Convienence Mixes: Too Little For Too Much.

So you like those little packets of flavor you drop onto plain ol' whatever and make a tasty little side dish, huh? Or what about that taco and chili seasoning that makes quick dinners? Mmmm. So tasty and so quick.

Yeah, well, look hun, those little packets are going to end up giving you more than a nice meal, they're going to contribute to a stroke or more. Did you know that just about all of those prepackaged mixes are full of sodium? Sodium=salt. Water retention, heart disease, live issues, and stroke. Yeah, give me a packet of THAT, please.
So you like those little packets of flavor you drop onto plain ol' whatever and make a tasty little side dish, huh? Or what about that taco and chili seasoning that makes quick dinners? Mmmm. So tasty and so quick.

Yeah, well, look hun, those little packets are going to end up giving you more than a nice meal, they're going to contribute to a stroke or more. Did you know that just about all of those prepackaged mixes are full of sodium? Sodium=salt. Water retention, heart disease, live issues, and stroke. Yeah, give me a packet of THAT, please.

Not to mention that all of the little bags are just that, little. Most families need to use more than one just for one meal. So why not learn to make your own convience mixes and get exactly the flavor you want AND the amount you want?

A little research on Google will send you to plenty of sites that can give you ideas. I'll link to one site that has a ton of them, Budget 101. Instead of me telling you how to make the mixes, I'll let you in one some secrets of storing them.

If you have them, use zipper bags. Label them with white paper tape. Store them in the freezer. If you have sandwhich baggies, follow the same method, only double bag. Heck, you can use plastic wrap or make foil packets if you need.

You also can use a food dehydrator to expand your mix possibilities. Try a thrift store, the dehydrators can run only a few dollars there. In the fall and winter, foods can be dried in a 200 degree oven. just keep checking on it until it's totally dry, but not burnt.

Some people dry herbs in their car while it's parked in the sun, though that's one I haven't tried.

One prepackaged mix I hate is the Ranch and Bacon pasta salad deal. What the heck? My 5 year old can eat the whole thing! Don't waste your cash. Follow this SIMPLE recipe that cuts out the big hunk of mayo.

1 box pasta, cooked-[shells or whatever is on sale]
1 bottle ranch dressing-[regular or fat free]
bacon bits to taste
1-4 chicken breasts [cooked and cubed]

Mix everything in a large bowl. Eat. [easy, huh?]

The variations are amazing. Just substitute different salad dressings, add cheeses, omit meats, add veggies. And these are great hot or cold.

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