RECIPE BOX: Mix it up

Creating a fall bucket list is something many people do to cover all the things this time of year has to offer. They aim to squeeze in everything that appears to make the season go round. Festivals, pumpkin patches, carving Jack-O-Lanterns, hayrides, and more, make the top of lists. It doesn’t seem possible to fit it all in. As a mom of girls, 11 and 13 years old, I have to be picky about how we spend our time. With so many interests and irons in the fire, we simply cannot do it all.

As my daughter’s age I notice they are writing their own bucket lists these days, trying new things along the way. This year, my daughter made pumpkin bars, a recipe from her grandma. It calls for items you likely already have in your pantry, with the exception of canned pumpkin. When she was getting the ingredients out, we took a look at the canned pumpkin label. It was refreshing to read that the sole ingredient was simply, pumpkin. We discussed how we could take a pie pumpkin from the front porch, wash it, clean out the seeds, cut into chunks, bake and puree. In fact, we did just that for an all-natural pumpkin soap we mixed up this fall, but hope to try it for the pumpkin bars in the future. 

Speaking of soap, my daughters and I have been mixing up some suds in a double boiler on our stove top. Starting with a goat milk base, we added honey from our hives, baked pumpkin and cinnamon, then poured into a soap mold. The natural fall mixture is leaving our skin moisturized and replenished. 

The final mixture we wanted to stir up this fall is a party mix. I saved my grandma’s favorite and also held back one I found online that calls for the Crockpot. I’m leaning towards giving it a shot, since I often burn things in the oven while multitasking! Just reading over my grandma’s stained recipe card, fills my nostrils with the party mix aroma from my memory. I only made it with her a few times, but I know she made it for many occasions to share. Whatever your fall schedule looks like, don’t be too hard on yourself trying to accomplish bucket lists. Mix it up. Try something new. 

Contact Ashley at ashley@tippgazette.com

Slow Cooker Chex Mix 

INGREDIENTS

·         9 cups Chex cereal (I used equal parts corn, rice, and wheat Chex)

·         2 cups pretzels

·         1 cup Cheerios

·         1 cup peanuts

·         1/3 cup (6 Tablespoons) butter, melted and hot

·         1 Tablespoon seasoned salt

·         1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

·         1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

·         Add cereal, pretzels, cheerios and peanuts to the bowl of a slow cooker. 

·         In a separate bowl, whisk together butter and seasoned salt until the salt is dissolved.  Stir in the Worcestershire sauce until combined.

·         Drizzle the sauce evenly over the top of the cereal mixture.  Toss for about 1 minute or until the mixture is evenly combined.

·         Cover and slow cook on low for 3 hours, stirring at the 1 hour, 2 hour and 2.5 hour marks so that the mixture does not burn.  Then spread the mixture out onto a few baking sheets or parchment paper in an even layer until it cools to room temperature.  Serve, or store in a sealed container for up to 3 weeks.

·         If your slow cooker does not have a tiny hole in it to let air escape, it may collect too much condensation which could make the Chex Mix get too soggy.  If that is the case, another great method is to place a towel (or a few layers of paper towels) just under the lid of the slow cooker, to collect the condensation.