Roasted Almonds

photo by 'visit colorado' on flickr

Last night, I went for a ride in the forest with the DMBA and I rode my first trail covered in leaves. I'm not ready for what's to come quite yet. Need to spin my tires a while longer before I retire for the season.

Despite the sadness that sets in with the image of a motionless bike in the garage, I look forward to fall for many reasons. The crisp, cool air on a sunny day is my favourite kind of weather. The kids are back in school enjoying their new routine and catching up with friends. And this creates a domino effect. My house is clean and seems to stay that way for a bit longer. I have time for myself a little more. Looking forward to tackling some projects that have been shelved during the busy, summer months.

Also, friends are back in town from their vacations. Lots of catching up to do with good people.

I will leave you with this fantastic recipe that may not seem very exciting, but be warned. It's highly addictive. Handed over to us from my cousin Sandy, this is a perfect snack food. I also use it in salad instead of croutons.

Enjoy, my friends! Hope to catch up on all your news in the upcoming months.

photo by a2naphish on flickr

Roasted Almonds with Rosemary

1 lb. Raw Almonds
1 Tbsp. Butter
2 Tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
1 Tsp. Coarse Salt
1/2 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Roast until lightly brown and fragrant, around 12-15 miniutes. Empty into bowl right away so they don't keep cooking while sitting on the cookie sheet.

In small saucepan, heat the butter until it sizzles. Remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add the almonds and lightly toss to coat completely. Cool to room temperature. IMPORTANT: when you toss the almonds with the topping, only toss briefly until everything is coated. Do not stir or disturb the almonds too much or the rosemary falls off and will not harden onto the almonds.

Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 1 month, but serve at room temperature.