Mom's Chicken Feed

This has always been known as "Chicken Feed" in our family, but it's more commonly known as Chex Party Mix - it's a 'must have' during the Christmas holiday and a family tradition. Danny would always pick out the wheat chex, pretzels and cherrios, and I always wanted mom to add cheez-it crackers. In this batch I used Mixed Nuts instead of just peanuts and cashews.

Its funny how certain smells will bring you right back to your childhood, and the smell of chicken feed roasting in the oven is one of those smells for me.... brings me right back to being in the house on Martha street; mom in the kitchen making batches of chicken feed for us and any friends, or family that may come by... Dad is in the living room sitting in 'his' chair. The sliding glass door to the right of him is open ever so slightly so he can get air flow coming in from the outside - the brown card table set up in front of him - boxes of christmas cards, rolls of stamps, and mom and dads white address book trimmed in gold spread across the card table - pen in Dads hand - he is signing the christmas cards, addressing and putting stamps on the envelopes... while a detective show plays on the tv in the background. 

Chicken feed was always stored in vintage glass jars. ( old large glass best food mayonnaise jar - this one presently lives on my kitchen counter to store my flour....one of moms tea cups used as a scoop)

(Mom has "chix" on the recipe card - I guess to go along with the "chicken feed" theme, so just know where it says "chix" it means Chex cereal) 

3 cups corn "chix" cereal
3 cups wheat "chix"cereal
3 cups rice "chix" cereal
1 cup cherrios cereal
1 cup thin pretzel sticks
( I like to add 1 cup cheez-it crackers, some people like to add bagel chips)
1 8oz can EACH cashews and large peanuts
6 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons worchestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Lawry's seasoned salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Melt butter, add salt, garlic and onion powders and worchestershire sauce. Mix with all other ingredients in a large roasting pan (mom would use the turkey roasting pan). Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour; stirring every 15 minutes.

Let cool, and store in a large glass jars. (because that's how mom always stored it- it's tradition!)