The Nuts and Bolts of Snacking

Growing up, we spent many Christmas nights at our aunt and uncle's house. Our aunt made tons of delicious appetizers that thoroughly and happily ruined our appetites for the main meal. One highlight each year was our uncle's Nut and Bolts.

Now, you could just buy a bag of pre-made Chex Mix. It's cheaper and easier than making it yourself, but it's nowhere near as yummy as homemade Nuts and Bolts. Like most things, the homemade version is far better than anything you'll buy in the store.

There are a ton of variations to this recipe, but here's the general outline of what you need. The beauty of a recipe like this is that it's forgiving and is easily modified to suit your tastes.

NUTS AND BOLTS SNACK MIX

3 cups Wheat Chex
3 cups Rice Chex
3 cups Cheerios
3 cups pretzel sticks
1 pound unsalted peanuts
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2-3 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1-2 Tablespoons Season Salt
1-2 Tablespoons garlic salt

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. In a large roasting pan, toss together cereals, pretzels, and peanuts to combine well.
3. Pour oil and Worcestershire Sauce over cereal mixture, stirring to coat well.
4. Toss in spices and stir well.
5. Cook for at least an hour, stirring every 20 minutes.
6. Allow to cool before serving. Store in the fridge; can be frozen.

VARIATIONS

• Instead of vegetable oil, try melted butter.
• Adjust the cereal, pretzel, peanut ratio to fit your preference. I like more nuts and Wheat Chex and fewer pretzels, but that's just me.
• Adjust the amount and type of seasonings. You can try celery salt, paprika, Cayenne pepper, etc....whatever you want. The last time I made this, I was a bit too heavy-handed on the salt. No one seemed to care, though!