Homemade Taco Seasoning

Today's recipe is a super simple taco seasoning recipe.  I love this mix and make it in big batches.  I also use the taco seasoning in a lot of my recipes like my Quinoa Taco Meat. I buy my spices in bulk from my local co-op so they are always organic and then my taco seasoning doesn't have any of the weird stuff in that a normal taco seasoning packet would have in it.  I would share all the scary details of what is in that taco seasoning packet you buy from the store, but I wouldn't want to scare you or guilt you into making your own.  I'll just leave it at this read your ingredients - if you don't recognize an ingredient it probably doesn't belong in your body - enough said - I'm off my soap box now!

Here is the recipe and this is my bulk recipe so cut it down if you don't want to make a mason jars worth of taco seasoning!

Ingredients:

-1 cup chili powder

-1/2 cup onion powder

- 1/4 cup cumin

- 1/4 cup garlic salt

-1/4 cup paprika

Directions:

Mix it all together and store in an air tight container.  Thats it!  Isn't that simple!

Another one of my favorite ways to use this Taco Seasonings is to make a salad dressing with it.  Mix 6 T of olive oil 4 T of balsamic vinegar and 2 T of the Taco Seasoning together.  I use this on my taco salad. I'll post a recipe for my taco salad soon!

Hope you enjoy the seasoning!  What yummy creative things do you do with your homemade taco seasonings?

Jet Dry in your dishwasher?!?

Jet Dry that little magic blue bottle you put in your dishwasher that somehow makes everything in your dishwasher better.  Well, I have discovered something new and my Jet Dry balloon has popped!

Can't remember where I read it (probably pinterest, isn't that where all great ideas come from!) the post talked all about how you can replace Jet Dry in your dishwasher with White Vinegar.  This makes sense since you can soak glasses in vinegar to get water spots off - it would naturally only makes sense to use vinegar in your Jet Dry spot.  And when I started digging into what Jet Dry was made of I was slightly disturbed it's acid and isn't good for you at all (no surprise there - all cleaning products are full of things that slowly make us sick!)

I was very excited by this discovery and so I not so patiently waited for my blue jet dry to run out in the dishwasher. . . and finally it did.

I've had vinegar in my jet dry spot for a couple of months now and guess what?!?  It works BETTER than jet dry!  No spots are ever found on my glasses and I'm not paying for Jet Dry, vinegar is way cheaper than that blue little bottle and I'm chemical free in my dishwasher now. (I'll post my dishwasher soap recipe soon!)  I also added 2 drops of Young Living Essential Oil to keep the smell of vinegar off my dishes.  It works great!

Vinegar I have loved you in my cleaning products for a long time - but this new Jet Dry discovery has made my heart swoon for you even more.

Fall in love with vinegar too!  Try it and let me know what you think!

Questions?  Feel free to email me at vintageburlapbarn@yahoo.com!

Want to know more about Young Living Essential Oils?  I'd love to share with you how Young Living Essential Oils have changed my health and can change yours too!  Follow my blog and email me for more information!

Honey Poppyseed Salad Dressing

 This is with out a doubt my favorite salad dressing of the moment!  It is sweet and delicious on a summer spinach salad with strawberries, onions, and sunflower seeds - and it is packed full of things that are so good for your body like raw honey and coconut oil!

Here is the recipe:

• 3/4 cup raw honey (local and raw is always best!)
• 1/3 cup Braggs Apple Cidar Vinegar
• 4 T chopped onions
• 3 T Mustard (could be Dijon or just regular mustard)
• 1 t Poppy Seeds
• 1/2 t Sea Salt
• 1/2 cup Coconut Oil
• 1/2 cup Organic Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup water (if you like your salad dressings thicker don't add the water)

Directions:

• Blend all ingredients together in a vita-mix, blender, or food processor.  

We love this dressing on a spinach salad with fresh berries but it is also a great dressing to use in wraps especially if you leave it a little thicker!

Hope you enjoy!

18 years and I still melt

Well today is the day I share few lovely picture from way back in my past.  My husband asked me to be his girlfriend 18 years ago today!  I was 14 and he was 16.  Who knew that we would be living on 5 acres in Texas with 3 kids and in the process of adopting 18 years later.

And after 18 years together this man still melts me.  Just yesterday I came in from mowing the lawn and had split my hand open pretty bad. (I don't do great with my own blood, can handle everyone else's blood but I see mine and the world starts spinning)  So I was laying on the bathroom floor trying to not pass out.  Ben was on a work call and while on the phone he came over doctored up my hand and didn't miss a beat on his phone call.  I gushed in this moment, the small ways he still takes care of me, the silly "Oh Jenny, your pathetic" look he had on his face.  Seriously I swooned!

So many people thought we were crazy for getting married so young.  Our 10 year anniversary we went to Hawaii and people just could  not understand how it wasn't our honeymoon.  Tour guides were shocked and repeatedly said to us we never see 10 year anniversary celebrations anymore.  Now quickly approaching 20 years together I can hardly remember life without Ben.

Are there moments in marriage that are hard, of course but the good has by far outweighed the bad.  Times with new born babies, sleepless nights, bills piling up, loss of jobs - these things of course weigh heavy on a marriage, but they also make us stronger!

I certainly do not claim to be an expert on marriage and am always trying to be a better wife, but I have learned a few things along the way that I would love to share with you.  So with a very humble happy reflective heart, here are a few things I wish I had known 18 years ago!

• Serve, Serve and when you don't want to Serve some more!  I know this is so counter to culture today, but I hold to this.  In our marriage Ben and I make it a goal to out serve each other every day.  It puts us on the same team, rather than "I always have to fold the laundry", it becomes I get to serve my husband and fold the laundry today.  It is also pretty much impossible to become self centered when our hearts are focused on each other and how best to serve each other.  Now is every day a joy to fix a meal or do the laundry of course not but it sure helps when I see Ben pitch in and do a load of dishes.  A lot of times serving isn't doing a chore either, many times for me it means slowing down, being intentional or sitting on the couch and "acting" like I care about the basketball game that is on.  (do I actually care about the basketball game - NO! but he just loves it when I snuggle up with him and watch a game!)

• Get on the same team! Ben and I have always tried to bring our marriage before the Lord, praying together and reading our Bible together.  We have months that are great and months that aren't.  But in the last year and half we tried something new and it has seriously changed our marriage.  We literally schedule one night a week after the kids go to bed as our "planning night"  Ben and I talk about our marriage, how we are doing, we talk about the kids - their strengths and weaknesses and how we can help them grow, we talk about spiritual stuff - ways God is challenging us to grow or move or bend.  It is scheduled for every monday night and we talk and pray and plan out our week.  What this does is puts us on the same page.  If Ben knows I'm having an emotional few days or I'm seeing a weakness in one of our kids that I want to work on then when situations come up he has the back story and understands what is going on.  It makes such a huge difference and we have seen God move in some crazy and amazing ways through our time of prayer together.  I can't recommend this enough!

• Shut up!  Yep I said it, I've learned that most of the time it is simply better to just Shut Up!            Proverbs 17:14 says Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before the dispute breaks out.  This is a verse I have learned to live by in my marriage.  Rather than being a nit picky wife I've learned to just shut my mouth.  If something really is upsetting to me or does need to be talked through it is so much better to talk about it later on when emotions are not involved and I am thinking clearly!  Many a time I wish I had not opened my mouth in my younger days of dating and marriage!

• Serve together.  There is nothing that makes me fall in love with Ben over and over again more than watching him serve the Lord.  Whether it is in Africa, on the worship or sound team, or just loving our neighbors serving together is something that always keeps us grounded in God and focused on what really matters. 

• Have fun!  Days become years really quickly and for two very type A personalities we have to schedule to have fun.  Between kids schedules, church schedules, and work - life happens and before you know it a month has passed.  Fun doesn't have to be big elaborate dates or vacations, fun can happen in simple moments.  Reading books together, family game and movie nights, date nights after the kids go to bed (yep this is a favorite!  We will get take out food and a rent a movie and have a mini date at home!)  Enjoy each other, remember what makes him laugh, remember how silly you were when you were dating and add some of that fun back!

Alright there it is my reflection on 18 years together.  I absolutely love being married to this man.  He was and is a gift from God and I can't wait to see what He has in store for us this year!

Healthy Sunday Football Appetizers!

You know those appetizers that you can get that are little potatoes cut in half and they are loaded with cheese and bacon and sour cream and chives!  Delicious but so unhealthy and since I don't eat dairy products or meat anymore that pretty much eliminates everything except the potato and the chives - what fun is that!

Since football season is upon us and my husband is glued to the television on Sundays this leaves me a little more free time to play in the kitchen or take a nap on the couch next to him!  But in this recipe I decided to make a healthy version of those stuffed potatoes and this is what I came up with:

All I can say is YUM!  This was an instant hit in my home and left everyone cheering for more - okay in truth they were cheering for the football game that was on . . . but I can pretend it was for me right!?!  They did devour them in 5 minutes and were asking for more, so I'm thinking they were a hit.

Here are the ingredients:
Small potatoes (Russet or Red, Purple, or white potatoes)
Coconut oil
Sea Salt and Pepper
 * you will also need the ingredients from my guacamole recipe!

Cut your potatoes in half.  Stick them in a bowl and drizzle them with a little bit of coconut oil - you don't need a lot just enough to lightly cover them all.  Place them on a cookie sheet, flat side facing up then sprinkle them with salt and pepper to taste.  Bake them in the oven at 400 degrees till you can stick a fork in them (usually takes about 45 minutes but it is going to totally depend on how thick and big your potatoes are)

While your potatoes are baking make up a batch of my guacamole (see my guacamole post), except don't mash up the avocados and tomatoes as much - leave them a little more chunky!

When your potatoes are done cooking let them cool off for a few minutes so you don't burn off your fingerprints!  Scoop out a chunk of the potato so your guacamole has a wonderful nest to sit happily in. (The potato you scoop out is delicious too - my daughter happily ate all of it, but I'm sure you could do something wonderful those scoops too!)  Move them all to a serving plate and devour!

Note: I did try making these once by boiling the potatoes first and then baking them - did not turn out nearly as good wouldn't recommend it!

Hope you enjoy!

Black Bean Burgers

Alright today is the day I share one of my absolute favorite vegan recipes with you.  My black bean burger recipe would make a die hard burger fan consider giving up meat - at least for a moment!  I've tried so many recipes and this is the best one I have ever tried.   These black bean burgers stay moist and can be frozen and the best part - the secret ingredient, sweet potatoes!

They are so yummy so without further ado here is the recipe!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Black Beans (cooked & drained)
• 1 cup Sunflower Seeds
• 1 cup Cooked Quinoa (I like the red quinoa in this recipe the best but you can use any)
• 1 cup Quick Oats
• 2 t Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 T Braggs Amino Acids
• 2 T Water
• 1 t Cumin
• 2 t Chili Powder
• 1 cup Red Onion (minced)
• 1 cup Sweet Potatoes (grated)

Directions:

• Smash your black beans!  The more smashed the better the burger will stick together
• Mix in the rest of the ingredients 
• Add in a little extra water if the consistency seems to dry
• Shape into burger and grill on the stove top with a little coconut oil for about 3 minutes on each side.
  

 I also use this mixture for wraps and for taco "meat" and it is delicious in all of them!

This recipe will make about 10 cups worth of "meat"  I freeze it into meal size quantities so I can grab and go for a meal that day.  I usually get 4 meals out of one recipe.  It is great to have on hand when company comes over unexpectedly.  The black bean recipe also calls for a lot of ingredients and I find it isn't worth the time and mess in my kitchen if I don't make it in big quantities.  When I make this recipe I actually make 4 x the recipe so I have enough to last me at least 3 months (depending on how many times I have company over!)

Hope you enjoy let me know what you think of my yummy recipe!

Italian Seasoning and Salad Dressing

Well, since moving to Texas I haven't had a ton of time to try out new recipes.  The unpacking and just trying to get the pantry and cleaning products stocked again has kept me pretty busy.  However, I ran out of Italian seasoning the other day and decided it couldn't be hard to mix up a batch and I was right.  
Not only is making your own seasoning mix super easy and way cheaper, it also tastes better and is missing all those lovely preservatives, chemicals and other yucky stuff they put in traditional seasoning mixes.  I only use dried organic spices in all my cooking which makes this recipe even better.  Making the homemade Italian seasoning sent me on a kick of trying other seasoning too!  I've made Taco, Ranch, Lemon Pepper, and a stir fry seasoning.  I'll get some of these recipes up on the blog soon, but today I have to share my Italian seasoning with you!

Here are the basic ingredients:

4 T Garlic Salt
4 T Onion Powder
2 1/2 T Oregano
4 T Parsley
1 t Pepper
1 t Thyme
2 t Celery salt

Put all the dried ingredients into a food processor and blend till everything looks to be about the same size, like this!

I keep my seasoning in a mason jar and use it the sprinkle on foods as I am cooking.  

My kids love baked chicken with the seasoning sprinkled over the top of it.  I put organic free range chicken breast in a Pyrex dish with water (enough water that all the chicken is about 1/2 covered in water) then sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken.  Cover with tin foil and bake for about 45 minutes or till the chicken seems done.   

I've also used this seasoning while grilling veggies in my wok.  It tastes great with zucchini, squash, green beans, or eggplant.  I'm sure it would be great with veggies on the BBQ too, but I haven't done that yet.  

And the best part about the homemade Italian seasoning is that it makes a killer Italian salad dressing that tastes so good on a basic garden salad.  

Here are the ingredients I use to make the salad dressing:

2 T Italian Seasoning Mix

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

d

(For a yummy spin on a traditional Italian dressing recipe substitute the apple cider vinegar for balsamic vinegar) 

Mix all the ingredients together and use on a salad.  I like this dressing best on a basic garden salad - spinach and romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and sunflower seeds is all you need!  

Hope you enjoy the Italian seasoning and salad dressing!  Let me know if you make any other types of seasoning!