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“My Spicy Solution”

I solved all of my life’s problems in the bulk section of the grocery store the other day. Okay, not quite, but as I exclaimed on twitter recently, I am at war with my pantry and the myriad spices that it houses. I have too, too many spices and they are taking up too much room and they are also going stale, which doesn’t do my cooking any good now does it.

But like all of the thrifty women on Grandma P’s side of the family, I have an aversion to throwing things out. One tip, if you’re in my situation, is to freeze your spices. So I’ll be doing that in the future when I have too much of something. But what about those odds and ends that I rarely use and don’t want taking up my freezer space?

For example I rarely use onion powder or garlic powder in my home cooking, but there are times when I am recipe testing and need a bit of it here and there.

It’s never too late to change my friends, and here is my new way:

The bulk section of the grocery store is my new best friend.

While recipe testing recently I got just the amount I needed. See?

No more plastic or glass containers taking up space and full of herbs and spices growing stale. I can just stack these neatly in a little basket and be done with it.

And look at what it costs? 10 cents here, 12 cents there… and because you’re rotating them at a faster rate, life and food is sure to taste fresher.

That’s my tip ‘o the day, my friends. My spicy solution. Find a bulk section near you and you won’t be crushed my an avalanche of spices no more.

Over ‘n out.

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“Compass Necklaces”

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I wear a compass around my neck sometimes. It makes me feel like a sailor. It also helps me find my way. I’m known for being lost… a lot. GPS often fails me. So I wear a compass! Plus, it’s a nice accessory. The one I have is from my friend Wenderly. She gave it …

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“My Big Blue Boots”

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I have to tell you about my big blue boots because I’m in love with them and I didn’t know you could be in love with boots until now. They were a birthday gift and I troll around Austin in them just to go to the movies, even though they’re boots for trolling around the …

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“Melissa Volpi Outdoor Prints”

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I’m really loving these cards that I stumbled across not too long ago and I thought you should know about them too. Perhaps it’s the nostalgia I feel when I see them because I have such a jolly time when I hunt in England… or that I like to roam around England looking at the …

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“The Pioneer Woman Cookbook Giveaway”

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UPDATE. Thank you all for your beautiful and heartfelt answers. You have reminded me even more what a magical time Spring is, full of rebirth and hope. The winners are: #316: Sarah: “My favorite thing about Spring is remembering life and beauty. My daughter Abbot was (still)born at 38 weeks last Spring. She was beauty.” …

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“It’s Spring Seed Time”

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I wish I could have introduced you to my great aunt — Ann Gray. She was Grandma Pellegrini’s sister and they lived in the same house together until Aunt Gray died a few years before I began this blog. She was one of the most colorful characters I’ve known. She never married, which freed up …

“Millet Bags”

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Millet bags! How do I love thee… let me count the ways. Have you ever heard of homemade millet bags? I didn’t realize that these magical bags were homemade until a wonderful relative of mine named Doris picked me up from the airport in Dallas a few weeks ago on one of the legs of …

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A few weeks ago my friend Amy gave me a very neat gift. I get comments on it every time I wear it. So now I’ve started giving it as a gift myself. I’m such a copy cat. But when I see something that I like, I want to evangelize it. Plus it’s made by …

“Enchanting Gift Idea: Diamond Tooth Taxidermy”

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You’ve heard about Girl Hunter by now. It’s time to meet Girl Texidermist. Her name is Beth Beverly and she is amazing. My sweet brother introduced us via the internet a little while back and since then we’ve become pen pals. The notion of a young woman making artistic creations out of the parts that …

“Fun Holiday Decorating Idea”

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I went to a little soiree not too long ago to get a little better acquainted with Austin. At the end of the evening a girl in charge was trying to get everyone to take home the table centerpieces. I didn’t think much of it until I looked a little closer and saw what they …