My Nutty Snacks and other Nuts tips (No Pun here)

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One of our guilty pleasures is grabbing salted nuts and those whole grain thingies from the grocery aisle but what I really can't accept is that it is laden with msg, nature-identical flavors and artificial flavor. But out of sheer laziness and often, out of mere conveniece of just grabbing it, I buy. 

If I am in my element, I order toasted nuts and dried fruits online and make my own trailmix. From the times I do this up to now, I got some preferences. I am sharing to you my favorites that I am having now:

Almonds, toasted whole or slivered (choose unbleached please)
Cashew nuts
Golden raisins (dark ones tend to moisten)
Cranberries, nice sour tones and good to add to stirfries and chao fan
Apricot, love it in my moroccan dish and as snacks as it is so filling

Some others which I tried with my notes:
Walnut (not much as the peel has aftertaste and the Chinese use this as their brainfood. Look at the shape of wanut, it sure looks like brain)
Hazelnut (pricey and overrated and must be because of the Italian endorsement and just good to try)
Pistachio nuts (pricey and my favorite, shelled if to be used in the trailmix, worth splurging)
Brazil nuts (good to try with all its health benefits as supernut)
Macadamia (pricey and my favorite too, splurge on this) 
Sunflower seeds and Squash seeds are small but incredible with its healthy fat contents
Other fruits and nuts for cooking but not in your trailmix
Goji berries, not so much into flavor but this is a superberry and can be added in stirfries dishes and smoothies
Pine nuts, pricey and toasting brings out its aromatic oil and the right nut to use for pesto
Dates, we eat it ala carte and put it in the fridge if its moist kind or glass jar if its the dry kind.

TIP: Leave a little of each kind you buy for garnishing or for your grazing board on any occasion. Above all, invest in sealed glass jars to store your nuts. That's one challenge I get when I buy bulk nuts and dried fruits. Sealing it properly preserves crispness if nuts and color of the dried fruits Enjoy.






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