Have I mentioned Peanut Butter today?

A while ago, Peeps and I happened across a different sort of vendor at our Public Market – the Florida Nut House is, surprisingly, not a bunch of crazy people with good tans.

It’s a couple from (get this!) Florida who roast and season nuts.  All kinds of nuts – peanuts, cashews, and almonds, to name a few.

Why they’re here in Rochester all winter rather than, oh, say, Florida is beyond me.

Huh.  Maybe there is something to that “nut house” thing after all. . .

(They also boil peanuts to order, but that’s not why we’re here.)

Now I don’t know that I’d ever had truly freshly-roasted nuts before.  And honestly, I’m pretty sure I’d have remembered – even the plain roasted-and-salted stuff is just . . . so much better than that ridiculous dancing peanut!

But the Nut House’s specialty is cinnamon-roasted peanuts.

You would not believe how amazingly wonderful peanuts roasting in cinnamon smell on a cold winter morning!

I’m usually strong – I resist.  You’ve got to know – I could eat an entire package of these nuts without realizing it – they are that good.

And the first time Peeps and I tried these nuts, we looked at each other and voiced the same thought:

I’ll bet this would make fantastic peanut butter!

Now, see, Peeps can take or leave peanut butter, mostly leaving it.  But me, I love it.  LOVE it.  And, while nuts are healthy and full of good fat and all, they’re full of fat and calories, and while a little may be good, a lot is probably not-so-much good.  Some days, it’s hard not to over-indulge in my beloved Super Chunky.

And freshly-roasted cinnamon super chunky?

Yikes.

So, rather than put myself in a position where I’d grudgingly forcing myself to practice moderation, I just avoided it.

For several years, actually.

Until one morning, the roasty-cinnamony aroma was just too much.

I bought the smallest packet of cinnamon roasted nuts, brought them home, and tossed them in the food processor.

Cinnamon peanut butter + cinnamon toast = the real winner.