Serious DIY Series! The Most Important DIY Ingredient

I have a confession to make. . . .It’s a startling one considering the blog I write.

I’m almost afraid to admit it, and it’s kinda embarrassing.

But here it is: I hate to cook.

Yep.  It’s true.

When I have a child who grumps about doing dishes because it’s not fun, I promptly inform that child, that I hate to cook, but who cooks the majority of the meals around here?  Me!

Because I hate to cook, I’m constantly looking for ways to save me time in the kitchen.

Some of my time-saving tips include:

1.) I use my crockpot almost every night.  If I can put a meal together first thing in the morning, then it’s not so much of a chore.

2.)  I cook simple meals.  If it’s not an all-inclusive casserole or soup, it is paired with either a simple veggie or a salad.

3.)  I keep as many mixes on hand as I can to make life easier.

DIY Ingredient

So what does this have to do with the most important DIY ingredient?

Do you have a mix that you make into a drink, a gravy, a soup, and a constituent in more sauces or recipes than I can count?

What if I told you this ingredient was chicken broth?  Well, you’d tell me, “Duh, Karen……that’s not a mix.”  And you’d be right, but stay with me a moment.

I have a daughter who would drink chicken broth by the gallon.  I use it in making chicken gravy, I use it in more soups and sauces than I can name without boring you.  But truth be told, you can only store so much chicken broth.  It’s heavy, bulky, and takes up a LOT of space.  Food storage is about efficiency with our money and space.

My solution?  Make my own bouillon mix!  Now there is a way to make your own pure bouillon from homemade broth, and I CAN do it, but it’s so time-consuming…..and did I say I hate to cook?  Yea…

So let’s talk about making your own bouillon.  In Monday’s post, I mentioned a lot of spices to include in your food storage.  Those are going to come in handy here.

Karen’s Quick Bouillon

1 1/3 C Nutritional Yeast

3 T       Onion Powder

2 T       Mineral Salt

1/2 tsp Stevia or equivalent sweetener

1 T       Garlic Salt

2 tsp    Thyme

1 tsp     Sage

1 tsp     Paprika

1 T        Turmeric

2 tsp     Parsley

1 T         Gelatin

1 tsp      Collagen

1 tsp      Pepper

I put this bouillon mix in a blender and blend it until it’s a nice powder.

I use this 1 T of the mix for each cup of water.

Now I have a quick way to make chicken broth or a way to add it to recipes.  It’s light.  It’s easily stored, and it’s absolutely delicious!

So take a few moments, look into the ingredients.  Once you’ve had a chance to order the few that you might not have in your house, make this up and keep it on hand.  Use it when people are sick, when you need broth for a recipe, or when you’re making a soup.  You will be so glad that you did!