Nuts N Bolts!

Contrary to popular belief this is NOT Chex Mix. Call it by it's true S. Alberta Canada nick-name which it has been called for the last 50 years I've been on this planet, Nuts N Bolts.

My dear Mother made hers in one of these old enamel canning pots. Me and all my sisters have followed suite. Either with the canning pot or roaster. These make NnB taste better, I'm convinced. Microwave- Pish Posh.

-OR-

Moms pans, she used for MANY things besides

canning, or baking her scrumptious turkeys, like,

Nuts N Bolts, popcorn balls, carmel corn, and ham.

NnB Ingredients (what I remember Mom putting in when we were small) :

3 C Corn Chex

3 C Rice Chex

3 C Wheat Chex

1 C peanuts (fancy, no skins)

2 C pretzels (sticks or twists)

1 C Cheerios

1 C fancy mixed nuts

6 T butter (real)

2 T Worcestshire sauce

1/2-1 t salt

3/4 t garlic powder

1/2 t onion powder

Heat oven to 250 f. Put all dry ingredients in roaster. In sm sauce pan on medium heat melt butter and add seasonings, just till butter is melted and seasonings are mixed together well. Pour this mixture over dry ingredients and stir well to coat dry mix well. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. My mom would shake hers (carefully).

Then allow to cool. Store in airtight containers, or tins.

Any tin will do.

Mom never threw away a good tin. She had tins from those Danish shortbread cookies, and all sorts of other things. She'd clean them well and put them away for when she'd make our traditional Christmas batch of Nuts N Bolts. Those tins were sent to my brother serving in California on his Mission (many years ago), and me (I have lived outside the state of UT longer than in it), and I'm sure to so many others. It was awesome to open her Christmas boxes and find a tin or two of Nuts N Bolts. In fact, there have been a few Christmas' that opening a tin of Nuts N Bolts in front of the glowing Christmas tree on Christmas morning, and smelling that first rush that comes from home-made Nuts N Bolts has transported me hundreds of miles back home to Moms kitchen and the sight of her standing there, and the tears would come. Mom always had things like this to offer our friends, neighbors, extended family, or any guests that would come over. Our Mother was a gracious hostess, and I think she was a party animal at heart. :)

Here is a delicious variation:

Nuts N Bolts- Christmas Clusters

4-5 C Rice Chex

2 C pretzel sticks (coarsely broken)

1 C cashews (coursely chopped)

1/2 pkg (16 oz size) white choc chips (or almond bark)

1 C semi-sweet choc chips

Spray lg enamel Roaster pan lightly w Pam. Dump in dry ingredients. In 2 lg Pyrex measuring cups (what I use- but you can use any microwavable dish) place chips. Microwave for about 2 minutes, stopping microwave every 30 seconds to stir (important) only microwave choc until it is creamy and melted. You are just melting the choc, not cooking it. I like the looks of the Clusters when I pour the melted choc on seperately. But you can melt them together if you want to. Drizzle over mixture. Let stand until chocolate has set. Break into clusters. Store in air-tight containers. Or tins. :)

Nuts N Bolts- Christmas Clusters.

Me and Shannon made Nuts N Bolts for Mom in her kitchen as she watched us from the adjacent family room, the Christmas before she passed. Christmas shows were playing for the Grand-smoochies on the television. The Chrismas tree was all lit up. It was way fun times. Again, I miss you Mom.

~Sandi