DIY Seasoning Packets

I have seen these floating around Pinterest for awhile now and had good intentions of doing them myself. I just never got around to it. Today I finally crossed it off my list and I felt super accomplished afterwards. Then I took a nap. Because that is how I roll.

I chose these particular mixes because they are the ones I use the most. Taco seasoning is almost a weekly usage in this house. Dry onion soup mix is my favorite for crockpot roasts or great for dip. Ranch dressing mix because I could drink ranch dressing (and by the amount I consume, I pretty much do just drink it). And Zesty Italian Dressing mix I love for a rub on roasts or chicken. I have never actually made the dressing for that one. Basically all 4 are awesome flavor enhancers. But the packaged ones are full of MSG, sugars, and other nasty stuff that just AREN'T needed in our diet. All of mine are also gluten free (which, yes we eat gluten in this house but these DON'T need gluten so why add it??)

There are a million and one different versions of each of these but I whittled it down to ones I thought looked the best and also omitted the sugar (because, duh, we don't need more sugar in our lives). All of these are Whole30 friendly as long as you use the best spices (watch for any unwanted ingredients, like sugar or gluten, in the spices you use, only use the best!).

I scaled these recipes to fit a wide mouth pint sized jar.

Taco Seasoning 
I used Rubies and Radishes recipe. No changes. It is by far my favorite. I discovered it on Whole30 and almost ate an entire pan of taco meat before I served it to my family because it was so delicious. I just multiplied her recipe by 6 in order to get enough to fill my pint sized jar.

I would use 2 Tablespoons per pound of meat.

Dry Onion Soup Mix
I used the recipe from Stockpiling Moms, but omitted the sugar. This one smelled so good and I am really excited about the turmeric in it. I feel like it will give such an awesome added flavor boost. I would double this recipe.

4 Tablespoons equals 1 package of dry onion soup mix.

Ranch Seasoning Mix
I used the recipe from Gimme Some Oven for this one. I omitted the dried buttermilk. Because of this you are going to need to multiply the recipe by about 5 to get enough to fill your pint jar.

3 Tablespoons are equal to 1 packet.

To make homemade ranch mix 1 Tablespoon of the seasoning with 1/3 each mayo and milk.

Zesty Italian Dressing Mix
I liked the recipe from I Believe I Can Fry the best. I omitted the sugar and the red/green bell pepper mix (because it was optional and I couldn't find it).

2 Tablespoons equals 1 packet.

To make the dressing (which I never have but maybe I will now?) you mix 2 Tablespoons of the seasonings with 2 Tablespoons water, 1/4 cup vinegar, 2/3 cup oil, best if chilled in the fridge for a few hours.

So there you have it. Now stop perusing Pinterest for the best ones out there...because I already did that for you. Let me know if you try this! I would love to see! As always, you can follow me on Instagram @darcieats (where I post much more frequently but am trying to post more here too!).

Whole 30 Round 2 Day 1

I am back!! I took a hiatus for awhile because we were gone for pretty much all of July. We were also in places that didn't have internet. It was awesome. But now I am back and ready to get on my blogging train again. Good news folks...I started another Whole30! Yup, documenting it right here ladies and gents as well as new recipes coming your way. I am so excited to share it with you all again. So...why the heck am I doing another round of Whole30? A few reasons:

1. I ate like CRAP at all our family reunions this summer. I enjoyed myself but my body was NOT happy with me.
2. I LOVE the way it makes me feel.
3. I really feel like I need to reset my gut again after the sugar induced coma I put myself into multiple times in July.
4. I want to get back on track with clean eating before the busy life of Fall and Winter starts.

So are ya ready?? If you have Instagram, you can follow me @darcieats where I post daily. SO! Here we go!

Day 1:

Meal 1: Roasted veggies, hardboiled egg, avocado, strawberries

This morning I roasted a big batch of veggies and hardboiled a bunch of eggs so I used that as my meal so I didn't have to cook anything else. It was good. In other news, I am so bomb at hardboiling eggs! It is an art, I tell ya. Don't think otherwise. I used to over boil them and I had NO idea! Now I put them in the water, bring to a boil, as soon as the water is a rollling boil, put a lid on the pot and take them off of the heat. Let them sit for 10 minutes. Then plop them into some ice water for about 1-2 minutes. Bam. Perfect eggs every time.

Meal 2: Carrot fries with ranch, tuna salad over power greens

Not to be all braggy...but I make a DANG good tuna salad. Like for reals. I take pride in this baby.

Tuna Salad
-1 can of compliant tuna
-homemade paleo mayo (there are like a billion recipes out there, my favorites are HERE and HERE, I use avocado oil)
-1 large pickle, diced (if you really like pickles, add more)
-1 hard boiled egg, diced (yolk included)
-paprika
-salt and pepper

Mix it all together I don't measure the mayo but just do a big spoonful, mix it up, and if you feel like it needs more, add more! I also don't measure seasonings (annoying, I KNOW), but just add a few shakes of each, mix it up, taste test, and add more if you need to. I usually add a bit more mayo than I would normally if I am going to serve it over greens just so it makes up for not having dressing.

Carrot Fries
-quarter your carrots (I used about 5 large carrots)
-2 T. Avocado oil
-1/2-1 tsp of salt

Line a baking sheet, preheat oven to 450. Toss the carrots in a bowl with the oil. Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10 minutes. These are great! They have a bit of crunch to them and are awesome dipped in ranch. My favorite ranch is from Planks, Love, and Guacamole. If you have already made your mayo, you don't have to go through the trouble of making hers. Just use her ratio of 2/3 cup mayo, 1/2 tsp each of sea salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, 1 T dried dill, 2 T coconut milk.

Meal 3: Leftover roast from Sunday (day before I started, had seasonings, beef broth, and veggies, slow cooked for 8 hours), cucumber, tomato, avocado salad (mix it up with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and Italian Seasoning), and a side of peaches.

My Thoughts:

This round already seems SO much easier than round 1 because I know what to expect and I am SO much more confident in the kitchen. It makes a world of difference.

Tami's Granola

I come from a family of good cooks but I also married into a family of good cooks. This recipe happens to be from my husband's cousin, Tami. I love Tami. She is such an amazing person and I was so excited when she shared this recipe with me because it was honestly the best granola I have ever had. Plus it is easy to switch things up to your liking. Don't like sesame seeds? Don't add them. Want it to be sweeter? Add a little more honey. Easy peasy. This also makes A LOT. It would be great to freeze a bag of it to keep it fresh and use later. My favorite way to eat it is with a little bit of milk and lots of strawberries. Mmmmm....

Tami's Granola

12 cups oats

1 Cup wheat germ or oat bran 

2 cups coconut 

2 cups raw sunflower seeds 

1 cup sesame seeds 

3 cups nuts (almonds roasted unsalted peanuts cashews walnuts pecans)

1 1/2 cup brown sugar 

1 cup water 

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup honey 

1/2 cup molasses 

1 1/2 teaspoon salt 

2 teaspoon cinnamon 

3 teaspoon vanilla 

I mix this together in 2 batches (just halve the recipe) because it is easier to mix and it fits in a big bowl. Preheat oven to 300 and line 2 baking sheets with tinfoil. Place both batches of granola on baking sheets. Bake for at least an hour, stirring and rotating about every 20 minutes. Bake it until the granola is to the consistency you like. 

PLG Fritatta

I have mentioned her before, but I LOVE Alanna from Planks, Love, and Guacamole. This girl is a food genius and all of her recipes are excellent. One of my favs from her is her frittata. It can be changed to whatever you have on hand and is great as leftovers. I can't seem to find her recipe online but she did post it on the @Whole30recipes instagram page. I posted her recipe HERE during my whole30. This time I used Aidell's chicken-apple sausage, red peppers, spinach, sundried tomatoes, and Italian seasoning. You can add anything really to this just make sure you saute up veggies that are uncooked (like the peppers, spinach, etc) before mixing them in. 

Pesto Chicken

One of my favorite quick and easy dinners is pesto chicken. I like to make pesto myself (that is a post for another day) but it is easy to just buy pre-made pesto from the store (I like Costco's Kirkland brand). 

Pesto Chicken
-Chicken Breasts cut in half lengthwise (or chicken tenderloins but I usually only have chicken breasts on hand)
-Pre-made pesto (check your ingredients to make sure it doesn't have anything funky added)
-Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese (optional)

Line a baking sheet with tinfoil. Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken on baking sheet, coat the top of the chicken with pesto. bake in the oven for 20 minutes or so (check after 15). Once the chicken is cooked through, turn your broiler on high, put cheese on top of the chicken (I like a mix of mozz and parm) and let the cheese melt. I like to serve mine over zucchini noodles (zoodles).

Spicy Sweet Potato Hash

I woke up this morning wanting sweet potato hash. I love the stuff. It is filling and keeps me energized and full until lunch. I decided to go with a spicy dish this time around because I LOVE spicy food. Like for reals. Love it. Way more than anyone else in my little family. When I was pregnant with MJ I could only keep down baked potatoes. And then one month all I wanted was nachos with LOTS of jalapenos. I ate some almost every day for a month straight. Let's not even talk about the heartburn issues or the amount of Tums I went through that month. It was worth it. Maybe. Probably not. But man those pregnancy cravings are strong!

Okay, moving on.

Spicy sweet potato hash. Here ya go.

Dice 1/2 of a large white sweet potato (could use orange, I prefer white). Mince half a jalapeno.

Melt 2 big spoonfuls of ghee or heat your oil of choice in a pan. Toss in the potatoes and jalapeno. Season this as well and mix it all up to coat everything in your ghee/oil. I used chipotle chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.

Saute it up until the potatoes are cooked through. I like to burn mine just a little because it gives it a caramelized taste and is super yummy. Top with an egg (I prefer runny yolk on hash). Breakfast is served.

Spicy Sweet Potato Hash

-1/2 large white sweet potato, diced

-1/2 of a jalapeno, diced

-2 large spoonfuls of ghee or oil of choice

- 1/2 tsp cumin

-1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder

-onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper (add to your liking and taste)

Melt the ghee or heat the oil in your pan. Toss all the ingredients in and saute it up. Cook until the potatoes are cooked through. I like mine just a bit burnt because it caramelizes the potatoes. Top with an egg, preferably one with a runny yolk. 

Wrapped and Stuffed Medjool Dates

I found some Medjool Dates at Costco (duh, one of my favorite places). I wanted some for when I did Whole30 but was unable to find any at any store near me. So glad my Costco decided to step it up (found by the plums outside of the cold produce room).

Tonight USA soccer is playing in the World Cup. I am going to be real here...I don't care. And actually their team is currently playing. But Hubs wants to watch it (this is the only time he is ever interested in soccer) after he gets home from work. It is currently recording on the DVR as I type.

I have no interest in soccer. So I might as well make the meal we eat delightful so that I can enjoy something, right?

So, besides a side of veggies and possibly an arugula salad (haven't thought that far ahead yet), I am making some good stuff. First up is Lemon Pepper Buffalo Wings from Planks, Love, and Guacamole. I have mentioned this girl before. She is one of my very favorite to follow in Instagram (@planksloveandguacamole) and her food is ALWAYS delicious. Best part? Pretty much all her recipes are Whole30 approved. I followed her recipe exactly except I used drummies. I bought a huge pack of drumsticks at the grocery store today for $3. I LOVE drumsticks because they are so cheap and delicious! I am sure this would go well with any dark, bone-in chicken cut. You could do it for chicken breasts too. Such a good recipe and marinade! Go make some!! I would love to cook these up on the grill once we get one!

Now, for a creation of my own (full recipe at bottom of post). These involve the Medjool Dates I picked up at Costco. I mixed some minced jalapeno with softened cream cheese (PLEASE use full-fat cream cheese and full-fat dairy products as MUCH as you can! Fat-free or less-fat products always mean one thing: MORE CHEMICALS, better yet, use organic if you can find it and afford it!)

I sliced open the dates, took out the pit,

and stuffed them full of my cream cheese mixture. 

I then wrapped them with bacon and secured with toothpicks. My bacon was cut funny and was seriously falling apart on me. If your bacon is not falling apart on you, then I say cut it in half before you wrap. 

I then placed the wrapped dates on a rack over a lined (tinfoil) baking sheet. Place in a 425 oven for 20 minutes or until the bacon is cooked through. The great thing about these 2 recipes? They both back at 425, just different times. So you can cook at the same time, just put the dates in a little bit later.

Guys. These are sweet, spicy, and savory. They are so delicious! A great party food appetizer or fun weeknight side-dish!

Wrapped and Stuffed Medjool Dates
-6-8 medjool dates
-1/2 a block of cream cheese (4 oz), softened
-1/2 a jalapeno, minced (seeds and ribs removed)
-3-4 sliced of bacon, cut in half
-toothpicks

Preheat oven to 425. Mix cream cheese and jalapeno. Slice open one side of a Medjool Date (hotdog bun style) and carefully remove the pit. Then fill the date with cream cheese mixture. Wrap with bacon and secure with toothpicks. Place on a rack over a lined (with tinfoil or parchment paper) baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until the bacon is cooked through. Enjoy!!