April is National Pecan Month, one of my mother’s favorite holidays! Where I grew up in Chaffee, Missouri, we had a pecan tree growing in our backyard. I don’t remember much of those years as I was so young, but I do remember how much my mother loved that tree. I tried to plant my own once in the front yard, but my father ran over it with the lawn mower and broke my heart! I do remember him re-planting it, carefully surrounding it with stones to avoid its destruction in the future. Since then, we’ve driven by, and that tree is a monster these days.
Pecans are not only delicious nuts; they’re also good for you in small amounts (as with any other nut), full of protein and plenty of other nutrients. They also contain antioxidants, which can help your body ward off cancer-causing radicals that take up residence within humans. So stock up on pecans this month and eat them as a snack or use them to top your favorite cereals, oatmeal, or any baked goods that you whip up. Here are some other ideas for National Pecan Month.
- Plant a pecan tree. Be sure to put a border around it to protect it from unfortunate accidents like my father did for me!
- Toss out all of your old candy bowls—or donate them to the hospital, a children’s center, or even your local firemen—and fill them all with pecans instead. Be sure to top them with lids so they don’t dry out! While some people like the taste of dried pecans, they can be a little stale, too.
- Introduce your children to pecans. If they already like them, why not try a bunch of other nuts, too? While my husband loves peanuts, for example, my daughter and I love pistachios (as well as sunflower seeds). Buy a bunch of tiny bags of nuts, fill a muffin tin with them, and have a nut picnic. (Of course, that’s a lot of calories, so if you want, divide them up and try a new one each day instead.)
- Find a place where you can buy fresh pecans. Buying them from the store is fine, but by paying a local grower you can help support a farmer as well as get a taste of some delicious fresh nuts. Get a nutcracker for these babies, though, because they’re almost impossible to break open without one. (Of course, you could always experiment with rocks like the monkeys do!)