Snacks!

I’ve shopped with Kroger grocery stores for many years. They have been a top contender in affordable offerings for a long time, and are imporving their ability to feed individuals on a budget. For a lot of folks, part of that budget is snacks, whether for between meals fulfillment, or for presentation at gatherings.

From the website:

“Kroger Brand: Where Awesome Meets Affordable
Kroger Brand strives to constantly outdo itself. That means you’ll find a wide variety of high-quality products, at great prices to boot! The experts behind the scenes are constantly innovating to bring you even more unique bites and delicious drinks, as well as convenient household staples.”

On this set of missions, Kroger is repeatedly using the word ‘awesome’ and with good reason.

Awesome (adjective): extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring great admiration; extremely good or excellent

Synonyms: breathtaking, awe-inspiring, magnificent, wonderful
Mission Level 1: Make Snack Time Awesome
This level of the mission offered up pizza rolls, chocolate chip cookies, trail mix, and some other goodies.

The cookies were an easy snack! I loaded them up with Nutella to make sandwich cookies. Served with cold milk, they went really fast.

 

 

The Kroger Brand Pizza Rolls have made it into our kitchen’s regular rotation for both snacks and quick meals. We found that leftover red sauce spread over the rolls and topped with shredded Italian cheeses makes a great, if a little messy, alternative to pasta! We also tried them with chili and cheese. We enjoy the results immensely!

 
Mission Level 2: Make Game Day Awesome
This mission level gave us a pub mix, a koozie, and some coupon based freebies like the seltzer water I love so much.

We put all of it to great snacking use.

 
Mission Level 3: Make Halloween Awesome
When is Halloween not awesome? When there are no treats! This mission sent us goodies such as pumpkin carving stencils, pretzels, gummi worms, and a trick or treat bag. Sadly I was unable to put together the projects I wanted to try out, but we did some other awesome things for the spookiest night of the year.

 

 

 

Here’s hoping this blog gives you some nifty snacking ideas not only for further along this season (Thanksgiving, Winter holidays, Superbowl, etc.), but for a long time to come.

— Ann Cathey

#WhereAwesomeMeetsAffordable #MyMagazineSharing #FreeSamp

Candy Cane Snack Mix

There are tons of variations on the home-made holiday treat known as Chex Mix or Texas Trash. Most of them are a salty collection of cereals, nuts, pretzels, and spices. Have you ever considered a sweet version of this snacking treat?

Candy Cane Snack Mix
Prep Time: 10-15 minutes, plus refrigeration
Servings: Approximately 8

Ingredients:
5 cups rice cereal
1 cup mini pretzels
1 cup crushed candy canes
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
2-1/2 cups white chocolate morsels (cookie chips)
2 cups popcorn
1/2 cup dark chocolate morsels (cookie chips)
1/2 cup mini marshmallows (any color)
1/2 cup shelled pistachios

Place cereal and pretzels into a large bowl.

Melt white chocolate morsels in microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring between rounds, until completely melted.

Pour melted chocolate over cereal. Stir and fold until lightly coated.

Fold in crushed candy canes.

Place confestioner’s sugar into a large zip-top bag.Add cereal mixture to bag, seal and shake until the mixture is coated with the sugar.

Refrigerate contents of bag until the chocolate hardens.

Turn out content of the bag into a large bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Place the mix in a serving bowl for immediate use, or measure into airtight containers as gifts.

Store at room temperature for up to two weeks.
Obviously, there are a lot of variations for this tasty treat, just as with the salty versions.

• Mini marshmallows now come in different colors and flavors. Mint and pumpkin spice have been spotted locally.
• Pistachios are not the only nut out there, though the greenish tint does add a bit of holiday color to this type of mix. Try different nuts for different flavors. Crushed hazelnuts or chopped pecans will lend themselves to exciting flavor variations.
• Cookie chips also come in a wide variety of flavors. Dark, semi-sweet, white and milk chocolate, butterscotch, pumpkin spice, peppermint and others are available in my area at local chain grocery stores.
• Candy canes are also available in a lot of flavors! From the traditional peppermint though a range of modern candy flavors, all the way to dill pickle falvored, you can find just about any flavor base you desire.

 

For the coffee lovers in your family, you might try this:

• Hazelnuts or almonds in stead of pistachios
• Chocolate flavored candy canes
• Add a quarter cup of instant coffee to the confectioner’s sugar

 

For the pumpkin spice crowd, you migth try this:

• Pecans instead of pistachios
• Pumpkin spice, clove, or coffee flavored candy canes
• Add a touch of pumpkin pie soice or cinnamon to the confectioner’s sugar
• Butterscotch or pumpkin spice cookie chips in place of the white chocolate morsels

 

For the lovers of fruity flavors:

• Small jelly beans instead of nuts
• Crushed hard candy of a fruity flavor (or several) instead of candy canes
• Add lime salt (a dry powder) to the confectioner’s sugar for some zing
• Add a bit of shredded coconut
• Colorful mini marshmallows

Any way you put it together, this recipe is bound to be a crowd pleaser over the holidays!

— Ann Cathey

La King’s – Galveston, Texas

“Meet me at La King’s Confectionery.”

La King’s is an old fashioned ice cream parlour and candy factory on the historic Strand. Old time fountain delights, coffee, salt water taffy, lollipops, and so many chocolates! There’s even a case full of sugar-free (isomalt) chocolates for those of us who need an alternative to sugar.

The ambiance is definitely a bit of history, with huge wooden bars and barbacks serving as soda fountain, ice cream service, coffee shop, decorated with antique machines and containers of ingredients once used by La King’s. These fabulous antiques run down one side of the shop. The other side is covered in displays of candies, on tables and in refrigerated cabinets. Down the middle of the space are the nut roaster and popcorn machine, silly coin operated games, and white wireworks ice cream parlour tables and chairs. At the far end is the candy making demonstration area, only it’s not just a demonstration. La King’s prides itself in showing you how it’s done while they are actually making their products.According to their marketing material:

La King’s is your connection to a by-gone era. La King’s Confectionery goes back tot he 1920’s when James. H. King began his apprenticeship in candy making at the St. Regis Confectionery in Houston, Texas. He learned his craft well under the watchful eyes of “old-world masters”. Jimmy established his own business and eventually supplied stores throughout the south. He inspired his sons to learn the candy business with the sme pride and attention to detail.

In 1976, Jimmy’s oldest son, Jack, moved his family to the historic Strand in Galveston to recreate an old fashioned confectionery. With the help of his family, Jack created La King’s Confectionery. He has continued to use 19th century formulas and methods handed down to him, making confections using traditional equipment and procedures.

La King’s features a 1920’s soda fountain, serving malts, shakes, ice cream sodas, sundaes, splits, floats and your favorite fountain treats.

Our master candymaker will delight you with his old time specialties made right before your eyes on antique equipment. We make more than 50 candies from traditional recipes.

La King’s ice cream parlour makes and serves “Purity” ice cream. Purity was the first ice cream manufacturer in Texas, The company was founded in 1889 on Galveston Island.

In addition to all the wonderful sweets, La King’s also offers a full service coffee bar serving Duncan coffees. They also carry a full line of roasted Duncan beans in case you want to take some home. The Texas Pecan is a nice treat on a cold day!

The complete array of La King’s goodies may be ordered online and shipped to your home, or to others as a gift. Sweeten your day by visiting their website for more information on La King’s candies and other treats.

On the 1-5 scale, La King’s gets:
Cleanliness – 5
Service – 5
Quality of food – 5
Flavor – 5
Pricing – 4
Overall experience – 4.8

La King’s Confectionery
2323 The Strand
Galveston Island, Texas
409-762-6100

— Ann Cathey