The Solution...

Homeschoolers are nothing if not resillaint and adaptable. Especially unschoolers. Especially us!
So, after sulking for a minute or so we asked him why not. Turns out he thought that $1 was gouging! Nobody would buy nuts for that! (How little he knows...)

Still he does know our customers, so we started again. I love the nuts and had been drooling over the batch ever since I made it, so not in the least loathe, I bought it from the kids at cost. They broke even and learned a lesson. I'd say that was a profit!

We went back to the bulk store and bought peanuts instead. I carmellized them, the girls separated and bagged and curled them. We used the same photo and put in the new price 25c a bag!

What a difference a nut makes!

Now, although Renato had spoken to the wonderful lady in charge we felt, the girls had to go in and ask her themselves. They needed to get her permission to place the basket in her staff room. We ran through a script several times.

Cleverly they decided bribery was a good start and gave her a bag to try the nuts and then shyly asked if they could please put them in the room.
They were very cute! Even if I do say so myself.
Naturally she said yes. She is very gracious.

So we put them on the dining table and added a plate of samples for people who had never tried spiced nuts to get hooked on. We left ... holding our thumbs.

When Renato came home that night we all pounced on him for news!
He said.....