Sweetly Spiced Nuts

Hey everyone and Happy New Year!

Just like some people, I do the “new year, correct my health” each year, and really strive to be better about taking care of myself. Of course I fall off each time, and make my way back and fall off...and make my way back again. This year I am doing something a little different by adding some friends to break the cycle a bit. They help me with working out and getting to the gym, and I focus a bit more on my eating. Via this space, it seems like I have a healthy diet-- and I think I do for the most part. Thus, I will work on making healthier eating decisions more consistently. And I will be nicer to myself-- I get to slip up here and there as I am a work-in-progress...and I have to work on believing this sentiment.   

So, below you will find the first of three healthier snacks options for this month. This recipe is inspired by the Blue Diamond Almond Habanero BBQ snack-- and it is my absolute fav! I cannot get enough of it, and it sucks because I cannot always find it when I want it. So I made it, and will continue to do so. There were so many recipes that for this snack that I could not decide on one: I brought 3-4 recipes together and present you with my Sweetly Spiced Almonds. Check out the recipe below and let me know what you think!

Money Matters
I spent $5 to make a pound of almonds, which yields 12 servings or$0.42/serving. Though I must be honest: you may eat a couple of servings at a time. This snack is super good!

#ROGUElyfe

• Have fun--figure out what flavors work best for you, which makes it more likely that you will actually eat it

• I saw a recipe call for bacon salt-- let me know how that tastes #thanks
  
  My Recipe
  1 pound raw almonds
  1 whole egg white
  1 teaspoon water
  1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  ⅓ cup brown sugar
  ½ cup granulated sugar
  ⅛ cup BBQ seasoning of your choice
  2 teaspoon paprika
  ½ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
  ¼ teaspoons ground allspice

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Mix all the dry ingredients, except the cayenne, in a small mixing bowl and set to the side. In another medium mixing bowl whisk the egg white, water and cayenne together until just frothy. Add the almonds to the egg mixture and stir well to coat.

Reserve 1/4 cup of the dry mixture. Add the rest of the dry mixture to the almonds and stir to coat well. Spread the almonds evenly on the parchment paper, in a single layer. Bake on the middle rack for 15 minutes. Stir the nuts with an oiled spatula, making sure you keep the almonds spread evenly. Bake for another 10 minutes. Take out of the oven, and stir the nuts with the oiled spatula and sprinkle evenly with the reserved dry mixture. Bake for another 5 minutes.

Remove the nuts and stir periodically with the oiled spatula to separate them as they cool. Break up any large clusters. When cooled, enjoy!

Happy Cooking Y’all :)