Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen by Walter Scheib and Andrew Friedman.

　　This is the snack mix President Bush brought with him from the Texas Governor's mansion. It's a Texas twist on an old American favorite, and we had to have it on hand at all times. In addition to eating it at the White House, the President never traveled without it.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 8 cups

　　1 1/2 cups Corn Chex cereal

　　1 1/2 cups Rice Chex cereal

　　1 1/2 cups Wheat Chex cereal

　　1/2 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

　　1/2 cup shelled unsalted pistachios

　　1 cup small, thin, salted pretzel sticks

　　1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

　　1/2 tablespoon Yucatan Sunshine hot sauce or your favorite hot sauce

　　1/2 tablespoon Tabasco sauce

　　1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

　　1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

　　1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

　　1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

　　Pinch of salt

　　

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 250° F.

　　

Step 2

2. In a large bowl, combine the cereals, pepitas, pistachios, and pretzel sticks.

　　

Step 3

3. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients until well incorporated. Pour this mixture over the cereal mixture and toss well to coat but gently so as not to break the cereal and pretzels.

　　

Step 4

4. Spread the mixture out on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 45 minutes, stirring gently every 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, let the mixture cool, and serve, or serve in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

　　White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen