I am a self proclaimed nut-aholic:) But, did you know nuts can be difficult to digest? Even raw nuts. So, if you have the time and want to eat nuts in a way that may be kinder to your digestive system, I invite you try making some crispy nuts. This is on the easiest recipes I make. I literally come home from the store with some raw nuts or I order them from Azure Standard (no, I don't get a commission for telling you how to save money by ordering from Azure:) ), and I throw the nuts in a bowl of water with some good salt and allow them to soak overnight. What does this accomplish? When you plant a seed in the ground, you must first water it in order for it to grow. The nut/seed has a protective coating on it that keeps if from germinating before the proper time. This coating contains enzyme inhibitors which basically keep the nutrients safe and largely unavailable for nourishment until the time comes for the seed to become a plant. When soaked, the enzyme inhibitors are washed away and the nutrition packed inside the seed wakes up and comes to life. The seed (or nut) begins to use up the fat for fuel. It becomes a living food full of live enzymes and nutrients that are readily available to the one who consumes it. Soaked nuts are much more easily digested than their un-soaked counterparts. In his book, Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine, Dr. Gabriel Cousens includes a very helpful chart that shows how long to soak each different type of nut or seed. Seeds are smaller and generally require less soaking time, such as four to six hours. Nuts on the other hand are larger and tend to require eight to twelve hours. You can visit www.thesproutpeople.com for a great source of sprouting seeds as well as information on soaking times. When I buy nuts and seeds, I throw all the seeds in one bowl and all the nuts in another. I add a teaspoon of sole or some plain Celtic or Himalayan salt, about a teaspoon. I soak them overnight and then rinse them and put the whole batch in my dehydrator. I dehydrate them for 6 – 12 hours and then place them in Ball jars in my cupboard. This way, I eliminate the need to soak nuts too often. You can use these in trail mixes, granola, raw crackers, for grinding into flour or simply to munch on as you like. You can even flavor them before dehydrating. I like to make cinnamon toast nuts or chili lime. Just sprinkle any seasonings you like over the nuts after rinsing and before dehydrating. You can also bake them at your oven’s lowest temperature. They taste just like roasted nuts, but are far more nutrient dense. Here are two recipes for you: Crispy Nuts Basic Recipe Makes 4 cups Ingredients 4 cups raw nuts such as walnuts, almonds, pecans, macadamia, cashews or peanuts. Use organic, raw nuts for this recipe. 2 tsp salt Pure water such as filtered or spring water Instructions Place nuts and salt in glass bowl covered with after for 7 - 8 hours or overnight. I do this in the morning and dehydrate at night or soak them when I go to bed and dehydrate in the morning. Drain nuts in colander. If using a dehydrator, place nuts evenly on trays and dehydrate at 115 degrees F for about 12 - 24 hours, until fully crispy. If using an oven, spread nuts on stainless baking pan on lowest oven setting. Bake for about 12 hours or until completely crispy. Turn once in a while and watch for doneness as oven temperatures vary. Allow to cool. Store in airtight container at room temperature. Maria’s Un-Roasted Pumpkin Pie Nuts My kids beg me for these! Ingredients 2 Tablespoons Xylitol or Raw Honey (melted on low temp) 3 scoops stevia powder 2 teaspoons vanilla Liberal amount of Himalayan salt, 2 tsp - 1 TBS 2 heaping teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 2 cups soaked, raw nuts of choice, walnuts are great, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed Instructions Place soaked nuts and all ingredients in a bowl to marinate. Let sit for two hours. Place on non-stick sheet or parchment paper in dehydrator or on a cookie sheet in oven on lowest setting with the oven door left open. Dehydrate until crisp and roasted-like, 12 - 24 hours. For an amazing trail mix, combine crispy nuts with coconut flakes, dried fruit and dark chocolate chips.
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Chichen Itza, Mexico 2015
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