Homemade Spicy Chex Mix

Well, I just arrived back in Savannah this afternoon, and I'm so glad to be back. Celebrating Christmas was fun in Atlanta, but I missed my Mountain Man dearly (he was in Birmingham), and I missed the warm weather. I still can't get over the fact that it is 70 degrees and sunny here, but freezin' cold just 4 hours away. So bizarre. Anyway, this recipe is perfect for any occasion or party really because it is simple to make & makes a huge batch, so you can feed a lot of people. It's also a simple, salty snack that people will keep grabbin' for all night. The glory about homemade chex mix is that you can alter it to your tastes. I obviously like my food quite spicy & flavorful, so I add a little bit more than the average person. Also, the chex cereal is my favorite, so I substituted that in for other ingredients. Just play around with it... it's pretty easy!! I hope you had a great holiday & enjoy :)

Homemade Spicy Chex Mix

For the Mix:

6C Corn or Rice Chex

4C Wheat Chex

3C Square Pretzels

4C Mixed Nuts

4C Cheese Crackers

2C Bugles

3 Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Melted

4-6T Worcestershire Sauce

6-12T Hot Sauce

1-2T Fresh Garlic, Minced

Cajun Seasoning, Paprika, Cayenne, Chili Powder, Garlic Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and line two baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper, and set them aside.
2. Mix the Dry Components: In a large bowl, mix together the chex, pretzels, nuts, crackers, and bugles until they are evenly incorporated.
3. Make the Seasoning: In a bowl, mix together the melted butter, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and garlic.
4. Make the Chex Mix: Pour the butter mixture over the mixed, dry components and toss to completely cover evenly. Separate the buttered chex mix evenly onto the prepared baking sheets. Spread in an even layer. Sprinkle the buttered chex mix with the seasonings listed above. Use as little or as much as you like, just do it to taste. I like mine very spicy, so sprinkle it heavily. Toss the cover.
5. Cooking the Mix: Bake for 3 hours, stirring & tossing every 30 minutes for even baking. Sprinkle with more seasonings throughout the baking process to coat more heavily. Once they have baked, remove from the oven and cool completely.
6. Serve in a large bowl. Store in airtight containers or Ziploc bags (this made about 2 large gallon-sized bags). 

Asian Noodle Salad

This is my last recipe from our anniversary picnic :( I already miss that day already! Anyway, since we had a themed Asian menu, we needed a side item to go with our Banh Mi's & Tiger Woods'. I ended up making Asian Noodle Salad, that I adapted from a little bit from the most amazing woman ever, The Pioneer Woman. She is just awesome. I didn't change too much, but made the dressing a bit sweeter (because I like things sweet), and changed some of the vegetables around! We really loved this pasta salad, it was perfect for a hot summer day. It makes a whole bunch, so don't make as much as I did if there is only two of you eating it. But, it is one mean salad!! I definitely recommend it for a big family dinner, barbecue, or pot luck! Enjoy :)

Caramel Pork Belly Banh Mi's with Asian Noodle Salad

Asian Noodle Salad

For the Dressing:

Juice of 1 Lime

½C Olive Oil

½C Soy Sauce

2T Rice Wine Vinegar

2-3T Sesame Oil

½C Brown Sugar

¼C Honey

3T Fresh Ginger, Minced

2T Fresh Garlic, Minced

1 Shallot, Minced

For the Asian Noodle Salad:

1 Package of Linguine Noodles, Cooked & Cooled

1 Head of Purple Cabbage, Sliced

1C Shredded Carrot

1 Red Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin

1 Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin

1 Bag of Bean Sprouts

2 Serrano Peppers, Minced

3T Fresh Thai Basil, Finely Chopped

1 Bunch of Green Onions, Sliced

1 Bag of Shelled Edamame Beans

10oz Whole Cashews, Lightly Toasted

Directions:

1. To Make the Dressing: In a large bowl, add in the olive oil, and then squeeze in the juice of one lime. Add in the soy sauce, sesame oil, and brown sugar and whisk together until the sugar has dissolved. Lastly, whisk in the fresh minced ginger and garlic until combined. Pour the dressing into a dressing jar and keep in the refrigerator until it is ready to be used. The dressing keep for about 3 days.
2. To Make the Asian Noodle Salad: In a large mixing bowl, toss together all of the ingredients until all of the vegetables are mixed throughout the pasta noodles. Next, whisk or shake the dressing one last time and then pour over the salad. Mix the salad with the dressing with tongs until everything is completely covered.
3. Place the dressed noodle salad on a platter and garnish with more cashews.

source: asian noodle salad.

Chocolate Covered-Mixed Nut Brittle

I have to keep this short & sweet because today is the boyfriend & I's four year anniversary :) I can't believe we have been together this long! Madness. Anyway, so we have been busy all day with lovin' on each other & all. So, here's a quick post for Chocolate Covered-Mixed Nut Brittle. It is inspired from that amazing cake, Banana Brittle Caramel Cake with Nutella Buttercream, that I made a while ago. I couldn't get over how good that brittle was, so I had to make it again. But this time double it, and add more nuts, salt, & chocolate. This makes a whole bunch (I really mean it), so you can easily half it and still have enough to last you a while. I just figured I'd make enough while I could! I'll post recipes & pictures from our anniversary celebration later on this weekend! Enjoy :)

Chocolate Covered-Mixed Nut Brittle

For the Brittle:

4C Sugar

1C Water

2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter

2/3C Light Corn Syrup

1t Baking Soda

Pinch of Cinnamon

¼C Cashews, Pecans, Peanuts, Almonds, & Walnuts (each)

2C Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, Melted

Fleur de Sel, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. To Make the Mixed-Nut Brittle Crumble: In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, water, butter, and corn syrup and bring it to a boil. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramel is a light brown color and registers to 300 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the baking soda and a pinch of cinnamon. The mixture will bubble. Stir in the nuts, and then immediately scrape the brittle onto two large rimmed, non-stick baking sheets. Using the back of a spoon, spread the brittle into a thin, even layer on each pan. Sprinkle the brittle with some fleur de sel let it cool completely, about 30 minutes.
2. Covering the Brittle: Spread the melted semi-sweet chocolate on top of the brittle in a smooth even layer. Sprinkle some more fleur de sel on top of the chocolate and let the chocolate slightly cool by placing in the refrigerator to chill. Break the brittle into large shards. 
3. Keep cold in the refrigerator until ready to serve.