Recipe: Rosemary Roasted Almonds

Rosemary Roasted Almonds.

We attended a Pinot and Poppies party at a family friends' home last weekend. You may guess that we drank pinot surrounded by our California state flower...and you'd be right! In addition to the vino and little orange flowers, we also enjoyed taking bites from the gorgeous cheese plates they prepared. One of my favorite things on the plate was the rosemary roasted almonds and so I decided to raid some herbs from our garden and make my own.

2 cups raw, whole almonds.

Rosemary in our garden.

Rosemary sprigs.

Seasoned almonds.

Nicely toasted almonds.

Rosemary Roasted Almonds

Serves about 8. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw, whole almonds
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. 
2. Mix the almonds, olive oil, rosemary, chili powder, red pepper flakes and salt together in a bowl. 
3. Pour the almonds onto an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Make sure they are in a single layer.
4. Roast the almonds until nicely toasted, 15-20 minutes. 
5. Remove from oven and let cool. Serve or store in an air tight container.

Spring Cleaning Challenge: Update #1

Soooooo...it has been just over a week since I started the Spring Cleaning Challenge and I have cleaned and reorganized 7 of my 30 spaces. Not too shabby, especially considering the fact that we were out of town this past weekend, celebrating our wedding anniversary. 

Here is a before and after photo of the first space I tackled, the bookshelf in our family room...

I must admit that one of the spaces was done for me. We decided to hire gardeners (so far it is the best decision ever) and they cleaned up our garden. I do still plan to plant some things by the end of the month to accompany the surviving rosemary from last season. 

Here is my updated list, with the spaces that have been cleaned/reorganized crossed off. I loooooooove crossing things off lists. 

1. Bathroom
2. Bedroom
3. Bedroom - Closet
4. Bedroom - Nightstands
5. Bedroom - Dressers
6. Office 
7. Office - Desk/Filing
8. Office - Bookshelves
9. Office - Closet
10. Guest Room 
11. Guest Room - Closet
12. Living Room
13. Dining Room
14. Dining Room - Bar Cabinets
15. Kitchen
16. Kitchen - Refrigerator
17. Kitchen - Pantry cabinets
18. Kitchen - Under sink
19. Kitchen - Other cabinets
20. Kitchen - Drawers
21. Family Room 
22. Family Room - TV stand
23. Family Room - Cubbies
24. Family Room - Bookshelf
25. Garage 
26. Garage - Laundry
27. Garage - Holiday storage boxes
28. Garage - Other storage
29. Garage - Yard work supplies
30. Backyard - Garden

In addition to getting these spaces crossed off the list, I have also done some general cleaning around our house today -- laundry, dusting, vacuuming. I really like having a day off to run errands and clean. (I'm actually not being sarcastic.)

Spring Cleaning Challenge: 30 Spaces in 30 Days

About a year ago, I did a 20 Bags in 40 Days challenge. Although marginally successful in the actual challenge, I did a lot more decluttering and organization than I would have done otherwise.

Fast forward to this morning when I woke up and thought to myself,  "Happy April! Spring cleaning time?"

I'm going to take the main steps from the 20 Bags in 40 Days Challenge but apply them to a 30 Spaces in 30 Days Challenge. By the end of this month these 30 spaces will be decluttered, deep cleaned, and organized. Some days I know I won't be able to get to a space but other days I will be able to cover multiple spaces. I am going to take photos along the way to try and capture the change and improvements to our home.

Challenge Steps
1. Make a list of 30 spaces. Start by naming each space in general (i.e. kitchen) and then, if needed, break up each general space into smaller, more manageable spaces, i.e refrigerator, pantry, etc.
2. Label paper bags: Donate, Recycle, Repair, and Trash.
3. Pick a space and get started! Remove all items from the space, clean it, return items that you are keeping to the space and place remaining items into the appropriate paper bag. Repeat the process with each space.

Step 1...

1. Bathroom
2. Bedroom
3. Bedroom - Closet
4. Bedroom - Nightstands
5. Bedroom - Dressers
6. Office 
7. Office - Desk/Filing
8. Office - Bookshelves
9. Office - Closet
10. Guest Room 
11. Guest Room - Closet
12. Living Room
13. Dining Room
14. Dining Room - Bar Cabinets
15. Kitchen
16. Kitchen - Refrigerator
17. Kitchen - Pantry cabinets
18. Kitchen - Under sink
19. Kitchen - Other cabinets
20. Kitchen - Drawers
21. Family Room 
22. Family Room - TV stand
23. Family Room - Cubbies
24. Family Room - Bookshelf
25. Garage 
26. Garage - Laundry
27. Garage - Holiday storage boxes
28. Garage - Other storage
29. Garage - Yard work supplies
30. Backyard - Garden

I threw in our garden because I want to get it cleaned up and new stuff planted by the end of the month. 

Want to participate in the challenge with me? Let me know in a comment or via e-mail: industriousjustice [at] gmail [dot] com.