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Hi, everyone!

When I was growing up, we never flew anywhere for vacation. We piled into the family station wagon and drove. One summer, we hit the road for six weeks and went to Maine and it was one of my fondest memories as a kid. My mom made us snacks and my dad (who should have worked for Igloo) had a red and white cooler of cold water at the ready. He would stock it with ice at every stop and we were never without a cold beverage. And we played at least one car-game every hour, like the license plate game (who can get the most out-of-state license plates), and “my father owns a grocery store.” Have you played that one? You say “my father owns a grocery store and in it he sells…” Then everyone has to pick a thing with a letter of the alphabet: apples, bananas, carrots…and on and on until you get to xylophones, yoyos, and zebras.

We had so much fun in the car, and to this day, I play those games with my kids. Trevor is SO good at the grocery store game! I think he wins every time. I still love taking road trips and now must make sure to have drawing pads and pencils, their electronic games, their favorite blankets and travel pillows.

But my mom was one smart lady: snacks are the KEY to a happy car. Here are two of my family’s favorite snack mixes. Just be sure to give everyone their own bag!

Crunchy Ranch Snack Mix

This recipe is prepared with the Crisp-Ease Set of 2 Non-Stick Oven Crisper Trays (K40835).

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 packet ranch dressing mix
• 1/2 tsp dried dill
• 1/4 tsp lemon pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 2 cups pretzel nuggets
• 2 cups plain oyster or cheese crackers

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 275°F. Whisk the vegetable oil, ranch dressing mix, dill, lemon pepper, and garlic together in a small bowl. Pour the pretzels and crackers in a large bowl and pour the seasoning on top. Stir to coat. Spoon the snack mix onto a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

Grandma’s Snack Mix

This recipe is prepared with the Crisp-Ease Set of 2 Non-Stick Oven Crisper Trays (K40835).

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 4-1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp onion salt
• 1 tsp celery salt
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 2-1/2 cups rice cereal
• 2-1/2 cups corn cereal
• 1 cup wheat cereal
• 1 cup pretzel sticks
• 1 cup unsalted peanuts

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Melt the butter in a small bowl and then mix in the Worcestershire and spices. Dump the cereals, pretzels, and peanuts into a large bowl. Pour the butter mixture on top and stir to coat. Spread out the mixture on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until light brown.

This second recipe was my grandmother’s…she always had a tub of mix on her kitchen counter. It was one of the first things she taught me how to make! Don’t be afraid to be creative with your add ins…these are my favorites, but any mix of nuts or crunchy crackers will be yummy.

What I love about both recipes is they won’t make a mess. All it takes is one road trip with those cheese curls to know they were a very bad idea. Cheese. All. Over. The. Car. YUCK. Even so, I don’t leave home without the trunk organizer stocked with hand sanitizer, wet wipes, and tissues…and sometimes toilet paper, and paper towels. (You just never know.) And depending on the trip, other necessaries like towels, toys, and sunscreen.

What are some of your best road-trip memories? Did you spend six weeks in the car, too? Are you planning a trip this summer? I’d love to hear about it. Have an awesome weekend…and safe travels, if you’re headed anywhere! See you soon.

From my home to yours,

—Jill