MONSTER BRAINS MUNCH MIX...the MOST REQUESTED ROOM MOM SNACK EVER!!!

While I profess myself to be all about Fall Harvest and not Halloween, I can tell you when my boys were smaller, there was lots of Halloween partying..just not too scary and costumes were always more cutesy. Something I pride myself on is I was always a room mom. And boy did I get into it. I was reminiscing about all these school parties recently and a memory brought this recipe flooding back. Back in the day, the school parties were still focused on Halloween too so one Kindergarten year, I created this munch mix that I made lil rice crispy green brains and filled 32 treat bags with such mix and added a "brain" to each. About a week later I got a call from Mrs. Hochstetler, the kindergarten teacher saying she had had more than half a dozen calls from moms requesting the recipe. The kids had taken their lil treat bags home and the moms went crazy for the sweet and salty concoction. So a recipe went home with each student the next day and even in the later elementary years, I was still hearing about how much they loved that munch mix. Oh what fun those class parties were...I'll be thinking about them all week while I snack on my Monster Brains Munch Mix. Yum

And Linking with Metamorphosis Monday

I like to serve it in a plastic black cauldron with a pretty scooper. 

 What you'll need

Monster Brains Munch Mix

INGREDIENTS 

5 cups Crispix cereal

2 cups bite sized pretzels

1 cup honey roasted peanuts

3 cups Bugles

1 cup Brown sugar

1/4 cup Light corn syrup
1 tsp. Vanilla

Butter

Monster Brains

6 1/2 cups Rice Krispie cereal

1/4 cup Butter

1 10oz bag Mini Marshmallows

1 tsp.Vanilla

Candy Eyes

DIRECTIONS: Combine Crispix, pretzels, peanuts in a large bowl and set aside. Cook brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Pour butter mixture over cereal mixture, stirring to coat well. Add bugles and stir again. Spread evenly onto a lightly greased aluminum foil lined jelly roll pan (15x10 inches) or I've used 2 9x13 pans. Bake at 325ºF for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring twice. Spread immediately onto parchment paper or wax paper. Let stand to cool completely, separating mixture into individual pieces as it cools. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in M&M's. While cooling , make up a batch of rice krispie treats adding some green food coloring. Shape into 2-3 inch balls and add candy eyes. Should make 32-35 "brains". When completely cooled add them to the munch mix. Store in an airtight container or make up individual treat bags with a "monster brain" in each bag.

The "Monster Brains" to add to your mix

Back in the Day, I didn't have these eyeball candies to use, they sure Up-ED the Cute factor!

Candy Eyes from Amazon HERE

Treat bag Fun!!

HAPPY TASTY TUESDAY SWEET PEAS!!

Linking up with Metamorphosis Monday

xoxo