One of the things I struggle with while working from home is coming up with healthy snacks to consume during the day. Actually, it’s easier than working at my previous desk jobs where the companies I worked for often had hordes of tempting packaged treats to choose from. I can’t even begin to recount how many bags of chips, cookies, and Pop Tarts (guilty pleasure!) I’d find myself consuming at old jobs, just because the snacks where there and free. While I do keep my kitchen free of junk food, I struggle to come up with healthy snack alternatives besides carrots and hummus.

In an effort to come up with some healthier DIY snacks for the home office, I came across a simple and delicious recipe for Roasted Rosemary Almonds in the Paleo To Go recipe book I got for free on my Kindle. While I’m no longer a Paleo Diet junkie like I was during my CrossFit days, I do really love the Paleo Diet for its emphasis on using the simplest, purest ingredients possible. There are usually very few if any preservatives or unnecessary ingredients added to Paleo recipes, and they’re usually very quick and easy to make. This roasted almond snack was a great example and perfect for a penny pinching freelancer looking to snack healthy. Here’s the recipe and some photos of the finished product!

Roasted Rosemary Almonds

Ingredients

2 cups of raw almonds

3 tablespoons coconut oil

2 tablespoons rosemary

salt to taste

Instructions

1. Fill a pot with water and heat it on high until it boils. When the water reaches a boiling point, add the raw almonds. Let the almonds boil for no longer than 1 minute.

2. Dump the almonds into a colander and run under cold water.

3. When the almonds have cooled, use your hands to remove the almond skins. Dispose of the skins.

4. Heat a large pan to medium heat and melt the coconut oil.

5. Add the almonds and cook them on medium for 7-10 minutes.

6. Turn the heat to low and add the rosemary and salt.

7. When the almonds have reached desired crispness (usually indicated by browning), remove from heat and let cool. Serve and enjoy!

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