Oh, How I Love Chex Mix!

Just for fun, every Thursday, I'm going to post a new section called "Throwback Thursday".  In this section, I will be sharing old family recipes, homemaking tips that have been passed down through the generations, old wives' tales, poems, jokes, vintage decor and craft ideas, just to name a few.  Hope you stay tuned!

I have a board on Pinterest that houses nothing but Chex Mix/Muddy Buddy recipes. My mother made the original stuff back in the 1970's. Yep, every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas, my family munched on the stuff my daddy lovingly referred to as "Trash" (because you add in a little bit of this and a little bit of that).  In fact, I didn't realize that "Trash" was even called Chex Mix ~ until decades later!

As far back as age 6, I remember Mom taking the black-speckled turkey roaster and filling it to the brim with golden, crispy/crunchy squares and circles of cereal.  I know I'm waxing eloquent here, but you see, cereal was considered to be an extravagance in my childhood home. We never ate any kind of cereal except for good old Quaker oatmeal.  My mom, bless her heart, got up bright and early every. single. morning! and made breakfast for my older brothers and me. (I'll share some of her amazing recipes for another time.)  She believed it got us all off to a better morning to have a good, old-fashioned hot breakfast instead of cold, mushy cereal.  Way to go, Mom!  (Too bad for my kids.  They get to eat that cold mushy stuff, plus, they have to fix it themselves!)

Fast-forward to present day.  Every Thanksgiving and Christmas, I take out that same black-speckled turkey roaster that my mother passed down to me and make "Trash" for my family.  I've modified it a bit, but take pleasure in remembering the same scent wafting from the oven and savory flavors from childhood.  I think it's now considered to be called "umami", right?

I digress.  ANYway, my grandma takes credit for ~ ahem ~ "inventing" the recipe. She called it Party Mix.  My mom says that Grandma made Party Mix as far back as she could remember, and that Grandma gave her the recipe when Mom married Daddy in 1957.  I researched Chex cereal for the fun of it, and it debuted back in good old 1937, and my Mom was born in 1938.  More than likely, Grandma saw a recipe from the newspaper or magazine and modified it to her liking.  (She was a whiz in the kitchen and made the best pie crust you ever put in your mouth.)

So, whether you refer to it as Chex Mix, Party Mix, or even Trash, I'm happy to share my grandmother, Gracie Mae's ~ ahem ~ "original" recipe!

(I think it's safe to assume that this picture has solved the age-old mystery!)

Gracie Mae's Party Mix (circa 1940's)

(as she notated it:  my notes are in italics)

Preheat oven to 250*

In a large roasting pan, toss together:

1/2 box each:  Rice Chex, Corn Chex, Wheat Chex and Cheerios

1 small box Mr. Pretzel thin pretzel sticks
(I use 1/2 bag Snyder's Butter Snaps)

1 can Planter's Cheese Balls
(I toss in a ridiculous amount of Utz Cheese Balls ~ they always go first!)

1 can Planter's mixed nuts

In a 2-cup glass measure, whisk together:

1 c. Wesson oil

1 T each:  celery salt, garlic salt and Worcestershire sauce

1 t each:  Tabasco and chili powder

Pour 1/2 oil mixture over cereal mixture, Toss gently, coating cereal evenly.  Pour remaining oil over all and coat again.

*Note*  You have to continue to whisk as you pour.  The spices have a tendency to settle to the bottom.

Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes in slow oven.

*Very Important!* 
Stir and fold mixture every 15 minutes to ensure crispy texture.  Enjoy right out the oven or at room temperature.

*Bonus*
This freezes extremely well in 1-gallon freezer bags, so you can always keep a batch on hand!

Just for fun, I googled the vintage boxes, cans and bottles of ingredients used in this recipe. Gracie Mae should be proud.  Enjoy!

Wow, they had really cool toys back in the day!

I think I remember Gracie Mae having this same tin at one time.  
She saved everything!

Don't you just love Mrs. Brady doing the Wesson commercials?

"The only label on the finest table"
"How to get full enjoyment from Tabasco in your everyday meals" 
"One drop works wonders" 

"This better tomato juice cocktail you make with French's Worcestershire Sauce"