Every summer of my childhood, when we would go camping with a group of families, my mother filled an enormous tupperware lidded bowl with homemade Chex Mix. Some kids picked out only the pretzels while others left just the nuts behind. Often the bowl was empty after a single evening.

I always crave Chex Mix when I travel. Over the years, I have combined my childhood memories of the crunchy, salty snack with my husband's family's East coast roots to create my own version: Chesapeake Snack Mix.

My mix includes coastal favorites oyster crackers and pecans and Old Bay as the primary seasoning. I also upped the ratio of butter and seasoning to dry stuff because that's the way I like it.

The only downfall of cereal snack mixes is that they have a tendency to be crushed to bits when packed into a bag. That's why I package mine in wide mouth quart jars. When the mix is gone, the jars always come in handy on the trip as a drinking glass, a place for a collection of shells, or a storage container for other snacks.

What snacks do you make or buy for the road?

Chesapeake Snack Mix Makes: 2 quarts Time: 45 minutes

4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup broken pretzel sticks 2 cups oyster crackers 3 cups multi-grain square cereal (or wheat Chex) 1 cup pecan pieces

1. Melt butter on a large cookie sheet in a 250 degree F oven. 2. When butter is melted, stir in Worcheshire sauce, Old Bay, and salt. Spread pretzels, oyster crackers, cereal, and pecans evenly over the sheet and stir. 3. Put mix back in the oven. In fifteen minutes, stir mix so that everything is evenly coated. Return to the oven. 4. In ten minutes, stir again. If oyster crackers are browned, remove from the oven and allow to cool. Otherwise, leave in oven a few more minutes before removing to cool. 5. Store in an airtight container.

PS. The Kitchn featured my home on a kitchen tour Tuesday with lots of pictures. I hope you click through and enjoy!

1) While making cereal snack mix for the annual family camping trip, I saw the recipe on the box for chocolate/peanut butter covered in powdered sugar snack mix. (These mixes have names but they are trademarked and silly.) 2) I had to make it too, despite not exactly possessing most of the ingredients. I subbed chocolate bar pieces for the chips and almond butter for peanut butter.

3) Then I realized the vanilla extract jar ran dry two days ago.

4) But I found vanilla beans in the spice drawer and ran to the computer to search how to make vanilla extract at home. I dumped vodka and beans in a jar leftover from canning apple butter.

5) In four weeks I can make chocolate/peanut butter cereal mix with vanilla. You can bet I made it without vanilla for this trip. This is how I get into trouble in the kitchen: one project leads to another to another. Am I the only one? PS. The CSCC Taste the Future giveaway ends Tuesday.