We Scream for Pistachios!

Have you ever wondered why pistachio nuts are green inside? It’s because they contain chlorophyll, the same component found in leafy greens. Goodly green chlorophyll is what helps plants get energy from the sun, which in turn helps them grow and become yummy food for us. So when your family rebels against eating their veggies, […]

Posted on July 21st, 2020

DIY Trail Mix for Back to School and Beyond!

I love to make my own trail mix. There’s nothing wrong with store-bought trail mix, except…there’s often just one ingredient in the mix that doesn’t agree with me or that I don’t truly love. And I know from working with kids over the years (and from being one) that they can be allergic to all […]

Posted on July 17th, 2020

Where’s Walnut? In the Dan Dan Noodles

Walnuts don’t stick around long at our house. Sometimes I have to hide them from certain sneaky snackers in order to have enough on hand for a recipe. But as snacks go, walnuts are one of the healthiest choices; protein-rich and with the highest amount of Omega-3 fatty acids (plant-based, the kind that’s ready to […]

Posted on July 7th, 2020

This Independence Day, Celebrate Family Farms

Family farms are so important! In fact, according to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the USDA, more than 90% of farms in the U.S. are classified as small family farms. That’s a lot of family love grown into our food supply. But due to factors that include climate change, giant agribusiness and […]

Posted on July 2nd, 2020

Clean-Out-the-Fridge Chicken, Summer Fruit and Almond Salad

Every June when the stone fruits ripen, I get so excited, I tend to over-buy at the farmer’s market. The result is, we now have a fridge full of colorful berries and all manner of ready-to-eat peaches, plums, pluots, apricots and nectarines. I could freeze much of it for yummy smoothies, but…there’s also that leftover […]

Posted on June 30th, 2020

Make Dried Fruits and Nuts Part of Your Pandemic Morning Routine

I know, WHAT routine? If you’re like me, being stuck at home has wreaked havoc with having a schedule. Does my boss care WHEN I get things done and how I’m dressed while I’m doing it? Nope! Just as long as I get things done and look somewhat presentable from the waist up for Zoom […]

Posted on June 18th, 2020

Using Almonds to Go Gluten-Free

Do you need to watch your diet because of celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity? Or perhaps, like me, do you gain weight with every bagel or slice of bread and want to see what giving up simple carbs (which are frequently gluten-rich) will do? In that case, almonds could be your new best friend. […]

Posted on June 4th, 2020

Snacking with Almonds

California Bounty Box

I need to up my snacking game. Somehow under the spell of pandemic lockdown too many store bought cookies wound up in my house! So now I’m in semi-regret. They were good but I don’t even dare step on the scale. Luckily, I know how healthy almonds and almond butter are. But I need some […]

Posted on May 28th, 2020

How Eating Nuts Can Help You Lose Weight

Nuts have a lot of fat so how could they help you lose weight? The key is in how packed with nutrition they are. When it comes to picking a food for a between meal snack, don’t reach for empty calories! Choose a nutrient dense food and substitute that for an equally calorie laden choice […]

Posted on May 12th, 2020

Why We Use Steam Pasteurization at Maisie Jane’s

Dry Roasted Almonds

To be perfectly honest, we’d prefer not to pasteurize our almonds at all! But in 2003-2004 there were salmonella outbreaks traced back to a few conventional California almond growers. California produces 80% of the world’s almonds so the idea of global outbreaks originating in California was pretty scary stuff. As a precaution, in 2007 the […]

Posted on March 5th, 2020