Well Happy New Year’s Eve Eve. It’s almost impossible to believe that Tuesday will be the start of 2013. At the beginning of every New Year I’m tempted to make promises I probably won’t keep. This is evidenced by the fact that our exercise bike has a thick layer of dust on it, presumably undisturbed since last February. I also have a habit for wishing for things that are beyond my control, like no child going hungry, ending all wars, everyone doing acts of kindness, and no more telemarketers. This year I’m going to just remember that my personal motto has always served me well, “Brighten the Corner Where You Are”, and sounds nicer than my other motto, “If You Fattten Up The People Around You, You Look Thinner”.
There are lots of ways to brighten your corner. One day recently, I smiled cheerfully at everyone I saw, and only half of them thought I was a lunatic. Compliments are nice too, but only when sincere, people are savvy to that. Sometimes a special gift for no reason at all can be attitude changing for both the giver and the givee. And with no fattening agenda intended, I love to feed people with the goal of making them happy. I love to share those recipes too.
With that in mind I’m making some yummy crackers to serve on New Years Eve. They are appropriately name Firecrackers and to put them together them takes about the same amount of time it takes to light a bottle rocket. These crackers were a discovery made by my sister who bought these fantastic little bites to our Christmas celebration. My family was in mourning to discover they were all gone the next day. When I called her for the recipe, she admitted she had made them with a spice mix you can’t buy anywhere around here - The Original Savory Saltine Mix. I immediately went online and found lots of recipes that were similar. This is my personal rendition of the best of all of them and in five days they have become a house staple. I highly recommend you make your own Firecrackers for New Years and to enjoy throughout the year. I only hope they’ll brighten the corner where you are! Happy New Years!
Ingredients
1 box, 4 sleeves of Saltine crackers
1 ¼ cups canola oil
1 package of Ranch dip or dressing mix
1 tsp onion or garlic powder
1 ½ to 2 Tbsp red pepper flakes (depends on how hot you like them)
large Tupperware or baggie, big enough to hold all ingredients
Directions
Put crackers in container of choice.
Mix all other ingredients and pour over crackers.
Shake without breaking crackers for a minute or two.
Repeat shaking about every 10 minutes 4 more times.
They’re ready!! Store in a clean container.
These are even better the next day and last for several days tightly sealed.
