Friday, December 21, 2007

Hot & Spicy Holiday Treats

I managed to get a few Christmas goodies baked yesterday...and this afternoon my little helpers are coming to bake reindeer cookies. We've made them the last few years, so it has become a tradition! We also braved the crowds and hit the stores last night...struck out at Canadian Tire but found Walmart to be ever so accommodating! I think that's it for all those last minute things, and I'm staying home until next year (well, at least until Saturday!)

I thought I'd post a few hot & spicy recipes that might come in handy over the holidays.

It seems there are people out there who have never heard of 'nuts and bolts' (I won't mention names, Vee), so I thought I better enlighten them. Does this little munchie mix go by another name in the United States?

Hot & Spicy Nuts & Bolts

4 cups cheerios
4 cups pretzel stix
4 cups crispex cereal
4 cups popcorn twists
1 cup peanuts

1/2 cup butter
1-2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1½ tsp. garlic salt
1 ½ tsp. dry mustard
1 ½ c tsp. cayenne pepper
Mix together the cereal, popcorn and nuts in a large pan.

Melt butter and add spices; drizzle over cereal mixture and stir well to coat.
Place in large roaster pan. Bake at 200F for 2 hours, stirring every ½ hour.

Store in airtight containers.

Give me a tub of nuts and bolts, and I'll skip right by the sweets. It's a great mix to have on hand over the holidays...I always do a double batch while I'm at it.

And on these cool winter days when you are entertaining guests, here's a great beverage to have simmering in the crock pot...ready to serve. The cranberry juice adds a rosy hue.

Hot Apple Spice

8 cups apple juice (2L)
4 cups cranberry juice (1 L)
1 cup brown sugar
6 cinnamon sticks
12 whole cloves
12 whole allspice
¼ teaspoon ginger


Mix all ingredients in large crock pot and simmer for several hours on high. Maintain at serving temperature on low. (For easy removal of spices, wrap them in cheesecloth.)

So there's a few more ways to stay warm on a cold winter's day. Have a good one!


5 comments:

  1. We call that recipe Chex Mix. But I like what you call it! And you add a few more items that I will for sure be adding in my Chex Mix! Thanks for sharing with us in the U.S.!
    Love your banner Judy!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh two of my favorite holiday treats. My mom in law makes a huge batch and divvies it up between us and our kids. The hot punch looks very good, I think I have made that recipe but have forgotten about it. The last few years I've bought mulling spice and added it to Apple juice but I really like the tartness of that cranberry juice.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yup, I know it as Chex Mix as well, but "Nuts and Bolts" is a far better name!

    I'll be right over for some and some of that delicious looking drink, too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nuts and bolts...LOVE that name and I shall call it that going forward!! It's a twist on Chex Mix, but I've never put the popcorn in Chex Mix...or the cayenne. I think I'll make a batch today! Thanks for sharing!

    Jan

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh Judy, now I'm going to have to make the Apple Spice...that sounds so good...and the nuts and bolts...that's Chex mix...I like your name batter, lol!
    Merry Christmas to you and yours...
    Sandi

    ReplyDelete

'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.'
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson