The Family Table: Homemade Seasoning Blends

Homemade Seasoning Blends 

In my ongoing effort to cut costs over the years as I was raising my family of seven children, one of the most invaluable tips I ever got was how to make my own seasoning blends for various recipes. It sounds like a simple little tip (and it really is) but I can only imagine how much money it's saved my grocery budget over the last 40+ years of making my own. 

Instead of relying on pre-packaged spice blends from the grocery store (which are often quite expensive) I learned how to easily make my own, and even how to grow many of my own ingredients for them. And if you've never done it before, it's much easier than you might think.  

Growing your own basil, oregano, rosemary, onions, sweet & hot peppers and garlic for all of these blends, considerably reduces the overall cost of each one.  You don't even need much space to do this, as all of them can be easily grown in small pots and then harvested, dried and powdered/crushed for a wide variety of uses. Be sure to check out Darcy's tips & videos at The Purposeful Pantry on how to create your own veggie (and fruit) powders for a wide variety of uses.

These are my family's most used & most loved seasoning blends that cost mere pennies for the same sized jar that costs anywhere from $6.99 and $8.99 at my local Canadian grocery store. Made at home, with most of the ingredients also grown at home, it comes out to roughly 75 cents for each one.

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BBQ Spice Blend/Rub

This blend is most used on grilled/air-fried chicken and pork and hamburger patties.

2 teaspoons salt

2 Tablespoons smoked paprika (or powdered red pepper)

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoons onion powder

pinch of nutmeg (optional)

2 Tablespoons brown sugar (optional)

Blend well & store in air-tight glass container.

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Quesadilla Seasoning

This blend is most used on beef or chicken quesadillas or beef & refried bean burritos.

2 Tablespoons smoked paprika (or powdered red pepper)

2 Tablespoons cumin

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Blend well & store in air-tight glass container. 

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Taco Seasoning

This is by far my family's most loved seasoning. I refill this one the most, and usually triple the recipe. 

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper or jalapeno pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Blend all spices well & store in air-tight glass jar.

For taco meat: 1/4 cup seasoning to 3/4 cup water with 1 lb. ground beef, chicken or turkey for seasoned meat. Cook meat until done, add seasoning and water, simmer on low uncovered, until water is reduced. 

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Italian Seasoning

Best for any Italian pasta dish such as spaghetti, ravioli, canneloni, lasagna, etc. that calls for Italian seasoning. I usually make a double or triple batch of this since we have Italian dishes quite often. 

4 Tablespoons basil

2 Tablespoons oregano

2 Tablespoons rosemary

2 Tablespoons marjoram

2 Tablespoons thyme

2 Tablespoons red pepper flakes

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I hope these seasoning blend recipes have encouraged you to create your own and help you see how easy it is trim your own grocery budget. 

Please feel welcome to share your thoughts or questions in the comment section below, and I hope you have an incredible, blessed day!  

The Family Table: Meal Planning

All the while I was growing up and even while my own kids were growing up, some of the most important conversations happened at the kitchen table. Setting the table, during dinner, family game night, doing homework and even folding laundry. Plans were made, vacations were planned, dreams were shared, announcements were made and questions were asked & answered. It was pretty much the heart of the home.💖  

When I returned to social media in 2023 one of the first things I noticed right away was how many young Christian wives and mothers were asking for tips & advice in a very specific area. Everything from guidance on household management, grocery shopping, meal planning and anything else related to caring for their families. And the cool thing is, there doesn't seem to be a shortage of really good answers to all those questions!  It immediately reminded me of that old family table & the wisdom shared there. 

I'm far too long-winded for twitter/X on some things so, when I see a great question there I'm going to pop in here and share some thoughts on what works for me & advice I've picked up along the way. I'm not an expert in anything really (and don't claim to be) but I do have nearly 42 years of being a wife & mom of seven kids so, that's all the qualifications that I have. I'm going to call this new little section of my blog The Family Table (not to be confused with Jess at The Farmer's Table, who you should absolutely subscribe to right away!) and I hope it serves to bless whoever happens to come along. 

I was trained in the art & science of domesticity by my grandma (she simply called it "keepin' house") who grew up during the drepression. Most of what I've learned came from her, I'm honored to say.    

So without further yammering, the questions in a thread I saw the other day were all about how to go about meal planning. Wondering how to do it, where to start, what works best, why it matters, how it helps, etc. Really good questions, all of them.

Really fun & simple answer? Start with a Weather Forecast meal plan format for all your family's dinner/main meals of the day. Then, plan all the baking, prepping & shopping around the upcoming weather for the next week or however long you set your meal plans up. 

• Is it going to be warm & pleasant?  Grilled meats, sandwiches, salads, finger foods. Pile on the fresh veggies & seasonal fruits. Then, freeze all leftover meats & veggies for use in your next soup, stew or casserole.
• Cool & blustery? Get out the soup, stew, chili & chowder recipes.  Plan the usual sides to go with each. Any leftovers, freeze in single servings for lunches.
• Dark of winter? All your favorite casseroles, roasts, pasta & rice dishes.  Again, freeze all leftovers in singles for lunches or whatever best way works for your household. When my kids were growing up, we'd have "Leftover Night" potluck type dinner at least once a week, where everyone got to pick their own dinner.   

It may sound obvious to folks that have been doing this for a long time but I know the first time I heard it suggested, it gave me a jumping off place with my own ideas on what kinds of foods to make & helped me get way more organized. Not to mention saving money on groceries by getting into the habit of storing up leftovers for the next meal or to pack in someone's lunch. It's a meal plan format I've followed for over 40 years now, and it works pretty well. I've added all sorts of recipes to each type of meal that have become family favorites over the years, so that also helps keep things fresh & fun with new recipes being added. 

Thanks for stopping by, and I sure hope this has blessed you in some way. 😊