1 cup roasted peanuts
1 cup roasted almonds (raw almonds are good too, but not smoked ones)
1 cup roasted cashews
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup regular M&M's

Mix well & try to not eat it all at one sitting.

This is good for when you want to take something munchy-like to work or a meeting, etc.

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red (cayenne) pepper
One 12-ounce box oven-toasted square corn cereal
4 cups (8 ounces) mini-pretzels
2 cups (8 ounces) dry-roasted peanuts
2 cups (8 ounces) pecans
2 cups (6 ounces) pumpkin seeds

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300� F. In a small saucepan, over medium-low heat, stir the butter, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, chili powder, salt, and red pepper until the butter is melted.

In a large roasting pan (such as a turkey roaster), toss the cereal, pretzels, peanuts, pecans, and pumpkin seeds, drizzling with the butter mixture to coat.

Bake stirring every 15 minutes, until heated through, about 1 hour. Cool completely. The crunch can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and stored in an airtight container.

The bean pate below is something you can make all the time. This dip, although probably nutritionally preferable to the Lipton Onion Soup variety (no digs intended against that, either, my son loves the stuff!), still is loaded with fat. Use the reduced or fat free versions of cream cheese and sour cream if you want, but I prefer to enjoy the real thing less frequently.

2 lbs yellow onions sliced thin
3/4 c. sour cream
4 oz. room temp cream cheese
1 t. worchestershire sauce
several drops Tabasco
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put onions in a nonstick skillet and cover, and cook over low heat about 20 min, stirring now and then till wilted. (A note here: the original recipe calls for them to go in the pan without water or oil. Unfortunately, it is hard to get just the right amount of heat from my burners and any time I try to do this, they scorch before they have enough heat to start sweating themselves, so I add a little water to create steam and get the process started. You'd want to be careful about starting them in oil, as your dip will end up a little greasier.) Uncover and continue cooking gently about 45 min til very sweet, soft and reduced to just a fraction of original volume. Cool to room temp and stir in remaining ingredients adding salt and pepper to taste.
Makes 2 cups..

This is along the lines of a hummus. The original recipe calls for cumin, which I don't use; to me the flavors aren't compatible, but of course, that's an individual choice.

8 oz can of cannellini beans
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (I use parsley or dill) or a spring onion
salt and pepper to taste

Throw the beans in a food processor with the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and vinegar. Whiz to make a smooth purée. Thin with water as needed. Add fresh herbs or spring onion and season to taste with salt & pepper.

This seemed to have been one of Marie's signature dishes on "Everybody Loves Raymond". A few seasons into the show, I decided I had to find a recipe and try it out myself.

1 can (32 oz. crushed chunky style) Italian tomatoes
4 tbs. olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, 1 of which finely chopped
2 lb. eye round roast thinly sliced (1/4 inch)
5-6 sprigs Italian (flat) parsley chopped (must use fresh)
1 tablespoon dry oregano or 3-4 fresh sprigs chopped
1/4 or1/3 cup Grated Romano or Parmesan cheese (according to taste)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Warm a saucepan on the stove on medium heat and add 2 tbs. of the oil and 3 of the garlic cloves slightly crushed. When garlic gets golden in color, add the tomatoes, salt and pepper, and stir. Let that simmer while you prepare the meat.

Heat remaining 2 tbs. of the oil in a frying pan . When the oil is hot, add the meat a few slices at a time. Do not crowd meat Brown on medium high heat for 2 or 3 minutes on each side removing slices as they brown. When all meat is done, discard any fat left in the frying pan and add enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Top with a layer of meat slices, spread some of the chopped garlic over it, parsley, oregano, cheese, and some more sauce. Repeat layers until all the meat and spices have been used up. Top with a little more of the sauce and cheese. Cover and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. This is really good served with crusty Italian bread.