A taste of home

I got a belated Christmas gift in the mail this week from my Mom. Two fat pouches of pine nuts. Every year at Christmas time growing up, we always had pine nuts. I have vague memories of going out and tromping through the hills in the snow in search of pine cones, or maybe it was Christmas trees. I don't remember exactly which it was. I must have been very young.

When my mom came at Thanksgiving I started dropping hints that I sure would like to have some pine nuts for Christmas. I haven't been able to find them in the shells here in Texas. They sell pine nuts in the bulk section at Central Market, but they are already shelled. Where is the fun in that?

The weather is freezing today in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex, but my kitchen is warm and bursting with the smell of pine sap from roasting the pine nuts. My girls and I are happily eating our little treasures. I took a picture to share with you, too bad you can't reach in and grab a warm handful!