Oh, nuts!

I really want my desk and office to be a welcoming place that people like to visit. It seems like the easiest first step toward that goal is to set something edible out and watch the buzzards circle. I usually lean toward seasonal offerings (mini candy bars at Halloween, candy canes at Christmas, etc.) but I don't want be blamed for contributing to a parish-wide influx of tooth decay. A few months ago I discovered a desk accessory/snack vessel/conversation piece that has developed quite a following: the dual nut basket.

As you can imagine, the nuts go in one side, and the shells go in the other. I'd consider using peanuts, but the Montessori school down the hall from my office has a strict "no peanuts" policy (and all the peanuts I bring to work, usually a pound or two a week, go out the window to the squirrels).

Pistachios have been my favorite nut pretty much forever; to me they're the filet mignon of nuts. They definitely cost a bit more than peanuts, but they're SO worth it. I'm not aware of a better brand than Wonderful Pistachios. The salted variety (is there any other kind, really?) is absolute perfection. Most of the shells practically fall open in your hands (those few that don't get tossed out to the squirrels). It seems to me that Wonderful Pistachios have a more luscious green color reminiscent of avocados (if you have a horror story about how they get that way I don't want to hear it; nothing will make me go back to the twig color of lesser pistachios). They always seem to be on sale everywhere, too! I thought for sure I'd have to put away the basket on account of feeling a financial pinch from keeping it filled with pistachios, but it hasn't yet come to that, thankfully. I had to laugh: one Vestry member looked at the basket and asked in astonishment "Is it self-replenishing?" So it would seem! I hope we don't all burn out on them any time soon; I can't imagine a more perfect snack. Oh, and speaking of "burn": are you wondering what becomes of all those shells? I pour them into paper lunch sacks and use them for fire starters! Talk about being green…