Sweetheart Trail Mix
A sweet and salty mix to bring along on a weekend get-away or simply enjoy at your next movie night with someone special.
Prep: 10 min
Cook time: N/A
Cook Temp: N/A
Total: 10 min
Serves: 6-8 people (or more)
Utensils:
-Large mixing bowl
-Large spoon
-Treat bags (optional)
Ingredients:
-Mini marshmallows
-Candy coated chocolate pieces (M&Ms or Sixlets will work)
-Peanuts or sunflower seeds (unshelled)
-Dried cherries
-Mini pretzel twists
-Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
Directions:
-In a large mixing bowl, add as many of each ingredient as you would like. I would recommend adding the larger pieces first (pretzels, cereal, and marshmallows) and then add the smaller pieces after to get a good blend of all the ingredients.
-Next, take a large spoon (or very clean hands) and mix the ingredients. Add ingredients as you see fit to make sure there’s an even distribution of each throughout.
-If desired, put the trail mix into treat bags as a small Valentine’s gift for friends, family, or that special someone. Just make sure the bags/containers are sealed to prevent the trail mix from becoming stale.
About this recipe:
I kid you not, I got the bulk of this recipe from a dream.
Open scene.
I’m driving on a long road trip and decide to take a break at a rest stop. As I’m leaving, I hear a loud explosion in the distance and see a volcano has just erupted. It’s not very close, there is some kind of valley between the rest stop and the volcano, but it’s close enough to be an urgent concern. As myself and many others are fleeing the area, I notice a woman on the side of the road on a grassy lawn. She is painting something onto the grass and my dream-self decides it would be wise to go check it out. As I approach, I can see a painting of giant, plum-colored poppies. Think of the richest, most vibrant shade of plum. I call out to the woman and ask her what she’s doing. She says this is an exhibition in motion. I immediately ask her if she knows a volcano has exploded. She confirms and then proceeds to tell me about how there’s no rush, and when will she ever get the chance to hold another art exhibition while a volcano erupts. This is something she has to do in this very moment because she is taking this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She completes her project shortly after that and invites me to join her. I soon realize the woman is Lana Del Rey, and soon so do a few other observers. Lana signs autographs and takes pictures with a few teenage girls. She gives me a wig. Then, she passes around a bowl of trail mix and I distinctly remember pretzels, marshmallows, peanuts, and the strangest thing of all were the pieces of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal thrown in as well.
End scene. I woke up shortly after that.
In any case, the Cinnamon Toast Crunch stuck with me the most and I began to think about what else I could add to the mix. The sunflower seeds are a good substitute for anyone with peanut allergies, so it made sense to add those. The chocolate is obvious, I shouldn’t have to explain that. For Valentine’s Day I chose red and pink coated Sixlets. Finally, the addition of dried cherries was mostly due to my love for them, but also in tribute to Dream Lana for this amazing trail mix idea. Her song “Cherry” is one of my favorites and I highly recommend listening to it while making or eating this trail mix.
I hope this recipe (and it’s origin) puts a smile on your face.
Please leave a comment or any substitutions/additions you recommend below!
Carley