Homemade spice mixes

I love this website - Deals to Meals. She always has great ideas. Here is a link

to the original recipes and how Krista created them. 

HOMEMADE RANCH DRESSING MIX

Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix:
8 T. dried parsley
2 T. dried minced onion
2 T. black pepper
2 T. garlic powder
1 t. paprika
2 t. thyme
2 t. oregano
3 t. salt
2 t. seasoning salt
2 t. dried dill
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Store in a cool, dry place.

Ranch Dip:
1/2 c. mayonnaise (good quality--not lowfat)
1/2 c. sour cream
1 t. lemon juice
1 T. ranch dry mix
*If you want ranch dressing, just add buttermilk or milk to your desired consistency is achieved--you may need a pinch more salt once you thin it out.

Another Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
1 cup mayo
1 cup buttermilk 

1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes

It’s simple! Just put these ingredients in your shaker and shake! Or put them in a bowl and whisk!

HOMEMADE ITALIAN SEASONING/DRESSING MIX

Italian Seasoning Dressing Mix
2 T. garlic salt or powder
2 T. dried minced onion
2 T. sugar
4 T. dried oregano
2 t. black pepper
1 t. dried thyme
2 t. dried basil
2 T. dried parsley
1/2 t. celery salt
4 T. salt
1/2 t. paprika
Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Store in a cool, dry place.

Italian Salad Dressing:
1/4 + 2 T. white vinegar
2/3 c. canola or vegetable oil
2 T. water
1 1/2 T. dry Italian Seasoning Mix
Blend or whisk together until smooth. Serve over your favorite salads.

HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING FOR TACOS OR TACO DIP

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
6 T. dried minced onion
2 1/2 T. salt
2 T. chili powder
1 1/2 T. flour or cornstarch
2 t. red pepper flakes
2 t. garlic powder
1 t. oregano
2 T. cumin
Combine all of the ingredients together and store in a cool, dry place.

Favorite Taco Meat:
2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
2 T. taco seasoning mix (above)
3 T. brown sugar
3 T. sour cream
Brown the ground beef and drain off excess grease. Add the tomato sauce, taco seasoning, and brown sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream and serve in taco shells or tortillas with all of your favorite fixings.

Creamy Taco Dip:
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 t. lime juice  
Chopped cilantro (optional)
1 T. dry taco seasoning mix
Combine together and serve with tortilla chips, with bean dips or with your favorite tacos. 

Umm....the smell of homemade bread

I have been so disguised at the price of bread nowadays and they are not what I want so........

 I decided I needed to make my own.

   (Hot just-out-of-the-oven homemade bread. Yum!)

 I found a great deal on a breadmaker and now we are enjoying GOOD bread. 
I am still playing with recipes (which I will post once I feel comfortable with it) to get exactly what I want but it is healthier, cheaper, and tastes great. 

I have never seen a breadmachine that will make the bread, the jam and the peanut butter. It is sooo cool.

Here are the different settings: 

1) basic bread, 2) wheat wheat, 3) sweet breads, 4) express, 5) gluten-free bread, 6)bread  dough, and 7) jam

 A big thanks to my niece, Jennifer, who taught me to mix the bread dough in the machine, place it in loaf pans and bake it in the oven. Love it.

Sadly, I had a bread machine years ago and hated the bread when it was baked in the machine so I gave it away. Luckily it was to my daughter who uses it all the time.

Make Your Own Instant Oatmeal packets

Don't want to fork over the money on these boxes of packaged oatmeal?

This is a quick, easy and inexpensive way to have instant oatmeal packets around all the time. Here is a link to the original post at Endless Crafting. It's simple to do and the kids will enjoy filling the bags.

In a snack size ziploc bag place the following ingredients:

1/4   cup quick rolled oats

2  Tbsp ground rolled oats (place in blender to grind into a rough flour)

2  Tbsp powdered milk

pinch   of salt

1  Tbsp brown sugar

1/2   tsp cinnamon

*optional add-ins: raisins, mini chocolate chips, dried fruit

When ready to eat add 3/4 cup milk or water to oatmeal and mircowave for 90 seconds.

I like to add a package to my pancake mix to give it a little flavor and more stick-to-your-ribs morning meal.

Laundry "mess"cellaneous

I was reading a fascinating down-to-earth blog (http://commoncentshome.blogspot.com/2010/03/homemade-laundry-detergent.html) - one of my favorites - and she gave a recipe for homemade laundry detergent. I had run out at the time so I decided, why not! I already had all the ingredients so I made it. Of course, I altered it a little. I love it.

Homemade Laundry Detergent
1 cup automatic dishwashing  detergent
2 cups washing soda (or regular baking soda)
2 cups Borax (easy to find in the laundry aisle)
1 cup Oxy-clean

Mix all ingredients. Store in a large ice cream bucket.

Use 1/4 cup per load of laundry. This is a highly concentrated mixture and does not create suds.

These mixtures are eco-friendly!

Homemade Pre-treatment Spray (safe on colors)
1/2 cup ammonia
1/4 cup liquid dish soap
2 tbsp. Borax
1/3 cup white vinegar
3 cups water
Combine in spray bottle. Shake well.


Other hints:
*Add one cup of white vinegar to each load to make whites whiter and colors brighter. It also reduces static and disinfects.
*Add 1/4 cup Oxi-clean to every load.
*Oil, grease, ring-around-the-collar stains: Rub a dab of shampoo into the stain. Wah-lah! (Cheap shampoo is quite harsh and can remove color on non-colorfast clothing so use it on a unnoticeable spot first.)
*Kool-Aid/punch stain: Fill bucket with water; add denture cleaner
*If you run out of laundry soap, you can use dish soap or shampoo as a temporary substitute.

Great deals of the week (April 25-May 1)

After reading my sister-in-law Cynthia's blog about posting her menu for a week, I knew that would be a disaster for me and very disappointing for those who believe I'm a good cook. I might try posting meals sometime in the future, stay tuned. I love to cook but I don't cook every night because I'm not, or my family is not, always home because I'm running Duncan here, there and everywhere, attending a function or doing church callings. We eat a lot of leftovers, sandwiches, or cereal.

But I got the idea to tell my great deals I find each week. So here goes for this week. If I find more, I'll edit the post so it could change.

Non-Food
**At Staples.com, I bought two 20 pack AA Duracell batteries for $19.98 (free shipping) with a $19.98 rebate. Cost = FREE!!
**Suave shampoo, 15oz. Cost = 49 cents
**The Children's Place.com has sale items with a current 15% off your order (Code: C4A4A - expires 05/12/10) Yeah!!!
**Photoshop Elements 8 and Premier Elements 8 bundle (regularly $135) $74.00 with free 3-day shipping and $30 rebate. Cost: $44.00 Woo-hoo!

Groceries
**Yoplait yogurt was 60 cents each. The manager added a 25 cent coupon, used a manufacturer coupon for 50 cents off six. Cost = 26 cents each.
**Broccoli flowerettes (just the tops) Cost = 69 cents per lb.