I don’t know about you, but during the Arizona summer I try not to leave my house during the day if I can control it. It’s just too hot! We at the Pecan Store understand this, so until June 3oth PecanStore.com customers can receive half off standard shipping by using promotion code SUMMERHT. Now you can satisfy your praline or honey toasted pecan addiction all without leaving your house! So don’t delay; place your PecanStore.com order today!
Hope you’re having a great holiday season. As you know I love cooking with pecans and have recently posted recipes that I tried and really enjoyed. Today, I am posting some great ideas of recipes from fellow bloggers who have made all different dishes with Green Valley Pecans.
Dessert is my favorite, and I found two great dessert recipes! The first recipe is from Meet Me in the Kitchen blogger Mary Ann and is a pumpkin cake with whipped cream. The pictures of the cake look wonderful.
Another dessert recipe that I cannot wait to try is pecan squares posted by Barbara on Baking with Barbara. The way she describes the pecan squares makes me feel like I can taste there sweet, rich caramel-covered pecans and truly makes my mouth water. It looks like a great recipe to use for holiday baking.
During the holidays, snacking is my weakness and I am always looking for a new snack to try. I found this recipe for granola on Baking and Boys by Katrina. The mixture of pecans, nectar, applesauce and honey looks like a great mixture of flavors. It would be a great snack whether you mix it with yogurt or just grab a few handfuls at a time.
Who could resist a warm muffin and a hot cup of coffee on a cold winter morning? I know I couldn’t! The blueberry crumb cake from Shari on the Whisk blog is the next recipe I am going to make since it has been quite chilly in the morning.
The last recipe I would like to call attention to today is a mandarin orange and pecan spinach salad. It is a great recipe if you are looking to get away from all of the heavy holiday meals or just to use as a great starter salad for dinner. Either way it sounds delicious.
I just found this fantastic article that breaks down all the nutrition you need to know about nuts. And the CNN.com article confirms what we’ve been saying all along - the pecan is one naturally nutritious nut! Here’s why:
Unsaturated fats - It’s not entirely clear why, but it’s thought that the “good” fats in nuts - both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats - lower bad cholesterol levels.
Omega-3 fatty acids - Many nuts are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are a healthy form of fatty acids that seem to help your heart by, among other things, preventing dangerous heart rhythms that can lead to heart attacks. Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in many fish, but nuts are one of the best plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
L-arginine - Nuts also have lots of l-arginine, which is a substance that may help improve the health of your artery walls by making them more flexible and less prone to blood clots that can block blood flow.
Fiber - All nuts contain fiber, which helps lower your cholesterol. Fiber also makes you feel full, so you’ll eat less later. Fiber is also thought to play a role in preventing diabetes.
Vitamin E - Researchers still aren’t sure, but it’s thought that vitamin E may help stop the development of plaques in your arteries which can narrow them, leading to chest pain, coronary artery disease or a heart attack.
Plant sterols - Some nuts contain plant sterols, a substance that can help lower your cholesterol. Plant sterols are often added to products like margarine and orange juice for additional health benefits, but sterols occur naturally in nuts.
There you have it! For more information on pecan nutrition, check out some of our older posts, or head on over to ILovePecans.org today.
I know it might make me sound like I’m five years old, but I love grilled cheese. There is nothing better on a cold day than a bowl of creamy tomato soup paired up with an ooey, gooey crunchy grilled cheese sandwich.
The article gives hints, tricks and tips for making that picture-perfect grilled cheese sandwich, but the best part of this article is that I can experience grilled cheese in a whole new way thanks to ‘Wichcraft, New York’s infamous and adventurous sandwich shop. Instead of the usual bread and cheese combination, they serve up a “cheddar grilled cheese with ham and poached pears on cranberry-pecan bread.”
I don’t know about you, but that sounds ridiculously good to me. The sweet cranberries and pears mixed with the salty ham, creamy cheese and nutty crunch of the pecans is giving me a serious urge to fly out to New York just to try it.
Back in March I went to New York to visit some friends and explore the city. The one recommendation that all of my friends had while I was there was to eat at Max Brenner. The food was beyond fantastic, and I wish there was one where I lived.
Max Brenner is a famous chocolatier who has dedicated his life to making mouth-watering chocolate and chocolate-related food. I even got to sample some of his chocolate-covered pecans. The creamy chocolate melts in your mouth instantly, leaving you to finish the confectionery treat with the satisfying crunch of the nutty pecan.
I found this video on the food network, and although I’ve expressed my feelings about Paula Dean before, I have to admit that this Chocolate Pecan Pie she bakes with Max Brenner looks fantastic!
Check it out. And next time you’re in New York City, eat at Max Brenner! They have the best breakfast in the city.
Aside from producing some incredibly tasty treats, the pecan tree has several other uses. To get an idea of how versatile the tree is, I searched the words “pecan wood” and the search came back with over 261,000 results on Google.
From my search, I’ve learned that pecan wood is used to make everything from incredibly durable hardwood floors to everyday household furniture and can even be smoked at barbecues to add extra flavor to food.
I was particularly interested in how I could use the pecan wood to add a delicious twist to my everyday barbecues. We love to fire up the grill at my house whenever possible, and this seemed like the perfect way to spice up our normal routine.
In order to get that sweet, smooth, smoky taste of pecan wood into any barbecue, start by purchasing pecan wood chunks or chips from your local retailer. (Be sure to use pecan wood chunks that are specifically made for cooking; many lumber stores treat their wood with chemicals, which is definitely not OK to cook with.) Although the directions vary from product to product, most wood chunks or chips simply need to be soaked in water for a good length of time so they don’t burn when placed over an open fire. After the wood has had a chance to soak, simply add it on top of the coals and cook away! A simple cooking technique for delicious food.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=30ecd618-6bc4-4aaf-b0da-8d83892ef064)
