The Legend of Gilda and the Almond Blossoms

Almond Tree in Bloom

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 […]

Posted on June 19th, 2018

Make Your Own Almond Milk for Yummy Smoothies

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  […]

Posted on June 14th, 2018

The Optimum Number of Almonds to Eat in One Day

signs to good health

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 […]

Posted on June 12th, 2018

Almond — Perfume of the Gods and Goddesses

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 […]

Posted on June 8th, 2018

How Almonds Can Help Control Diabetes

Maisie Jane's Snack Packs

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 […]

Posted on June 5th, 2018

The Tradition of Almonds and June Weddings

Juno and Jupiter

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 […]

Posted on June 1st, 2018

Roast Salmon with Orange Gremolata and Almonds (Recipe)

Roasted Salmon with Almonds

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 […]

Posted on May 29th, 2018

The Royal Wedding Went Nuts!

Royal Wedding

You don’t see something like this every day! Ohio artist Steve Casino got quite the commission recently. He was hired to create tiny replicas of Britain’s Royal family painted on almonds and other nuts! Apparently, Casino had previously built a reputation doing miniature portraits on peanuts. He invents toys for a living but one day did […]

Posted on May 24th, 2018

Celebrating World Bee Day

Bees

Guess what? Yesterday was the first annual World Bee Day! The holiday is about spreading awareness of the significance of bees and came about as the result of a recently adopted UN resolution. It will be on May 20th every year which is also the birthday of Anton Janša, a teacher of apiculture and pioneer of […]

Posted on May 21st, 2018

What’s for Dessert? California Shortbread Bars! (Recipe)

California Shortbread Bar

Old-fashioned shortbread is one of my favorite desserts—easy to make, easy to eat, and a nice simple base for toppings or dipping into nut butter or other delectable treats! But now that I’ve been introduced to California Shortbread Bars, I might never go back to my old stand-by! Imagine shortbread layered with chocolate and chopped […]

Posted on May 17th, 2018