Chex Snack Mix

The first time I spent Christmas in Florida with Stephen's family his mom made a giant batch of Chex mix. We gobbled it down over the course of a few days and begged her to make more. If I remember correctly, she even gave us bags of it to take back to Utah with us! It's pretty addictive. So this year just before Christmas I stocked up on Chex cereal because I knew Stephen would want me to make some. Unfortunately he didn't get much. I scarfed it down and left crumbs for him to pick at. Embarrassing, I know, but it's such a great little snack! I like to add a few extra things to ours like cheese crackers and rye chips because I think they add great flavor and texture to the mix. And when I'm in the mood I'll toss in some cayenne pepper to spice things up, but don't worry it's really subtle. I hope you'll give our version a try- it won't disappoint!

Chex Snack Mix

Ingredients

10 c. Corn Chex cereal

2 c. Cheez-It crackers

1 c. pretzels
1 c. Gardetto's roasted garlic rye chips

1 c. mixed nuts
9 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
2¼ tsp. Lawry's seasoned salt

1¹⁄₈ tsp. garlic powder
¾ tsp. onion powder

¹⁄₈ tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. 

2. In a large roasting pan (one with nice deep sides), mix cereal, crackers, pretzels, rye chips and nuts, set aside. Melt butter a small microwaveable bowl. Whisk in worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne pepper. Pour over cereal mixture and toss with a large spatula until evenly coated.

3. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and spread onto parchment paper (or paper towels) to cool for about 20 minutes before serving.
Adapted from Original Chex® Party Mix | Makes approximately 12 servings

Nut Lovers Rocky Road

Rocky road is one of my go-to recipes! We make it for ourselves and to take to parties & activities. The thing I love the most about it is how easy and delicious it is! It comes together in just 5 minutes and then gets tossed into the refrigerator to chill until you're ready to serve it. Sometimes I like to substitute some of the semi-sweet chocolate for bittersweet, making these intensely rich and dark! You can definitely play around with what goes inside- today we did a nut lover's version. They're crammed full of peanuts, almonds, walnuts, and of course marshmallows. If you're feeling extra adventurous, I think chocolate chunks or even some kind of chopped up cookie would be tasty too! Our batch is going quickly- if they last over the weekend these effortless treats will be perfect for the holidays!

Nut Lovers Rocky Road

Ingredients

1 (14-oz) can Eagle Brand® sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp. butter
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. dry roasted peanuts
½ c. roasted almonds
½ c. walnuts
1 (10-oz) bag miniature marshmallows

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large glass bowl (big enough to fit in your microwave), combine chocolate chips, condensed milk and butter. Microwave on medium heat for 3 minutes. Remove from microwave and allow to cool enough that the marshmallows won't melt (a couple of minutes or so).
2. Fold in nuts and marshmallows, making sure to coat evenly with chocolate.
3. Pour mixture into a 9x13 pan, lined with wax paper. Press mixture firmly down into the pan.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool for 2-3 hours before serving.
Life Made Simple Family Recipe | Gluten Free | Makes approximately 24 bars

Raisin Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

I have to admit, I'm a sucker for a good oatmeal cookie. I know that there are a lot of people out there who really dislike raisins and nuts in their cookies, but I'm a fan! Today's recipe is really similar to my mom's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, but has a few adjustments that help make them slightly more thick and chewy. The one main addition is an extra yolk, but also chilling the dough before baking it helps the cookies hold their shape and stay thick and chewy. The dough itself is perfectly spiced and the brown sugar really helps give these cookies the soft center and crisp edges that I love so much. If you're feeling extra adventurous you can always add coconut or even switch out the raisins for cranberries. I will definitely be making these cookies time and time again!

Raisin Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

1 c. all-purpose flour

1¼ c. old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)

1 c. brown sugar

8 tbsp. (1 stick) butter, room temperature

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1½ tsp. cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

1½ tsp. vanilla

¾ c. raisins

½ c. chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat mat, set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter, brown sugar and vanilla for 3-4 minutes on medium-high. Add egg, mix, then egg yolk, mixing for an additional minute on medium-high.

3. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to combine. With mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients, mixing until no flour pockets remain. Remove bowl from stand and fold in raisins and walnuts. Allow the dough to chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours before baking.

4. Scoop chilled dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. Gently pat down each ball. Place in oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown in color. The centers should look slightly underbaked, they will firm up once cooled. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on sheets for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Inspired by a Life Made Simple Family Recipe | Makes approximately 24 cookies

Cinnamon Sugar Banana Nut Muffins

I always find myself with one overly ripe banana left on my kitchen counter. Since most recipes for banana bread or banana cookies call for more than one banana it's always tricky to figure out how to use it. Last week I tossed it in a smoothie and the week before I bit the bullet and ate it. But this time around I thought I'd bake up a small batch of muffins using only one large spotted banana. That's right... it's a half batch. Aside from the fact that we only had 1 banana, we can never eat an entire batch of 12 muffins, so 6 just seemed practical. If you happen to have two ripe bananas then go ahead and double it. I wanted to experiment a little with this recipe. I knew I wanted to use a little bit of whole wheat flour but I also wanted to add nuts and some kind of topping that wasn't crumbly or overwhelming. I ended up using ¼ c. of whole wheat flour, which made them just a little more wholesome and then tossed in  ¼ c. of chopped pecans. The topping is a cinnamon sugar mixture that you sprinkle on top once you've scooped the batter into the muffin tin. Have you ever walked by one of those nut stands at a sporting event, you know, the ones that sell those cinnamon sugar coated pecans? Yep, your entire house will smell like one of those!

Cinnamon Sugar Banana Nut Muffins
Ingredients
¾ c. all-purpose flour (or 1 c. if you don't want to use wheat)
¼ c. whole wheat flour
⅓ c. brown sugar
1 egg
6 tbsp. melted butter
2 tbsp. sour cream or buttermilk
½ c. mashed ripe bananas, from one large banana
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cinnamon, heaping
¾ tsp. vanilla
¼ c. chopped nuts, plus more to sprinkle on top

Cinnamon sugar sprinkle:
1 tbsp. sugar
¹⁄₈ tsp. cinnamon, heaping

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray or line six wells of a standard size muffin pan, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar. Add sour cream (or buttermilk) and mashed bananas, mix on low for 30 seconds. Add egg and vanilla, mix until just combined.
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine flours, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Whisk together then with mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Remove bowl from stand and fold in chopped nuts. Using a large scoop, fill each well ¾ of the way full (or a little more if you have some extra). Sprinkle with extra nuts. In a small bowl combine cinnamon and sugar, sprinkle mixture over the tops of each muffin.
4. Place in oven and bake for 18-22 minutes. The tops should be lightly golden brown and they should be nice and firm. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for 2-3 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve just by themselves or with some whipped cinnamon butter!
NOTE: You will want to double this recipe for 12 muffins
Life Made Simple Original Recipe | Makes 6 standard size muffins