Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Road trip trail mix, a souvenir you can eat

120607_CPE_road trip trail mix_3


My family will cover a lot of territory in our summer travels, and the kids are helping us plan: what to see, what to do, what to bring home, and even what to eat. My 8-year-old, inspired by a camp theme day as his brother's preschool, offered a brilliant idea for snacking on the go: road trip trail mix!

The basic idea: Pick up something from each place you visit and add it to the mix. We can get dried coconut in Kauai, he suggested. (I'll want pineapple and macadamia nuts too!) In New England, we'll get dried cranberries. Trail mix is always good with M&Ms, and lucky for us we'll be swinging through New Jersey, home to candy maker Mars.

120607_CPE_road trip trail mix_1

We made this sample mix with some of our California favorites: Calimyrna figs, cherries, almonds, Thomson raisins, and pistachios. (Chopped figs weren't a great idea — if you try this blend, you might want to pass on figs, which have rather gooey insides.)

We've agreed that in such a serendipitous blend, there's something for everyone — and something someone won't like. So folks can pick out bits without complaining. (Crossing my fingers that works.)

Another ground rule: We'll settle for foods that evoke the places we visit. This is supposed to be a fun souvenir-in-progress, so we won't knock ourselves out pursuing the most authentic, locally sourced ingredients.

My son calls it Roadie Trail Mix. I call it the perfect road trip snack.

120607_CPE_road trip trail mix_2

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