From Almond Demise to Almond Delight

Don’t you just love almonds?  They’re so good for you, packed full of protein and good fat.  And they’re so versatile.  You can press them into milk, sliver them and sprinkle them on top of a blueberry spice cake or a coffee cake, or you can grind them up and make a yummy almond butter.  I eat the roasted, salted ones for a snack.  I love how they snap at that first bite; the sound and feel is so fresh and new.  But after that initial pop, they get mushy in my mouth and I can’t wait till the mush is gone and I can get to the good part of the next one.  For this reason, I’ve found a solution that pleases me to no end, but ends my standing in a community.

Let me recount for you my almond demise.  A couple of years ago, six or seven friendly teachers and I attended a weekly meeting to plan our unit together. We were productive but allowed room for humor and a pinch of playfulness.  As we plotted and discussed, I pulled out my healthy protein snack and chipped away at each almond, slivering a bite, then munching it, slivering and munching.  We continued our productivity as I continued mine, enjoying each little snap, then having only a pinch of mush that was more tolerable than an entire nut of mush, until the teacher next to me stopped the meeting, turned to me and said, “Can I just say that’s really annoying?  Just put it in your mouth and eat it!”  I was dumbfounded.  I felt all eyes on me even though I didn’t see any because I was blinded by the inward focus of self-consciousness.  But I, being the fast thinker that I am, recovered quickly.  Listen to this clever retort: I smiled and said, “That’s the way I like them.”  Really snappy, right?  I slipped my almonds back into my bag and pretended it never happened.

For an entire week I was crushed.  I thought of all sorts of replies I wished I’d been quick and clear enough to punch out, most of which were insulting: “Your world must be so small to focus on how I eat,” or “Hey, be quiet.  We’re trying to have a meeting here.”  Or how about, “Thank you for teaching me how to eat.  I realize now I’ve been doing it wrong all my life.”  I couldn’t let go of this stupid little annoyance anymore than that teacher could let go of her stupid little annoyance. I was making my world much too small.  But I didn’t realize this, of course, until after the following week’s meeting. On my way into the meeting I said to two other teachers, “Hey, I brought my almonds,” hoping for a laugh of camaraderie.  My cleverness never ends!  Unfortunately, what I got instead was another grinding comment that pressed me further into despair.  One of the teachers said, “It annoyed me too.”  Someone took over my body, since I stood frozen in abandonment, and made my mouth move: “Maybe so, but would you stop a meeting to say so?”  The teacher agreed he wouldn’t have.

This stupid thing had such a hold on me.  I was angry at both teachers and constantly telling them off as I moved through my days and nights.  I got so tired of my obsession.  Finally I said a prayer, asking for help in letting this go.  One thing I know about letting go of habits, or defects, or obsessive thoughts is that they can’t just disappear, POOF! like that!  Something has to replace them.  Minutes after my prayer an idea came to me.  Maybe every time I think about these people who find me annoying, I can think about all the people in my life who love me and enjoy me, who find me fun and want to be with me.  I listed five or so people, not that there aren’t more out there.  Somewhere?  Apparently this was all I needed to replace my obsession.  My head felt as smooth as almond milk.  I was light and fresh again.

I’m going to use this same strategy today to help me get rid of the mush of a negative comment from someone, so I can appreciate the crispy moments again.

Speaking of crispy, here’s a recipe that’s crispy on the top and holds a mush of the most desirable kind on the inside.

Blueberry Spice Cake

2 1/8 c. water

1 stick unsalted butter
3 c. unbleached flour
½ t. salt
1½ t. baking soda
¾ t. baking powder
1½ c. sugar
½ t. cinnamon
½ t. nutmeg
½ t. cloves

¼ t. ginger

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 c. blueberries

½ c. walnuts

Topping:

2 T. butter melted

¼ c. brown sugar

½ t. cinnamon

¼ c. sliced almonds (It might be easier to buy them that way rather than chipping them off with your teeth.)

Heat water and butter in a sauce pan until the butter is melted.  Let it cool while you mix the dry ingredients together.  Add the wet to the dry and mix until all the lumps are gone.  Stir in slightly beaten eggs.  Gently blend in blueberries and walnuts and pour into a greased and floured 9 by 12 inch cake pan.  Combine melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and almonds and sprinkle over top of the cake evenly.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.  Check with a fork or toothpick.  Like all of us, this recipe is a work in progress.  If I make it again, I’ll double the spices. 

Of course I’ll share this cake with the people who enjoy me.  But I might just give away some to those who got me baking this in the first place.