Today, as usual on Thursday mornings, I chatted with buddy Matt Swaim on the Sonrise Morning Show/Sacred Heart radio. The subject was butter – yes, butter was made in Biblical times from goats, camels, cows.
Today butter is a common ingredient that we use almost every day. It’s a necessary one, too, in these snack mixes for autumn or Halloween gatherings. Be aware, though, both are addictively yummy!
PRALINE CRUNCH SNACK MIX
Ingredients
16 oz box oat squares cereal
2 cups pecans, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped (or your favorite nuts)
1/2 cup dark or light brown sugar, firmly packed1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon each: baking soda and salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 250. Spray a cookie sheet with sides or a 9×13 pan. Combine cereal and nuts in large sprayed bowl and set aside.
Either on the stove or in microwave, combine sugar, syrup and butter. Bring to a boil and stir in vanilla, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Pour over cereal mixture and stir to coat.Pour onto cookie sheet and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely and break into pieces. Store at room temperature. Makes 8 cups.
Spicy Buffalo chex mix
3-4 cups each: rice chex and wheat chex cereal
2 cups favorite cheese flavored crackers
2 cups tiny pretzel twists
1 stick butter
Up to 1/4 cup Buffalo hot wings sauce or to taste
1 pouch dry ranch salad dressing mix
2 teaspoons celery seed or 1 teaspoon celery salt
Instructions
Mix cereals, crackers and pretzels.
Set aside while bringing butter, hot sauce, dressing mix and celery seed to a simmer. Pour over cereal mixture and mix.
Now you can either bake it or microwave it. I prefer baking it due to the large quantity.
Baking
Preheat oven to 250 and line 1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix together cereal, crackers and pretzels.
In a small bowl, heat butter in the microwave for 30 seconds, or until melted. Add buffalo sauce, ranch seasoning mix, and celery seed or salt. Stir to combine.
Pour butter/buffalo mixture over the dry ingredients, stirring well to combine.
Spread out the Chex mixture into a single layer on the lined baking sheet.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
When mixture is golden brown and slightly crispy, remove the pan from the oven; let cool completely before serving.
Microwave
Microwave on high, uncovered, 4-5 minutes, stirring thoroughly every 2 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool and store in covered container.
About Eating 