Cream of "anything" mix

Makes the equivalent of 9 cans

2 cups nonfat powdered milk
3/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp basil leaves
1 tsp thyme leaves
2 T. dried onion flakes
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup instant chicken bouillon

To make 1 can of soup:
1/3 cup dry mix
1 1/4 cup cold water

Mix in sauce pan and cook until thickened

Taco Seasoning

6 T. dried minced onion
2 1/2 T. salt
2 T. chili powder
1 1/2 T. flour or cornstarch
2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
2 T. cumin

Combine and store (don't blend)

Creamy Taco Dip
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
1 tsp lime juice chopped cilantro (optional)
1 T. dry taco seasoning mix

Italian Seasoning

2 T. garlic salt or powder
2 T. dried minced onion
2 T. sugar
4 T. dried oregano
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried basil
2 T. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. celery salt
4 T. salt
1/2 tsp paprika

Blend ingredients in food processor.

Italian Salad Dressing
1/4 plus 2 T. white vinegar
2/3 cup canola or veg. oil
2 T. water
1 1/2 T. dry Italian Seasoning Mix

Whisk together until smooth.

Ranch Dressing Mix

8 T. dried parsley
2 T. dried minced onion
1 T. dried chives (optional)
2 T. black pepper
2 T. garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp thyme
2 tsp oregano
3 tsp salt
2 tsp seasoning salt
2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Dip:
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 T. dry ranch mix

For dressing add milk or buttermilk to desired consistency.

Marinara Sauce

Marinara Red Sauce (great for freezing!)
Makes 18 qts. (can 1/2 recipe for a smaller batch)
4 lb. ground Italian sausage (spicy is optional)
1 8 oz. pkg. mushrooms, sliced
3 large fresh garlic cloves
1/3 c. salt (or more depending on taste)
1 T. pepper
Red pepper flakes (optional—to taste)
1 1/2 lb. mini carrots finely blended/diced
1 bunch celery finely blended/diced
3 medium white onions/diced
Other vegetables-optional (zucchini, peppers, etc.)
1 tbsp. olive oil
5 T. basil (Add at the end of the cooking process to retain it's flavor)
2 T. sugar
30 cans of stewed tomatoes (15oz.), with juices (whole) or frozen/fresh tomatoes from your garden-if they are fresh, add a little more sugar and salt to balance the acidic flavor. If you use only fresh tomatoes you will need anywhere from 40-50 tomatoes (depending on their size).
4 cans tomato paste for thickening

Use food processor to dice carrots, onions and celery (and any other vegetables) into small chunks. Sauté all above ingredients (carrots, onions, celery, sausage, mushrooms & spices) in large saucepan with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add tomatoes including juice from can. For a smooth red sauce, puree all tomatoes and ingredients together in blender (or use blender/wand-- they work great!). Or, for meatier sauce, puree tomatoes only, and leave other ingredients in chunks. Allow sauce to simmer 2-5 hours on low with out the lid, sauce should reduce about one third. Add basil right before serving. Taste to make sure sauce does not need any more salt, sugar or seasoning. Simmer on stove or in roaster pan until thick. Let sauce cool and then freeze sauce in Tupperware’s or freezer bags for later meals.

Gingerbread Mix:

2 cups sugar

8 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp salt (if you use kosher, make it slightly heaping)

1 heaping tsp ground cloves

1 heaping tbsp ground ginger

1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon

2 cups shortening



In a very large bowl, whisk together the first eight ingredients:
Once combined add shortening:
Using your hands (or you could use a pastry blender, I guess. But where's the fun in that?) work the shortening in. It should look a bit like cornmeal:
This makes about 13 cups of mix. Store in an airtight container (or several, if you don't have anything large enough to hold it all). It will stay good for about 3 months, perfect for the holidays.