furikake chex mix

In thinking about some of my posts from the last year, I realized that I have really just gotten all about the food and less about…anything else! Time to sit, reflect, and put pen to paper has definitely dissipated greatly but I fully intend to get back into it and soon!

But for now, another food post.

I made this as part of the 2013 Holiday Bake-A-Thon to give away as packaged gifts, and munchies for a housewarming get-together Kev and I had recently and the Super Bowl. The sweet and savory flavors make this snack seriously addicting, and it makes a huge batch that is perfect for gifting or sharing.

Shirley sent me the original recipe a few years ago, and I’ve adapted it as such:

WET INGREDIENTS:

1/2 C light corn syrup (I used Karo brand)
1/2 C of sugar
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/2 C butter (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 T soy sauce

DRY INGREDIENTS:

2 bags of microwavable popcorn (I used kettle corn)
1 box of Rice Chex cereal
1 box of Corn Chex cereal
1 lb bag of mini pretzels
1 lb mixed nuts (optional)
1 bottle of Furikake

You can also sub half of both of the chex cereals for a box of honeycomb, or whatever combination you like. It’s totally customizable to whatever cereal, popcorn, chips, etc. you feel like throwing in. Just make sure you’re not overdoing it with the dry ingredients, or there will be too much for the wet ingredients to coat evenly.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heat and melt the first 5 ingredients above in a pan or small pot. A nonstick pan or pot will make clean-up easier.
Melt the Wet Ingredients Together
In two extra large aluminum pans (or two large roasting pans if you have them), divide and mix all the dry ingredients together EXCEPT the Furikake.
Pour a fourth of the wet mixture over the cereal in both pans and mix well. Then divide and pour the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well.
Place both trays in the oven for an hour, mixing about every 10-15 minutes. After the first 10 minutes, divide and pour the Furikake over the cereal mix and mix well.

Happy snacking!

Happy New Year! If you know Kevin and I, then you know that we aren’t fans of spending loads of money to be around lots of drunk, belligerent people with inevitably flailing limbs and flying drinks in tight quarters. To kick off 2011 KJ-and-Al style, we had a great dinner and got dolled up in our best ensembles for a night out… on the living room couch watching episodes of Top Chef until about 15 seconds before midnight. Classy. I’ve never stayed home on New Year’s Eve in my adult life, but I must say it was stress-free and really fun.

I’ve also been a bit sick the last couple of days, so I thought I’d spend the time updating here instead of circulating my germs in a new baking or crafts project. The holidays are an infamous time for reveling in buttery, sugary foods. I admittedly do partake in providing artillery for expanding the waistbands of those around me, as I usually try out a new baking recipe (or three) around the holiday season.

Nine sticks of butter (yes, NINE) and more than an entire brand new carton of sugar later, I think I truly outdid myself this year. I had been itching to make madeleines ever since I got a madeleine pan from my Sho-Yu Secret Santa last year. The little french cakes are so classy, and in my opinion, make a great holiday baking gift. Thanks to Martha, I found some great recipes I was dying to try out. I was really pleased with the colors that all three madeleines had distinct colors, making a nice looking gift bag. And the madeleines would not have come to existence if not for the help of Santa’s Little Helper, Kevin, who took some great photos and helped out a ton with the baking. I’ve never seen madeleine pans buttered so masterfully!

In addition to the madeleines, I also pulled out some White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies from my baking repertoire, as well as a Chicken Apple Sausage Cornbread Stuffing from scratch for a Christmas dinner potluck.

DSC07290_rev — White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Also, big thanks to Shirley for sending me the recipe for the Japanese Furikake Chex Mix that I’ve been eating my whole life but finally made for the first time.