I don’t have the good fortune of having my father with me anymore , but I’d like to dedicate this post to him today.My father was someone who enjoyed life and good food. Though not an an avid cook, he did on more than one occasion make a pretty mean steak stir-fry when we were kids.
Nonetheless, my father was definitely a foodie in his own right. He enjoyed things like simply going to the grocery store, walking up and down each aisle, looking, browsing, becoming intrigued by the new and different products that would catch his attention. Setting his dietary restrictions aside, he especially loved it when stores had new food products to promote so he could try out the free samples (an activity I too enjoy doing, by the way)!
I started to think about which food I most associated my dad with. Peanuts kept flooding my brain. Sure he loved eating dishes from all sorts of cultures and was open to trying new things, but the one consistent staple item my father always seemed to be munching on was peanuts. Peanuts while watching TV, peanuts while reading the paper, peanuts while just sitting in his favorite chair and relaxing.
This easy to put together peanut snack is for all you peanut-adoring people out there. It's got a nice balance of spicy and sweet with a hint of tanginess from lime juice.
Feel free to adjust the spices according to your taste buds. I mixed a jar (about 3 and 1/2 cups), of roasted, unsalted peanuts (I used Planter's), with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the juice of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon chili powder, and 2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl. Toss these together until the peanuts are evenly coated with the oil and spices, then spread the peanuts out on a cookie sheet, and place in a preheated 250 degree oven for around 30 minutes. Allow the peanuts to cool completely. You can store these in an airtight container once they have cooled.
Feel free to adjust the spices according to your taste buds. I mixed a jar (about 3 and 1/2 cups), of roasted, unsalted peanuts (I used Planter's), with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the juice of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon chili powder, and 2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl. Toss these together until the peanuts are evenly coated with the oil and spices, then spread the peanuts out on a cookie sheet, and place in a preheated 250 degree oven for around 30 minutes. Allow the peanuts to cool completely. You can store these in an airtight container once they have cooled.
Anybody who knows me well knows what a sucker I am for nostalgia. I love spending the weekends scouring flea markets, garage sales, and thrift shops for that special treasure that might remind me of something precious from childhood, or ignite in me some sort of emotional connection to the past. So when I spotted this sweet, 3-piece, vintage melamine plate setting at a neighborhood thrift store recently, I had the feeling that I may have owned such a set myself when I was a youngster. There was something comforting about these pieces. The dishes were made by a company called Lexington and were surprisingly still boxed up in the original packaging. It puts a smile on my face every time I look at that adorable lion. Just wanted to share.
