BLESSINGS MIX

Blessings Mix is my November go-to classic. It's festive and will take you and your company through Thanksgiving weekend ... or a work pitch-in (think snacks later at their desks).

Confession. I mixed up this batch of words late Saturday night after returning from the beautiful wedding of our former neighbor, Ben McCray, and his lovely bride Jess, in Coldwater, Ohio.  It was a perfect day and a fine time to transition from the drama of election week to this one, when we start, I hope, to count the abundance of our blessings as we head toward Thanksgiving day. The Lord remains on His throne.

Meanwhile, because I'm on the road a whole bunch this week, I wanted to have this post ready to go. With the glow of a fine wedding on my mind, I decided write up and share with you now my November specialty, Blessings Mix.

It's really not my recipe, though. It was, however, shared with the public several few years ago by Pam Stigall, who was an educator with the Purdue Henry County Extension Service. Pam put the recipe in the monthly extension newsletter. I've used it every November since.

This is a snack similar to the classic Chex Mix. With this concoction, however, each ingredient has a meaning relating to Thanksgiving. So here you go. I'm sure you may have some ideas for tinkering with it and making it your own. For one thing, I see that Bugles have out a caramel-flavored version. Those would fit well with this dish. But I am content with the salty-sweet mix as it is.

Blessings Mix
Assemble the following; loosely mix. Store in tightly sealed container.
1bag Bugles Corn Snacks
1 bag small round pretzels
1 bag candy corn
1-2 cups raisins or other dried fruit
1-2 cups peanuts or sunflower seeds
1-2 cups M & Ms (in fall colors if you can find them)
1 bag Hershey Kisses (in fall wrappings if you can find them)

Bugles represent cornucopias or horns of plenty; symbolic of abundance.
Pretzels appear as arms folded in prayer, a free expression of faith.
Candy corn is for the Native Americans' gift of corn that allowed Pilgrims to survive that first winter and prosper thereafter with these precious kernels.
Dried fruitand seeds are for the successful harvests from our bountiful land.
M & Ms are the moments and memories we hold dear.
Hershey's Kisses are for the love of family and friends who sweeten our lives.