Our next spices and herbs that we use a lot are the Italian ones. Pizza, spaghetti, fettucine alfredo, meatballs, ranch dip, pesto, sausage, soups, stews, and more of our recipes just wouldn’t be the same without them. Some people keep a blend of Italian seasonings on hand to quickly use in their recipes, but since I like to use different formulations in my creations, I just keep the basic ingredients on hand to add to whatever dish I’m making. Since I buy single seasonings ,rather than buying an Italian mix, this also decreases the risk of having preservatives or anti-caking agents in the Italian seasoning mix.
I always keep plenty of basil, oregano, sage, and parsley on hand. I use these the most, so I buy these in 1 pound packages. I buy four ounce packages of thyme, marjoram, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, and rosemary since I don’t use these as frequently. I have noticed that using fresh herbs from my garden is even better than the organic seasonings I buy in bulk, and I hope to be doing more of this during our growing season this year. I also realize that I can’t do everything and will probably still buy some too. I always choose organic Italian seasonings, because they are grown more sustainably (which tends to make them higher in vitamins and minerals), not sprayed with chemicals, and not irradiated. I have also noticed that organic seasonings tend to have more flavor.
In order to save money, I like to buy my seasonings in bulk. I buy seasonings from Azure Standard, Starwest, and Redmond. You can order directly from them, or if you would like to support us in our quest to grow and distribute more regenerative food, you can purchase any of their seasonings through us too. I often offer discounts if orders are placed and paid for before I order. Feel free to get in touch with us if you would like to join us or have any questions.
Our family has learned to slow down, make careful observations of what heals/damages, decrease modern distractions, take a little more time preparing our food, and most importantly to seek the Lord’s wisdom. It’s a daily struggle, and it never goes perfectly, but we just keep trying to do the best we can. I share these weekly posts to answer so many questions that I have received over the years. It took us many years to get where we are today. If you are wondering how we got to a more traditional, clean, whole foods diet and lifestyle, and would like to take small steps to get there, then you are at the right place. Week one was How We Got Our Salt Better, week 2 was The Power of Water and we learned about removing toxins from our water in week 3, week 4 was Get Your Sleep Better, 5, 6, and 7 were How We Got Our Fats Better, we got our eggs better, we talked about how we got our meats better, and this week I’m sharing how we got our seasonings better. Join us next week for How We Got Our . . . Better.