Hi, friends! Last Saturday I showed you all the travel-friendly snacks I packed for my trip to Italy. One of those snacks was a big ol’ container of homemade trail mix, and I promised to share a little more about it. So here I am, sharing. :)

Rather than buy a pre-packaged bag of trail mix, which inevitably contains 50% raisins (gag) and dairy-laden chocolate chips, I took matters into my own hands and put together a customized mix for myself. Isn’t it pretty?

Mixin' it up.

All of the components came from my beloved co-op. A few were pre-bagged, but most came from the bulk bins – I loved that I could pick and choose exactly what I wanted in the proportions that I wanted. My trail mix features:

• Slivered almonds
• Cashews
• Pumpkin seeds
• Dried, unsweetened pineapple
• Dried cherries (leftover from my muffins)
• Dark-chocolate-covered Thompson raisins (the only way raisins are acceptable)
• Dark chocolate chips (drool)
• A sprinkling of rolled oats

I left the sweets and fruits untouched, but I tossed the oats and nuts (most of which were raw) with a tablespoon of coconut oil, then threw in a dash of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Then I dumped the whole mess on a baking pan and roasted it for ten or so minutes. The result? Well, the seasoning is subtle – almost a little weak – but still noticeable. Perfect for a munching by the handful. Next time, I’ll make two batches – one savory and one sweet.

Head-on.

In days of yore, I might’ve included those fried, tiny sesame sticks you can get in bulk bins or in many pre-packaged trail mixes. But I overdosed on a giant container of them last year and haven’t been able to eat them since. Blurgh.

What are your essential trail mix components?

Note: This is a scheduled post, because I’m currently in Italy. Apologies for any weirdness with auto-publishing!