Going Nuts

After a weekend
of parties {and party food}
celebrating my husband's
high school class
reunion, I'm feeling
really blobby and
not particularly
energetic.

However, this week
instead of dwelling
on the
 shouldn't haves


fried food
processed food
sugary food


I want to focus
on foods that 
n o u r i s h
and give
e n e r g y,
especially as we
head towards
the holidays.

The
should haves.

One thing that I 

love about fall 

is the abundance

of fresh nuts,

such as pecans,walnuts,

almonds and one

I especially enjoy,

the hazelnut.

Hooray for hazelnuts!

In the United States,

hazelnuts are cultivated

in two of my favorite

states, Oregon and Washington.

In the rest of the world,

they are found in commercial

quantity in Turkey and Italy.

Cousin to the Filbert,
and considered the

healthiest of nuts,

hazelnuts are high in

protein and unsaturated

fat and contain significant

amounts of thiamine and

vitamin B6.

Toasted, hazelnuts

are wonderful in granola,

tasty tossed with green beans,
olive oil and

fresh lemon juice,

and delicious in a baby

greens salad with pear

and craisins....

But this 
is the way I
savor them best:

dark chocolate covered

hazelnuts

or

Nutella spread
{I just eat

it on a small spoon!}

and sometimes

 in chocolate candy,

such as this....

In moderation,
the combination of 
dark chocolate
and hazelnuts can be 
an energizing treat,
full of antioxidants.

{That's my story
and I'm sticking to it!}

Last October

I was introduced

to a fantastic

source for hazelnuts

of all kinds

dry roasted

dark chocolate covered

salted

spiced

diced

Hazelnut Hill, 

a hazelnut orchard
near Corvallis, Oregon,
where they grow,
roast and make their
own candy with hazelnuts.

Family owned,

their hazelnuts

were fresh and delicious,
and possibly
the best that
I'd ever tasted.

Which 
 nourishing foods
top your list? 


Will you go 
a little nuts
with me, 
this fall?

Hazelnut and Chestnut

Nothing to do with
nuts except their
names,
but I couldn't
resist : )!!


[Picture credits ~
Google images: 6 & 9;
All others Flickr; click
on each for attribution]

Posted in autumn , food , health