Well, it’s that time again. Time for snuggling in for the long haul as winter weather rages outside. The way I see it, we may as well enjoy this time of year by snacking. As MountainMade’s General Manager, I take quality control very seriously.

It’s a hard job taste testing all of the food products we carry, making sure that they will indeed appeal to consumers like you, but here at MountainMade, we take our jobs very seriously. I’ve done my fair share of product quality control, so I think I can speak with authority on the matter of the best winter-time snacks from MountainMade’s selection of food items.

Here are my top 5 picks for winter-time snacks from MountainMade’s West Virginian professional chefs:

#1: Ordinary Evelyn’s South Western Dip Mix. This is a no-brainer. Are your in-laws dropping in for a surprise visit? Don’t stress. This is a quick and easy snack to mix up; it’s great on veggies, chips, and crackers; and it’s an instant conversation starter. It’s also a quick conversation ender because everyone starts stuffing their faces. It’s that good.

#2: Pasta Chips by Biselli Pasta. You’ll enjoy every single one of these delicious snacks right down to the bottom of the bag. They are made with tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, spinach, cheese, garlic and some other savory spices, and potatoes, and boy do they taste delicious! Pasta Chips are great by themselves, or you can pair them with your favorite dip (see #1).

#3: Pauley’s Pepper Jellee by Ms. Molly’s. Ms. Molly is somewhat of a local celebrity (more to come later on Ms. Molly and how she wows Martha Stewart), and her Pauley’s Pepper Jelly will not disappoint. It’s got a sweet undercurrent flavor with a hot kick to keep you on your toes. My favorite way to eat it is in concert with cream cheese, spread on crackers or celery.

#4: Papa Honey Bear Pure West Virginia Honey. Okay, I won’t recommend that you just tip back and down the whole jar all by itself (though it’s tempting), but I will say man is this good honey, straight from the mountains and clover fields of West Virginia. Honey has long been touted for its health benefits. Me personally, I like to add it to tea, put it on toast, or substitute honey for sugar when cooking. And my friend Mariah swears by honey as an additive to conditioner for naturally curly hair (I can’t speak to that, but you are welcome to direct questions to her regarding the benefits of honey on your luscious locks).

And #5 (drum roll please): our Medium Hot Peppers in Sauce. I’d say these are kind of in the same family as pepper jelly: a little extra umph to get your taste buds dancing around in your head. These are the secret to spicing up hoagies, left-over sandwiches, or scrambled eggs.

Do you have your own favorite top five MountainMade food items? Let us know what’s on your list and how you use it in the kitchen.