The best memories at Christmas come from the sights, sounds, smells and the tastes that combine to imprint what we recall into our hearts, minds and souls. There were special recipes that have been passed down through my mom Betty and dad Lindy that are still an integral part of our family celebrations. I’ll share a few this week and into the new year for you and your family to experience.

BETTY GILL CHEX MIX
3 cups Corn Chex & 3 cups Rice Chex & 3 Cups Wheat Chex (actually with 4 sons and Dad scarfing it down by the bowl full, so she usually just dumped full boxes of each cereal into the process).

3 cups deluxe mixed nuts (peanuts, almonds, cashews, etc. 
1 cup mini pretzels, or better yet, a full bag.

1/2 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ tsp seasoned salt
¾ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder

Instructions:
Prep: Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C) and combine dry ingredients (Chex, nuts, pretzels) in a large roasting pan or large brown paper grocery bag. Then distribute over a cookie sheet before adding the melted butter, etc..

Melt Sauce: Melt butter with Worcestershire, seasoned salt, garlic/onion powder, in a saucepan; add bacon drippings if available for extra punch. If you use the full boxes of cereal, make a little extra sauce.

Combine: Pour sauce over dry mix and stir well to coat.
Bake: Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Cool: Let cool completely on paper towels or a baking sheet. 
The Gill Family version always featured LOTS of nuts, like our family, so don’t skimp! (Mixing in some Cheeze Its is an option that some have added in recent years, but I prefer the old-school recipe.)

Enjoy!! Merry Christmas!!

Steve Gill is editor and publisher of TriStar Daily.