Snack, Snap, and Bite

Let’s see a show of hands – how many of you can go through a whole day without eating a snack, or stealing a bite?  

The definition of the word snack shows the word might even be a derivative of snap, so it must mean something really fast, quick, yes – right now – because I am starving, low on energy or simply craving for a bite!  I have been in all these situations and yes, a quick snack will save the day and will keep me going.

I don’t know about you, but my mind will wander if my stomach is empty and I simply cannot function well.  I may also be suffering from some low degree of low blood sugar and there are times I would feel drained and if I don’t eat something right away, I might even faint.  Of course, there are times I simply just am itching for a bite to satisfy the craving.

Fun Senior and Fun Junior male of course are faithful fans of snacking.  They are the savory sort, and Fun Junior female and I are more on the sweet side.  Recently, I have learned to pan roast different kinds of nuts to provide some healthy alternatives for the two boys.

It all started when my friend brought me shopping at Subzi Mandi one day.  Subzi Mandi is a chain of India grocery stores in New Jersey.  They opened a huge one near my home lately.  I am surprised to see a lot of bulk raw food available and at very reasonable prices, for example, I bought a 3 lb bag of raw peanuts for just $3.99!

I would not have bought it unless under my friend’s encouragement.  Now I know roasting peanuts is a breeze and I do not need to feed my money to Planters.

What you need to do is just spread a thin layer of nuts to cover a heated pan, keep the fire to medium or so, stir the nuts consistently and constantly to avoid them getting burned.
I do this to peanuts for about 5 – 7 minutes.  For seeds like sesame, it will take even shorter time.  Sprinkle liberally some seasoning, stir them some more and let them cool on metal pans.  Store them in glass jars and enjoy, or they would be snatched away and consumed in no time.  After you have tried these home roasted fresh and crispy nuts, you will save a lot of money from buying the store bought ones.

Bon Appétit!  (Have you been watching Julia Child?  Off I go now, until next time…)