I’ve been out of town and there’s so much to catch up about.  But first I’d like to give you a post that’s actually useful .

Our large family uses a lot of spice mixes especially ranch dressing mix; taco seasoning; and onion soup mix.  I’ve never purchased a packet of seasoning from the store–it’s too expensive for my sensitivities .  But I have gotten tired of running out of seasoning and having to make it on the fly.  Life is much easier since I’ve put together a whole quart of stuff at a time.

While the spices make beautiful layered art in the jars, I give them a good long shake before using to make sure everything is mixed well.

Also, these jars look really cute with chalkboard labels cut out of chalkboard contact paper.  I’ll do that one day.  For now, just imagine how cute it would be .

To save money, I use the $1 jars of spices found at Dollar Tree; Walmart; and Aldi.

Quart Taco Seasoning Mix:

1 cup chili powder

1 cup dried onion flakes

¾ cup ground cumin

¾ cup garlic salt

1/3 cup truvia (or sugar)

3 Tbs Paprika

Add 2 Tbs to season 1 lb of browned ground meat.  (Add a little water if you like to help it mix in better.)

Quart Onion Soup Mix:

2 ½ cups dried minced onion

1 cup onion powder

1 cup MSG free beef bullion

1 tsp stevia

1 tsp celery seed

4 Tablespoons equals 1 packet of purchased mix

Quart Ranch Dressing Mix:

2/3 c onion powder

2/3 c garlic powder

½ c salt

2 Tbs pepper

2/3  cup dried parsley

2/3 cup dried chives

¼ cup dill (opt)

¼ cup stevia (opt)

2 Tbs = 1 mix packet.  Use in recipes or to make dressing add to 1 cup mayo and 1 cup buttermilk, plain yogurt, or sour cream.  You can thin to desired consistency with milk or water. Shake well before using.  This tastes better after chilling for several hours.

There are a few other recipes I’m considering adapting to quart size:  Like our Fajita mix; veggie dip mix; beef stew mix, spaghetti sauce mix, and chili mix.

What is your favorite spice mix? If you can, share the recipe in the comments below.  We’ll all love you