just for fun - Yesterday Was National Milk Chocolate with Almonds Day!

Mmmm! I do enjoy chocolate and almonds, and while technically yesterday was National Milk chocolate with Almonds Day, any day is a great day to celebrate these delightful treats! Especially since chocolate is good for you and almonds are good for you . . . combining the two has to mean this sweet treat is actually good for us . . . right??!!!

I thought it would be fun to share some almond fun facts with you in honor of this delicious day - so I looked on-line for some info to share! Did you know . . .

• Technically almonds are not a nut at all! Almonds are actually a seed of a flower and are botanically related to roses and orchids.
• Most every almond you buy in the United States is from California. When I lived in Californian I visited, "almond country" and learned those who harvest these treats call them, "amonds" - they do not pronounce the "l". They say when they harvest them they, "shake the 'l' out of them!"
• Almonds cannot self-pollinate and need bees to help them do so. Without bees, you would have no almonds at all!
• Since the outer hulls aren’t consumed by humans, they are instead used as part of cattle feed so no part of the almond goes to waste.
• There are actually green almonds which look much like grapes. Green almonds are known as a delicacy and thought to be one of the finest foods to eat by other cultures.
• Per one-ounce serving, almonds are tied with cashews and pistachios at 160 calories. They also have more calcium than any other nut, plus nearly 9 grams of monounsaturated, heart-healthy fats, 6 grams of protein and 3.5 grams of fiber per serving.
• There are 23 almonds in an ounce making it the perfect portion to crunch and enjoy.
• Chocolate manufacturers currently use 40 percent of the world's almonds
• Almonds are one of only two nuts mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 43:11) the other is the pistachio nut.

Did you know any of these almond fun facts? Share them . . . and some tasty chocolate covered almonds . . . with your grandchildren in honor of this special day! Enjoy!