Does your loved one lean more toward healthy fare? We think one of the best presents you can give your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day is the gift of heart health. Many sweet and delicious treats also promote cardiovascular health. Here are our top five favorites:

1) Almonds: This nutty treat is spectacularly healthy! Of the 14 total grams of fat in a serving of almonds, 64 percent is monounsaturated. This monounsaturated fat has been shown to lower cholesterol, according to an American Heart Association study. Sounds like a fabulous deal to us!

2) Walnuts: Walnuts are naturally cholesterol-free, and regular consumption of these nutritional powerhouses can lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol, as well as your total blood cholesterol.  The phytochemicals and antioxidants found in walnuts protect cells from free radical damage that could result from heart disease.

3) Dates: Dates for your date? Great idea! Dates are packed with potassium, a mineral that your body uses to maintain muscle contractions, including those that keep your heart beating strong. They’re also a fantastic source of fiber, which can help lower blood cholesterol. Plus, they’re virtually cholesterol-, fat- and sodium-free! Dates sure are great!

4)  Raisins: Think raisins are just for kids? No way! Raisins are loaded with vitamins and minerals that are great for snackers of all ages! New research has shown that you can lower your cholesterol naturally by including raisins in a Mediterranean-style diet.

5) Heart Healthy Mix: This special trail mix was designed with your heart in mind! We put together some of the best ingredients known to help control cholesterol in this delicious Heart Healthy Mix. Try it today for a tasty, healthy treat!

What are some of your favorite smart snacks for a healthy heart?

It’s almost Super Bowl Sunday, and we’re going nuts! One of the must-have items on our party menu is a big bowlful of homemade spicy almonds. They’re so delicious we can’t help but to eat them by the handful, but watch out! They sure do pack a punch.

Start by whisking together two egg whites, 2 tsp. of water and 2-4 tbsp. of your favorite hot sauce. We love  using sriracha for this recipe, but Tabasco, Crystal or even a spicy barbecue sauce works great. In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of granulated sugar, 1 cup of light brown sugar and a generous pinch of Nuts.com’s deliciously smokey BBQ seasoning.

Toss 2 lbs. of whole roasted almonds in the hot sauce mixture, then pour the sugar mixture into the bowl. Stir the almonds until they’re covered in a thick, syrupy coating.

Spread the coated almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet covered in wax paper. Bake the almonds at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour, or until they’re nice and toasty. Stir them every 15 to 20 minutes to keep them from burning. Allow the spicy almonds to cool, then serve.

Enjoy this delicious snack, and have a safe Super Bowl Sunday! May the best team win!

Love is in the air at Nuts.com! We’re so excited about Valentine’s Day this year that we’re already coming up with gift ideas for the special people in our lives. These treats make great surprises for significant others, family members and friends. Check out our Valentine’s Day gift guide for all of our favorites!

If your sweetie is a chocolate-lover, we have some wonderfully rich and delicious recommendations! Try a box of our giant gourmet dessert truffles, with flavors such as milk chocolate champagne, tiramisu and dark chocolate Grand Marnier. They are truly decadent! If a gift tin is more your style, try our Gourmet Chocolate Covered Trio or our Chocolate Supreme Tin. They each offer up pounds of our favorite chocolate treats, and they’re perfect for sharing!

Looking for something that’s a bit unique? Try our Aphrodisiac Mix! It’s loaded with dark chocolate covered strawberries, milk chocolate covered bananas, banana chips, dried papaya, raw almonds, tart dried cherries and regular dried strawberries. We also offer quirky conversation hearts. What Valentine’s Day celebration would be complete without a bag of this class treat?

We also offer a wide variety of Valentine’s Day gift baskets for loved ones near and far, and they’re all loaded with goodies! Try our Indulgent Valentine, our Sweetheart Box or our True Love Box for the special someone in your life.

What are your favorite treats to give your valentine?

Are you ready for some football? We sure are! We’ve stocked Nuts.com with Super Bowl snacks that are a fantastic addition to any party, even if your team didn’t make it to the big game this year.

For a nutty appetizer, we highly recommend digging into some of our delicious nuts. Our jumbo roasted peanuts and organic mixed nuts make great game-day fare. Our bucket of pistachios and bucket of peanuts are both fantastic additions to any party. Your guests will love these healthy and delicious treats!

Snack mix also has an important role in your Super Bowl spread. Good thing we’ve got some great varieties! We love our crunchy and delicious bar mix and bagels and bits mix. Our Mix of Champions, inspired by David’s back-to-back Shug Softball Championship teams, is also a delicious choice. This winning mix is packed with hickory smoked almonds, edamame, salted macadamia nuts, chili bits, buffalo peanuts and cheddar sesame sticks.

If you want to send a Super Bowl gift to the super fan in your life, we’ve got you covered! The Tough Guy Basket is jam-packed with a spicy combination of snacks like Southern Heat Mix, wasabi peas, corn nuts, cajun peanuts and wasabi peanuts. The Ultimate Sports Snacker is an oversized tin loaded with favorites such as salted cashews, oriental mix and sugar-toasted peanuts. The Ultimate Peppah Snacker is the best treat for the spicy food fanatic in your life! It’s filled with a mixture of Southern Meat Mix and Cajun peanuts.

What are some of your favorite Super Bowl snacks from Nuts.com? We promise that you won’t be disappointed in any of our scrumptious offerings!

Jan. 21 is National Squirrel Appreciation Day, and we’re going nuts! Squirrels are some of our favorite furry friends, and we’d like to show our support by helping them during the long, cold winter months.

We will be donating $1 to the Squirrel Refuge Organization for every online order that includes our in-shell hazelnuts this Saturday, Jan. 21 (through 11:59 PM PST).

Why hazelnuts? They’re a favorite treat that we can share with the squirrels. The nuts are packed with nutritional benefits that are great for us and our furry friends! Hazelnuts are chock-full of protein, fiber, iron and phosphorus, as well as vitamins B1, B2, C and E.

Animals can have a tough time finding food in the winter, and the squirrels sure will appreciate it if you share your nutty treat with them. So spread the nutty love, and order some in-shell hazelnuts on Jan. 21!

In the South, blackeyed peas are thought to bring luck and prosperity to the new year if eaten on New Year’s Day. Who are we to tangle with tradition? Lucky for us, blackeyed peas are simple to prepare and delicious! Though blackeyed peas are usually served in a dish called Hoppin’ John, we like to make a delicious and (moderately) nutritious dip with the peas. It’s the perfect addition to a New Year’s Day menu!

Start by soaking about 4 cups of blackeyed peas in water overnight (or for at least eight hours). Drain and rinse the blackeyed peas, pour them in a saucepan and add just enough water to cover them, along with a pinch of salt. Simmer the peas over medium heat for 45 to 60 minutes, or until they’re soft and tender. Drain the blackeyed peas and set them aside until they’re cool.

Saute one finely chopped white onion and three to four cloves of minced garlic in a skillet over medium heat. When the onion is soft, add about 1/4 cup of chopped jarred jalapenos, 1/4 cup of salsa, 1/2 tsp. of cumin, 1/8 tsp. of cayenne pepper and a 4 oz. can of chopped green chilies (drained). Simmer the mixture for about five minutes to allow the flavors to marry, then remove the skillet from the heat.

Mash the cooled blackeyed peas with a fork or potato masher so that the texture is a bit chunky, but creamy. Stir in the onion mixture, along with 2 oz. of cream cheese. Pour the dip into a baking dish and top it with about 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese. Bake the dip, uncovered, at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes, or until it’s heated through and a bit bubbly. Serve the blackeyed pea dip with pita wedges, tortilla chips and raw veggies for dipping. Yummy!

We hope all our nutty fans had a fantastic Christmas, packed with family fun and delicious treats! There’s one more holiday coming up to round out this holiday season: New Year’s! Some people always plan rockin’ New Year’s Eve bashes, and others have brunches and open houses on New Year’s Day. However, both of these occasions call for some yummy food! Our recipes section offers up a huge selection of delicious (and somewhat nutritious) dishes that are just perfect for a holiday get-together.

We love to serve a menu of appetizers at our New Year’s event, and our collection of appetizer recipes contains some great ideas. Here are five of our favorites:

1) Fava Bean Dip: This creamy, galicky dip has a hint of mint and pairs perfectly with pita bread, crackers, and even grilled shrimp or kabobs. Plus, it contains the fiber-packed deliciousness of fava beans!

2) Toasted Walnut Hummus: If you like rich and nutty treats, toasted walnut hummus is definitely the way to go. This hummus gets its toasty flavor from raw walnuts and walnut oil. A touch of orange zest and orange juice gives it a citrusy zing. It’s delicious with whole-grain crackers and raw veggies!

3) Chickpea Fritters: These gluten-free fritters are a rich and savory treat. Made with chickpea flour, the fritters are flavored with ricotta cheese, sundried tomatoes and black olives. You may need to triple or even quadruple this recipe, because these fritters won’t last long!

4) Cheese Log: A cheese log is a classic party treat. Try our flavorful recipe for a cheese log, which is rolled in pecan meal to give it a little extra nutty flavor! Serve this cheese log with buttery crackers, apple slices and celery sticks.

5) Brie Stuffed Figs: When we have a party we have to include at least on decadent dish, and brie stuffed figs with fresh rosemary fit the bill! You simply slice open a batch of sweet and tender Turkish figs, fill them with a mixture of brie, black pepper and rosemary, and bake them in the oven until they’re warm and melty. They are out of this world!

What are some of your favorite New Year’s recipes?

When it comes to Christmas cookies, there’s just about nothing that’s easier (or more delicious) than gooey butter cookies. These cookies, which are made from just a few simple ingredients, are soft, moist and delicious. They’re always a hit with friends and neighbors!

Our favorite recipe for gooey butter cookies sticks rather closely to the original. In a medium bowl, cream together 1 stick of softened, unsalted butter and one 8 oz. brick of cream cheese. Add one box of yellow cake mix (or 3 cups of our gluten-free vanilla cake mix), 1 egg and 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract. Mix the batter until a soft, smooth dough forms, then add our super-special secret ingredient: 1-1/2 cups of mini cinnamon chips.

Scoop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough, roll them into balls and roll the balls in powdered sugar. Bake the gooey butter cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 11-13 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack, and let them cool completely before serving.

Of course, the beauty of these cookies is that they’re flexible! Choose a chocolate cake mix (or gluten-free chocolate cake mix) and sprinkle the cookies with crushed organic candy canes for a minty chocolate cookie! Lemon cake mix with yogurt chips is also a delicious combination!

What are some of your favorite quick and easy holiday recipes?

When we’re scrambling to get some goodies together to gift to friends and neighbors, no-bake cookies are our go-to treat! These chocolate-peanut butter cookies taste an awful lot like fudge, and they’re a cinch to make. We love them!

Start by placing two sticks of unsalted butter, 4 cups of granulated sugar, 1 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of Dutch cocoa powder in a medium saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the butter is melted. Bring the chocolate mixture to a boil, cook it for 1 minute, then remove it from the heat. Add 1 cup of crunchy peanut butter, 3 tsp. of vanilla extract, 1 tsp. of ground cinnamon, 5 cups of rolled oats and 1/2 cup of dark raisins. Stir to combine.

Drop the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Allow the cookies to cool until they’re firm (about 15 to 20 minutes), then peel them off the paper and store them in an airtight container.

Ta-da! A quick, easy treat that’s sure to make your taste buds sing!

What are some  of your favorite easy holiday recipes?

One quick and simple Christmas treat that we like to whip up for friends, teachers, coworkers and more during the holidays is chocolate bark. Bark comes together easily, and it’s a truly special sweet!

Our favorite chocolate bark is laden with roasted pistachios and tart dried cherries. It also contains two types of chocolate, white and dark. (Hey, we don’t like to choose just one!)

To start, line a large cookie sheet with a layer of wax paper. Melt 1 lb. of organic dark chocolate chips in the microwave on high in 30-second increments, until the chips are almost completely melted. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir the organic dark chocolate chips with a spoon until the chocolate is smooth. Do the same with 1/2 lb. of white chocolate chips or yogurt chips.

Working quickly so that the chocolate is still liquid, mix 3/4 cup each of roasted unsalted pistachios and tart cherries into the melted organic dark chocolate chips. Pour the dark chocolate in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the melted white chocolate chips or yogurt chips over the top of the dark chocolate, using the tip of a chopstick or knife to make a swirl pattern. Sprinkle an additional 3/4 cup each of roasted unsalted pistachios and tart cherries over the top of the bark. Slide the cookie sheet into the refrigerator and chill the bark until it’s firm (two to three hours).

Use a rubber mallet to break the pistachio bark into chunks. Wrap the pieces in tissue paper or place them in a tin for easy gifting. This sweet is as delicious as it is simple, and we know your loved ones will adore it!