Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Finding Spices

1-grow your own - basil, thyme, rosemary, sage, cilantro, chives, parsley...
2-Stores:
Big Lots - sometimes Italian seasoning, parsley, ... 67 cents/container.
Aldi's - dried onions, parsley... $1/container
GSF - catering grocery store (no loyalty card needed) $6 for megacontainer cumin, paprika...
Caputos - house brand (not sure) very good prices. I found a megacontainer of cinnamon sticks for $2.50 (used for canning/pickling).
Spice House (Geneva) WOW! Vanilla Beans (4-6 ct) $3-$4 (typically at Jewel cost is $8 for 1 or 2 beans) and the quality WOW! www.thespicehouse.com
Penzis - I have not used them yet. Heard great things. www.penzeys.com
Ethnic Grocers - Cumin, turmeric.... prices good

I premix rice mixes (buttery garlic rice, spanish rice, lemon herb rice, dirty rice... www.hillbillyhousewife.com) and soup mixes (minestrone, chicken tortilla, vegetable, beef barley...), and baked goods (chocolate cake, brownies, muffins). I go through A LOT of spices.

LOVE - dried minced onions. Easy to store, you won't cry from peeling onions and EASY.

2 comments:

  1. We swear by Penzey's. In a lot of cases their prices beat out grocery store prices. And it's good quality. Get on their mailing list and every few months you'll get a coupon for a free 4oz. spice.

    My husband bought a bay plant from a greenhouse when we moved into our first house 11 years ago. It's now a tree that decorates our living room AND provides us with leaves for cooking.

    Can I get your pancake mix recipe?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cinnamon Pancake Mix:
    Pre Mix:
    3 cups all purpose flour (or mixture of wheat.)
    2 tablespoons sugar
    2 tablespoons baking powder
    4 teaspoons cinnamon (or nutmeg)
    1 1/4 teaspoon salt

    Combine all ingredients and place in quart container, shake down if necessary. Store in a cool, dry place up to 6 monthes and makes 2 1/2 batches. If you are using wheat flower, you will need a bit more milk in to thin out pancakes.

    To Prepare:
    3/4 cup milk
    1 egg
    2 tablespoons oil
    1 1/3 cup pancake mix (I automatically size this in a baggie for my husband. Then place both bags in a freezer bag with the instructions.)

    In a medium bowl, combine milk, egg, and oil with a wire wisk. Add pancake mix and stir until moist, and a still a bit lumpy. Cook on lightly greased griddle or in a waffle iron. Makes approximately 12 medium pancakes.

    Add a few blueberries... if you'd like. A great source of dried berries www.justtomatoes.com and add them to your premix. If you have a tax id number, you can get wholesale pricing.

    ReplyDelete