OMG, it’s pumpkin spice season already! I’m not a huge fan of all things pumpkin spice . . . but I do love pumpkin! Something about that orange squash just makes my mouth water! Add a little cinnamon and nutmeg (or pumpkin spice) and I pretty much HAVE to have some! But given that it’s […]
It’s May which means Spring has come and is almost gone in Chico! Well, not really but, certainly, the almond bloom season is done. But I do love bloom season and there are plenty of birds singing outside my window right now. So that brought to mind this famous wallpaper design by Walter Crane called […]
The squirrels in my backyard are gathering nuts like crazy. And that’s VERY fun to watch because our local squirrels are very smart and cunning! You see, the squirrels in my neighborhood like to go from yard to yard by traveling on the rail just below the top of the fence line where they can’t […]
It being June, the month of weddings, I thought I’d share a love story—one involving almond trees, of course! This tale comes from Algarve, Portugal, a gorgeously scenic place on the Mediterranean. It’s a popular tourist destination but is also important agriculturally in the region. Almonds are one of the largest crops—the stuff of legends, no […]
Have you discovered almond milk? I love it! It’s a dairy- free, soy-free choice that is great for vegans or anyone wanting to try something new. But, for me, the store bought varieties sometimes leave a lot to be desired. I’m on a low-carb diet and almonds are very low carb so that would seem […]
Before we dive into how many almonds would constitute a healthy snack, I couldn’t help but share this cute little video. How many almonds can a chipmunk stuff in his mouth? More than I ever thought! In one of last week’s blog posts I wrote about how scientists discovered that eating 2 oz of almonds […]
For me, the smell of almond paste either in a freshly made croissant or some other wonderful almond dessert is such a heady experience I want to wear it like a perfume! I just love it, so one day I decided to look into the use of almond oil in perfumery. What I discovered was […]
Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. As of this writing, it is thought that 29.1 million Americans have the disease and up to 8.1 million may be undiagnosed and unaware of their condition. And it is thought that 1 out of 3 people in this country has pre-diabetes—when blood sugar is higher than […]
It’s June, the biggest month for weddings. Have you ever wondered why? Well, the tradition dates back to ancient Rome when they celebrated the festival of the Roman God Jupiter and his wife Juno on the first day of June. The month of June is actually named after Juno. She was the goddess of marriage […]
I made salmon dipped in almond meal for dinner last night and it was SO delicious I thought I’d share the recipe with you. But it’s barely a “recipe.” Take your fish, dip it in a beaten egg, and then in almond meal. Then bake it or fry it or grill it and enjoy! But […]