Santé brings you Nut heaven! {review}

Ah, nuts! I love 'em. All kinds. I've never met a nut I didn't love.

And I choose nuts over most other things. Mints or nuts? Nuts, every time. Fudge with nuts or without? With, definitely. Brownies without nuts? Okay (hey, it's chocolate after all) but very much preferred with nuts.

What would a pecan pie be without pecans?

Peanut brittle without peanuts?

Nuts are one of life's most delicious little pleasures. I can remember Christmas as a kid and one of the brightest joys was mixed nuts, something we didn't enjoy all year long but was reserved for special occasions and holidays.

Santé Nuts has brought back all the special pleasure of snack nuts with their line of healthy, crunchy, and very satisfying products. When I opened the box of samples I was sent, I knew right away these were no garden variety nuts!

I have a darling eighty-something-year-old neighbor who brings me homemade fudge every time she makes it. Her fudge is absolutely mouth-watering... but made without nuts. Because of her particular health problems, she can't eat nuts, so she doesn't use them in cooking.

No problem. I figured this was the perfect time to try the Santé nuts I had been sent for review.

So I opened the package of Santé roasted salted pecans and popped a couple into my mouth along with a bite of fudge.

Oh my.....

Sheer heaven!!

I love nuts of all kinds, but I especially love them roasted/toasted. Brings out the natural flavor more intensely, in my opinion. And Santé has learned how to roast/toast nuts to perfection. These are without doubt the crunchiest, freshest tasting nuts from a package that I've ever eaten. And for a nut lover like me, that's saying something!

So I eagerly tried the other nut samples Santé had sent. Candied pecans or candied walnuts, anyone? Oh, too bad, the packages are empty now because I ate them all!! YUMMY!!!

Perfectly roasted and flavored to bring out the crunchy goodness. I can't even bring myself to think these would be good in recipes (although they would be awesome) ... they're absolutely da bomb for simple snacking!

The package says "perfectly crunchy nuts for snacking & salads". Snacking, yes. Salads? Hmm...

So I opened the final sample package which was garlic almonds. Described on the pack as "zip & zing with a hint of sweet", yes, these would be ideal for salads, but they have way too much "zip & zing" for mere snacking!

Don't get me wrong, I love garlic and spicy foods, but I love almonds toasted just as they are, and in this case too much of a good thing was... well, too much. I'd definitely use them in a Waldorf or Caesar salad, chopped into more useable sized pieces (they come whole) or in a recipe such as Tangy Almond Garlic String Beans (doesn't that sound yummy!).

But as a snack they didn't compare to the three other samples I received. To each his own... you may love them right out of the bag!

Santé Nuts are a healthy snack because they use only the highest quality nuts, all-natural ingredients, and very little oil. Sara Tidhar, the founder and genius behind Santé Nuts, learned the secret roasting technique from her grandmother and had been making these same healthy nut snacks for her children until starting up the Santé Nuts business.

And am I ever glad she did! These are hands down the most delicious, crunchy nuts I've ever eaten. I wish these artisanal nuts were available where I usually shop, because I'd load up on them every time.

But you can buy them online and have them delivered to your home. And now through December 16th, you can get 25% off your online order by using discount code 2011-Blog-020.

You might want to get some of these to have on hand when holiday company comes to visit. But I warn you - one taste and you'll be saving these for yourself! :)

A votre santé! To your health!

{Disclaimer: I received product samples to facilitate my review. No monetary consideration was involved and my opinions are my own.}