Priorities/Spicy Candied Nuts

If I had a choice, this blog would always be my main priority. Unfortunately, I am fortunate enough to be a university student and since my life's calendar is based on semesters, end of November and early December mean crunch time. Luckily I still find a few pauses in my crunch time and in those moments, I have promised myself to be in my kitchen and blogging. This blog gives me a reason to do what I love, so there is no way I would ever be willing to give that up.

When I first started telling people about this blog, I had already been working on it for awhile, but I kept it to myself for so long because I was scared that once I told everyone I would start to dread any commitment to it. What actually happened was quite the opposite. Knowing that there is a reason I am posting and people reading only makes me want to get back to my kitchen, no matter how busy I get. So, I guess what I am trying to say it thank you for giving a reason and a motivation to keep doing what I love. I also want to say sorry. Sorry in advance that the next few weeks may not bring you as many posts as I would wish, I just know that school work has to be my main priority.

I also want to say sorry because these Spicy Candied Nuts are the most dangerously addictive treat that has ever come out of the TBD kitchen and when you make them, chances are you will be tempted to eat all of them. No, scratch that, you will eat all of them, your stomach will be hurting and you're still going to wish there were more. Nope, these nuts are not a healthy treat and they definitely aren't nutritious, but man are they good. Although I imagine that no matter what kind of day or week or month you've had, you can find have a reason to make these, after a week of long days in the library and what seemed like endless mountains of work, this was exactly what I needed. These nuts are salty and sweet, spicy and crunchy, they are everything you could ever want and more. So if you make these right now you're probably going to love me and hate me, but don't say I didn't warn you.

Spicy Candied Nuts
(adapted from Buns in my Oven)
Ingredients:
1 lb. mixed salted nuts
1 egg white
1 tbsp. water
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2. granulated sugar
3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2) Put the nuts in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix the water and egg white with a fork until frothy. Pour this over the nuts.
3) In another bowl mix the sugars, cayenne and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the nuts and stir well.
4) Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every ten minutes.
5) Let cool. Store in an airtight container.