get in a cooking mood and microwave up a bag of popcorn. Old Orville is still rockin the pippity pop.