Today is National Almond Day

Mmmm! I do enjoy almonds, so a day to celebrate these delightful nuts sounds like a good idea to me! Especially since almonds are good for you! I thought it would be fun to share some almond fun facts with you on this delicious day - so I looked on-line for some info to share! Did you know . . .

• Technically almonds are not a nut at all! Almonds are actually a seed of a flower and are botanically related to roses and orchids.
• Most every almond you buy in the United States is from California. When I lived in Californian I visited, "almond country" and learned those who harvest these treats call them, "amonds" - they do not pronounce the "l". They say when they harvest them they, "shake the 'l' out of them!"
• Almonds cannot self-pollinate and need bees, other insects, and the wind to help them do so. Without pollinators you would have no almonds at all!
• Since the outer hulls aren’t consumed by humans, they are instead used as part of cattle feed, so no part of the almond goes to waste.
• There are actually green almonds which look much like grapes. Green almonds are known as a delicacy and thought to be one of the finest foods to eat by other cultures.
• Per one-ounce serving, almonds are tied with cashews and pistachios at 160 calories. They also have more calcium than any other nut, plus nearly 9 grams of monounsaturated, heart-healthy fats, 6 grams of protein, and 3.5 grams of fiber per serving.
• There are 23 almonds in an ounce making it the perfect portion to crunch upon.
• Chocolate manufacturers currently use 40 percent of the world's almonds.
• Almonds are one of only two nuts mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 43:11) the other is the pistachio nut.

Did you know any of these almond fun facts? You will find out more about National Almond Day at this link. I especially enjoy almonds when they are covered with dark chocolate - which is also good for you - or as roasted cinnamon almonds. I'm sharing a link for a tasty recipe you could use with the children you love to make cinnamon almonds - you will find it at this link.

Grab some almonds and enjoy them with the children you love.