Dry Seasonings

How many times do you read in recipes...Italian mix, Ranch mix, etc.  Not everyone has those on hand and to be honest, have you actually read the ingredients in pre-packaged versions?  Not exactly the healthiest choice (but hey...sometimes we are in a hurry!)

I purchased these little jars a few years ago...I'm not even sure from where to be honest with you.  I don't even think they were made to keep spices, but the lids are airtight and I can use my chalk pen to write on the glass bottom.  So, I have fallen in love with these little containers.

Back to the whole purpose of this lesson in spices.  Here is a list of some spices I have collected over the years and that I tend to use throughout my time in the kitchen.  Put them together, use them and then be creative and make some up yourself!

Ranch Mix:

2 Tbsp. Parsley

1.5 tsp Dill Weed

2 tsp Garlic Powder

2 tsp Onion Powder

2 tsp Onion flakes

1 tsp Chives

~ 1 tsp each Salt & Pepper

Mix together dry seasonings.  You can also grind up in a food processor or coffee grinder to make a finer grain of mix.  Add 1 Tbsp to 1/3 cup Greek Yogurt and 1/4 cup Milk to make dressing.  

**For Fiesta Ranch Mix...add .5-2 tsp Cayenne or other suitable red pepper...it's all up to your own tastebuds!

Mediterranean Mix:

*borrowed from 21 Day Fix*

4 Tbsp Parsley

4 tsp Onion Flake

2 tsp Basil

1 tsp Oregano

1 tsp Thyme

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Sea Salt & Pinch of Pepper

Smokey Southwestern Mix

*borrowed from 21 Day Fix*

1 Tbsp Chili Powder

2 tsp Ground Cumin

1 tsp Coriander

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

12 tsp Oregano

1/2 tsp Smoked paprika

1 tsp Sea Salt

Penner just absolutely LOVES his taco seasoning.  I'm not opposed...however, I prefer less ingredients.  You know, like ones I can actually say without having to sound them out.  It's always nice to actually know what the ingredient is as well without having to Google that ish, LOL.  We love using this recipe instead.

All Purpose:

*borrowed from 21 Day Fix*

4 tsp Onion Powder

2 tsp Garlic Powder

2 tsp Mustard Powder

1/4 tsp Thyme

1/4 tsp Pepper

1 tsp Sea Salt

Pumpkin Pie:

1 tsp Ground ginger

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1/4 tsp Clove

1/4 tsp Cardamom

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

Herbs de Provence:

2 Tbsp Each

Savory, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Basil, Marjoram, Fennel

Mix together dry seasonings.  You can also grind down into a finer grain, but this can be used as a wonderful rub,  You can also add tarragon or sage while removing other ingredients...this is a very flexible seasoning.

Watermelon Mint Popsicles

Sometimes I help out at my mom's fabulous store...if you don't know it, you NEED to know it!  We Olive is an awesome place to get certified EVOO, boutique wines, hand crafted items and killer gourmet foods.  Don't forget about the wine bar with tapas!!  Go check out their website for more info!

But back to the main reason I'm blogging today...they do these fabulous wine pairings to include wine makers coming out!  I like to help out with the pairing and plating during these dinners...hey, I get a full wine pairing dinner for free out of it!

The most recent one was a 5 course pairing with Don Suhr, the wine maker over at Suhr Luchtel Cellars.  We decided to do a palate cleanser on the 3rd course...little did I know I would be eating these tasty little morsels for the next month!  Even the hubby loved them! 

I don't have pictures of the process, but I do have a picture of the final product.  Don't worry...it's super easy to do.  I love my food processor, but you can easily do this project with a blender.  

Print Recipe:

1/2 Medium Seedless Watermelon

1/2 Lime

About 6 Mint Leaves

1/4 tsp Honey (optional)

Need:

30 1 oz plastic cups (or other item to create popsicles...can make bigger if you'd like)

30 "Popsicle sticks"

How:

Puree all ingredients together.  Taste them...add more of any ingredient to make the flavor to your tastebuds.  Pour into your popsicle containers...put in freezer.

When about 1/2 frozen, add your popsicle sticks to the center of your containers, then leave in freezer to finish.  You can keep your popsicles in a plastic container or baggie after fully frozen and removed from containers.

Lightbulb! I just thought of adding in some jalapeno/habanero to this watermelon popsicle.  Now, that would be interesting!

Alright all...keep on trying new things and let me know how it works out!