53 (or OMG why is it so close!?)

Mom had some errands to run, so I offered my sauce-making services to get dinner started until she got back. I love her spaghetti sauce, pouring in all of the herbs and spices, watching them form stripes across the top of the tomato juice and fold into a simmering, aromatic pot of family tradition.

This time, the sauce was sans viande for the family vegetarian, but there are so many herbs and spices that it's hard to even notice. I mean, really... look.

...Actually, don't look. It's a secret.

While the sauce simmered on the stove, I resisted the urge to take a loaf of italian bread and instead made a snack mix. It involves peanut butter. I know you're surprised.

Here's the Peanut Butter Snack Mix recipe. Don't worry. I'm not becoming a big foodie blog, but I absolutely love this flavor combination, and it's super easy to make, and it's the season for snacking lightly and entertaining. So, why not share? Note: T = tablespoon while t = teaspoon.

Melt:
3 T honey
2 T butter
2 T peanut butter*

Pour it over:
4 cups of Chex (I used Cheerios instead--actually Aldi's Crispy Oats.)**
2 cups mini pretzels
1/3 cup nuts (I used peanut, but I want to try a nut-blend next time.)

Bake at 175F for 1 to 1.5 hours.

*Creamier options will help this a lot. I love Naturally More, which has wheat germ, flax and a few other handy body-fixers, plus it's creamy and delicious.
**This may be because I used Crispy Oats, but I thought it needed a lot more pretzels and nuts, which would require a lot more peanut butter.

I also topped everything with cinnamon before mixing, because honey + peanut butter + cinnamon is my favorite trio. (The Barbershop Quartet of my diet: honey + peanut butter + cinnamon + chocolate making some beautiful music on my toast/bagel/English muffin/spoon.)

The honey gives everything a bit of a shine, an extra sweetness with the pretzels. The peanut butter is delicious. The baked peanuts get a bit softer, giving under your teeth and contrasting with the crunch of the pretzels. It's a bit of summer heaven. Keep it classy. Kick back and enjoy it with a glass of semi-sweet wine (or a six-pack and a ball game).

I think this will keep up our energy as Joe and I take the megabus to Chicago in mid-July. Things are moving so quickly now...