National Pistachio Day

Yesterday was National Pistachio Day. Do you remember pistachios were once dyed finger-staining red?  They were also kind of hard and stale.  I don't think I ate a pistachio until I was grown up and had pistachio ice cream for the first time.

Oh, gosh, Costco sells the most delicious pistachios in $20 bags.  Yes, that's expensive, but 4 pounds is a lot of pistachios. If I put them in a glass jar on the counter, it's amazing how fast they disappear around here.

We bought some pistachios once at the Olive Pit in Corning, California, and they were the best we ever had.  Freshness is everything with nuts, and pistachios ripen in August or September.

Archaeology digs find discarded pistachio shells, so they were a common food as early as 7000 BC. The pistachio is a small tree, related to the cashew, that originated in central Asia. They need long, hot summers and take ten years to produce a crop.

Pistachio nuts have many health benefits, including reducing the risk of diabetes. They are full of vitamins and all sorts of other healthy stuff.  Unfortunately, one cup has 691 calories (according to Wiki.)

What a beautiful week we had in Seattle.  I took advantage of every minute working  outside.  The trees are planted, so now it's up to them to take hold.  I seldom have plants up and die on me, but I'm a little nervous about these because of the big investment of work and money.

Rain is back in the forecast which will be good for the trees and all the grass seed I've thrown down.  We're looking forward to the opera on Sunday.  It's one we've never seen before called "Mary Stuart" by Donizetti, about the clash between Queen Elizabeth and Mary Queen of Scotland.

And tomorrow we have our anniversary to celebrate.  Let's see-- we got married in 1993, so that would be 23 years?  Wow.

Queen Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots,