The little birds...

If you watch little birds you will see they are busy and happy! Using whatever they can find they create the most gorgeous little nest.
I would be the little bird with some glittery thread in her nest!
We can be like this. Happily working away with the things that are available to us to create a beautiful and happy home.
All the while with a little song in our heart.

Banner by Free Pretty Things for You.

Sunday 6 August 2017

Pantries and Preparedness. Money (and space) saving dry mixes.

I love this subject!  We can really expand our pantries,  our recipe selection, we can save a lot of money, time and pantry space... all with making our own dry mixes.

Actually I am amazed how much these save and help.  Equally... how much a jar of mix saves space wise.  One of my big jars of mix is equal to over 20 cans of chicken soup. The space difference is incredible.
At first I had to be convinced that these substitutes would really do the job.  The cream of chicken soup mix won me over as it is beautiful!



As the year has gone on and I have learned more I have been able to drop a lot of things from the shopping list.  Some of the things I not longer buy are bread, pizza bases (let alone pizzas!) Naan Bread, buns, raita, gravy, tinned soups, stock... and this doesn't include cleaning products as I hardly buy any of those.  Now I am eliminating the Butter chicken packet mixes I usually buy. They are just a packet of flavour base to add to the chicken as you cook. They are gone!  And also Enchilada sauce. This stuff is expensive!  And the whole family love it when I make Enchiladas. So Vicky has helped me with her family favourite recipe and I wont have to buy that any more either!  I am making progress!   Anyway on to some mixes and how they are a help and saver.

First I went to a Greek Wholesaler to stock up on herbs and spices.  The little jars in the supermarket work out about four times the cost of getting your supplies from an Indian or Chinese Supermarket or a wholesaler if you have one.   In Adelaide we have Gigannis Brothers and this is worth a trip. I also stocked up on things like tinned tomatoes.

I ended up with enough to make up lots of mixes and fill up some jars with some of the herbs I use most.



We had an earlier post on this subject.  You can find that here Jar Mixes.  There are some recipes in this post and in the comments. There is also a link to a wonderful free book of endless mixes to make and what you can then make from them.  Just follow the links!

The first mixI made up a new supply of was Cream of Chicken Soup.
This is the recipe I used:

2 cups powdered milk,
3/4 cornstarch,  (if you want to be gluten free I would just leave this out)
1/4 cup chicken stock powder,
4 tablespoons dried onion powder or flakes,
1 teaspoon basil,
1 teaspoon thyme,
1 teaspoon parsley,
1teaspoon papper.
Mix all together.

1/3 of a cup = 1 can of chicken soup or one packet of dry mix soup. To use in the place of a can of soup add 1 and a 1/4 cups of water.

I tripped this recipe so I got around 20 cans equivalent.
Over the weekend I made sweet potato soup using just onions, sweet potato and a third of a cup of this mix then blended.  It is so nice!


Then I made French Onion Soup Mix.  This is great in quiches, baked potatoes, in meat loaf and over pork chops.

This recipe is:
1 cup dried onion flakes,
2 teaspoons onion powder,
2 teaspoons garlic powder,
1 teaspoon celery salt,
1 teaspoon pepper,
2 teaspoons parsley,
1 teaspoon salt,
1 teaspoon turmeric.
Mix together.

One quarter of a cup = 1 dry packet of French Onion Soup.
I also made this x 4.

Last night I made a Sour Cream Quiche using my yoghurt as a substitute. I added  a couple of spoons of this mix to it.  This was really good! So fast!




We love Butter Chicken. This is a meal worth making up and left overs are even better. By the time you have rice, salad, yoghurt (or raita) and Naan Bread your meat component goes a really long way.
I am using this recipe which is simple and you can substitute low fat evaporated milk for the cream if you want. This is another recipe which will also use some of my yoghurt! Win!  Up to date I used a packet mix from the supermarket to make it!   These are not cheap and if you read the fine print there are some questionable ingredients.   So I found a recipe from a great home cook that I like and that is easy.  This is the one I am now using....  Butter Chicken. 

Following this recipe I made up my ready to go spice packets. I used dried ginger and dried garlic.  Remember dried is different to fresh so I used less as it is more concentrated.   But now I have them made up it is quick and easy to make this meal.

I stored all the little packets in a big jar labelled Butter Chicken.  The savings compared to the ready made packs from the supermarket are enormous!  We are having this for dinner tonight and Wednesday night.


I did the same with Vicky's Enchilada Sauce.  This was the same situation. I was buying jars of the sauce and they are expensive.  Now I haven't made this up yet!  But I trust Vicky!

Here is her recipe...

3 T. vegetable oil- I used olive
1-1/2 T. all purpose flour
3 T. chili powder
2-1/2 c. chicken stock
6 ounces tomato paste
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder


1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar

heat oil in a saucepan. Sprinkle flour over oil and whisk until mixture is smooth and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in chili powder and continue to cook for another 30 seconds.
Whisk in the rest of the ingredients and bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes.

The mixes I made up are all the dry ingredients plus I used dry chicken stock instead of the  2 and a half cups.  On my jar I have written to add that liquid in.



A while back I shared how easy it is to make Enchiladas! And they freeze really well.  The recipe and steps are on this post here.   Thank you Vicky!


We are having this next week so I can report back how it went! 

There are so many pre made mix recipes available, it is just a matter of working out which ones you would use the most!   I have made up the things I seem to used endlessly.  Cream of chicken soup is my number one... it goes into most of the soups I make and tuna mornay so I always need it. 

But as with the Butter Chicken and the Enchilada mix you can just take any recipe and make up the dry ingredients into ready to go packets or containers.  It will make busy nights easier and if you are like me and have been using purchased jars or packets changing over to a from scratch recipe will be healthier and save money as well.   It is a matter of what recipes your family loves.   Possibly think of things you would make more often if not for all the herbs and spices you need.  Your mixes ready would overcome that. 

These could also make lovely kitchen gifts.  I had a lot of extra ingredients so I have made up some jars of beautiful fresh herbs to go in the cooking themed hampers I make.  

Everything we learn to make ourselves helps our pantry.  As the year goes on I have been able to eliminate more things form the shopping list!  

Vicky wrote something that I have to share:

The reason I always add things I have been given into my savings total for the year is because we are supposed to count our blessings! So I literally do that. It adds to the household and saves and reminds me that I am to be grateful for what I receive. 
I hope everyone is having fun with their savings and are proud of their accomplishments. My husband has really seen the value in my endeavors and enjoys seeing the things he does as well and how much it saves us each year so he is quite on board and even says could you imagine how much more a year we would need if we didn't do the things we do? And he is right!

Don't underestimate the massive savings of doing things yourself. Each new thing you learn is a huge benefit!

I want to learn my own Tikka Masala recipe as that is another one I buy a packet mix of.  So that is next!

What would you like to learn to make from scratch?
What pre mixes would be most helpful in your household?
If you have any easy from scratch recipes or mixes you make up please share!

Have a wonderful new week.  We had a huge storm all weekend. Today it is much calmer thankfully. xxx




62 comments:

  1. wonderful post Annabel. i have a few mixes made up, butter chicken is awesome to have a jar full, it makes cooking so easy.

    i will come back to this when i have the plaster off.

    have a great week. Fi xx

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    1. Dear Fiona, Thank you! I am so sorry about your arm! A good time for resting and planning... so rest up! With love Annabel.xxx

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  2. I make the following dry mixes: Italian Dressing/Dip mix, Zesty Italian dressing mix, French onion soup mix, cream of chicken soup mix, cream of mushroom soup mix, cornbread mix, garlic bread spread seasoning mix, pumpkin pie spice mix, apple pie spice mix, Old Bay seasoning mix, chili seasoning mix, taco seasoning mix, cookie mix, biscuit mix, brownie mix, pancake mix, Ranch dressing mix.
    I know there are more that I'm forgetting that I always make and keep on my shelves! They save me so much time and money!!!
    There is also a great book I checked out of the public library first and then after reading it, decided to buy my own copy- The Perfect Mix by Diane Phillips! It has 90 gift-giving ideas for bread, soup, dessert and other homemade mixes.
    She has terrific ideas about how to make pretty containers, accessories, labels, etc for the mixes in her book to use them as beautiful gifts! Her presentation ideas are terrific and I have used them often over the years!
    If you would like any of these recipes I listed, just let me know and I'll send them over to you!

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    1. garden pat, I would love your recipes. (cornbread mix, chili seasoning mix, cookie mix, pancake mix especially). Thanks, Cindy (my email is: cnrclc@teleclipse.net if you would like to email them to me - LOL)

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    2. Dear Gardenpat, You make some wonderful mixes! Thank you very much for the info about this book. I am going to look for it! The extra bit about the labels and presentation really appeals to me too!
      Cindy has already asked for recipes and I will too. If you email me or post them here I will put them into the body of an actual post so that everyone will see them and can make a copy. Thanks so much! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  3. Thank you Annabel. I will pin this post for future reference. A good way to save money.

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    1. Thanks Nanna Chel, this week my mixes have already been so helpful! xxx

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  4. I make my own taco seasoning and onion soup mix. I also make my own waffles from scratch (no baking mix there.) In the past I have made up packets of the dry ingredients for waffles, cornbread, brownies & quick breads that we like. Then when I wanted to make a batch of the above it was just a matter of taking out one packet and add in the liquid ingredients. No need to drag out all the canisters and boxes of flour, sugar, etc.

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    1. Dear Kay, The thought of only needing to lift out one container instead of a series is very appealing! These would be very nice gifts in a jar with instructions tied on to them.
      Thanks so much! Love Annabel.xxx

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  5. Hi Annabel,
    Wow! I have written down the mixes and am going to review more once we get home. When I get some made up I am going to make up the French onion soup mix first. This is one Bluey uses all the time. If I can get home on board with this one I will start with another. This way beautiful homemade mixes won't just sit on the shelf and go to waste.
    Enjoy the calmer weather.

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    1. Dear Jane, The French Onion mix tastes really good. I already used it in a quiche and it was yum! A big jar of it goes miles! Thank you! With love Annabel.xxx

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  6. Dear Annabel,

    What wonderful ideas! I need to get my regular Annette Sym butter chicken recipe spices made up in bulk! It usually gets cooked in parts so the spices become fragrant. I use powdered milk made up to an evaporated ratio. I use real ginger grated that i store in freezer. Just simply grate, rewrap and freeze again. No need to even peel it! Here is a link to her recipe. It uses no butter. I add in a stir of cream, sour cream, yogurt at the end. Basically whatever left in fridge. Only needs a tablespoon or so to add in a hint of creaminess.
    http://www.abc.net.au/local/recipes/2006/08/07/1707932.htm

    I bought some screw top glass jars for my new open pantry shelf. Thanks so much for your ideas Annabel and look forward to others contributions also in the comments.

    Cath has a wonderful curry pasta mix that I just love instead of those continental ones. I know just what my jars will be filled up with now! :-) Was not sure, but just knew I wanted the look of items in them that were useful and convenient to use!

    Love, Kaye xo

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    1. Kaye I do the alfredo pasta and sauce as a mix too - Hannah loves it and I make chicken alfredo roll-ups with it.

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    2. Dear Kaye, You know how I love my jars. You would think I have too many but I don't have one free one they are all full!
      Thanks for this recipe and pointing out Caths curry mix, I will go find that.
      The butter chicken worked well, I used olive oil and one small spoon of butter and the spices came alive in that. This was another recipe that I thought yay I can use more of my yoghurt in! I also made raita and so more yoghurt was used. The cream of chicken has been so useful already. It is great having things ready to go! Thanks so much! With love Annabel.xxx

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  7. I made up the cream of chicken mix some time ago but recently found out I am allergic to wheat and need to eat gluten free. I am wondering if I leave the corn starch out do you think it would thicken? Nancy

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    1. Just make sure you use pure cornstarch , white wings is gluten free

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    2. Check the ingredients on your cornstarch box. Real cornstarch (or corn flour here in Australia) is gluten free and made from corn, not wheat. It will say something along the lines of "wheaten cornstarch" somewhere on the box if it is made from wheat flour.

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    3. Nancy, I have a friend who I cook for sometimes and you can get gluten free cornflour (but as you say 'cornstarch' I am guessing your are from the USA). It is a common staple here, readily available in the supermarket and not expensive as GF things often are. You just have to check that it is the gluten free one. I would imagine you would have an equivalent. I have had a quick look and if Argo brand is American, it is gluten free.

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    4. Clicked too soon; meant to say you could try using arrowroot instead of cornflour to thicken as it is gluten free.

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    5. Nancy, corn starch IS gluten free. I am allergic to wheat too, and would use corn starch as a substitution for all purpose flour in recipes like Vicky's, for instance, to make it gluten free. Rice flour and potato flour also make decent thickeners.

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    6. Thank you for helping Nancy! And me, I didnt know this! This is very helpful! xxx

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    7. You might also like to check the ingredients on the chicken stock powder. A lot of them have wheat in them.

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  8. Gardenpat, I'm going to look out for that book.

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  9. Hi Annabel and thank you so much for the cream of chicken and French onion soup mix too. I have saved them to my computer and printed one out for my use too :) .

    Here is another basic quick mix recipe that makes biscuits (in the US) or scones here and in other countries, basic muffins and pancakes we just add other ingredients to spruce these up a bit :). Courtesy of the creative homemaking blog found here -http://www.creativehomemaking.com/.

    Basic quick mix recipe -
    - 10 c all purpose flour
    - 1 1/4 c of nonfat dry milk (we use instant)
    - 1/3 cup of baking powder.
    - 1 tbsp. salt
    - 2 cups of shortening (we use butter).

    Put the flour in a bowl. Stir in baking powder, dry milk and salt, mix well. Melt butter and pour in and mix in an electric mixer until it resembles course cornmeal.

    To store - place in a ziplock bag in a sealed container and bring to room temperature before using. I recommend you sift this for use in the following recipes as it can be lumpy.

    Basic Biscuits (US) or scones here in Australia and other countries.
    - 2 c basic quick mix.
    - 1/2 c water.

    Stir quick mix and water in a bowl. Turn out on lightly floured board & knead lightly. Roll out to 1/2" or 12mm thick cut with a biscuit cutter & place on baking paper in tray. Bake for 425 F or 220 oc for 10 mins.

    Basic muffins.
    - 2 c. basic quick mix.
    - 4 tsp sugar.
    - 1 egg beaten.
    - 2/3 c water.

    Stir sugar into quick mix and add water in a bowl. Heat frypan or griddle with a bit of oil or butter in it and pour pancake mixture via spoonfuls into it. When pancake bubbles appear on the surface turn the pancake over and take out when they are cooked.

    Enjoy everyone and I hope this makes your meal preparation times a lot quicker once the quick mix is made.

    Sewingcreations15

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    1. I would assume that the mixtures that have butter or in the case of Annabelle's recipe with the tomato paste would have to be used up really quickly to stave off mild, going rancid etc.

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    2. Dear Sewingcreations, Thank you for these great recipes! How handy and good to be able to whip things up so quickly! Thank you!

      Dear Jean, None of the mixes have butter or tomato paste... these wet ingredients are added when you do the cooking. The spices are all the dry ingredients pre packaged and ready to put in and they last ages. With love Annabel.xxx

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    3. Hi Jean and in answer to your question on using the butter in the quick mix recipe mix which by the way is a good question too because I forgot to put in the storage instructions for this too.

      If you store this in the refrigerator in a sealed container you can keep it for a couple of months and at room temperature (wouldn't recommend personally) for 2 weeks.

      If there is only 1 or 2 people in the house just halve or 1/4 the recipe to store what you would use in that period of time.

      I hope this answers your questions and offers everyone more information.

      Sewingcreations15

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  10. I love mixes Annabel, and I always have them on hand. When I'm making a cake, I automatically make up "packet" mixes to put in the pantry. They just save a little time on baking day and if anyone else wants to make corn bread or muffins or cupcakes or a slice etc. then they just need to add the wet ingredients - no messy kitchen to clean up :) I have my instant custard mix (just add boiling water)in a jug just waiting to go over the fruit sponge for dessert tonight. So much easier than standing over the stove stirring for ages :) Have a lovely week, and enjoy that butter chicken and those enchiladas :)

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    1. Dear Cath, I am heading over to look up this instant custard mix. I usually do a microwave custard but this would be even faster!
      Making cooking and baking quick and easy has so many benefits. Its quicker and easier to make something rather than buy it even apart from the cost factor. The butter chicken was lovely. I have enough for another night and helping out Lucys household as well. The enchiladas are next! Another goal is setting myself up a better baking centre. Whenever my floors finally get done I am having a major re organise! You have a good week too! With love Annabel.xxx

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  11. Thanks Annabel for the French Onion Soup Mix recipe. That will come in handy.

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    1. Thanks Sherri, I have been using this during the week and its really good. A big jar is going to last just ages! xxx

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  12. Dear Annabel,
    I, too, like to have mixes made up, but my efforts are very small in this area. I do have a taco seasoning mix we really like. Thank you so much for sharing these recipes.
    I am going to mix up the Cream of Chicken today. That will save much for us over buying the small organic packages. I will use organic ingredients and follow your recipe.
    Love and hugs,
    Glenda

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    1. Dear Glenda, I am going to get that taco seasoning recipe from you! This is a way to eliminate a lot of nasties. Thank you! With love Annabel.xxx

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  13. Thank you for the suggestions about the gluten free corn starch everyone! yes, I am in the USA. The brand I have is Great Value Corn Starch from Walmart. Allegro W - It doesn't list wheat as an ingredient but it says it may contain traces of milk eggs, wheat and soy. I think I have heard of Argo. I am conscious of price so got the Great Value one before I learned that I have to go gluten free. Sharlene Salmon I have never heard of white wings but will be keeping my eyes open. Cath Armstrong I have not seen Arrowroot but will look. At my age (77) the new way of eating is a challenge. Thanks everyone! Love this Bluebird site!

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    1. Thank you for asking this question as I think it will help a lot of people and me too! White Wings is a brand but I do not know what countries other than Australia it sells in. Thanks so much, I am glad you got some many helpful answers. We have a beautiful and helpful group of ladies here, I am so thankful! xxx

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  14. That Cream of Chicken soup mix has been my go to recipe for over 20 years. It is so much better than the soup out of a can. Pancake mix is that main one we use regularly and again it beats a store bought mix in taste.

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    1. Dear Lana, I love to make pancakes. I still look in wonder when I see it is a thing people buy when pancakes are so simple to make! Agree on the taste! Over twenty years you must have saved a fortune! With love Annabel.xxx

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  15. I'm so glad you posted the cream soup mix. I have all the ingredients and plan to make a batch soup. Why are those little cans of soup so expensive anyway?

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    1. I hope you love it Rhonda! Cans are heavy to get home from the shops too! xxx

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  16. Thanks for these! I do have two questions. I apologize if I missed the answers. I read through twice, but....

    How much water do you add to the FO soup mix?

    And, if you pre-make the enchilada mix, how do you do the flour part? Do you just put the whole mix in at the onset?

    I normally make chili mixes in Sept., but I'm planning to add a couple of these, as well. I'm tickled about the enchilada sauce because it IS very expensive. My Grandma used to make homemade sauce every single week because we had it with every meal. She started with the actual red chiles and a blender!! It was delicious.

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    1. Dear Debby, Sorry I should have posted that.... I always seem to use French Onion soup as a dry sprinkle flavour type thing... anyway it is one quarter cup added to 2 cups beef broth= french onion soup.
      I will let you know how the enchiladas go. Yes it is $4.50 a jar here and I need three jars! Thats ridiculous! Your Grandma sounds like she was a wonderful cook! With love Annabel.xxx

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    2. Debby,
      If you are going to prepackage the ingredients for the enchilada sauce the flour doesn't go in it. When you get ready to make it you start with the oil in your pan and then sprinkle on the flour to start a bit of a roux before you add the other ingredients. I hope this helps.
      XOXO
      Vicky

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    3. Thank you both!! I look forward to trying them.

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  17. Annabel I see so many time savers here and for me it will just make cooking a whole lot easier because by the time I get to doing the evening meal I have run out of puff.

    And as you said it saves on the pantry space.

    We are just about out of winter cooking so I am going to keep this information in a folder for my Autumn kitchen setting up.

    I have been looking at the mixed spices on Pinterest - thinking about what will work as part of our son's Christmas present. He loves hot spicy sauces so I am thinking that I might be able to do a steak rub to go with them.

    Have a great week everyone.

    Lynette
    XXXX

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    1. Dear Lynette, That is a good point... the energy factor. If we can make things easier then dinner time, which is often the busiest and most tiring time of day, can be streamlined. Anything that is part done is a help.
      If you son loves spicy things then you have a few great gift ideas! Anything to make up a good curry, hot seasonings and sauces... he would love them!
      Your comment gave me an idea for a post.... getting dinner started and food prep that make evenings easier. Evenings are the hardest time too for Mums with small children and also often with after school activities etc. Then for anyone with health issues... everyone is tired by evening. This would be part of why people resort to take away as well. Many thanks Lynette, with love Annabel.xxx

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  18. I'm late to the conversation as I've injured my back and have been resting since Friday! I don't use a lot of packet mixes and haven't for many years, as we are gluten free. Most things, as you say Annabel, are just a combination of spices anyway. My main ones are Mexican spice mix for Nachos, and Moroccan spice mix which I use for seasoning lamb. Otherwise, a lot of our cooking is Asian based, and really more about soy sauce, fish sauce, and fresh herbs like coriander and lemongrass :) I do love this idea, and you can extend it to making up your own ready to cook 'pasta in a packet', instant oats (add Quick Oats, powdered milk and flavours like vanilla, dried fruit and cinnamon to small ziplock bags and add water before microwaving), and smoothie cubes which are on constant rotation here! Those are just yoghurt and chopped fruit, frozen into ice cube trays and emptied into ziplock bags once frozen. Add these to a blender with milk, and you've got a Smoothie worth $7 anytime you want. Great ideas everyone, and waving to Lorax :) Mimi xxx

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    1. Dear Mimi, Oh no! I only just saw this! I am not even posting today as I am not well either. But not my back thankfully!
      I hope you are feeling much better. You cannot hurry a bad back.
      Your cooking is much more Asian based than mine... I am always much more Greek, Italian based so I am better with herbs than with spices. But I am wanting to learn.The butter chicken went well so this is a start! When you are better I might grab your nachos/mexican mixes... they would be really handy.
      I just realised... part of my less Asian thing is I cant have fish sauce or oyster sauce... both would just about kill me! That could be why I have done badly in this area!
      The smoothies are a great idea. In summer I am happy with a smoothie over a meal. Many thanks... I hope your back is improving! With love Annabel.xxx

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  19. Annabel,
    This is a great post! I wanted to chime in and say that ingredients like cheese powder and sour cream or buttermilk powder are also good to have for homemade mixes or tomato powder as it can replace tomato sauce or tomato paste by adjusting the liquid.
    XOXO
    Vicky

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    1. Dear Vicky, I didnt think of tomato powder. This is interesting! I will be checking into this one! Thank you! And thank you for your help and this recipe. This is big progress for me! With love Annabel.xxx

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  20. So many great ideas, thanks everyone! I don't have any to add sorry, but I'm excited to try some of these out. Nancy, I know what you mean about switching to gluten free food, it can be daunting reading some food labels! My son was diagnosed with Coeliac disease seven years ago, and I have seen a huge improvement in food labelling in that time. Sauces and seasonings are often the hardest to understand, particularly when numbers are given for colourings and flavours. So these mixes should be a great help! I hope it becomes easier as you get more used to it :)

    Jen in NZ

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    1. Dear Jen, Everything GF must be much easier now than a few years ago! Recipe and ingredient wise too. If yo can make it then you know whats in it. This could be a real help to you! We must look for more GF mixes. With love Annabel.xxx

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  21. For those who live in Melbourne, Hindustan Imports is the place to get all your herbs and spices. They are super cheap and come in all sort of packet sizes.

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  22. WOW! Ladies this is fabulous!

    I'm going to check out a new Asian supermarket that has opened recently in town. Hopefully the spices will be available in bulk, as you said, Annabel, those little spice jars in the supermarket are $$$$. Thanks for the tip.

    I've been saving my M*****a coffee jars - I now what I'll be doing at the weekend (this week is a busy week)

    Thanks again,
    Janine

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  23. Hi Ladies, I thought that I had posted earlier but seem to have lost it.
    When it comes to milk powder, do you use full fat milk powder? Here in the UK, we seem to be able to get the skimmmed milk powder quite easily. It's 0% fat and tastes horrible no matter how it's made up. I've looked up some brands on-line but would value your input before I spend the cash. Thank you.

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    1. Dear Kim@ Him, Him Me, I am not sure about in the UK. I use either but our brands of milk probably differ. Also ours is low fat not zero fat... Maybe try searching online for brands that do full fat and low fat and see what stores they stock. It might be worth it as powdered milk is enormously helpful in a crisis as a back up. Good luck! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  24. I love to mix up chili seasonings, taco seasonings, and hot cocoa mix. Makes me feel good that I've saved and I know exactly what's in them. Love all your mixes and your tags for the jars. Pretty presentations just make it special.

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  25. Annabel, thanks so much for your blog, I always read your writing, just don't usually comment! But the topic today is perfect and I copied down the recipes and then went back to Laine's letters and read through a few. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and really useful information.

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  26. Thank you for sharing all these wonderful recipes. I've gleaned so much from this and the previous post! Your enthusiasm is so contagious! I have always made my own cocoa mix because it tastes better than the store bought and so much healthier.

    Blessings,
    Leslie

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  27. These mixes are awesome Annabel, thank you so much for sharing xoxo

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  28. Annabel how much of the dry chicken stock did you put in each package of the enchilada sauce packs that you made up....That would be easier for me to do too...

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I really appreciate your comments thank you! The aim of my blog is the be a place of encouragement and happiness. Very rarely is anyone rude. Actually only twice so far! If you post a rude or aggressive comment I will read it but not publish it, thanks for understanding.xxx

Spam is never published... if you are advertising a product or selling website your comment wont be published. I am inundated with stuff about drugs, horses and weird things! I am not going to publish this stuff! Thank you.