Sweet & Salty Snack Mix

 
The next time you are getting ready to watch a big game, or entertaining a group of children, you may want to consider making this simple, yet delicious, Sweet and Salty Snack Mix!

There is something incredibly moreish about the combination of salty and sweet, and I know I am not along.  It is this delicious mix of salty and sweet which inspires such goodies as chocolate dipped pretzels or potato chips, amongst other things.

A number of years back I was in Ketchum Idaho, while my oldest daughter was competing in the Special Olympics International Winter Games in Sun Valley. (On a side note my daughter did very well, bring back to Canada two gold medals and a bronze! Go Team Canada!)

One day while we were there, my friend Lura and I popped into one of the local shops to have a boo around and they were selling these Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods.  These were the epitome of the ultimate sweet and salty combination!

I had of course heard of Pretzel Rods, but had never actually seen one, much less had the opportunity to buy or taste one.  

King sized pretzels are not exactly a British thing.  Even finding plain salted mini pretzels can be hard over here.  Mostly they have them coated in salty powders and flavours. Like sour cream and onion, or salt and vinegar, cheese, etc.

 
The pretzel rods in this shop were HUGE.  The pretzel rods themselves were at least nine inches long or more, wth each one being about one inch in diameter.

They had been dipped in things like salted caramel and rolled in salted nuts and then dipped in chocolate and then decorated with more goodies.  I had never seen anything like it. 

They were the size of chicken drumsticks! Seriously!  I did what any sweet and salty loving foodie would do.

I bought a couple to bring home and share with my husband. I knew he would be totally fascinated with not only the idea but also the size. 

I am quite sure each one of them weighed a good half pound. I was a bit concerned about getting them home safely without having them confiscated. (In Canada they have food sniffing dogs in the baggage area.) Not here in the UK.  Any food sniffing out must be done incognito, or not at all.

He thought that was the strangest thing, but was still not tempted to want to try it. He is so not a foodie. I am not sure how we ever ended up together. 

I have to say that my personal preference is for Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam however, and that is perhaps because my mother  never bought Grape Jelly.

She used to make her own jam and it was always strawberry.  She only ever very rarely purchased ready made jam.  And yes, once again, always strawberry. It was our father’s favourite.

I conbined these tortilla crisps with an equal quantity of plain salted mini pretzels. I wasn’t able to get them in a full bag. I had to buy a big bag of fun sized ones.  Whatever gives you the result you want. That’s my motto.

I also used some small mini cheese crackers.  Jacobson’s mini cheddars.  In North American I would use the cheese flavoured gold fish crackers.  They have been very difficult to come by over here in recent months.

Or even yogurt covered dried cranberries or raisins.  Chocolate covered raisins.  Chocolate covered peanuts. Peanut M & M’s.

Its also really nice to add some honey roasted nuts if you have them. I did not on this day. Another great addition would be toffee popcorn.

Of course any leftovers will keep very well stores in an airtight container or a large zip lock baggie. 

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