Devilishly Delicious Halloween Snack Mix

This salty and sweet combo includes pumpkin spice flavor to make the best autumn snack mix.

Devilishly Delicious Halloween Snack Mix

Do you love Halloween? My adult daughter says it’s her favorite holiday. I’m in the “eh, it’s OK” camp but judging by the two-story skeletons, giant inflatables, and miles of orange twinkle lights popping up around my neighborhood and those surrounding it, Halloween is a big deal for a lot of folks.

According to the website Statista.com, last year Americans spent over $12 billion for Halloween celebrations, although this year spending is expected to drop by half a billion dollars. We may be spending less this year but 7 out of 10 Americans surveyed said they will celebrate Halloween.

No matter how you observe Halloween — even if it’s just popping in a DVD of Young Frankenstein like I will do—you must include this Devilishly Delicious Halloween Snack Mix in your plans. This salty-sweet delight also includes fall’s favorite flavor — pumpkin spice — plus pretzel nuggets, candy corn, and an assortment of honey-roasted nuts. Great Caesar’s ghost, this stuff is irresistible! I predict it will be the first thing to disappear at your Halloween gathering.

It's easy to make (you just need a microwave) and only costs 67 cents per serving so let’s get to it!

The mix includes rice squares, butter, peanut butter, white chocolate chips, and a Pumpkin Spice blend.

To make Devilishly Delicious Halloween Snack Mix, which makes 22 ½-cup servings, you will need:

• 5 Tablespoons Pumpkin Spice Cheeseball Mix

• ¾ cup powdered sugar

• 6 cups rice squares cereal

• 1 cup white chocolate chips

• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

• ¼ cup butter

• 1½ cups mini pretzel twists, slightly broken

• ¾ cup candy corn

• ½ cup honey-roasted snack mix

• Dash of salt

The great thing about this simple recipe is its versatility. If you don’t have the Pumpkin Spice Cheeseball mix in your pantry, try using instead 3 Tablespoons of your favorite pumpkin spice blend. If you don’t have that, mix 2 Tablespoons cinnamon and ½ teaspoon each of ground ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and clove. (However, the cheeseball mix is handy to have because you can use it in a variety of recipes, from cookies to a delicious fall fruit dip, or adorable mini cheeseballs that are shaped like pumpkins.)

The candy, pretzels, and nuts can be swapped, too. If candy corn makes you cringe, look for the Halloween-colored M&M’s® (it’s called “Ghoul’s Mix). I thought the honey-roasted snack mix with peanuts, sesame sticks, and cashews I found at The Dollar Tree looked good, but you could use salted or honey-roasted peanuts. Butterscotch chips could be swapped for the white chocolate. You get the idea.

It looks a bit haphazard in the mixing bowl, but trust me, this Devilishly Delicious Halloween Snack Mix satisfies your sweet tooth.

Follow these directions for Devilishly Delicious Halloween Snack Mix

 

In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin spice mix and powdered sugar. Set bowl aside (after you clean up the sugar that will get all over your counter if you’re like me. What is it with that stuff?). Place rice cereal in a large mixing bowl.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl (preferably with a lid), combine white chocolate chips, peanut butter, butter, and salt. Microwave on higher for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave another 20 seconds. You want a smooth consistency.

Pour this mixture over cereal and fold evenly to coat, being careful not to crush the cereal. Sprinkle with sugar mixture and gently fold or toss to coat.

Add pretzels, candy corn, and nuts to bowl. Stir to combine. This yields 22 1/2-cup servings but I dare you to eat just one serving. I couldn't — the devil made me do it.

Keep the snack mix in an airtight container; it should stay for a few days.

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About the blog

Three Women in the Kitchen is an award-winning food blog offering today’s home cooks comforting, hearty recipes with a personal touch. The website also pays tribute to Deborah’s mother, Katie Reinhardt, and paternal grandmother, Dorothy Reinhardt (the “three women” in the kitchen). Whether you’re an experienced or a novice cook, you’ll find inspiration here to feed your families and warm your heart. Subscribe today so you won’t miss a single delicious detail.

Apple Pecan Crumb Coffee Cake

Indulge in Apple Pecan Crumb Coffee Cake for an autumn brunch or a cozy morning treat.

Apple Pecan Crumb Coffee Cake

Food triggers powerful memories for me. This recently happened when my box of Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Cake mix from Tastefully Simple arrived at my home. The first thing I thought of was, “This reminds me of our family’s Hungarian coffee cake.”

And who doesn’t love a good crumb cake? When I was growing up my mom and grandma often baked Hungarian coffee cake, which was a cinnamon-forward cake made with flour, brown and white sugars, and buttermilk. I still have the baking pan they used. I’m not sure where they got the recipe, but I’m thankful for the times they baked this cake. The family often enjoyed this after dinner with a cup of coffee. It was reprised the next morning with a glass of cold milk and was equally divine.

The Apple Pecan Crumb Coffee Cake that I baked using the Tastefully Simple mix was—dare I say it—even better! My daughter and I enjoyed it throughout the week.

Every now and then, I want to break free from the routine breakfasts of eggs or cereals. This Apple Pecan Crumb Coffee Cake was perfect with a cup of my morning coffee and a small bowl of mixed fruit. You certainly could add a scrambled egg on the side, too. This would be perfect on a brunch buffet this fall, too! And all this goodness costs just $1.54 per serving. Let’s get baking!

Ingredients for Apple Pecan Crumb Coffee Cake

To make Apple Pecan Crumb Coffee Cake, which yields 10 servings, you’ll need these ingredients:

• 1 package Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Cake Mix

• 6 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

• ¾ cup low-fat milk

• 2 large eggs, beaten

• 1 cup finely chopped apples

• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Choose apples are in season near you but look for those with firm texture. I used one large Honeycrisp red apple for this recipe. Gala, Ginger Gold, or Fuji would work, too. Avoid Red Delicious or Golden Delicious, which are best used for applesauce or apple butter. If you’re interested to learn more about the Red Delicious apple’s history, click here; Missouri’s oldest nurseries had a hand in making this variety so popular.

While it’s super handy to have Tastefully Simple baking mixes in the pantry (convenience, clean ingredients), scroll to the end for tips to help you make this cake without the mix. I can help you order this mix, as well as other Tastefully Simple products; just send me a message!

Follow these directions for Apple Pecan Crumb Coffee Cake

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine packet no. 1 of the cake mix with melted butter. Mix together until small crumbles form. Set aside ¼ cup of this mixture in a small bowl.

Add milk and eggs to large bowl and stir to combine. This will be a thicker batter, so don’t be alarmed if you see a few lumps. Spread half into a greased 9-inch round cake pan. You also can line the pan with parchment if that’s your preference.

Remove 2 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar from the mix’s packet no. 2 and add to the small bowl with reserved crumbles. Evenly sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture over batter in the pan. Top with apples and pecans. (Note: I used about 2/3 of the cinnamon sugar, saving the remaining amount for later use. Use your judgement.)

Spread remaining batter, gently covering the apples and pecans. Sprinkle the sugar crumbles over the tip and bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Set on a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

No mix? No problem!

You might follow the Hungarian Coffee Cake recipe if you don’t have the Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Cake mix on hand. You’ll need:

• 3 cups flour

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 cup butter, softened

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, butter, and salt together in a bowl until crumbly. Set aside 1 cup for later use.

Stir in milk, eggs, baking soda into the original crumb mixture until batter is smooth. Pour half into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Top batter with apples and pecans. Pour remaining batter and top with crumb mixture and sprinkle cinnamon over the top. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

There’s something to be said for convenience

Look at the list of ingredients in the swap. This is why I like to start with a good baking mix! It’s not any more expensive, and I’m sure all the ingredients are fresh and activated. If you make the cake, leave a comment which method you used! Either way, you will have a wonderful coffee cake to enjoy in the morning—or any time of day. And remember to store leftover cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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About the blog

Three Women in the Kitchen is an award-winning food blog offering today’s home cooks comforting, hearty recipes with a personal touch. The website also pays tribute to Deborah’s mother, Katie Reinhardt, and paternal grandmother, Dorothy Reinhardt (the “three women” in the kitchen). Whether you’re an experienced or a novice cook, you’ll find inspiration here to feed your families and warm your heart. Subscribe today so you won’t miss a single delicious detail.

5 Reasons Family Meals are a Recipe for Success

Research shows eating together helps our brain and body. Learn how to add more family meal time to your busy schedule.

If your family’s schedule is starting to ramp up with work, school, kids’ activities, and important appointments, you may be tempted to skip eating together to save time. But experts caution you against this practice.

According to the Virginia-based FMI Foundation—which addresses food safety, health, and nutrition through research, education, and collaboration—sharing meals with family or friends is good for our bodies and minds. To encourage this habit, the foundation has set aside September as Family Meals Month.

Here are five ways sharing a meal can benefit you and your loved ones.

• Research finds the more people eat together, the better they function. Specifically, frequent shared family meals improve connectedness, communication, expressiveness and problem-solving. Conversation is key during family meals to take advantage of the one-on-one time without distractions.

• Family meals also support mental health, restoring a sense of peace, bolstering self-esteem, increasing happiness, and boosting a sense of resilience.

• Research shows family meals improve fruit and vegetable consumption. It also indicates families who eat together frequently have a better overall healthy diet and lower body mass index.

• Eating more meals together is associated with improved overall adolescent health, including higher grades. Multiple studies show students whose families eat together frequently perform better academically in reading and vocabulary.

• The family dinner table is a great place to show younger generations how to communicate respectfully. In fact, 76 percent of Americans agreed family meals are a good opportunity to have and teach respectful interactions, according to the FMI Foundation’s “Staying Strong with Family Meals” barometer.

 If these aren’t sufficient reasons, remember last year’s study by the U.S. Surgeon General that said America is experiencing an epidemic of loneliness in a post-COVID society? If not, take a moment to read what is happening. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf

Even if all of this makes sense, you may still be struggling to adopt family meals into a regular schedule. Here are a few tips that may help you.

Take-out or frozen pizza night could be a Friday night dinner.

Batch cooking and meal planning

I remember as a single mother the challenge of putting dinner on the table for me and my child; I can’t imagine how tough it can be for families of four or more! While leading our two-person household, I learned it was important to plan a menu for the week. If you plan for and prep a couple of meals to enjoy through the week, this will help better manage your time in the kitchen.

Why not make Friday pizza night (it’s simple to elevate frozen pizzas with a few fresh ingredients and a salad) and go around the table to ask what your family would like on next week’s menu? Take some of the suggestions, plan a grocery list for Saturday, and batch cook on Sunday afternoon.

Batch cooking—making extra for later—is another useful tip. One thing I often do is batch cook my proteins for the week. I make a batch of Makin’ Magic Chicken using the seasoning blend from Tastefully Simple. Add chicken with the seasoning and some low-sodium broth to a slow-cooker and in three hours, it’s ready to cool, shred, and store for the week or freeze for next. We use it in sandwiches, salads, pot pies, and casseroles. It’s even great for sheet pan nacho night! Message me if you'd like to learn more.

Keep a well-stocked pantry

Nothing frustrates me quicker than reaching for something in the pantry (or freezer) only to discover I’m out of that ingredient. So, every couple of weeks, I go through my pantry and see where I'm running low. It may be pasta or canned beans, rice or tomato sauce. We tend to forget to pick something up if it's not something used weekly.

If you need tips for stocking your pantry, I did a story about that a few years ago that could be useful to you. https://www.threewomeninthekitchen.com/post/try-these-hardworking-pantry-organizing-tips. Pay attention to your pantry and it can serve you and your family well!

Have some quick meal recipes on hand

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every night! That’s too much for even the most passionate home cook. Instead, keep a few easy recipes handy that will get dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less. Rotate one or two into your weekly meal plan. If you need a little inspiration, may I suggest:

• Quick Chipotle Pork Tacos

• Philly Cheesesteak Skillet Pizza

• Penne with Cannellini and Greens

• White Chicken Chili This is ready in about 15 minutes if you batch cooked the chicken on Sunday. If you prefer red chili, check out this Tastefully Simple recipe using their versatile Wahoo Chili Seasoning. Just add a pound of ground beef, a can of kidney or black beans (your preference), a can of tomato sauce, a cup of water and 3 Tablespoons of Wahoo Chili Seasoning, simmer for 30 minutes and dinner is ready!

  
  

What if I live alone?

If you are part of the 30 percent of Americans the idea of sharing a meal seems to be a reach, but it's possible! This may take some courage but invite another “solitaire” over once or twice a week for dinner. Just call up a buddy and put a simple meal—a bowl of soup and salad—on your table. I love a slow-cooker moment, and I really love this comforting, delicious recipe for Lasagna Soup.

This month, enjoy the pleasure of sharing a meal with family or friends and share how you’re participating with a post from your table and the tag #familymealsmonth or #familymealsmovement! Feel free to share your comment or photo below, too.

Share your family meal stories this month with the tag #familymealsmonth.

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About the blog

Three Women in the Kitchen is an award-winning food blog offering today’s home cooks comforting, hearty recipes with a personal touch. The website also pays tribute to Deborah’s mother, Katie Reinhardt, and paternal grandmother, Dorothy Reinhardt (the “three women” in the kitchen). Whether you’re an experienced or a novice cook, you’ll find inspiration here to feed your families and warm your heart. Subscribe today so you won’t miss a single delicious detail.