It's getting to that time of year. Are you going to be making any goodies?
I don't know if I will or not. Not sure what we're doing for dinner. Last
year we went out for Mexican food.

One year I made some nuts that were my version of Sahale Snacks, a fruit and
nut mix that is made locally.

I started with a couple of dried dates that had been mixed with water and
whizzed in the food processor. This added sweetness. I then soaked some
raw pecan halves and unsweetened dried cranberries in this mix for about a
half an hour. I then mixed in plenty of freshly ground black pepper and
some freshly grated orange zest.

I spread this mix out in my dehydrator and let it dry out on a low temp for
about a day. I can't remember the exact amount of time. It will vary
depending on the temperature in the kitchen and the humidity level. The end
result will be crisp and slightly sticky.

I also tried making a fruitcake but mostly that didn't pan out. I used to
make one from an old cookbook that was mostly assorted fruits and nuts with
just enough cake to hold it together. The problem? It made a ton! I was
sending/giving cakes to everyone I knew. And I still had a lot left.

So I tried making a cake that was mostly fruits and nuts. I did manage to
find a container of assorted fruits at Central Market. To get a really good
cake, you need a bit of everything, IMO. The problem there? The carb
count. Because the fruit is steeped in sugar syrup, it's just not good for
a diabetic. I ate just one piece of fruit and one nut and it still spiked
me. And nobody really liked it because I had to make it without eggs and
butter. Bleh.

Another thing I like to do is take some walnuts or pecans and lightly
drizzle them with a melted dark chocolate. Then let them set up.