Stop Your Seasoning Packet Addiction

We live in a society where everything has to be fast, on demand and convenient. It is easier and faster to go through a drive through instead of cooking. It is more convenient to pop a frozen pizza into the oven than making it from scratch. Instead of making school lunch for your children, you buy pre-packaged meals from the grocery store.

What about your spices, do reach for the readymade seasoning packets? How many times have you bought garlic salt or garlic pepper? Have you started to make tacos, only to find out  you did not have seasoning packet? Or you change your meal plan because you just did not want to get back in the car and drive the mile to the store for one item.

Well I am going to show you how to make your own, save money, cut your sodium, and sugar intake. If you you have corn or milk allergies prevent you from having a reaction. These are simple and quick to make. Most of us have the ingredients already in our pantry or spice cabinet. With your assistance, your children can help you make these on a rainy afternoon.

 So let's get started!

Garlic Salt: a 6.49-ounce bottle of Adams brand will cost around $2.50. McCormick 9.5-ounce bottle is around $3.50. I know that does not seem like a lot of money but over time it adds up. Let me ask you a question, do you have garlic powder and salt in your pantry. Yes. Then why not just make this?

Garlic Salt or Pepper recipe: 3 parts salt or pepper to one part garlic… there was that so hard? You can make this by teaspoons, tablespoons or cups. I use tablespoons and to be honest I use a two to one version. I mainly use garlic salt, when I make a knock off version of Olive Garden bread sticks.

Any person, who has to watch their salt intake for medical reasons, will tell you sodium is very difficult to track. If you consume food with spices that add nice flavor, you can almost eliminate the sodium all together. Have you checked what the sodium levels can be in your favorite seasoning packet? I have. McCormick  Taco Seasoning has 300 mg of salt, why? Taco Bell brand has sugar in their taco packet and McCormick has corn syrup. All of them have at least one preservative if not more. Below is a picture of a McCormick Taco and Fajita season packets ingredients. Why is there milk, coloring, and corn syrup in these?

Taco Seasoning

Fajita Seasoning

Taco Seasoning: a packet is approximately 2Tablespoons of seasoning and will cost around a dollar and a quarter. Again, you might have these items already sitting in your spice cabinet waiting to be used.



Homemade Taco Seasoning



3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
3 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon black pepper

Fajita Seasoning is not much better than the Taco Seasoning when it comes to salt and preservatives. The one item you have to watch out for in making your own Fajita seasoning is the MSG in the bullion cube. If you look at the labels you might be able to find one without the MSG.

1 teaspoon Paprika

2 teaspoons of Chili Powder

½ teaspoon Onion Powder

½ teaspoon Garlic Powder

¼ teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper

¼ teaspoon of Crushed Red Pepper

1 Tablespoon Cornstarch/ or Arrowroot

¾ teaspoon crushed Chicken Bouillon cube

 Did you know your ground spices only last year? How many of you are saying, “I have had a bottle of pumpkin pie spice for three years now.” I say it is time to make some instead of buying it. Pumpkin Pie only uses 1 Tablespoon, the smallest bottle from McCormick is 1.12 ounce that is sold for an price of a whopping $4.49!!

Pumpkin Pie Spice:

½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves

¼ teaspoon of ground ginger

¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg

When I make up spice mixes, I store them in recycled glass jars. I save every glass jar we use, wash it and save them for future use. Not only can you use them for your spices, but for saving Bacon grease (please refrigerate) or discarding used cooking oil or grease from pans.  If you do not save your jars, try plastic containers or zipper storage bags to store your mixes.

 

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Battle Colds and Boost Your Vitamin Intake

The temperature outside Tuesday morning was forty-four degrees; summer is over. Bring on the cold and flu season. In our house, we fight the cold and flu season with fruit smoothies.

 If your children are mine, getting them to swallow a vitamin pill can be more hassle than it is worth. This tasty smoothie has solved the "swallow your pill" fight in our house. We make this two different ways, depending on which ingredient is on hand.  One variation is with Yoplait Light Yogurt, the other with Simply Orange brand orange juice.

I will buy and freeze fresh fruit in the summer for winter use, but you can buy cut-frozen fruit in the freezer section of the grocery store.

This recipe will also accept a vanilla flavored, whey protein powder, without altering the flavor

 

Ingredients:

1 cup of Simply Orange, orange juice / Or 1 container of Yoplait Light yogurt (vanilla, or one of the fruits in the smoothie)

6 whole strawberries, fresh if you have them, can be frozen

1 cup sliced peaches, frozen

1 medium banana,

¼ cup of blueberries, frozen

(If you are using fresh fruit add 6 ice cubes)

Directions:

Place orange juice in blender followed by, blueberries, strawberries, banana, then peaches (and ice if needed)

Blend on high until smooth, if need be you can add warm water ¼ cup at a time.

Should make 16 plus ounces

As always, please pass this page on to your friends! 
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