I swear, the older you get the faster the pages rip off the calendar. Here I am talking about my one year wedding anniversary already!
I took my husband for the first time for our anniversary weekend recently. Early morning frosted the wild strawberry on the ground as we made our way through the tall grass after Saturday morning to the pulsing ocean wake-up call. We strolled the beach in front of the cabin and watched the waves like thin layers of icing make intricate patterns as they intersected again and again.
If you haven’t noticed, my love of mountains is punctuated by my affair with the Pacific Ocean and its endless and varied beaches. And I am grateful that my husband, also, shares my infatuation.
Another blessing is the beach cabin my ex-in-laws have in Moclips, WA and it is one of my favorite places to get away from the hustle and bustle of the world. Memories of my son’s childhood are encapsulated within its walls, hours upon hours of toes and boogers filled with sand. I still remember distinctly my son at 1 year old trying and succeeding to mimic his dad burping at the table as we all sat around dying from laughter. There is a VHS tape around here somewhere…
The Moclips River flows to the ocean on the north end of the beach from the cabin. My husband was entranced with the stones we found there and I may have had a little fun, too! Our footsteps took us through weathered pilings as we traveled along the river from its outlet to explore.
I recall how many times a day my son and I walked over to the river, back and forth, during our visits here. The time he broke his arm before a beach visit so I bought a large dishwashing glove to cover his cast, blocked the opening with cotton strips and attached a big rubber band in an attempt to keep sand out but allow him to play. What good would a beach trip be without digging in the sand and collecting rocks?
Spending time on the beach is like being a little kid again and who wouldn’t want more of that? We had the most fabulous time not only at the beach cabin but exploring some of the other beaches and trails in the area. You can read about that in my latest trip reports. If you are looking for an relaxing weekend getaway, you can’t beat the Washington Coast!
#wholealmonds #vanilla #cacoapowder #eggwhite #seasalt
So, what have I been snacking on lately?
One of the thing I hate about all the keto recipes lately is that I get excited when I see a tasty treat is labeled keto and I automatically assume that means they have figured out a way to make something that is normally loaded with sugar and sickening sweet into a more modest low carb version.
Au contraire…
It actually means they took a normally loaded with sugar and sickening sweet recipe and swapped out fake or zero calorie sugar instead, one sure way to continue an addiction to all things sweetened.
Cue the sugar aftertaste.
If you are like me and want to not only reduce your dependence on sugar and sweet treats by learning to eat foods without a whole lot of sweetener of any kind, this is the snack for you!
There are studies that show that the use of non-calorie sugars not only leaves us unsatisfied and looking for more food, we become desensitized to sugar and unable to appreciate more modestly sweetened foods.
I’m not trying to take the fun out of sweet treats, who doesn’t crave a confection once and awhile (okay, maybe all the time)? But I have found that when going to foods that are naturally sweet (fruit) or that satisfy another craving (fat), the sugar beast is tamed.
Rather than just a nut seasoned like my Rosemary Cranberry Pecans, for example, I wanted something with more of a coating. The idea of using a whipped egg white comes from Rachel Cooks and was just what I was looking for. The vanilla takes the edge off the sharpness of straight cacao and the sea salt enhances mouth feel.
I have been making batches of these over the last few months as an alternative to more heavily chocolate coated almonds and love how satisfied I feel with just a handful (or two). Jars and bags have traveled with me on road trips, hikes and to work. I hope you enjoy them just was much as I have!
Editor’s note: for my vegan friends, I have made versions with a flax egg instead of the egg white and they turn out just as good. Of course, you can’t hide the flax meal but it hasn’t slowed anybody from devouring them at my house. For these below I used a tablespoon of cinnamon instead of the cacao just for fun.
Vanilla Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Almonds
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Total Time
25 minutes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Keto, No Dehydrator Needed, Paleo, Soy free, Vegetarian, Whole Food
Servings: 12 1/4 cup servings
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole almonds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons cacoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg white and vanilla against the side of the bowl with a small hand whisk or fork until frothy (still slightly translucent rather than white like meringue).
- Add the almonds and stir to coat. Sprinkle on the cacao and sea salt and stir again until almonds are well coated.
- Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat.
- Bake for 10 minutes, stir, and bake for another 5 minutes.
- Let cool completely and store in an airtight container, if they last that long!
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