I usually feel compelled to write one original post a week. However, the joy of blogging is that we all can benefit from each other too. Why reinvent the wheel?
I love to make my own DIY spice blends. Somehow, I feel like they taste better and that the food tastes better too.
So, I just had to share this wonderful post on making your own spice blends by The Frugal Hausfrau. I love it!
Please check out this wonderful blog The Frugal Hausfrau.com!
I am a fan.
cookingforthetimechallenged 
Hi, I just saw this article, almost a year later! Sorry I didn’t stop by before to say thanks for the link up!
Mollie
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I just saw your comment now. My pleasure since I love your blog. I would repost everything!
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Like you, I prefer to make my own spice blends. Somehow it just seems more authentic, and I can adjust them to suit my family’s tastes.
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The food tastes so much better. Sometimes I don’t tell people if I used DIY spice blends or not. I find I get so many more compliments with the DIY spice blends than with the commercial ones.
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And that, in my opinion, is what makes the difference between seemingly identical recipes š.. My dad makes the best chicken soup and it’s how he uses the spices..
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Being a good cook must run in you family. I also think it’s a bit about timing. My sister in law makes the best split pea soup. I use the exact same recipe, and every one likes hers more. I think it might be a texture thing? The trick is to add the correct amount of water and not over cook it perhaps? It’s a funny thing.
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So funny you mentioned split pea soup.. That is something that texture and taste is very specific for me.. There’s a place in California that makes the best I’ve ever tried and I still can’t duplicate it after decades of trying.. Mine is good, but just not as good as theirs.. Something is missing and for the life of me, I can’t find what that is !
As far as good cooks running in the family, my sis has that natural talent that both my parents handed down.. She took a much earlier interest in cooking than I did too..
I could “get by” and it’s funny because most of my co-workers thought I was a really good cook š when it was just basic dishes I’d make for potluck lunches we’d have at work.. Kind of sad but its when I realized that my folks really raised us with meals rich in flavor and variety.. My interest in cooking really got kick started when I started driving a semi.. What started as a need has become something I truly enjoy when I have the time to experiment š
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Practice does make perfect. My sister is a professional chef. Plus, she is very good with her hands.
My mother used to have a cooking school — in her “spare time.”
The combination makes for artistry in the kitchen.
We all like to cook, but my sister and mother have that special touch, which elevates their cooking to gourmet.
Now that you have confirmed that texture makes a difference with split pea soup, I am going to experiment. I think the key is to add the right amount of water and not to over cook. Since I like the crockpot, I think it can over cook the soup and therefore affect the texture.
I am going to practice not over cooking and see if that makes a difference.š£
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The texture that I can’t achieve, mostly from impatience, is the velvety smooth consistency of their soup.. After rereading both our comments, I’m wondering if I’m not cooking it long enough.. The peas aren’t chunky or lumpy but they aren’t pureed smoothly.. Then I thought for every tiny lump, maybe the flavor is uneven.. hmmmmm..
Looks like we both are in the shadows of greatness in our families of cooks š
That’s okay, the bar stays higher for them to live up to.. š
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Ha! Ha!š
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Sound advice … why reinvent the wheel, indeed! I’m always open to new suggestions for spice mixes and living in Grenoble with its large and historic North African community is giving me access to wonderful Ć©piceries bursting with new flavours so I’m very grateful to you for sharing Ms Frugal’s delights š
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I love North African spices. My friend is married to someone who’s parents are Egyptian and Lebanese. I can’t get over the stuff she makes. She knows all the speciality stores too. Then, she brings back spice infused oils too.
Ms Frugal has a lot great spice mixes. I feel like re blogging all of them.
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My father was born and spent the first decade of his life in Egypt and I always think it rubbed off on him and permeated his daughter because I am absolutely as one with you in my love of North African spices and flavours. I am certain I will end up following Ms Frugal! X
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You have such an unusual background. Between the uncle who imported tea, and now your father being born in Egypt! It is so nice to have a legacy and connection to so many different cultures. I love to explore different cultures and traditions. I find cross-cultural similarities and differences fascinating. I guess that is one reason why I like blogging. It is a wonderful way to connect to people all over the world.
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I suppose I do … I had never really thought about it ((what is closest to us becomes least noticed I think)) … I agree, being able to reach out across cultures and learn along the way via this platform is marvellous š
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