Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Homemade mixes and spices

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I made this little graphic/directions tag and printed it on stickers I stuck to canning jars last year for Christmas.

You can make your own homemade mixes very inexpensively and if you can't figure out on your own what ingredients used, you can google it online and find it, although it may take a little detective work and trial and error.

There are home sales companies that sell the beer bread for over $5.00 a box..add to that, a beer, butter and turn on the oven, what do you suppose that loaf of bread is not costing you?


They are easy to make at home and cheap!


Make a few batches up, and put in a canning jar and give as a gift with a can of beer and a cute tag attached with baking instructions. You can put a batch in a plastic bag too and have several on hand.

I gave these out last Christmas with cans of beer..such a cute gift.


I promise you won't know the difference between this and the one's that sell for 5+ dollars.

Shannon

The first four ingredients are what you put in a bag, or canning jar to give as a gift and include the instructions on what else to add to bake it.


Beer Batter Bread Makes

1 loaf

3 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 bottle (12 ounces) beer, at room temperature

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Add the beer all at once, mixing as little as possible; the batter should be lumpy. Pour the batter into a 9-x-5-x-3-inch loaf pan and brush with the melted butter. Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack to cool.

PS you can add cheese to this or jalapeno peppers or whatever you would any other beer bread.


Here are some recipes I got from a friend.

Taco Seasoning Mix Ole'

3/4 cup dried minced onion

1/4 cup salt

1/4 cup chili powder

1 Tbsp. dried oregano

2 Tbsp. each cornstarch, crushed dried red pepper, dried minced garlic, ground cumin


Add 2 Tbsp. dry mix to 1 lb. ground beef and 1/2 cup water.

Heat through.


This Taco Mix makes almost 2 cups of mix, enough for 12 batches using 1 lb. beef each.

I keep LOTS of this on hand to flavor soups, stews, sauteed chicken breasts , meatloaves,meatballs, and for bean and cheese tacos as well as chicken meat tacos.

Italian Seasoning

1/3 c. dry crushed oregano

1/3 cup dry basil

2 Tbsp. rosemary

1/4 cup each thyme, sage, and marjoram

Makes 1-1/4 cups.


Onion Powder and Garlic Powder

Did you know you can make your own onion powder by grinding dried minced onions? And garlic powder can be made by grinding dried minced garlic in a blender or coffee mill.


Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/4 cup cinnamon

1 Tbsp. allspice

1-1/2 tsp. each ginger and nutmeg

1 tsp. cloves



Homemade Chili Powder

2 Tbsp. cumin

1 Tbsp. each cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder

1 tsp. each allspice, cloves, oregano

Makes about 1/3 cup.

We found this one to be less economical than store-bought chili powder, so always be sure to figure out prices! This is one project where growing and drying your own herbs and spices would be a tremendous benefit.


Down Home Apple Pie Spice

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

1-1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. ground allspice

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Store, tightly covered, in a cool dry place


Self-Rising Flour

Combine:

1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Mix well. Store in an airtight container.


Homemade Confectioner's Sugar

Have you run out of confectioner's sugar and need some FAST?

Just whiz:

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 c. cornstarch

in your blender until mixture is a fine powder.Use as confectioner's sugar.

To get you started, here is a site that has homemade mixes. You can google and find dozens and dozens more.

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