Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

Welcome to the Fall Mini-Series - Post #1!

After a few weeks off to get things tidied up and back into a somewhat normal routine {not sure if that ever really happens with a family of 6 .... but I sure like to try every now and again :)}, I decided with fall fully upon us it would be fitting to add a little pumpkin pie spice to the mix and cross another item off my list! So simple, I am not sure why it's taken me this long but here it is ... short, sweet and to the point since I have been a slacking and need to make up some ground!

It really is just a combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves. and allspice ... so kinda like a taco seasoning you can go heavier on the flavors you are head over heals for and light on the ones you are not.

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/4 cup cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cloves

Combine all the ingredients. 

Since I am all about multi-functional, I began to wonder what would be some other great uses for pumpkin pie spice ... oh world wide web, you amaze me! Thanks to The Kitchn here are 7 other ways!

Cost Comparison
Homemade Cost - $0 for 1 ounce
Store Bought Cost - $4.89 for 1.12 ounces McCormick brand
Time - 5 minutes

Homemade Steak Seasoning

Steak seasoning was a great post for this week since I've been wanting to share my recipe for my cashew chicken and steak seasoning is my secret ingredient for the butter sauce I make to drizzle on top of our fresh steamed green beans and cashew chicken with rice. 

The secret ingredient was discovered by complete accident when I tried to remember {my memory is terrible when it comes to remembering how I make something ... which is one of the main reasons for starting this blog in the first place!} a recipe for Outback green beans off of Pinterest that I had made multiple times, but was too lazy to pull it up. I knew there was one ingredient I always had to substitute for and for whatever reason steak seasoning was what I thought I always used. 

My go to steak seasoning is of course from Aldi, 1) because it's inexpensive and 2) because it's  delish so here is my first attempt at coming up with a recipe that compares to this!

Homemade Steak Seasoning

2 tablespoons salt (coarse salt or sea salt is best)

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper

1/2 tablespoon crushed dill seed

1 teaspoon cumin or 1 tablespoon crushed coriander

1 teaspoon crushed celery seed or 1 tablespoon fennel

1/2  teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

Now for the cashew chicken. I do have to admit this is usually a throw together meal but the basics are the same and it's easy to tweak to your own liking! I also have two version detailed {when I don't have the basics} and simple {when I do}. 

Homemade Cashew Chicken - detailed

Rice - 
3 cups long grain white rice

5 cups water

Put water in sauce pan. Bring to boil. Add rice. Cover and simmer for 15-18 minutes until majority of the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. I always go for a moister rice. 

Chicken -

2 tbsp olive oil

2 chicken breast

8 ounces cashew halves

1 1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup water 

   + 1 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch

4 tablespoons brown sugar

4 tablespoon rice vinegar (wine vinegar or regular vinegar would work just fine)

2 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoon honey

2 cloves of garlic, finely grated or minced

1/2  teaspoon hot sauce

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toast cashews for 5—6 minutes. Split and slice chicken breast. Heat oil in pan and fry until fully cooked. Mix remaining ingredients in bowl. Add sauce and toasted cashews to skillet and cook for 5 minutes. 

Butter Sauce

8 tbsp butter

¼ cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon steak seasoning

1 tbsp worchestershire sauce

1 tsp garlic

½  tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Melt butter in sauce pan. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. 


Serve chicken and cashews over rice drizzle with butter sauce. A side of fresh steamed green beans is always a must for us. :) 

Simple Cashew Chicken

2 tbsp olive oil

2 chicken breast

8 ounces cashew halves

1 to 1 1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 to 1 cup teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce (optional - usually make my own, but recently just found some at Aldi and tried it out) 

1/4 cup oyster sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toast cashews for 5—6 minutes. Split and slice chicken breast. Heat oil in pan and fry until fully cooked. Add remaining ingredients and toasted cashews to skillet, stir,  and cook for 5 minutes.

We aren't big rice (or pasta) eaters around here, but this meal as become a favorite ... especially since my accidental steak seasoning mix-up :)!

Homemade Italian Seasoning

Today's a completely lazy post :) but it's Wednesday and I wasn't about to let it slip by without posting! I'm almost out of Italian seasoning so the timing is great. I've been holding off on making this because I really wanted to include some dried marjoram, which I have never used before. Anytime a recipe has called for marjoram I just substitute in some oregano, but was hoping to try it for the first time in my homemade Italian seasoning ... I guess it'll have to wait until the next time around.

Homemade Italian Seasoning

2 tablespoons oregano

2 tablespoons basil

1 tablespoon thyme

1 tablespoon rosemary

1 tablespoon sage

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon marjoram (optional, similar to oregano)

Combine all ingredients into food process. Blend for about 30 seconds. 

The scent of this after a whirl in the food processor was just splendid! 

DIY Herb Garden

Pickles, Salsa, and Marinara … these are what inspired me to start an herb garden! Dill for my pickles (and ranch dressing), cilantro for mouthwatering fresh salsa, and basil for some homemade marinara that I hope to get canned this year.

I’ve been saving these 105 oz. tomato sauce cans (tomato sauce from Sams … about $3 each) from the freezer meal day I did with some of my dear friends last fall and I am SO excited to finally be putting them to use {as is the Mr., he’s only slightly annoyed with my recycling and repurposing tendencies ; -p}. Any size would really do the trick but bigger is always better right?!? After a little black spray paint I already had on hand and some chalk {which I really need to use some paint or sharpies since the chalk risings off when watered}, these little darlings are going to be absolutely dreamy when they are full grown and hanging just outside our kitchen window. And of course I am already trying to decide what herbs I would like to add to this for next year. 

In addition to the herb garden, we’ve been anxiously watching our garden starter plants grow {which by the way we have an abundance of … so if you are local, check with me for extra seeds or starter plants BEFORE going out and getting your own!}. Over the past couple weeks, I have gradually be working to get everything planted as starters and some of them are really taking off. It truly amazes me how plants grow! Every few days when I go to water them, I love to take notice how they all are growing towards the light coming from the window they sit by. I give them their drink and a quick turn and like magic the next day they have readjusted themselves so they can see the light again.

I find it so intriguing how something that starts so small transforms into a food-bearing plant with a splash of water every now and again, some sunshine, and a little bit of TLC. More often than not as I tend to these fragile starters, I cannot help but think about the similarities between growing them and raising children. They both start so small and rely fully on someone else to help them develop. Soon enough it will be time to transplant them outdoors, but first they need to be hardened to the outside environment. It’ll be a gradual process of introducing them to the wind that could cause them to bend, to the harsh sun that might burn their tender surface, and to the rain that may at times be too heavy to withstand. Yet after slowing transitioning them into the world outdoors they will be ready to fend for themselves against all the elements and eventually bear fruit themselves.

The more I watch our garden starters (and our children) it really makes me challenge myself to be sure I am doing my absolute best to prepare them for the outdoors. And on the days I forget to water them, I must remember … they are tough and will survive … add a little grace and make tomorrow better than today!