My Learning Story

Party Mix Practice

    When I was 14, I was given my mother’s recipe for her prized “Party Mix”. It sounds like a relatively boring snack, but it is an amazingly seasoned dish that has gotten rave reviews since it made its first appearance back in the 80’s. I was ecstatic; aside from its delicious flavor, I had dreamed of learning how to make this treat since I was 4 years old. In addition to giving me the recipe, my mom also helped me along the entire process, which I assume primarily was to help me with the oven since she feared I would burn down the house. The recipe has the basic components one would expect: cereal, pretzels, nuts, and butter. The spices and seasonings make the recipe tricky. There are over 14 spices present in this dish, ranging in quantity from 1/4 of a teaspoon to 3 tablespoons. Keeping up with the respective spices proved to be the most difficult part of learning the recipe. I tried to make creative associations between the names and amounts, but the only way the information stuck was through repetition. After adding all the ingredients and putting the mix into the oven, the only thing left to do is stir. After a few more times baking the dish, and with the help of a cheat sheet, I finally memorized the recipe. The actual process of cooking wasn’t too hard, it was just getting the recipe down. I’m still not allowed to repeat it or give it out, so I made sure that I destroyed my cheat sheet. I was fairly impressed with myself by the end of the whole learning process, which took me about 3 weeks. We stay pretty stocked up on Party Mix around the holidays, and it’s nice that I can now to contribute to easing away the madness.