I’m a seasoning kind of girl. Life is just too short to be bland… know what I mean? I will never claim to be a gourmet cook, but this I know ~ cooking, and life, needs seasoning! Yeah, a person can get by with just a couple of “staples,” but where’s the fun in that? After all, variety IS the spice of life, right? (See what I just did there? Wink, Wink)

One of my most frequently used seasonings is Italian Seasoning. Lots of recipes seem to call for it, and hellooooo, it’s just good! Sometimes. Well, probably most of the time, but let’s be honest, if your taste buds don’t match that of the person (manufacturer) making the seasoning, you’re not going to like it, and you’re not going to use it.

This happened to me. I purchased a bottle of name brand Italian Seasoning at the store. I couldn’t wait to use it (or maybe I bought it specifically for a meal I was making), so I went home, opened it, put it up to my nose to breathe in the wonderful aroma… and went, “Eeewwww!”  I didn’t smell basil (my favorite), oregano, garlic, or any of the other scents I thought I would smell. Nope, I smelled sage. It was overwhelming. That was it… just sage, sage, sage!

I thought to myself, “Self, surely it CAN’T be that bad, it’s Italian Seasoning!” So I decided to go ahead and use it. Big mistake. That evening, my hearty pasta dish tasted like tomato-y Thanksgiving stuffing. Ick. Don’t get me wrong, I do LIKE sage, but it has its place, you know?

Thus began my quest to find the perfect Italian Seasoning. I found a couple different recipes and tried them. This is the one I settled on. (I found this recipe on One Hundred Dollars a Month.) Of course, everyone is different, and your taste might be different than mine, but that’s the beauty of DIY ~ you can make any change you feel necessary. How cool is that?!

AMAZING ITALIAN SEASONING: 

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp dried parsley
3 Tbsp dried basil
2 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tsp dried thyme
1 Tsp garlic powder
1 Tsp onion powder
1 Tsp dried rosemary
1/2 Tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 Tsp black pepper

Directions:

Mix all the spices together in a small bowl, then give them a whirl in your food processor. Then store in an airtight container. Easy-peasy!

Next time you need a little Italian Seasoning for your dressing, pasta dish, steak, seafood, or any other dish you might be preparing, you are ready with your very own blend!