Day 104. In the last few days spring has definitely sprung around here. It's been in the mid-70s and the flowers are in full bloom.
So are my allergies, but that's another story...
Being out in the warm air, going for nice long runs, and gardening make me want to eat salad all day long. The kids really like salad, and enjoy picking out their own toppings. We usually keep everything separate and create a mini-salad bar on the kitchen counter.
Their favorite topping? Candied walnuts.
Guess what? Candied nuts are terribly easy and very inexpensive to make in the crockpot. You can make them in bulk and freeze in little bags to defrost at your convenience for salad toppings, trail mix, or to munch on right out of the bag.
The Ingredients. 
--2 T butter (I use salted)
--2 cups walnut halves
--1/4 cup brown sugar
The Directions.
Plop everything into your crockpot and cook on high for an hour. After an hour, mix the nuts with a wooden spoon all around the yummy gooeyness.
Spread out a length of Release foil or parchment paper onto the counter, or a few cookie sheets. Dump the nuts out onto the foil or paper, and spread around with your wooden spoon.
The nuts will be hot. Keep little fingers away for at least 15 minutes.
When cool, the nuts will crisp up and are ready to be used.
The Verdict.
Delicious. I saved a handful and made the brie again, using walnuts this time. The walnuts gave a really nice woody flavor to the brie. Yum!
The kids adored these, and munched on them all evening.
