Crispy Currency

I think we should return to the old system of bartering. And at the top of that list, somewhere between pizza and cookies, would be Chex mix. That stuff is gold... little golden, crispy bites of awesomeness. My Mom makes Chex mix every year around Chrismas, and we each get our own bag to hide and devour at our own pace. Life may not always be fair, but in our house, if it is food, we are about as fair as it can get. My mother gets out the scale and weighs each individual bag to make sure everybody gets the same amount. We do this for all delicious and uncommon treats, such as Captain Crunch (any sugary cereal, actually), specialty crackers, veggie chips, granola... Anything that we might possibly argue over, the presiding justice of my mom holding the scale will settle the dispute. So maybe it's a little OCD, but we like it like that.

Original Chex Mix Recipe:

3 cups Corn Chex® cereal
3 cups Rice Chex® cereal
3 cups Wheat Chex® cereal
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup bite-size pretzels
1 cup garlic-flavor bite-size bagel chips or regular-size bagel chips, broken into 1-inch pieces
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

In large microwavable bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside. In small microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on High about 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in seasonings. Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated. Microwave* uncovered on High 5 to 6 minutes, thoroughly stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container. *My mom bakes hers in the oven at 200 degrees for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes. It makes them oh-so-crunchy good!