Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Tis the Seasonings. . .

In the back of my mind, I have wanted to do this for a while.  And, I finally did!  I made my own taco seasoning, dry onion soup mix, and dry ranch mix.  It was pathetically easy.  Why did it take me so long to try?  I don't know.  I found these recipes on http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/recipes-2/condiments.  

Taco Seasoning:

1/2 cup chili powder
1/4 cup onion powder
1/8 cup ground cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon sea salt

Put ingredients into a jar and shake.




Dry Onion Soup Mix:
2/3 cup dried, minced onion
3 teaspoons parsley flakes
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Mix all ingredients in a jar, then give the jar a good shake.  I’d recommend shaking the jar to mix the ingredients well before each use. 
Use 4 tablespoons in a recipe in place of 1 packet of onion soup mix.  Store this in a dry, cool place. 




Ranch:
5 tablespoons dried minced onions
7 teaspoons parsley flakes
4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Mix together and store in an air tight container.
For dressing: Mix 2 tablespoons dry mix with 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup buttermilk or sour cream.
For dip:  Mix 2 tablespoons dry mix with 2 cups sour cream.
Mix up a few hours before serving, so the flavors all blend.




Here are my finished products.  I doubled each of the recipes and ended up with a perfect amount for a pint jar.  They are delicious and I feel so much better using these than store-bought seasoning mixes that are full of MSG and lots of other unnecessary and unhealthy chemicals. :)




www.thegrantlife.com




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94 comments:

  1. Great ideas, Jamie! I'm definitely going to try these!

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  2. Awesome! You need to figure out what to put in a Spaghetti Seasoning mix. Also you should post the amazing Fajita seasoning recipe I gave you. Just a thought. :)

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    1. I am looking for an amazing Fajita Seasoning recipe. Care to share?

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    2. Here: http://mixitupcookbook.blogspot.ca/2011/02/fajita-seasoning-mix.html

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    3. I have made a spaghetti seasoning with basil, onion flakes, garlic powder, and salt and pepper.

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  3. This is so fun! I'm looking for ideas for neighbor gifts. This is a great one! You always post such fun ideas. Thanks!
    ~Diana

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  4. I am adding this to my Pinterest food board...such a good idea...

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  5. Love this. We going to be featuring it tomorrow on Over the Big Moon!

    http://overthebigmoon.blogspot.com/

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  6. I would love a Greek seasonings recipe!

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    1. This one is my favorite. I also have a Greek salad dressing mix and tzaziki mix
      http://mixitupcookbook.blogspot.ca/2011/05/souvlaki-mix.html

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  7. Wow! I'm so excited to try this! Thanks for sharing the recipes!

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  8. ok, I'm the cooking-challenged person who has to ask- can you buy dried-minced-onion? or do you have to make it first?

    this is great, I use these mixes sprinkled over chicken or pork- to bake or in the crockpot, for really easy dinners :) making them will be much healthier and less expensive.

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    1. Yes, it's usually in the same aisle as spices and seasonings.

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  9. Have you ever tried to make the ranch dairy free? I really miss ranch dressing!!

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    1. I haven't tried it but I bet coconut milk in the place of sour cream would work, you would have to add it slowly until the right consistency.

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    2. Tofutti makes a dairy free sour cream. It tastes great!

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    3. I bet rice milk yogurt would work also. I have a gf/milk free/soy free kid.

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    4. I am lactose intolerant and use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream!

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    5. I use soy milk to make my ranch, just use whatever type of milk you prefer in place of the buttermilk

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  10. Thanks for all of the publicity of my blog! It has really gotten me motivated to spruce things up a bit. :)

    Hen Jen, I used dehydrated onion (store bought--I buy the large #10 cans for food storage) and then I put it in my food processor for just a few seconds to make it a little more minced.

    Brittany, I have not done dairy free, but that would be interesting to look into. Thanks for the idea.

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  11. Thanks so much for these ideas!! I love when I can make homemade instead of buying processed! Can you tell me the number of servings each of these make? Or how much total it makes? Thanks!

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  12. When I made these, I doubled each recipe. So, the taco seasoning and the onion soup mix each made about 2 cups, perfect for a pint jar. The ranch only made about 1 cup (with a double recipe). So, I'm not sure what a serving size would be, but 2 cups is about 32 tablespoons, 1 cup being 16 tablespoons. Hope that helps! Thanks!

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  13. Ohhh.. thank you for sharing these seasonings! I am going to make them for Christmas gifts. I would love for you to share this at my friday link party too :)

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  14. For the person asking about dairy free- you can get dairy free mayo (look with vegan foods- I don't know where you are so I don't know what store you would look at) and you would probably have to experiment to see what type of soy or rice milk in what quantity would give you the right thickness dressing. I'm going to have to try that myself, given my husband's allergy to dairy.

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    1. Mayo itself is dairy free, so you don't need to look for anything special, other than to avoid lots of extra additives. There are sour creams made with soy and others with oats that work for this sort of thing. Also, if you've never checked into it, see if you dairy allergic person is allergic to milk protein, lactose, or something else. You can Google for more info, but if it is milk protein, you should try sheep milk/cheese and goats milk/cheese, as those are better for you than the soy ones, and are more versatile. It just depends on the allergy. In my family cow's milk protein is the problem, but goat and sheep milks are fine. Good luck!

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  15. Wow!!! Thanks for posting this- I have celiac and have been looking for GF recipes for this! Perfect!

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  16. Thank you again for linkin up your awesome seasonings. Cant wait to make these as gifts :) Make sure you link up your newest and enter my TinyPrints giveaway :)

    Friday link up and features!

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  17. These are awesome recipes! Quick question - when using the onion soup mix, how much sour cream do you add to make the dip? I can't remember and I don't have any packets around to look at.

    Thanks again for posting these... AWESOME!

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    1. I think you'd use 1 pint of sour cream to about 4 tablespoons of mix, might want to try less then, add as you go.

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  18. I am not one to measure some things...but I would guess around 2 tablespoons or so. Taste it and then add more if it needs it. :) Sorry I'm not more helpful about that!

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  19. Of course... start small and add more by taste. Now I know I'm really tired. :D

    Thanks Jamie!

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  20. About how much taco seasoning would you use per pound of meat? Thanks! I can't wait to try this!

    tamara @ www.becomingearthycrunchy.blogspot.com

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  21. FYI: you have a typo in your banner quote.

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  22. Tamara- I use about 1-2 Tablespoons...although I usually just sprinkle it on without measuring. I like to add a can of tomato sauce with the meat, too, to make it creamy. :)

    Thanks Unknown! I fixed it. My hubby is my editor, so I'll blame him! ;)

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  23. If these are being stored in a mason jar, do they have a shelf life?

    I'm absolutely going to be making these! Thank you! (PS - found the post through pinterest)

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  24. Ang, with them being in a glass jar, I would give them at least a year...as long as the spices still smell like they should it is okay. Now, if you were to vacuum seal the lids on for long term storage, it should be good for several years...not exactly sure how many, but at I would guess at least 5. Thanks! I really enjoy mine!

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  25. Thanks so much for posting this! I am actually making some of these for Christmas gifts!

    Thanks again for sharing!

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  26. I am going to try the taco seasoning out as soon as go to the store and get the one spice I'm missing! Thank you for sharing this and if you get a chance please stop by my fledgeling blog: http://yellowhouseon3rd.blogspot.com/

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  27. Thanks for posting these all in one place. I've been looking for a myo ranch alternative for ever!

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  28. I made the ranch one dairy-free by using soymilk and a splash of lemon juice. I would guess that it was maybe 1/2 tsp? This will make it like soured milk. I also did not use all of the milk, add it slowly to see how runny it gets. The soymilk is not as thick as traditional buttermilk. My daughter is dairy free (allergic to milk protein) and this was her first taste of ranch, she did not like it, but I think it is in her head that she can't have it so we will try it again another day!

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  29. Wow, great to know! Thanks for sharing. I just posted these to my pinterest board.

    http://prettyfineday.blogspot.com/

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  30. I saw this on Pinterest -- just a couple pins away from a neat idea that I thought I'd share. Did you know that the lid from a Parmesan cheese container fits on a canning jar? It's how I'm going to store my homemade spice mixes from now on. :)

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  31. That is a very handy little tip. Thanks, CherubMamma!

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  32. Does the ranch taste like a ranch packet? I've seen recipes but they call for milk powder so I'd like yours instead if the flavor is the same :)

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  33. I haven't really used ranch packets before, but I think this recipe tastes wonderful. I like Hidden Valley Ranch more than any other ranch, but when I used this recipe, I loved it. By the way, I don't know if dairy is an issue for you but I made some using plain greek yogurt instead of buttermilk and it was sooooo good! It turns out a little thicker, but is a great dip. I could have eaten a whole bag of carrots. :)

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  34. Thanks so much for posting this--I linked to it over on my blog and look forward to using these!

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  35. I Love this!! thanks for sharing! yay to avoiding processed anything. and i Love love love spices.. all they do is give you flavor & many health benefits.. who knew something so little can make such a big difference.

    Dareen
    http://www.IngeniousHealth.com
    Follow me on twitter @IngeniousHealth

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  36. For any of you who were wondering, this is from the site the Taco Seasoning recipe came from... "Three Tablespoons of Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix is equal to one 4-ounce package of taco seasoning mix. I would recommend adding 3 Tablespoons of mix to one pound of browned ground meat for tacos." Awesome!
    Would I just increase the chili powder to make it spicy? We love HOT!

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    1. I posted this question before seeing your post..thanks so much it really helped!

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  37. Just made all three. My daughter suffers from severe migraines so we are trying to eliminate all MSG from her diet. This was a wonderful find. I let my children mix these up and they really enjoyed it.

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  38. Thanks I found this on Pinterest. I live in Ecuador and we don't have Taco seasoning or Ranch packets here.

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  39. Found this on pinterest, and I can't thank you enough for posting it! I am in living in Morocco and Ranch is unheard of hear, as is Sour Cream, but I can find buttermilk, so I can't wait to make the Ranch!

    Heidi Raki of Raki's Rad Resources

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  40. Thanks for sharing. I love this idea.

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  41. Thank you for sharing these! I have a child who cannot have MSG due to migraines and I am always looking for alternatives. Just found you on Pinterest.

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  42. Replies

    1. I have a chili seasoning mix that I make up. It makes about 3-4 batches of the best chili I've ever had! Just toss in a few cans of beans (I now use extra beans rather than meat), a couple cans of tomatoes, small can of tomato sauce and some sauteed peppers and onions, and you've got a batch of chili that even meat-eating hunters love!

      http://heatherseden.blogspot.com/2009/04/archive-show-me-your-chili.html

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  43. Wonderful recipes, I will give them all a try, I hate the added MSG in the store mixes, so this will be wonderful to find a replacement, thanks for sharing your recipes!!

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  44. Oh can you please come up with one for spaghetti seasoning? Those packets are so darn expensive.

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  45. The packets of ranch by lipton do not have onion chunks. I would like to use onion powder. How much do I need to use instead of the flakes? I usually make the packets with water and they come out great! I use 3/4 of a cup of water instead of a cup of milk. It will thicken after standing so I make it a bit thinner. I rather it thicker and then thin later. I'm really looking forward to making this! Sure hope it can be made with onion powder! >^,,^<

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  46. @mrschc....if the onion powdered/minced onion is anything like the powdered/minced garlic, it's an even swap. One tsp of one is equal to one tsp of another. I just happened to look at this last week when shopping for some spices. :) HTH

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  47. Love these! Going to experiment with it when I move into my new apartment at school in September. Great blog, look forward to reading your other posts!

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  48. I've used this spice mix for years for spaghetti sauce. It's modified from a lasagna recipe in the Betty Crocker's cookbook. Please, feel free to test it, modify it, and create the perfect spice mix! Please post if you do.

    1/2 tsp. onion powder (1/2 cup fresh in original recipe)
    1/8 tsp. garlic powder
    2 Tbsp parsley flakes
    1 tsp. sugar (I leave out due to sugar-free diet)
    1 tsp. dried basil leaves
    (1/2 tsp. salt - only if using no salt added tomatoes - I'd salt to taste at the end)
    Add spice mix to 1 can of tomato sauce (15 oz.) and 1 can of whole tomatoes (15 oz.) broken up

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  49. how do i print your recipes i signed up to get your blog. send comment to mkkiki2@aol.com

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  50. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  51. the ranch is amazing!!! I tried it as a dip and we couldn't stop eating it. I won't buy the packaged stuff again. Thanks :)

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  52. Thanks, Jackie! I can't stop eating it either when I make it! Bring on the veggies. :)

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  53. I know what my weekend project is going to be... :)
    Thanks for sharing!

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  54. on the taco seasoning is there a certain amount to add to each pound of meat? say like 1-2 tablespoons for a pound of meat?

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  55. Sounds awesome. Thanks for the recipes. I even know where to find all the ingredients. :)

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  56. THese look great! I'm definitely gonna try 'em out! Thanks! :)

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  57. I have one for seasoning salt I call Jimmy's:

    5 parts salt, 4 parts sugar, 4 parts new mexico red chili powder, 3 parts black pepper, and 3 parts granulated garlic.

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    1. Thanks, gonna try this. What I use is for either.
      Seasoned Pepper or Salt
      1/2 cup ground black pepper OR salt, not both together
      1 tablespoon paprika
      1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
      1/4 teaspoon allspice
      1/4 teaspoon celery salt
      1/4 teaspoon curry powder
      1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
      1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
      1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
      1/4 teaspoon onion powder
      ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional with seasoned pepper)

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  58. All seasonings are very good, but the ranch needs half the salt. Not sure why there is so much in it. Just cut salt in half and its perfect.

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  59. I thought the same thing with the ranch so I made another double batch minus the salt and mixed it with the double batch I already made.

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  60. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  61. Someone is selling these recipes as a download and using your photos. Did you authorize that?
    http://www.listia.com/auction/8132795-3-recipes-ranch-onion-soup-taco

    If not, you can contact Listia.com moderators here:
    347) 254-7842

    complaint form
    http://help.listia.com/attachments/token/dnwmhgif0tchkbv/?name=NoCI.pdf

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    1. Thanks so much! I have the complaint form all filled out and ready to send in. I did not authorize anything.

      Delete

  62. Do you know about dried buttermilk powder? It would be a great addition to the ranch. It does clump kind of easily though, I've found.

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  63. How much of the taco seasoning do you use in place of a packet of taco seasoning? Thanks

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  64. This FB page is using your entire recipe and picture, which is illegal. I suggest you report it to FB as using your images. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=439400749482143&set=a.226405454115008.57104.159709350784619&type=1&theater

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    1. Thanks Bobbie. I am starting to run into that problem a lot. I guess I never thought this post would become so popular. Otherwise I would have made my labels nicer! Ha ha!

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  65. How much of the taco seasoning would equal one packet of store-bought taco seasoning?

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  66. Es una idea genial, mil gracias.

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