Meals as a Mrs. ~ Nutty-Noodly Clusters

This recipe dates all the way back to 8^th grade!!   

Preparation Time:  25 minutes

Servings:  24 clusters

Ingredients:  

1 (12 oz.) package real chocolate chips (Real??  As in not fake chocolate chips?  Thank goodness!)

1 (12 oz.) package real butterscotch chips (again??)

2 (3 oz.) cans La Choy Chow Mein Noodles (I used one 4.5 oz. can)

1/2 cup peanuts or cashews

Directions:

1.  Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly.

Looking at this photo, I'm reminded of all the meds I had to take after the surgeries the night of Charlotte's birthday for the whole next month and then some....yowza.  SO thankful for the phsyical healing that has come along the way!

2.  Remove from heat and quickly stir in noodles and nuts to coat evenly.

3.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper.  Refrigerate.

Spring was right around the corner so I put a variation on this recipe by adding peanut butter M & Ms to make the nutty-noodly clusters look like birds’ nests!  Adam was even able to find ones that were speckled to look like robin eggs!!

I first made this tasty treat that reminds me of chocolate covered pretzels in my Home Ec class in junior high school and remember being surprised at how much I liked the snack.  I hadn’t yet discovered Chinese food (mmm General Tso’s or Sweet & Sour Chicken anyone??) and thought it odd that a dessert recipe would call for using chow mein noodles!!   

I also have fond memories of making this snack with my cousin, Mikey, on a family beach trip to Rhode Island in high school.  I made this dessert to take with us to Aunt Marie and Uncle Bill’s Easter lunch knowing Mikey would also be there.  I also needed a quick and simple dessert since I knew we would have our hands full with taking Charlotte on her first mini road trip (it’s a 45 minute drive from here to there) and for her first time to Pennsylvania at a mere 20 days old.  I was able to quickly prepare this treat as part of our contribution to the holiday lunch meal (the appetizer we took were small crackers with cream cheese and jalapeno jam spread on them courtesy of a recent Tastefully Simple order from my former roommate).  

 

Charlotte Ann did great on her first mini road trip and holiday meal!

I'm thankful for the thoughtful gift that my friend, Jennifer, sent me that contains various scriptures in the margins as it is forcing me to spend more time reading the Bible and has been serving as a source for these reflections I've been posting on the last several Meals as a Mrs. postings.  I just finished reading Job 2:11:  

 
Now when three of Job’s friends heard of all the misfortune that had come upon him, they set out each one from his own place: Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuh, and Zophar from Naamath. They met and journeyed together to give him sympathy and comfort. 

I think of strength in numbers when I reflect on this passage.  All those individuals who make up our various support networks who help us to get through the hard times are invaluable.  These three friends set out to help Job when they knew he needed them.  My brothers and parents have been HUGE sources of this kind of support over the years and I hope I have been to them as well.  I can recall times in the past when friends filled the void and stood in the gap when I needed it most.  Now, Adam is the primary one to do that these days but support is also found in other individuals and ways.  Isn't that also how God is for each one of us?  He's always there and at the ready as He should be our first source!!  WE simply need to seek Him and ask Him for help.  Sometimes we are too stubborn or full of pride to seek help (from God or from those around us here on Earth) when we need it most.  

Perhaps we need to be more humble and embrace our weakness to be made strong.  

My prayer tonight is to turn to God more and to accept the help that is offered me.  I also hope to be used as an instrument to provide support to others as much as I can.