It’s not secret that I have an unhealthy relationship with kettle corn. I think I’ve mentioned it, oh, like a bajillion times. And, just so you know, popped corn doesn’t have to be sweet for me to indulge in it. Oh, no! I also enjoy it with just butter and salt – the more butter, the better! If it’s almost soggy, I’m still good with it. When I go to the movies, I usually get some. I love it when I go with my friend David because he always remembers to ask them to alternate between layers of popcorn and drizzles of butter. That way the buttery goodness is the whole way through the bucket. That’s right. I said bucket. Bags are for amateurs. (Unless you’re at home and it’s the movie butter microwave bag. That’s totally allowed.)

So, on Saturday morning after I got off work, I stopped by Red Box and got three movies for a marathon later in the day. I was still 100% juicing that morning; so, I lamented that I would have no snacks while I watched Dallas Buyers Club, American Hustle, and About Time; but, I hadn’t had a movie marathon in quite some time and was willing to forgo snackage.

By the time I sat down to watch the movies, I’d already nearly face-planted twice in the hallway and had decided to add some solid foods to the juice. Still, I wasn’t going to eat popcorn which really has no nutritional value whatsoever. I couldn’t think what I could snack on that would be acceptable. The answer came to me when I was at Tractor Supply Company buying food for my horde. Right there next to the door was a big display of salted, roasted peanuts…in the shell!

Perfect!

Peanuts in a can are just a hazard. I can dip my hand in there and just keep on eating until my reasonable snack has become a 2000 calorie monster. But, peanuts in the shell are different – they have a built in governor…the shell! I have take the time to shell them, which makes me slow down. Sure, they’re messy; but, I have a vacuum and I’m not afraid to use it.

By eating peanuts in the shell, I get the saltiness that I want (which also helps raise my blood pressure a little bit). I also get oil to help my chapped lips, and I get protein from the legume. All kinds of winning going on there.

My dad has called me a movie hound for years since I watch so many of them. And, I’ll admit it: I am pretty wild about the movies. Or, I was. From now on, I’ll be nuts about them.