There are a few things that my husband has never quite forgiven me for. One of them is making him hike up a mountain near my parent's house back in Vermont when were dating. I don't think it was as much the hike per se as it was the fact that I sold it to him as quick and easy.

It was neither.

He's never forgotten.

These days a hike for me is walking the length of the Costco parking lot with Amelia in her infant seat, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy a mean trail mix. At my house it's more like a whoops-I-forgot-to-make-dinner-again mix. I call it snack mix for short.

This one has some of my favorite fall flavors - cranberries, apples, cinnamon, caramel and pumpkin seeds. If you are one of those ambitious people that roasts and salts their pumpkin seeds when you carve a pumpkin, this is a great way to use them. If you are lazy like me and buy those fake pumpkins because you don't like getting your hands slimy, you can find roasted and salted pumpkin seeds near the sunflower seeds at the grocery store. It also uses those delicious little caramel bits that I always buy for caramel apples but end up eating plain before the apples get made. Combined all together it is a great sweet/salty mix of autumny goodness, whether you are using it on a hike or just by handful at home.

Autumn Snack Mix

By HeatOvenTo350 Published 10/12/2012

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup dried apples, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup pecan halves
• 1/4 cup cinnamon chips
• 1/4 cup caramel bits

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Store in an airtight container

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook time: None

Posted in: Side Dish