Tis the Season for Chex Mix

Every year my mother used to make Chex Mix for the holidays, (minus the bagel chips and crackers.) I always loved it. Guest blogger Maggie Green, author of The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook brought back fond memories.

Check out her recipe:

I make Chex Mix every year. I use my roasting pan to bake it because it’s deep and the tall sides on the pan make stirring easy. It’s a good thing I clipped this recipe from the cereal box a few years ago. I noticed recently that the recipe for Chex Mix included only a set of microwave directions. I feel a little weird using the microwave to “bake” something. I’ve never tried making this in the microwave, but knowing what I know about roasting or baking I predict that Chex Mix baked in an oven tastes better than Chex Mix heated and stirred in the microwave. It does take a little longer, but that’s a wash in my opinion, because either way you have to cool the mix before eating.  If you want microwave instructions just look on the back of a Chex cereal box. By the way, this recipe works perfectly fine with a store-brand Chex-type cereal if you so desire.

Oven Baked Chex Mix Recipe
Makes about 12 cups

Funny thing, this is the most popular recipe on my blog. During the month of December by blog visits at least double because of this recipe.

6 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
3 cups Corn Chex cereal
3 cups Rice Chex cereal
3 cups Wheat Chex cereal
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup bite-size pretzels
1 cup bagel chips or Cheez-it crackers

Preheat oven to 250°F. In an ungreased large roasting pan, melt butter in the oven. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir in Chex cereals, mixed nuts, pretzels, and bagel chips until coated. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels until cooled. Store in an airtight container.

How to Preserve Your Herbs

Rosemary

Isn't it a great feeling to plant something and watch it grow? If you are a little too successful, check out this blog post from Maggie Green, a fellow registered dietitian nutritionist and author of The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook on how to preserve your herbs. Maggie hopes that you add seasonal, local ingredients into your cooking. You can follow her at @GreenApron .

This is the time of year when we’re thinking about preserving the abundance in our gardens if the deer haven’t eaten it all.  Herbs are the leaves and stems of tender, edible plants. They impart various flavors in cooking and are revered for adding flavor to cooked dishes and salads without adding additional sodium. Thyme, rosemary, basil, parsley, and oregano all dry well. Here’s the link to the National Center for Home Food Preservation and their resourpage on Drying Herbs.