Last year around Labor Day, you may remember a smattering of instagram pictures that included homemade friendship bracelets, temporary peace sign tattoos, sweaty neon crop tops, and a lot of bug juice in the woods. Well, I decided to double down again this year and attend what is now an official entity: Camp No Counselors.
Here’s a little taste of what happened at camp last time. Unfortunately, I’m currently sitting in the woods trying to live down either the shame or awesomeness of last night’s talent show performance, so I can’t give you the full details just yet on what transpired over this holiday weekend.
But I can tell you that trail mix was involved. Because in addition to a few bottles of rose, and a Sam’s Club sized container of Airheads, I also managed to pack my new favorite healthy snack food, designed specifically for the CNC festivities.
The camp food last year contained a lot of American cheese and nostalgia packed into every sesame hamburger bun and hard taco shell. The kitchen staff were total champs about accommodating my gluten-allergy and made sure to have specially wrapped sausage egg and cheese sandwiches in the morning with my name on them (literally). But after 5 meals in a row of booze and meat sweats, I was ready for some serious detox fiber-rich fare.
As you know, I get extremely anxious when I don’t know where my next meal is coming from, so I always travel with some gluten-free snacks. This year I was prepared with something especially healthy. The inspiration for this healthy trail mix recipe came from these cashews and this tropical snack. I used raw honey, a hint of cinnamon, and just a handful of dark chocolate chips for my naughty bunkmates (i.e. Charlie) who like to pick out the candy from the mix of nuts and seeds.
Sadly come tomorrow our collective time outdoors on the trails is over. So to make your trip back to school or the office a little sweeter, bring a handful of this super seedy mix with you to work. I’m sure you have a few coworkers who wouldn’t mind stealing all your chocolate chips in lieu of receiving a friendship bracelet.
Happy holiday!
Xo
Phoebe
Super Seedy Trail Mix with Almonds, Chia, and Cranberries
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw unsalted almonds
- ½ cup raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon unrefined extra virgin coconut oil melted
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the almonds, pumpkin and chia seeds, coconut oil, honey, salt, and cinnamon. Stir until the nuts are coated in the honey and oil.
- Arrange the nut mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Roast under the broiler until the nuts are toasted and fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Redistribute and return to the broiler for another minute. Cool on the sheet until the honey has begun to set, 5 minutes. Stir once to make sure all the honey stick to the nuts and not the parchment. Allow to cool completely.
- Toss the cooled nuts with the cranberries and chocolate chips. Store in an airtight container for up to a month to lunchtime snacking.
This looks delicious, but also wickedly addictive! Thanks for the recipe!
I recommend making a big batch 🙂
I loved the flavors of this mix, and the chia seeds provided a nice crunch. The final product was very sticky, however. Is the mixture inherently a sticky trail mix or did I need to broil it longer?
I’m so glad you liked it Molly! yes – it’s a pretty sticky mix 🙂 I like putting it on yogurt or oatmeal.
This looks so good! Thanks for the recipe!
thanks Vy!
What is a serving size of this recipe? 1/4 cup?
sorry for the delayed response Sascha! It’s about 1/2 cup. The recipe yields about 4 1/2.
What is the shelf life of this delicious looking mix?
Hey Anne! I’d say up to a month?