Muddy Buddies

I can't believe Christmas is in less than a week!  Wasn't last Christmas just a week ago?!  Anyway, despite how it feels, the reality of it is that Christmas really is on Sunday.  And Christmas is the perfect time to eat lots of sweets, right?  ;)

This recipe goes way back in my life, but I've recently noticed you can now buy this pre-made, which I think is strange, since it's pretty easy and much cheaper to make on your own.  I'm talking about Muddy Buddies (also known as Puppy Chow in some parts of the country).  A simple, yet oh-so-delicious treat!

Muddy Buddies
9 cups Chex cereal (wait until it's on sale)
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Place Chex in a large mixing bowl; set aside.  In a separate bowl, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter.  Microwave 1 minute; stir.  Place back into microwave and heat until the mixture is smooth.  Add vanilla and pour over cereal.  Carefully mix until the cereal is coated in the chocolate mixture.  Place into a gallon size zip-top bag; add powdered sugar and shake until well coated.  The original recipe calls for the mix to be placed in a two-gallon zip top bag with the powdered sugar.  I only have 1 gallon, so I used that.  It worked, but I think next time I'll try just putting half of the cereal mixture in with 3/4 cup of powdered sugar a time.  Spread out on wax paper until the chocolate cools and hardens.

The pieces in the bottom right corner didn't get covered very well, which is why I think I'll split up the batch next time.

Your kids will enjoy licking the spoon when you're done!