Chex Mix

 Every year around this time, I get a craving for Chex Mix and go searching for a recipe. But all of them nowadays are microwave and alterations on the one I loved growing up. So, I’ve come up with my version below.

2 sticks unsalted butter

6 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Lawry’s seasoned salt

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

4 cups each

       Rice Chex

       Corn Chex

      Wheat Chex

      Crispix

3 cups pretzel sticks

3 cups Gardettos snack mix

2 cups deluxe mixed nuts

Place butter in large roaster pan, and put into cold oven. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. While oven is heating and butter is melting in pan, mix together seasoned salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir together cereals, pretzel sticks, snack mix, and nuts in very large bowl. Once oven is heated and butter has melted, sprinkle seasoning mix over butter and add the Worcestershire sauce, stir together until well mixed, then add cereal mixture and stir again. Bake for one hour, stirring well every 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

This makes a very large batch, but we go through it very quickly since we only make it around the holidays. I usually put a big jar of it in my father-in-law’s Christmas goodie basket as well. 

Day in the Life

 So, the last couple of weeks I’ve found myself watching a lot of YouTube vloggers and their “Day in the Life” videos. Which is fine, you know, get some ideas for organizing, some projects to try out. But they’re all in their 20s with little kids. My kids are in high school and middle school now! Why can’t I find someone neat to watch that’s more relatable? 

Adding a pic of the dog because he’s cute. 

Maple Bacon Ice Cream

 This stuff is so delicious. Sweet, salty, creamy, crunchy. Unanimous decision that it was the best dish at our bacon and beer festival this weekend. And my beer also won! Heretic Shallow Grave. Really smooth porter. But I excluded myself from the prizes since I bought them...lol. 

Here’s the recipe. But this makes like a gallon, so scale down appropriately if you're not feeding two dozen people. 

5 cups heavy cream

5 cups whole milk

8 egg yolks

1 cup maple syrup, grade A

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until temperature reaches 170 degrees. Strain through fine mesh sieve into large pitcher and chill in fridge overnight. Next day, churn in 4 batches. When ice cream reaches soft serve consistency, add 1/4 of the chopped bacon (recipe follows). Churn until ice cream will stand on a spoon, then store in freezer overnight before serving. Let soften slightly before serving.

Maple Candied Bacon

2 pounds thick sliced double smoked bacon

1/4 cup maple syrup, grand A

1/2 cup brown sugar

Line baking sheets with aluminum foil. Lay out bacon across pan, barely touching each other. Drizzle half of the maple syrup over the bacon, then sprinkle half of the brown sugar over. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from oven, drain off the grease into a heat proof container. Flip the bacon over, drizzle with remaining syrup and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake an additional 10 - 15 minutes, or until desired crispness. Cool completely, then chop into small pieces. 

Sweet Heat Peanuts

Whipped up a batch of these this morning. They’re supposed to go into my father-in-law’s Christmas goodie basket, but my family has discovered them and they won’t last that long, I’m afraid.

Ingredients:

1 jar dry roasted peanuts
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons hot water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 - 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)

Preheat oven to 250F. Put butter into a 9 x 13 pan and place pan into oven. Allow butter to melt, then remove. Add sugar, water, chili powder, and cayenne. Stir to combine. Once mixed, add peanuts and stir again. Place into oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Store in an air tight container.

New Puppy!

Hi,  I'm Finn. I'm a Yorkie Pom mix.
This morning,  I learned that spiders don't taste good. 

The Call

So, two weeks ago I had my first mammogram done by the mobile unit that came to work. I got the call today regarding my results. I will be going in for a follow up in two weeks. The follow up will be a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound. The technician who called didn’t sound overly concerned, so I’m trying not to be either. Not saying anything to people for now. Don’t want their worrying stressing me out.

Survivor Guilt

Relief, grief, confusion, concern, distraction, depression, anxiety.....Today was tough. Was asked to come in early this morning under the pretense of an early conference call. Found out instead that our location lost its largest client and that we were laying off over 500 people today. I am fortunately not one of those, but instead am one who remains. And the rest of my team was not so fortunate. Many tears are shed today, and I’m sure there will be more throughout the coming days as we struggle to find our new normal.