Cold day lounging, birding and hickory nut coffee

Howdee all,

Cold and windy yesterday...so the plans to rake leaves and nuts was canned.. We had good intentions, but the chills kept us inside.
So what do you do on a chilly NC day?
Looked at the birdies coming to the feeder...with binos and scope set up inside.
I am playing with an adapter that Jeff and Craig made that attaches to our scope...and allows me to take pictures with my camera thru it. I will do a post on the adapter later.

Ballie had his favorite spot for viewing the birdies.

We lounged around a bit...dell and the pups hangin out

Hickory Nut Coffee

We Made wild Hickory Nut Coffee and ate the roasted and boiled nuts...they had a nice maple flavor after roasting. We are thinking maybe we might be able to sell some of the nuts. Now we just need to get the right method for cracking them..the shell is very hard. Mother earth news had some advice. And some great news on this site..

The How, When and why of forest farming

• Health – Hickory nuts and walnuts are known to have high levels of omega-3 fatty acids – much more per serving than peanuts or cashews. They contain phytochemicals like plant sterols and flavonoids, which are beneficial to cardiovascular health, and antioxidants like Vitamin E (Kendall, 1997). Wild nuts contain levels of fat, protein and carbohydrates that are comparable to meat. Although the calorie content is high for most nuts, each calorie is accompanied by excellent nutrition. Nuts should be eaten in moderation.
• Flavor/nostalgia – Hickory nuts and walnuts have a sweet, woody and delicate flavor, distinct from storebought nuts that are bred for their ease of processing. They will impart a subtle, but distinct flavor to any recipe calling for nutmeats. Acorn flavors vary, but are mildly nutty, with a soft texture. Old-time recipes regularly called for chestnuts and hickories when these nuts were commonly gathered for winter storage and eating. Many cooks seek ingredients that replicate these old-fashioned flavors.

So now we are thinking people will be knocking at our door....waiting in line...now that we let the cat out of the bag. We haven't set a price yet. But we are ready to take orders.

Hickory nut coffee and recipes here.
for some strange reason the link above doesnt work
try cutting and pasting this link into browser to get to the recipes..

http://www.eattheweeds.com/www.EatTheWeeds.Com/EatTheWeeds.com/Entries/2014/5/22_Hickory_Harvest.html


-- Take about half a dozen hickory nuts which have been separated from their outer hulls but are still in their shell. (You may be able to find hulled, intact nuts lying the ground in or near a hickory tree or grove, if the squirrels have not gotten to them first.)

-- Roast them on a cookie sheet or sheet of aluminum foil in your oven at 350 degrees F. for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until you begin to smell them roasting and they start to brown.

-- Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool until they can be safely handled.

-- Split the shells open using a small hammer or meat tenderizer. The shells will open more readily if you strike along one of the natural "seams" or cracks already present in the shell.

-- Your nuts will usually split into two or more fragments, with pieces of meat still trapped inside each shell. You do not have to worry about separating the meat from the shell.

-- When you have finished splitting the nuts, gather up all the meat and shell fragments and place them in a small saucepan. Cover them with 1 to 2 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil.

-- Watch for the boiling water to take on a golden hue and give off a "nutty" odor. When this happens, turn off the heat and drain your liquid into a mug or another suitable container through a strainer.