Sweet n' Salty Snack Mix

Dancer is entering this in open class at the fair under snack mix.   She only needed one cup, what ever will we do with the rest of it?  Oh yeah, eat it for supper before church and the rest of it will keep in an air tight container for a week (unlikely it will still be around after a week!).

4 cups Bugles

4 cups wheat Chex

1 cup pretzels

1 cup pecan halves

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

3 tablespoons light Karo syrup

1/2 tsp. salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 large (11 oz.)  bag peanut butter M&Ms

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray or grease a large roasting pan.  Combine the snack ingredients, except the M&Ms, in the roasting pan.

Combine the brown sugar, butter, Karo syrup and salt in a heavy pan.  Cook until mixture come to a full boil.  Remove from heat and add the vanilla and baking powder.  Pour it over the snack mixture and stir to coat. 

Bake 10-15 minutes stirring every 5 minutes.  If it looks like the coating is set and it is starting to get a little brown on the edges pull it out at 10 minutes.

Spread it on wax paper and let cool for 5 minutes.  Toss to break pieces apart and mix in M&Ms.  Keep tossing every now and then until cool to break the pieces apart.