Hello, my name is Alice and I’m a snacker.
A big time snacker.
Look in my bag at any given time, and I will have a Clif Bar, dried fruit, crackers or pretzels and gummies or fruit snacks (to be given in moderation only; for the kids) and maybe even a granola bar.
It’s a bad habit but I love snacking. And as long as we are confessing here. . I am an Instagram junkie too. Please tell me I’m not alone.
Some say that snacking or grazing is actually better for you because you eat little portions throughout the day and come mealtime, you’re not as hungry so you don’t over eat. I’m sticking with this. Plus, I do it so much now, this is just how I eat. Little things throughout the day and small portions at mealtime.
Good or bad, my kids have picked up this habit of mine. But I balance the snacking with healthy options like raw veggies (+ ranch dressing), fresh fruit and nuts, granola or yogurt. Our family tradition is Friday Night Movie Night. It’s Friday, we let them stay up late and we all watch a movie at home and munch on snacks. My husband and I haven’t watched a grown-up movie in ages. It’s all Disney, Princess movies or kid’s movies but it’s all good because it’s our family time.
For a while now, I have been purchasing loose kernels for popcorn and popping it on my own. Hint: all you need is a brown paper sack, a 1/4 cup kernels and a microwave. No joke. So, stop buying the pre-packaged microwave popcorn. You can pop your own and you know what you’re putting in it! Popcorn with Black Truffle oil + a little salt is a family fave now. Even the girls devour this popcorn. It’s soooo good.
And these nuts? I’m not going to go on and on about the health benefits of peanuts here (I’ll do this tomorrow so check back then) but they are really not as bad as you may think. A few notes about these Cashews and Peanuts. I tested two recipes here. One using light corn syrup and one using organic raw blue agave. Yup, you heard me right. Agave. Both tasted equally good. So, I highly recommend you try both. But keep in mind, the agave cooks faster so you want to bake these in the oven for a slightly shorter period of time (12-13 minutes as opposed to 15) so they do not burn.
Believe it or not, the ones in the front, that appear to be more “candied” are the ones I baked using agave! So go for it! And sadly, I was thinking I was going with a healthier option using the agave- but truth be told- it’s probably the same as using the light corn syrup. At least this is what Wed MD is telling me. BUT because agave is about 1 1/2 times sweeter than sugar, you can use less of it. Does anyone else use raw blue agave?? At any rate, these orange spiced cashews and peanuts are still delicious and I love the orange zest + the spices all mixed together! This is my kind of crunchy snack!
If you like nuts and particularly cashews and peanuts, you need to try this little snack. It’s totally easy to make and you can mix up and experiment with the spices. As you can see, I made a big batch and have bagged some of these to give away to friends and neighbors. These will also be perfect over the holidays when I bake cookies and other sweet treats for people.
I hope you enjoy!
Orange Spiced Cashews and Peanuts
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups whole cashews + peanuts blend of both
- barely 1/4 cup organic raw Blue Agave or 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chinese five spice
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix cashews and peanuts with raw blue agave (or corn syrup) until evenly coated. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine salt, zest, ginger, cardamom, cumin, chinese five spice and cayenne. Sprinkle mixture over nuts, and stir until nuts are evenly coated. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet; spread in a single layer, separating nuts.
- Bake until the nuts are golden and the agave is bubbling a little, for about 12-13 minutes only (bake for 14 if using the corn syrup). Start checking on these after 12 minutes so they do not burn. Remove from oven and remove parchment from the hot baking sheet onto a wire rack so they can cool. Separate and break apart the cashews and peanuts; let cool and serve.
Recipe adapted from MarthaStewart.com
Today’s Sunday Supper is all about CRUNCHY foods and snacks. How awesome is that? And today, the lovely Susan from Girl in the Little Red Kitchen is hosting! So, take a look at all the fabulous crunchy goodness we have down below!
Crispy Appetizers:
Bitterballen from The Urban Mrs. Caprese Wontons from Jane’s Adventure in Dinner Crispy Broccoli Cheddar Bites from Curious Cuisiniere Waldorf Salad from Noshing With The NolandsCrunchy Entrees and Sides:
Crunchy Baked Chicken with Homemade Shake and Bake from Growing Up Gabel Crunchy Crusted Chicken Strips with Chipotle Honey Mustard from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventure Flautas de Rajas con Queso (Cheesy Poblano Pepper Taquitos) from La Cocina de Leslie Penny’s Taco Salad from Webicurean Popcorn Chowder from The ROXX Box Rosemary Garlic Croutons on layered Savoy Cabbage Soup from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen Strawberry and Mozzarella Flatbread from Family Foodie Munch on Snacks: Crunchy & Chewy Chocolate Hazelnut Granola from Cupcakes & Kale Chips Crunchy Granola Bars (Better than Nature Valley) from Shockingly Delicious Crunchy Pumpkin Pie Spice Roasted Chickpeas from Daily Dish Recipes Duck Fat Chex Mix from The Texan New Yorker Easy Vegan Granola from Killer Bunnies, Inc Fried Veg Momos with Cheese Recipe from Masala Herb How to Make Homemade Sweet and Salty Trail Mix from Neighborfood Orange Spiced Cashews from Hip Foodie Mom Peanut and Pretzel Popcorn Balls from Peanut Butter and Peppers Roasted Pumpkin Seeds from Hezzi-D’s Cooks and Books Slow Cooker Bar-B-Q Party Mix from Hot Mamma’s Kitchen Chaos Sourdough Grissini from girlichef Spicy Lentil Crackers from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings Sweet and Spicy Roasted Pepitas from Alida’s Kitchen Sweet Potato Chips from Kudos Kitchen By Renee Unbaked Healthy Oatmeal Sesame Bars from My Trials In The Kitchen Vanilla Almonds from That Skinny Chick Can Bake Crispy Dessert: Boo Berry Cereal Treats from Pies and Plots Choco-Caramel Squares from Basic N Delicious Chocolate Covered Potato Chip Rice Krispie Treats from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen Chocolate Pecan Biscotti from The Food Army Wife Cookie Brittle from Juanita’s Cocina Double Banana Pie Krispie Treats from What Smells So Good? Honeycomb Crunch Candy from Food Lust People Love Momofuku Chocolate Chip Cornflakes Cookies from Ninja Baking Nutty Wedges with Brown Sugar Whipped Cream from Magnolia Days Salted Caramel Cashew Cookies from Mess Makes FoodJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.
Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here ? Sunday Supper Movement.
