Recipe: My Simple Rice Pilaf Mix Can Make Any Meal Special Without Much Fuss!

If you read my blog regularly, then you know that I love good food and easy recipes.  Lately, I have been experimenting with making my own homemade convenience mixes like this great Savory Rice Pilaf Mix that I want to share with you today.

What makes my version so delicious is how the herb and spice combination heighten the flavor of plain rice beyond your expectations.    

I do hope you will make up a batch because it is wonderful to have on hand. This recipe will save you time, money, and make you a star in your own kitchen.

My Savory Rice Pilaf Mix

4-1/2 tablespoons of dried oregano
3/4 cup of dried basil leaves
1 tablespoons of sugar
2-1/2 tablespoons of dried thyme leaves
3 tablespoons of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons of coriander
1 teaspoon of curry powder
1 tablespoon of salt


Mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container.

When you are ready to use, you need two tablespoons for each cup of rice or whatever other grain you normally use in your recipe.

ENJOY!

Recipe: My Easy Taco Seasoning Mix Will Save You Time and Money

If you love tacos, then you will like my convenient recipe to make your own taco mix.   You’ll find the flavor just as zesty and delicious when you make tacos with this blend. However, you’ll time, money, and the need to order your tacos out.

For those watching their salt intake, you may notice that I skipped the salt.  Instead, the seasonings do enough to beautifully bring out the flavor.  Nonetheless, do feel free to add salt if you miss it.  Seriously though, I do not think that you will once you taste this.

I do hope that you will try my recipe one day!

My Easy Taco Seasoning Mix

½ cup instant minced onion
2 tablespoons of chili powder
3 tablespoons of dried oregano
1 teaspoon of dried cumin powder
3 tablespoons of cornstarch
2 tablespoons of dried basil leaves
2 tablespoons of crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons of garlic powder

Mix the ingredients together and store in an airtight container.  
All you do when you prepare your normal recipe is to take 1-1/2 tablespoons of this mix for each pound of ground turkey or ground beef to flavor it just so.  

Recipe: If You Love Oatmeal Cookies, You Got to Try My Incredible Oatmeal Cookie Mix!

Meet the cookie chef that assists with baking.

Those of you that appreciate that hearty goodness that only oatmeal cookies can supply will really go wild over the recipe that I have for you today.  My Incredible Oatmeal Cookie Mix is a convenient one to have on hand whenever the urge for something sweet and chewy strikes like it does so often at our house.

Besides being so handy and simple to whip up, what else is fantastic about this delicious recipe is you can add ingredients such as nuts, raisins, coconut, chocolate chips, sunflower seeds to fragrant spices for a slightly different variety of oatmeal cookie.

One quick tip I would like to pass on concerns using baking soda.  Be sure to level it and sift with your flour to prevent those nasty tasting sour spots that can occur when just adding the soda by itself.

Good things are meant to be shared so I honestly hope you try my recipe because I know that you’ll love it! 

My Incredible Oatmeal Cookie Mix

1-1/2 cups of sugar

1-1/2 cups of brown sugar (light or dark)

1-1/2 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of baking powder

2 cups of shortening

6 cups of rolled oats

3 cups of flour

Sift the sugars, salt, flour, soda, and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl.

Cut in the shortening to resemble coarse crumbs.

Add the rolled oats next and mix through to combine.

Store the prepared mix in a cool place or your refrigerator.

To Bake a Batch:

4 cups of this oatmeal cookie mix

2 large eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons of vanilla

All you do is to mix those ingredients together. 

Drop using a teaspoon or a small ice cream scoop onto your greased cookie sheet. 

Flatten with a fork and bake in a 350-degree oven for about 12 minutes (depending on how your oven is regulated) or until lightly browned.  

Test with a toothpick to see if anything sticks.

Options:

Chopped nuts (about ½ cup)

Raisins (about ½ cup)

Flaked coconut (about ½ cup)

Chocolate Chips (about ½ cup)

Sunflower Seeds (about ½ cup)

For a spice version add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves

ENJOY!

Save Money and Make Your Own Sweetened Condensed Milk With My Easy Recipe!

With the holidays swooping in, you're probably already thinking about what you're going to be baking this year.  Since many of those special desserts often call for sweetened condensed milk, I have a recipe that can save you money instead of buying that more expensive commercial version.  Even more satisfying is how simple making your own sweetened condensed milk at home can be.

What I'm sharing with you makes about three cups of sweetened condensed milk and will come to about half the cost of those ready-made cans.

The next time you need sweetened condensed milk for that recipe, I do hope you'll try my recipe because you will be delightfully surprised at the results!

Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk Nuts Style!

4 cups instant powdered milk
1 cup of hot water
2 cups of sugar
4 tablespoons of melted margarine (not spread) or butter

Mix the above ingredients in your blender until smooth.

Now place in covered container or jar and store in your refrigerator until needed.