Good Feeling: Sweet & Spicy Rosemary Pecans

"Anything can happen, anything can be!"  ~ Shel Silverstein

One of my favourite songs ever is "Good Feeling", by the Violent Femmes.  The general gist is how you wish for that good feeling to stay with you, just a little longer.  I suppose that's how I feel about this bright and shiny new year.  All of the good stuff that came my way in 2015, I want it to stick around for as long as possible.  2015 will be remembered as the Year of My Amazing Luck, which is a nice upgrade from the years of "Enough Already", and "What Have I Done to Deserve This?"  2013, 2014, I'm looking at you.  I like the turning over of a new calendar year.  Like our buddy Shel said, anything can happen.   That's the brilliant thing about a blank slate - you can set intentions for how you want your life to unfold.  Obviously you won't always get what you want, but then again, you very well may.  I hope that 2016 is full of magic and adventure, courage and creativity.  May there be more laughter than tears, and more hellos that goodbyes.  I'm sending off 2015 with a grateful heart, and I'm eager to see what this new year will look like.  No doubt it won't always be smooth sailing, but I've got a good feeling we're all gonna rock it.  Happy New Year!  

 

I was hoping to share these tasty pecans with you earlier this week, but you know how there's just not enough hours in the day?  Yeah, that.  I'm leaving for Toronto tomorrow for my first adventure of 2016 so this week has been all about tidying up loose ends, writing columns and trying to see friends who are here over the holidays.  It's been busy!  But these nuts.  So good!  I know you might be watching the snack intake, now that it's January and we're all supposed to be cleansing or something.  But, for those who are still in pyjamas and Netflix mode, these will come in handy.  I love how easily they come together - just heat the pecans and toss them in a brown sugar/olive oil/smoked paprika/rosemary slurry.  Super addictive, I have to literally cover them and put them in another room so I won't eat them all at once. Smoked paprika makes my life, but you can substitute cayenne.  The heat should be subtle, not holy cow these are hot!  

I wish you all nothing but the best of things for this new year.  Thank you so much for hanging out with me here.  It's meant the world.  Renee xoxo

Sweet & Spicy Rosemary Pecans

4 cups pecan halves
4 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp brown sugar, packed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika OR 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp finely chopped rosemary

Preheat oven to 400*F.  Place pecans on a baking sheet and roast for 5-7 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned.  Meanwhile, place olive oil, brown sugar, salt, paprika in a large bowl and whisk to make a slurry.  Stir in the rosemary.  When pecans come out of oven, pour them directly into the brown sugar mixture.  Stir well to coat the nuts evenly.  Season with more salt, if needed.  Pour into a serving dish.  Pecans keep well in a covered container for up to 1 week.