Chocolate Carmel Party Mix

Chocolate Carmel Party Mix
Dorcas Annette Walker

Being prepared for the unexpected has become an obsession with me; especially when it comes to keeping food handy. Psychologists would probably say that it stems from my childhood. I had the symptoms of a diabetic despite normal blood tests. It wasn’t until I was grown that hypoglycemia became known. By then I had become adept at keeping food handy in case my sugar started dropping. Whenever I went traveling with my husband I always kept a snack bag handy. In true masculine form my husband would periodically protest about the amount luggage that I thought was absolutely necessary for travel. I even took some home remedies along because sure as you’re living if I wasn’t prepared the entire family would be hit with a severe case of the flu out in the middle of nowhere. As my family increased so did the snack bag. I remember one trip in particular where my husband tried to pare everything down to bare bones after several lectures about always having to haul around so much stuff. He stood at the front door as a sentinel inspecting and handling every piece of luggage. So needless to say his eyes bulged out when I handed him two stuffed-to-capacity grocery bags full of snacks to take. I’m generally mild mannered, but one thing my husband has slowly learned over the years that once I take a stand nothing will budge me. There is one rule of thumb for traveling with children that I learned early on. Once a restaurant has been chosen for lunch you can count on the fact that that particular restaurant will not be around for the next couple hundred miles. Also different times throughout our years of travel we stayed in the homes of senior citizens who ate only one meal a day so my snack bags saved our lives more than once. Several minutes later muttering and still protesting loudly my husband reluctantly packed my snack bags. As I knew exactly what would happen and what quickly became a family joke we weren’t on the road for even an hour before my husband asked, “Honey, what did you bring along to eat?”

Holidays at our house are filled with overflowing tables of food at mealtimes. I also like to keep snacks on hand for between meals and in the evenings when traditional family games or puzzles are being done. There is nothing that stimulates the brain more as a few snacks to munch on while pondering the move that will win the game. Chocolate Carmel Party Mix is a combination of different party mixes I have used through the years. The chocolate and Carmel combination and is bound to be a hit at your house during the holiday season. This party mix makes a big batch (ideal for Christmas parties), can be made ahead of time, and stored. Preparation time for the Chocolate Carmel Party Mix takes one hour and a half (baking time included) and this recipe makes close to three gallons of party mix.

Chocolate Carmel Party Mix

You need one box each of:
12.8 oz Rice Chex
14 oz Corn Chex
14 oz Wheat Chex
16 oz jar of peanuts (salted or unsalted)
½ 16 oz bag of Tiny Twist pretzels

Chocolate Mix:
In a large bowl place:
5 c Rice Chex
5 c Corn Chex
Microwave for three minutes until melted:
1 stick of margarine
1 (12oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ c peanut butter (I used crunchy)
Pour over the Chex cereal, stir until well coated, and chill in the refrigerator.

Carmel Mix:
In a large bowl place:
4 c Wheat Chex
4 c Corn Chex
4 c Rice Chex
16 oz jar of peanuts
4 c Tiny Twist pretzels
Bring to a boil in saucepan:
2 sticks of margarine
2 c brown sugar
8 tb light corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla
Pour over the Chex cereal and stir until coated. Bake at 350º for forty-five minutes stirring every fifteen minutes. Completely cool then mix together the chocolate and Carmel party mix and serve!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a freelance writer, author, columnist, and photographer from Jamestown, TN. If you have any cooking tips or favorite recipes you are welcome to contact me by mail at: Dorcas Walker, 929 Wildwood Lane, Jamestown, TN 38556 or email me at: dorcaswalker@twlakes.net. For more information about the Walker family and Dorcas’ books check out her website at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com or htpp://dorcasannettewalker.blogspot.com for other Creative Mountain Cookin recipes.