Sparkle Kitchen: Autumn Trail Mix
In this week’s Martin & Sylvia story, “The Sit Spot,” Martin comes home from a day at Wilderness School and tells his sister and Daddy about finding a ‘sit spot’ or personal quiet spot in the woods. Sylvia is inspired to find one herself, as is Daddy — and they all have lovely experiences in the nature of their yard.
But Momma doesn’t join them because she feels like she needs to focus on getting the house ready for guests, instead. Fortunately, in the final moments before the guests arrive, Momma changes her mind and decides to find her own ‘sit spot’. She then has the most magical experience of all!
Personally — and I don’t think I’m alone in this — I do a lot better job of sitting and observing quietly when I have just a little something to nibble. A granola bar tucked in my backpack, a steamy mug of hot tea, a handful of nuts — it’s amazing how your powers of observation and your sense of wonder are heightened when your tummy isn’t rumbling.
But, of course, the ultimate outdoor snack is trail mix.
While you can buy pre-made trail mix, of course, I’ve discovered that I really like making my own. By putting exactly what I want in it, I avoid the situation where we end up with a picked-through bag full of the one seed or fruit that no one likes. Also, I can put in a little extra dark chocolate, and that never hurts!
The following “recipe” — it’s so easy that I feel guilty even calling it that—contains all of my fall favorites. I love it, as is, but feel free to customize it to suit your family’s trail mix tastes.
Autumn Trail Mix
Ingredients
1 cup dried apple slices
1 cup dried cranberries
½ cup roasted, shelled pumpkin seeds
½ cup hazelnuts
½ cup dark chocolate chunks
Using clean hands and a large bowl, toss all of the ingredients together. Portion out into bags and store in a cool, dry place for your next outdoor adventure. This recipe makes about two, small sandwich-sized baggies of trail mix, but feel free to double or triple it if you’re hiking with a crowd.
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About the Author
Meryl Carver-Allmond
The Sparkle Kitchen Series is created by Meryl Carver-Allmond.
Meryl lives in a hundred-year-old house near the prairie with her sweet husband, two preschoolers, one puppy, one gecko, and about ten chickens. While she's been writing since she could pick up a pen, in recent years she's discovered the joy of photography, too. She feels lucky to be able to combine those skills, along with a third passion — showing people that cooking for themselves can be healthy and fun — in her Sparkle Kitchen posts.
