Thursday, February 7, 2013

#124 Peanuts, Sunflower Seeds, Pistachios, Almonds…



 With daylight savings on the horizon, the groundhog not seeing his shadow, and pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training, it seems reasonable to discuss one of Dad’s favorite spring activities: eating nuts.

Now this is a year round activity, often times Dad takes notice of the seasonal nut: Eating almonds and walnuts at Christmas, eating all the nut candies in the fall for Halloween. But spring marks Dad cracking open thousands of peanut shells, pistachios and sunflower seeds.

Everyone eats seeds, from professional ball players to the girls trying to look classy at the bar. (Side note: don’t ever eat nuts left at the bar). But those habits, routines, and ability to eat the nut original from Dad’s teaching.

Think about it. Dad is the first person you saw eat that paper skin on peanuts. Dad taught you how to eat a sunflower seed by cracking the shell in your mouth. “Don’t you dare use your hands.” And pistachios? Well the shell-less nuts in the bag are for wimps. Dad treasures the nut not only for its ability to show off his Dad strength by cracking open the one that no one else can, but also for its “energy and health purposes.” The $8 bag of trail mix at the airport is destined to be inhaled by Dad. While you pick out the M&M’s, Dad takes a handful and scarfs it all together to create a trail mix smoothie in his mouth. Gotta get that protein and fiber.

So as the snow melts and the flowers bloom across the coming months, be on the look-out for sunflower seed packets and peanut bags to sweep off the shelves. Dad will take a break from cracking your skull to shovel the drive way and instead focus on cracking some nuts. 

                     

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