Mrs. Dash Table Seasoning

1 cup dried vegetable flakes
4 teaspoons herbes fines
4 teaspoons sweet paprika
4 teaspoons parsley flakes
4 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon peel, dried
1 tablespoon citric acid powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
1 dried tomatoes, cut into slivers -- not in oil! (1 to 2)

Use a coffee or spice mill to grind up everything that is not already ground to a fine grain texture.

Hint: Do the celery seeds with something heavier to get them to pulverize.

Hint: You will get better results if you undergrind, sieve, and regrind the coarsest stuff instead of pulverizing everything into dust in an attempt to get the big chunks out.

This is the general table shake--you can substitute up to 2 tbsp. of your favorite dried herbs for the herbes fines. (e.g. oregano, basil, etc.)

Northern France Seasoning

10 teaspoons dried tarragon
1 1/4 teaspoons powdered bay leaf
5 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
10 teaspoons dried chervil

Grind all ingredients to a fine powder in a high speed coffee mill. Finely sieve into a container, then tightly seal.

Old Sour
This is an old-time Florida recipe and is still the most-used seasoning in the Florida Keys. This homemade table sauce can be splashed on seafood, salads and fresh vegetables.

2 cups lime juice
1 tablespoon salt

Strain juice through a doubled cheesecloth in a funnel into a clean bottle. Add salt, shake the bottle well, and tie a square of clean cloth over the top of the bottle. Let the sauce age in a dark cupboard for 6 or 8 weeks. It should have an acid-salty flavor with a bite on the tongue.

Cork the bottle, and the sauce keeps indefinitely. There is no need to refrigerate this sauce, and the older it gets the better.

Poultry Seasoning

3 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon basil
3 teaspoons paprika

Mix together and sprinkle on chicken.

Poultry Seasoning

2 tablespoons parsley flakes
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon marjoram
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon celery leaves
1 tablespoon ginger
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sage

Mix together well and sprinkle on chicken.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/2 cup cinnamon
1/4 cup ground ginger
2 tablespoons nutmeg
2 tablespoons ground cloves

Combine all. Use 3 1/4 teaspoon per 1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin.

Red Lobster Cajun Seasoning

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
1/2 teaspoon dry oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine ingredients well. Place in an airtight container and store in a cool dry place.

Rose Sugar
This sugar is delicious sprinkled on fresh berries or used in shortbread cookies that call for confectioners' sugar. It is also wonderful in homemade lemonade.

1 cup tightly packed, unsprayed, fragrant rose petals*
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Mix together rose petals and sugar in glass or stainless bowl. Cover bowl halfway with plastic wrap. Let stand 2 days in dry place, stirring every day.

Then toss, cover completely with plastic wrap and let stand 4 to 5 days longer or until petals and sugar are dry, stirring every day or so. If sugar has stuck to bottom of bowl, gently tap bowl on counter to loosen.

Process mixture in blender or odor-free coffee grinder in small batches until sugar is powdered and no bits or lumps remain. (If using blender, process sugar in about 3 batches. If sugar has a hard time getting going in blender, shake blender cup with lid on and blend on high. You may need to shake it a couple of times before it gets going.)

Place sugar in glass jar with tight-fitting lid and keep in cool dry place up to about 9 months. Yields about 1 1/2 cups.

* Be sure to use unsprayed rose petals and, after you rinse them, let the petals get thoroughly dry before you add them to the sugar. Old-fashioned and heirloom roses produce very fragrant blooms that will perfume the sugar best.

Sage Shake-In-A-Bag Mix for Pork Chops

1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup Flour
4 teaspoons Dried minced onions
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Sage

4 Pork chops
1 Apple -- sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix the crumbs, flour, and seasoning in a shallow bowl.

Press pork chops into the coating and pat the coating into the chops. Arrange coated chops in an oiled, shallow baking dish and alternate slices of apple between the chops.

Bake, covered, for 40 minutes; uncover and bake for another 15 minutes.

Salt Substitute

2 t. garlic powder
1 t. basil
1 t. dillweed
1 t. oregano
1 t. powdered lemon rind

Blend well. Store in glass salt shaker. Add a few grains of rice to prevent caking.

Santa Fe Spice Rub
This is great to use when mixing hamburgers, meat loaf and meatballs. Use about 2 teaspoons of rub per pound of ground meat.

2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried leaf oregano, crumbled

Mix all the ingredients in small bowl. Place in jar with tight-fitting lid. Store in cool, dark, dry place for up to 1 year.

Vanilla Powder

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 vanilla bean

For an intense flavor, grind the bean and blend with the sugar in a small coffee grinder.

The flavor increases with time, and will exude into foods when baked.

The bean can be used for other purposes as well

Taco Bell Meat Seasoning

MIXTURE 1:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cilantro leaves, whole
1 teaspoon instant tea powder
1/2 teaspoon dry minced parsley
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon onion salt

MIXTURE 2:
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon seasoned salt

Combine Mixture 1 ingredients and sift together 3 times. Funnel into bottle with tight fitting cap. Keep out of direct sunlight and use within 6 months, or refrigerate to use in one year. Makes 3 T of seasoning.

For taco seasoning: use 2 T of Mixture 2 ingredients *mixed together* added to the 3 T of above seasoning Mixture 1 for 1-1 1/2 pounds ground beef.