Nuts

I have to laugh at myself. Every Christmas, whoever we are, or are not, entertaining, I put out a bowl of mixed nuts and some nutcrackers. And then every year at this time I return the nuts, virtually uneaten, to the kitchen, because no one can be bothered cracking nuts. So why do I do it? The reason we do a lot of things. Because it's what my mother always did and so what I have always done. It's a Christmas thing.

When I was a child though the nuts did get cracked and eaten and some of my clearest childhood memories are of me sitting by my grandad and him cracking nuts for me. He could take out a whole walnut, I don't know how he did it. I am sure he could also break open an almond for my mother, that is very hard.

I do like nuts and eat a lot of all kinds, especially walnuts. So these will get opened and eaten. It is so nice at this time of year to get walnuts in shells, so much better than out of a packet. But they do have to be shelled!