Crock Pot Peppermint "Muddy Buddies"

**originally posted on WGLR.com on 12-8-14**

Holiday baking season is here! Did you know that your crock pot can help you with that? Here is a delicious treat that can be made quickly and easily in your crock pot, and it will be loved and devoured quickly by all! In October, I did a Crock of the Week for Autumn Harvest Chex Mix. This is a similar recipe, except it's full of chocolate and Christmas joy! It's Peppermint Muddy Buddies! Muddy Buddies are the chocolate cousin of Chex Mix :) I made a double batch of this recipe, and there was plenty of room to mix it in my crock pot. You could use a double boiler for a single batch if you wanted, but if you are doing a double batch, you won't have enough room in a double boiler. It only took about 10 minutes for the chocolate to melt completely for a double batch in my crock pot. And I only got the crock dirty which made clean up a snap! Loved it! I brought it along to the WGLR Holiday Auction this past weekend for the crew and volunteers to enjoy, and got many compliments! So add this easy treat to your holiday baking list. It would be a nice thing to package up in ziplocs and ribbon to hand out to co-workers, neighbors, or wherever you need a bunch of small gifts this holiday season.

CROCK POT PEPPERMINT MUDDY BUDDIES

• 3 squares white chocolate bark
• 3 squares chocolate bark
• 3 cups rice (or corn) Chex cereal
• 3 cups chocolate Chex cereal
• 10 crushed up mini candy canes

Crush up the candy canes and set aside. Then start with the white chocolate bark, and place that in your crock. Cover and turn the crock on high until it melts. Add in the rice or corn chex, and stir until the cereal is completely coated with the white chocolate. Then pour the mixture out onto a piece or wax paper or foil, and spread it out. Immediately sprinkle the crushed peppermints all over the mixture, before the chocolate starts to harden up, because you want the peppermints to stick!

Then add the chocolate bark to your crock (no need to clean it from the white chocolate that was just in there). Cover and melt. Then add the chocolate Chex until well coated, and pour the mixture onto wax paper or foil, just as you did with the white chocolate mixture. Let it harden up.

When both mixtures are set, break up and mix together in a lidded bowl or big ziploc bag. And watch it quickly disappear!! Yum!

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Harvest Chex Mix

**originally posted on www.WGLR.com on 11-27-14**

Happy Halloween Week! As I have mentioned often, I use my slow cooker year round. But, I do try to do seasonal dishes when called for. This time of year, I love to experiment with fun recipes that involve what I love about fall! One thing I definitely love is the spices in autumn dishes, from pumpkin spice to cinnamon and all that goes with it. I stumbled upon this recipe over the summer, and couldn’t wait for Fall to get here so I could try it. My son is a September baby, so this year, I finally had his birthday party (5th!) at a pumpkin patch, like I had always wanted to do! I made this recipe for guests to snack on at the party, and wow, is it delicious! My husband and I were snitching more of it than we should have when I first made it, because it is quite addicting (especially when warm out of the crock pot!). I almost had to make a second batch for the party, haha! This is a great one to do with your kids or grandkids, because they can help you measure and add all the ingredients easily. With Halloween parties/school events this week, this would be a perfect treat to make and throw in some decorated up small ziploc baggies to give to kids or co-workers. It would also make a really nice thing to set out at your Thanksgiving celebrations, so people can snack on something while waiting for the big meal to hit the table! PLUS, it makes your house smell DELICIOUS when you make it!!!!!

*note: The original recipe calls for mini graham crackers. I don’t think these are made anymore, i couldn’t even find them online. You can just break up larger grahams or omit them from the mix. If you don’t mind shapes in your mix, use Teddy Grahams, or I used Annie’s little graham cracker bunnies in mine!

SLOW COOKER PUMPKIN HARVEST CHEX MIX

• 2 cups cinnamon Chex cereal
• 2 cups Wheat Chex cereal
• 3 cups Vanilla Chex cereal
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 cup mini graham crackers* (see note above)
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup salted & roasted pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

In a 5-6 quart oval crock pot, stir in cereals, pecans, graham crackers, cranberries & pumpkin seeds. Stir gently so you don’t break up the cereal too much.

In a small bowl, mix together melted butter, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice & vanilla. Pour over mixture in the crock pot, and gently stir until the mixture is evenly coated.

Cook UNCOVERED on HIGH for 2 hours, gently stirring every 15 to 20 minutes. When done, spread mix onto ungreased baking sheet or waxed paper. Let cool for 3-5 minutes (yeah right, I was eating it right out of the crock, YUM!).

Store in an air-tight container!