Hope you have a wonderful weekend. Mine was busy but productive if you count buying a new fireplace (YAY!), going to Home Depot 3 times (don't ask!), working, grocery shopping at three locations, going to a friend's place Friday night, having friends over on Saturday night, and all while avoiding chemistry like the plague, a productive time-well-spent 2 days. Phew that was a lot! Is it Friday yet? No? Dang!
Anywho, I wanted to share with you a little adventure a couple of weekends back that I had with my mom when she was here visiting. We went hazelnut and walnut picking!! In my neck of the woods nuts are pricey and so I thought why not get a little exercise and save some dough at the same time.
They use sheep to keep the grass down because they don't spray! Love that idea
A big hazelnut just fallen from the tree!
A rooster having a grand 'ole time
It was all fun and games until this guy came around. He must have been the head honcho of the group as he stood his ground. He even stomped the ground a couple times and I got far away as I didn't want to be rammed!
A hazelnut still in the tree before I nabbed it!
The fallen ones! They were everywhere, no slim pickings here!
I apparently forgot to take pictures of the walnuts we got too. There weren't as many around and they still were covered by the greenish shell which means that the walnut needs to be cleaned thoroughly before it actually looks like anything you would want to eat.
All in all, it was a good time! I loved picking the hazelnuts and walnuts in their natural environment, instead of from the bulk bins. If you have the opportunity to pick nuts in your area, you should do it! You'll save some money and maybe get to meet a curious sheep or two!
Sorry for the lack of photos. I'm having issues with my camera again and so the rest of my pictures are not accessible right now (if ever!). I was going to show you some amazing cookies I made yesterday but instead I'll direct you to the site where I got the recipe. Deal?
Okay so head on over to Katie's blog Making Food and Other Stuff. If you aren't already reading her blog, you should be! It's funny, it talks about fitness, it talks about baking, it talks about crafts, and even the occasional tornado makes an appearance. Yesterday she posted a cookie recipe I could not resist! They are called chocolate chips cookies with a little something extra. Sweet name, right?
So, I made them and they rocked!! Super yummy and fluffy, and a little bit chewy. Perfect cookie if you ask me. I made them vegan using egg replacer but you do whatever floats your boat! I love them, as does my taste tester! So if you have the baking itch (like me!) these cookies are a great place to start.
Don't forget to enter the CSN stores giveaway. The contest ends tomorrow at midnight!
Have a great rest of your day! I hope to be back soon with a casserole recipe and maybe a soup one too:)
11 comments:
You get to do ALL the cool stuff! Walnut picking....so fun!!!!!
Congrats on the new fireplace...I wish we had one!!! LOVE fireplaces!!
At first, I thought this post was titled walnut/hazelnut pickling. I was really confused about how pickled nut can be good...
I have only picked pecans from trees. I've seen cashews, but they are not easy to "shell". They have a really thick skin.
SO glad you liked the cookies! I need to get some egg replacer, because I wanted to make them vegan, but I hate the taste of flax in cookies.
Oh how fun! Love the head sheep guy - too funny!
And mmm...I love cookies! Thanks for the link. :)
I'm behind on blogs so I need to check out your giveaway.
just posted a comment but don't know where it went - if it shows up just delete it!
where did you go hazelnut picking? maybe I can steal some from Stanley Park! haha. I have never seen hazelnuts in the west end!
Torri
Hey Laury - Come visit the great, white north and we can do TONS of fun Canadian stuff LOL!I cannot wait to have the fireplace ready! The hubby has big plans to install it and make a stone wall and all that stuff. He has the vision so I'm glad for that:)
Hey Katie - HAHA pickled walnuts..might be a new fad:) I would LOVE to pick pecans..yum!
I didn't use a flax egg, I used egg replacer which is a bunch of powders (arrowroot and a couple others. I tried a chia egg the other day and it was awesome!
Hey Heidi - The sheep was so funny...I really did just want to give him a hug LOL!
You have to try those cookies...yum!
And please enter the giveaway!!
Hey Torri - I went picking in Langley. I found them on Craigslist! Definitely get some from Stanley Park...free is always better lol!
how fun to harvest your own nuts! hope you don't get tendinitis cracking them.
the sheep are gorgeous.
Love your health blog! Following if you don't mind!
how friggen cool! you get to pick nuts wild and see all of those beautiful animals.
Wow! That's what a hazelnut looks like off the tree? It's so pretty! Very very cool!
p.s. Isn't Katie's blog awesome? Love that girl!
nuts are expensive, i totally would've went picking for them as well! (although that sheep would've scared me. just a little bit.)
Hey Aimee - HAHA..we shall see how the rest of the winter goes..I'll be looking for an electic cracker for sure (if they exist)
Hi Abigail - Welcome!! Of course I don't mind..come,sit, and stay awhile I love meeting new people!
Hey Griffen - Ya, it was pretty cool. I felt very primal crouched over picking the hazelnuts off the ground lol!
Hey Lori - That's a hazelnut!! They are pretty cool and abundant..holy! Yes love, love Katie's blog!
Hey Angela - Nuts are crazy expensive so I'm glad I got some local ones:) Yes, the sheep was huge and all I could think about was him ramming me and me flying through the air HAHA!
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