Cooking Thursday: Another Great Oldie - the Best Munchie Mix

 

Hellooooo Beautiful Friends!!

How's it going? Are you diving into summer yet? The summer solstice is almost here. :) We have been enjoying our deck as a 2nd living room and we are out there every moment we can get. 😍 We've gotten in some ladder ball, mini golf, and some cornhole. Now we need to get in some pickle ball, and real golf! 

We've also been looking at some summer hikes we want to take. I have a book with local hikes that are 3 miles or less and we plan to check several off the list over the months ahead. 

I've also continued to love to play among my flowers and little container gardens as much as possible. My peonies are just about ready to pop out:

And our little strawberry plant keeps producing little jewels. It will never do enough to amount to a lot at once...but we enjoy nibbling some whenever they're ripe. They're so sweet and juicy and taste like nature's candy. 😋

Speaking of delicious things - I thought I'd share another blast from the past. This munchie mix has been a go-to staple around here for over 20 years. It's pretty simple to make and it's SOOOO good. It makes a good amount so you need a pretty good sized bowl for it...or at least for a  double recipe (which I always do). It's too good not to make a big batch if you're going to go through the effort. But I also only make it when I know there will be plenty of folks to eat it. And we're going to be doing belated Father's Day with Matt's Dad - so I figured it would be a good time to make it. 

It's a wonderful sweet and salty concoction and you can find my original post about it, from way back in 2015, if you click here.

These are 2 key ingredients of the dish. Another is parmesan cheese (the powdered kind in the green canister) which I forgot to get in the photo. To double the recipe I took 2 cans of mixed nuts. Mixed with some melted powder, the parm cheese, and some herbs & seasonings (oregano, celery salt, and garlic powder) and bake it. Then while it's warm you pour the nut mixture over the golden grahams and toss it all together. 

It turns into this wonderful crunchy, earthy, salty, & sweet dream of a snack. We love to munch while we play cards or games, or watch a movie. Beware it's highly addicting!! And if you bring it to a gathering you'll be asked for the recipe or to bring it again and again. 

I make sure I keep it in a bowl with a good sealed cover as then it will stay fresh for many days. 

I urge you to make it just to try it because it's so yummy! I wish I could send you all some. 💗 I'll write the recipe below as a single batch, but I highly recommend you just DOUBLE IT because you'll need that much as it goes fast!!

BEST MUNCHIE MIX:

1/2 stick of butter (1/4 c.), melted

1/2 c. parmesan cheese

1 can of mixed nuts (regular size)

1/2 tsp each of: oregano, garlic powder, celery salt

6 c. golden grahams

Preheat oven to 300*. Melt butter in a bowl. Stir in the nuts, cheese and seasonings. Toss all together well and pour onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring twice during that time.

Take a different large bowl and put golden grahams in it. If you double the recipe (I HIGHLY recommend you do) don't do 12 c. of golden grahams. I think it would be too much. I never measure the cereal out to be honest. I just dump in about 1/2 the box of a 1 pound box in the bottom of the bowl for a double recipe. You want the nuts to shine too. You could always add more cereal later if you thought it needed it - but start with less cereal first. 

Then once the nut mixture is done baking (while it's still warm) scoop it out onto the cereal. Toss it all together and keep it in a sealed container. Then get ready to watch it disappear!! 

Enjoy

xoxo

Easy Pantry Stovetop Cocoa & A Couple Healthier Treats

 

Hello my Blogland Besties!

Happy Friday Eve :) 

I hope you've been having a wonderful week so far. It's a bright sunny, but chillier, day here in the northwoods. But whenever the sun is shining it gives me more energy and I love it. ☀️

Thank you to all who entered the blogaversary giveaway and congrats again to the winners! I love sharing with all of you in this space so very much and I hope there will be many more giveaways in the years ahead!!

Now on to what I wanted to share with you today. Since there has been so much chilly weather lately, I thought you might be interested in one of my favorite kinds of homemade cocoas. I always have these items on hand, so it's easy to whip up. However, I only have cocoa as a treat now and then because it does have calories more like a treat. So this is not the "healthier" portion of this post. It's the cozy portion. Yay!✨

 Last week there was such a cold night here that Matt & I decided to spend it in front of a cozy fire in the fireplace. We chatted, I read my book, Matt was on his phone and listened to his book (how he prefers to read) - and it was just so nice and cozy. 

As you can see - Ms Ruby is always at my feet. Lol Well I decided the perfect treat for us that night would be to have a mug of homemade cocoa. Matt had never had stovetop cocoa before, so I thought it extra fun to make it for us. Here are some of the ingredients I used:

I happened to have some half & half to use up - so I included it along with the skim milk I had. Feel free to use any milk, cream etc you would like. For one person the recipe is 1 cup of milk. So obviously I made 2 cups worth. So I threw what half & half I had (which was maybe 1/2 cup) in my 2 cup measuring cup and filled it the rest of the way with the skim milk. I poured that in a medium saucepan and put it over medium heat on the stove. I whisked in some unsweetened cocoa powder (I always have this on hand for baking), some sugar, a pinch of salt, & some vanilla. And that's it! 

Whisk it over the heat until it's all incorporated and nice and hot. 

Pour into a couple of mugs, top with marshmallows, and cheers with the one you love. Matt said it was the best cocoa he's ever had! I think because it gives such a rich real flavor packet or pod cocoa doesn't. Think of it kind of like drinking a rich brownie in a mug. Lol You can look up online and there are a lot of different cocoa recipes out there. You can melt real chocolate with cream and make a homemade cocoa that's to die for too. But this one is quick (maybe 5 mins), easy, and made from things I always have on hand. Not to mention, it's really good! 😋 Here's the full recipe of what I did:

STOVETOP COCOA

1 cup any kind of milk (but creamier if you mix with some half & half or cream or use richer milk than skim)

2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tbsp sugar (but I add a little extra because cocoa powder can be so bitter - so I add at least an extra 1/2 Tbsp)

pinch of salt (maybe 1/4 tsp)

1 tsp vanilla

Whisk all on medium heat on the stove until warmed through and as hot as you like it. Pour into a mug and top with marshmallows. 

Enjoy!

 *( I doubled this for the 2 of us)

I thought I'd share a few healthier treats we've been enjoying too. It is that time of year you know - when we try to extra focus on health. And for me it's also wanting to lose some of my holiday weight, plus more! 😉 But I truly keep my focus on health and balance - more than any number on a scale. I go with how I feel and wanting my joints to ache less. 😁

I think I've mentioned these before:

We love these date treats that really remind us of a snickers bar. We often find containers of medjool dates in Costco. I slice them in the middle. Take out the pit. Put in a tsp or so of natural peanut butter (or whatever nut butter you like), a couple of peanuts. Close them up and and pour a little melted chocolate over the top with a sprinkle of sea salt. I do this on a wax paper lined plate. Chill in the fridge and enjoy as wanted. They're so good! And they have lots of fiber and less calories than a candy bar! 

These are another tasty option. There are a million recipes for peanut butter energy balls - but the basic start is typically 1 cup of oats, 1/2 c. nut butter, and 2 tbsp honey. Then mix in whatever you like. I did some chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and a few chocolate and butterscotch chips on top (way Matt loves them). Roll into balls. Again, just keep chilled on wax paper in the fridge and have one as wanted. They are good protein, fiber and a sweet fix. You can easily double this recipe to make more too. 

And I know I've told you about this one. Instead of ice cream at night, I have these yummy light & fit yogurts filled with protein. They have lots of yummy flavors and I will top one with fruit, maybe a drizzle of chocolate, & granola or a few chopped nuts. The cherry and banana cream pie are my absolute faves!! So good!! And I end the night with a perfect sweet fix and lots of protein with a base of only 80 calories. 

 I feel like rice cakes are polarizing. Folks either love them or hate them. I happen to love them for snacks or treats. I've been obsessed with these pickle ones lately! There are ranch and white cheddar ones that are good too. But if you like pickle chips - these are THE BEST! I like them even more than pickle kettle chips I've had. And a lot less calories per serving than those chips. This is a bag of smaller rice cakes - not the big ones.

Another way I love to enjoy them is taking one big butter popcorn rice cake and putting a tiny smear of real butter on top and put in the micro for a few secs to melt in and then top with a little sprinkle of powdered parm cheese. Or take one big caramel rice cake. Top with a little nut butter spread, a drizzle of honey & crushed peanut on top. Tastes kind of like cracker jacks. 

I hope maybe some of these ideas inspire you for some yummy balance and healthier options too! I think the key is to look for flavors you know you already like - or can recreate. Otherwise you're not going to eat those healthier snacks, just because they're "healthy". 

Blessings! 

xoxo

Blueberry French Toast Bake & Fun No Bake Dill Ranch Pretzels

Hello Dear Friends! 

Today I wanted to finally share the recipe for blueberry french toast bake that's easy to assemble and was a stellar breakfast for dinner for us one of the nights Annie was home (as breakfast food is probably one of her absolute favorites). 

I halved the recipe and made it in a pie pan. But the full recipe is for a 9x13 pan. You cut up bread cubes (I had homemade french bread from a neighbor friend - very yummy😋). Put them in the greased pan. Top with blueberries. Make the custard mixture and pour over the top and let the mixture soak overnight or at least for several hours. 

Then when ready to bake, you make a wonderful streusel mixture and cut in some cold butter until you get nice crumbs. Crumble it all over the top of the bake and put it in the oven & bake it up until it's time to eat. Top with syrup and more berries if you wish. We had ours with a side of homemade red breakfast potatoes and bacon. It was delish! As I mentioned the other day - Annie's review of it: "Mom this is fire and you definitely need to make it again!" High praise indeed. 😉

I forgot to get a pic of the pie plate before we dug in - but here's a shot of 1/2  the pan. And a shot of it with syrup on my plate. I found this recipe at sallysbakingaddiction.com and I list the recipe below. I highly recommend this one! It would be excellent for a brunch or a holiday breakfast too. 

Another fun recipe I made over the holidays were some garlic ranch dill pretzels. They couldn't have been easier! I kind of combined several different recipes I read here and there. I doubled the recipe and made 2 baggies full with 2 different kinds of pretzels. 

DILL RANCH PRETZELS

1/2 c. of popcorn oil (like Orville Redenbacher) 

1 packet ranch seasoning mix (add after initial mix)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried dillweed

1 lb bag of pretzels

Instructions: Take a gallon sized baggie and pour the bag of pretzels in. Add the popcorn oil and coat the pretzels by sealing and rolling bag around. Add in the garlic powder and dill weed. Roll & toss around bag every 10 mins for about an hour. After an hour add the ranch seasoning and give another good toss. Your pretzels are ready! Enjoy! 

If you're not a dill fan you could easily just do garlic and ranch. Easy to double and make in 2 baggies and then I poured both bags in a large bowl with good sealing lid and lasted us through the Christmas season. They were also a hit!

Enjoy! xo

Some Fun Munchies

Hi Friends! 

Happy Thursday to you! It's been a busy one being in full Mom mode all week around here. My daughter was sick the first few days of the week and today my kids are home from school due to a snow/weather day! It was rainy last night and then it got really cold and icy and started snowing overnight. So school was canceled and the kiddos have been having fun. One of their cousins even came over to hang out.  But thought I'd take a quick minute to pop in and say hi and share a couple of fun recipes I made on New Year's Eve. 

As I mentioned in an earlier post - my son had friends over on NYE and my daughter had one of her friends sleep over. I made several goodies and a couple of them were recipes I tried off of pinterest. They turned out great and were really yummy! 

One of the recipes was for these mac and cheese pretzels.

I had a bowl upstairs by the cocoa station for us and Annie and her buddy. And Aaron's friends had a big bowl downstairs. I have several recipes pinned for different flavored pretzel snacks - and the basic premise is using butter flavored oil  (like for popcorn) and adding seasonings to it. In this case I added a packet of cheese from a box of mac and cheese and some garlic powder. You then pour that mix over a 15 to 16 oz bag of pretzels and stir every 15-20 minutes for about 2 hours or so...until all the oil is absorbed. And that's it! Very easy.  For the pinterest recipe for these pretzels click here.

Here are a few other kinds of pretzels you could make too, that I also have pinned. Just click on name under each photo to link to recipes.

Whiskey Pretzels (with brown sugar and butter)

Garlic Ranch Pretzels

On NYE I also made these pizza sliders and the kiddos loved them!

Click here for this recipe. 

Hope you all had such a fun and yummy New Year too! 

I've been back to healthier eating now - but some treats now and then are always okay, right? ;) 

Five on Friday: Super Bowl fun

Happy Friday Friends! 

Well even though neither of our teams made it to the Super Bowl (Vikings for Hubby and Packers for me), we still enjoy watching the game and making a little "event" of it. I thought I'd share some fun football ideas I found on pinterest for my five this week.

ONE

I thought these rice krispies treats are really cute! How they shaped the mixture into football jersey shapes and then decorated them in team colors. So easy and fun, but truly adorable. These would be cute for a kiddo's football themed birthday party too. You can find the link for these here.

TWO

And of course there's always decorating your food like footballs. Always a cute option - like these chocolate covered strawberries and this cracker and cheese plate. You can find the links here  and here.

THREE

And I think it's so fun to dress up your table to make the "event" feel more festive. Astro turf tablecloth, make your own field goal posts, even dress up water bottle with referee printables and whistles. SO cute!! You can find the links here, here, and here.

FOUR

And I love the "bar" idea for a super bowl party. Like this mashed potato bar or nachos bar. Or even a baked potato bar - you could make your crockpot filled with any of these for great fun. Yummy, interactive and fun for all!  You can find the links here and here.

FIVE

And of course there are tons of wonderful dip ideas!! Like 7 layer dip cups, cherry cheesecake dip, and making a layered "stadium" dip. You can find the links here, here, and here.

I could just browse pinterest all day for all the wonderful ideas! So those friends watching the Super Bowl this weekend hope you have lots of fun too! To All my friends I wish a very blessed and happy weekend and feel free to enjoy some of these ideas and recipes anytime. ;) 

I'm linking with Amy from Love Made My Home for Five on Friday.

 

Scraptastic Saturday:Sweet & Salty Munchie Mix

Today I'm joining Andrea at Scrapality for Scraptastic Saturday to bring you sweet and salty munchie mix. You can also click on the link in my right hand column.

This mix is a perfect snack for summer to bring along to picnics or to have around if you're throwing a BBQ party - or really to enjoy any time because it's SO good! I must warn you, though, that it's highly addicting!! So don't blame me for any added pounds. Lol

I've had the recipe for this mix for many years. It's a mix that family friends of my in-law's would always bring to any party or gathering. My in-law's used to have fun trivial pursuit parties and we'd have pizzas and treats and always this snack. So in our circles we actually refer to it as Irena munchie mix as that was the first name of the wife of the couple that hung out with my in-law's. I just call it GOOD!!

First of all take some mixed nuts. I always double this recipe (it goes so fast if you have a group) so I use 2 cans of mixed nuts. I will share the full recipe at the end of this post.

Then mix them with melted butter, parmesan cheese, and seasonings in a large bowl. 

It will look like the above photo. Then spread it out on a cookie sheet and bake it for about 15 minutes.

Then add the magical ingredient that makes this whole mix perfection. Yes, golden grahams my friend are the perfect sweet to go with the salty cheesy mixed nuts.  I usually put the golden grahams in a really large bowl (you may need to mix in 2 bowls) and then pour the hot mixed nut mixture over the top of them and then mix.

Then once it's all blended give the mix a little time to cool and blend flavors. Then dig in and enjoy the best mix ever!! It will keep for several days in a really good sealed container (or two if you make double). Bring this and a pitcher of sangria to a summer party and you will be a hit!!

Sweet & Salty Munchie Mix:

Again this is how I always make this recipe but you could easily cut it in half as this is a double batch.

2 cans mixed nuts
1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), melted
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp each: garlic powder, oregano and celery salt
12 c. golden grahams (I don't really measure I just use either a whole smaller box of cereal or 3/4 of a bigger box)

Directions: preheat oven to 300*.  Melt butter and set aside. In large bowl mix 2 cans of mixed nuts with the parmesan and cheese and seasonings. Pour butter over mixture and stir to coat. Pour nut mixture onto cookie sheet and spread it evenly. Bake at 300* for 15 minutes and stir a couple times during cooking. Pour warm mixed nuts over golden grahams and stir all together. Keep in airtight container for several days.