Check Your Nuts!

OK, so I'm going to post this on here just for "fun".  It's really not fun and quite gross...so gross that I couldn't even take a picture when it happened but kind of wish I would have now that a few weeks have passed.  

At the beginning of January my mom and both of my in-laws came for our son's baptism.  It was wonderful to have them and of course there was lots of food involved.  My mom came with instructions from my sister to "find out all my vegan cooking secrets".  So I decided to make some of my favorite recipes from different categories.  I made the Smoky Southwest Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie, the Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese, some Un-refried Beans, to name a few.  I also wanted to make the Raw Cashew Dreamcake for them.  

I got out my bag of cashews that I keep in the freezer.  I buy them in bulk and keep them in the freezer to make them last longer.  I scooped out one and a half cups to soak overnight.  As I was getting ready to pour them into my bowl I saw something on top that I thought was maybe a nut shell!  Yikes!  Didn't want anyone to break their tooth.  At the same time, I don't think I've ever seen a cashew shell still in the nuts like this.  I picked it out and investigated a little more closely.  And then I screamed...internally of course...but it was loud. I knew EXACTLY what it was...and it was not a shell.  It. Was. A. FINGERNAIL!  A very long fingernail.  Over a ¼ inch long.  My fingernails barely have white showing.  Not long at all.  It was NOT mine.  Okay, I feel like gagging all over again.  I thought I was over it but apparently not.

I looked around.  Nobody saw what I just saw and apparently I was able to keep my internal scream truly to myself.  I thought, “I guess I could still use them.  No, I can’t.  This is a “raw” recipe and I would never enjoy it.  Even if it was cooked I’d always know.  Maybe I’ll just scoop out a new cup.  No.  That fingernail could have rolled all over them all.”  I ran to the freezer hoping I had another sack.  I did!  Hallelujah!  And these were bought at a completely different time.  Safe.  I set the fingernail...and the "contaminated" bag of cashews…aside.  I couldn’t tell anyone yet.  I really wanted them to try and to like this wonderful recipe!  I mean, it's one of my recipes with the most hits on here!  I kept sneaking glances at it.  It was like a huge wild creature sitting in my window sill.

We ate the Raw Cashew Dreamcake.  It was dreamy and everyone liked it (although I have to admit, I didn’t enjoy it like I normally would have.)  And then I showed Tory and my mom what I found.  They were all very glad I used cashews out of a different batch.  My mom and I returned them on our way to the movie that night.  I brought the fingernail all bagged up in a plastic bag and showed them.  They said I could get a new fresh bag full.  I asked how much was in the sack I was returning so I could get the same amount…and not too much.  They said, “Take as much as you like.”  They said something about how it looked like it had been from the factory and not just an old lady grabbing handfuls out of the bulk bins.  It was very clean and shiny.  I didn’t really want to hear that.  It’s gross no matter whose finger it broke off of or how clean and shiny it was.   I took my bag of fresh cashews and left the fingernail with them.

So that’s my exciting and oh so gross story.  I am just soooo thankful the fingernail was sitting on TOP of my cup of cashews, that I NOTICED it, and that it didn’t just get all blended up with my cashew cream.  We could have eaten ground up fingernail!!  And I will never look at those bulk bins the same.  Check your nuts people…check your nuts! (And any other bulk bin products!)  But please, keep making the Raw Cashew Dreamcake!  Don't let this scare you!  Just be glad it was me and not you and that I just lowered the odds of you finding one...ever.