By Photos by L.G. Patterson
Christmas. I have what can only be described as a bittersweet relationship with Christmas. I LOVE the reason, decorations, traditions and, of course, food!
However, I, like so many others, tend to get overwhelmed and overbooked during this time of the year. Often, I find myself thinking, “I just want to get through this day,” rather than taking the time to fully enjoy the moments the season affords us.
Over the years, I’ve developed a few menu items that are big on enjoyment and short on time commitment. This snack mix is one of those. My mom, brothers and I made batches of this to share. It’s easy to pull together, enough to feed a heavy snacking crowd of boys and has no hard ingredients.
Make a big batch for your family and make a little extra to share with the neighbors. This year, we’ve been invited to participate in one of the bigger Christmas lighting events in town, so don’t be surprised if you find us handing out bags of this treasure to the visitors. While it will be work, for sure, I’m excited to see all the happy faces and Christmas joy we will help spread and share.
Enjoy!
White Christmas Mix
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups Cheerios
- 3 cups Rice Chex
- 3 cups Corn Chex
- 1 pound red and green M&Ms
- 2 ½ cups mixed nuts or a combination of your favorite nuts (I like to do only cashews and almonds)
- 2 cups mini pretzel twists
- 24 ounces ounces white chocolate chips or almond bark, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Combine everything but the chocolate in a large bowl.
- In a microwave safe bowl, mix the white chocolate or almond bark and oil. Microwave about 60 seconds, stir. Microwave another 30 second sand stir until it is melted. (I prefer to use a double boiler to melt, as Ifeel I have more control of the melting.)
- Pour the melted chocolate over the mix and stir until evenly covered.
- Pour out on wax paper lined sheet pans to cool, then breakup in chunks.
My Mom’s Party Mix
Ingredients
- 1 ½ sticks butter
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 3 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 box Corn Chex
- 1 box Wheat Chex
- 2 cups mixed nuts, plus extra cashews
- 3 cups goldfish crackers
Instructions
- Melt butter, add all seasonings and mix well.
- In a large bowl, mix all remaining ingredients.
- Pour the butter mixture over the cereal mix.
- Toss to coat.
- Spread on baking sheets and bake at 275 for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and stir occasionally until mixtures cools to room temperature.
