How this recipe came about. My husband loves Alfredo sauce on his noodles instead of red spaghetti sauce. So I would purchase the jars, but since it's just him that eats it, it would go bad before he could finish an entire jar. So then we were buying the packets at the market, and that just seemed silly since they had so many added ingredients that we couldn't even pronounce. So, I got out my Freeze Dried powders and started putting together a recipe that he could use on his pasta. In no time at all we had a solution.

Powder is good for approx. 2 months in an airtight container on the shelf. Best when stored in a cool, dry and dark place at temperatures between 55F and 70F. Actual shelf life may vary based on individual storage conditions.

Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered butter
1 cup instant non-fat dry milk
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup freeze dried Monterey Jack Cheese (optional)

Directions
1. In your food processor, add all of the ingredients above. Pulse to combine. If adding the freeze dried cheese, pulse until there are no lumps.
2. Store in Quart Size Mason Jar.

Option: Add garlic powder for a Garlic Alfredo Sauce

To Make the Alfredo Sauce
1. Add 3 tbsp of mixture with 2-3 tbsp of water (or milk), whisk together in small bowl, pour over cooked noodles. Recipe is easy to double and triple if needed.

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp Paprika
2 tbsp Minced Onion
1½ tbsp Dill Weed- Ground
2 tbsp Minced Garlic
1½ tbsp Black Pepper - Freshly Ground
2 tbsp Kosher Salt
1 tbsp - Coriander - Ground
1½ tsp Cayenne Pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium size mixing bowl combine all of the ingredients and mix thouroughly. I usually double or triple the batch if I wan to make a large amount to share.
2. Carefully pour into airtight container and store - or Share!

This spice mix makes a great gift - especially for Father's Day, Birthdays, or Christmas!

This year, while my husband and I were visiting family, my husband stumbled upon a new favorite for him at the coffee house. It's called a Dirty Chai Tea. What is a Dirty Chai you ask? It is an awesome marriage of 1-2 shots of Espresso and Chai Tea Latte, and it is... DIVINE!

One thing I have learned about living in rural Nebraska is that if you find something you like in the city, there is a good chance that you won't be able to get it in our town. So it got me thinking...I could totally make a mix for him and he can have it anytime he wants. Now granted, it's not going to be exactly like the coffee house, but I have to admit, it's pretty darn close.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups dry instant nonfat milk
1 cup non-dairy powdered coffee creamer
1 1/2 cup French Vanilla flavored non-dairy powdered coffee creamer
2 cups instant coffee crystals (or 1/3 Espresso Powder)
3 cups white sugar
2 cups unsweetened instant tea
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground clove
2 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom*
1 tbs pink peppercorns** (optional)
1/2 tsp kosher salt

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl with a wire whisk. Using a food processor or a blender, add a couple of cups at a time and blend until it becomes a fine powder. When pouring the fine powder into a clean mixing bowl, make sure to pass it through a strainer to get out the peppercorns that did not grind up all the way.

Store in an airtight container - I used a 1/2 gallon Ball Jar (and a 1/2 pint jar for the overflow). To serve – add 3 tsp. to a mug of hot water, add a dash of milk.

*cardamom can be hard to find, and can be a little expensive. You can substitute nutmeg in its place. Will have a slightly different taste, but still tastes very yummy.
**peppercorns - it is very important to not substitute these with anything else. If you do not have them, leave them out. Regular pepper is too strong, and has a different flavor profile.

This is my go-to recipe for making Vegetable Broth Powder. The great thing about it is that it is fully customizable. If you can't have salt, don't put it in. If you don't like thyme? Then you don't have to add that either. Frankly, I LOVE garlic, so I tend to just dump in the garlic and measure that with my heart :). I would love to know how you make yours. What flavors do you like more or less?

INGREDIENTS
2 cups nutritional yeast
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 TBS onion powder
1 TBS parsley
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp celery salt (or ground celery seeds)
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp marjoram
1 tsp thyme

DIRECTIONS
Combine all the ingredients into a clean jar. Mix together. For a finer powder I grind the mixture in the food processor. To test taste, add a 1 teaspoon to a quarter cup of water. Adjust accordingly.

To use as broth powder. Add 1 tablespoon to every 2 cups of water.

​P.S. If you are making a different variety of ingredients, you can test by adding some of your mix to a 1/4 cup of warm water, taste and then refine. Happy Blending!