Tiaras & Tantrums

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Goldfish Taco Seasoned Snack Mix 

Everyone adores an awesome Taco Seasoned Snack Mix! I have an amped up version of the Taco Seasoned Snack Mix using Goldfish Puffs! Here is the perfect snack: Goldfish Puffs Taco Seasoned Snack Mix.

When my son was younger there were very few food items that he would eat. My son has sensory issues and food play a huge part in his senses. To say we have battled over food is to put it very mildly. As my son enters the pre teen age, the food sensory issues have been greatly decreasing. He is loosing his rigid status on food and will sample more foods with ease.

Disclosure: This has been a compensated post. As always, my opinions are my own.

One major issue we had was what to feed my son during school for lunch. There was absolutely no way he would ever eat hot lunch at school and there were peanut allergies at school so I was not able to send him along with his Nutella sandwich. I tried to be creative with his school lunches, but he just wouldn’t allow it. I would pack a lunch for my son and put the same food items in his little lunch bag day after day, week after week, month after month.

I have a special fondness for Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Snack because they literally got my son through some very tough days, weeks, months and years. My son was quite particular and would only eat the colored Goldfish Snacks in individual bags. I would purchase these wonderful crackers for my son by the boxfuls and I would not allow anyone else to touch them.

Now my son is older and will sample foods more readily than he used to. I can actually get him to try other foods. We headed to Target to see what we could add to our snack basket in the car. We tend to be in the car quite often this summer driving about from function to activity and need a bit of a snack sometimes.  I purchased the Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Puffs at Target and gave him a few to snack on to see if he would eat them. He tentatively sampled a couple and then I saw a big smile flash across his face.

He liked them! My heart was doing cartwheels because this hardly ever happens!

We can add another food item to his list of foods that he will eat. I was so excited! My son was also quite proud of himself that he tried another food and that he found something else that he likes to eat. I think he was even more delighted because the size of the Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Puffs is larger than the minis that his sisters enjoy and bigger than his old colored favorites. He can transition into teen snacks and still stick with his beloved Goldfish snacks.

Trying to be inventive with food when your child only eats a handful of items can be exhausting. In my quest to get my son to eat, I have become quite clever with food. I will make up games and themes and food art (which my girls love). Most have been to no avail as my son has a keen eye to my tricks.

When his friends visit and they all want an after school snack, I am more apt to get him to try something because he doesn't want to be embarrassed. My food art and food themes and games are garnering me looks like I just landed here on Earth from another planet, but that is okay.

However, I did find a recipe that my son will gobble right up. In front of his friends as well, because he and his friends can't resist this delicious teen snack. It's a salty and spicy twist on an old favorite.

This party mix is filled with some of my son's very favorite salty snacks. Pretzels. Cheese crackers.  Chex Cereal. Then you give it a little boost with some taco seasoning and butter. Because everything tastes better with a little bit of butter. Truly it does.

If you live in the Chicagoland area and are planning on serving this fabulous party mix for a lively game {say for instance, game 5 for the Stanley Cup finals}....make a double batch because you will easily eat half of it before the party even begins. Actually, make a triple batch, and hide some in the cupboard to snack on later that night, after everyone has gone home and the Chicago Hawks knock it off the ice and #makeitgopuff!

One goal! One Goldfish Puffs!

Goldfish Taco Seasoned Snack Mix

Ingredients

  • 2 cups rice chex cereal

  • 2 cups corn chex cereal

  • 2 cups pretzels

  • 2 cups oyster crackers

  • 2 cups Goldfish Puffs Mega Cheese crackers

  • 2 cups Goldfish Puffs Buffalo Wing crackers

  • 5 Tablespoons butter

  • 2-3 tablespoons taco seasoning mix

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 250°F

  2. In a large bowl, gently stir together the dry ingredients

  3. In a small bowl melt the butter and taco seasoning. Pour over dry ingredients, stirring gently until evenly coated.

  4. Pour mixture evenly in 1-2 9x13-inch baking pan.

  5. Bake uncovered 1 hour, stirring gently every 15 minutes.

  6. Remove from oven and gently stir.

  7. Spread mixture over waxed paper or tin foil to cool, about 15 minutes.

  8. Store in airtight container.

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