"Can we go out into the backyard?" our 6-and-7-year old granddaughters were asking. I had made Sunday dinner at our house, and now the adults were settled in uninteresting after-dinner comfort in the living room. I was browsing the paper, my husband was nodding off and their father was looking up something on the internet.
"Yes," I said, handing them a small wicker basket. "You can go gather some of the black walnuts out of the backyard for me." I had been thinking about cracking them and using them in holiday goodies, even though I knew it would be hard to remove the nutmeats. The girls' eyes brightened and they headed eagerly outside. Soon they were back with several walnuts in the basket.
"Good!" I encouraged them, "Go get some more!" This time they were gone a little longer but brought back a full basket. There was also something white in the basket. Two grungy hen eggs! "Where did you get those eggs?" I demanded.
"In those cages in the backyard," they explained innocently. What? We had moved our chickens from there two months ago! Those eggs had to be rotten! "Can we crack them?" they asked. I told them to carefully go put them in the garbage can in the alley. Hopefully, they didn't break, but I'm not going out to see!
The basket of walnuts now sits waiting on my coffee table, but we don't have a nut cracker. Howard could crack them with a hammer, but I still need a pick to dislodge the kernels from their torturous chambers. We made a note to pick up a nutcracker set when we went to town.
Nobody had any! Every store we tried said they were out of them. One clerk said there had been a bumper crop of pecans this year, so I guess they are in demand. I found one nut/seafood cracker at Walmart, but they were out of the picks. The hardware store is suppposed to get some in with a shipment on Thursday, so I'm to check back then.
I remember when the nutcracker sets with the little rustic bowls were a common item for Christmas presents, but I don't see them any more. I bought chopped walnuts and put them in Christmas fudge today. I also dipped pretzels in almond bark and added sprinkles for a colorful touch.
A few years ago, our son, Jamie and his wife, Tammy, as a surprise Christmas present to the whole family they were hosting that year, took us to see the Nutcracker Ballet in Houston. It was a great experience, and memories of the Candy Castle, The Sugar Plum Fairy, the Gingerbread House and the plethora of sweets puts me in a Christmas mood to stock up on holiday treats before our out-of-town children's families arrive next week! Maybe by then I'll have my own nutcracker!
No comments:
Post a Comment