If you have 5 minutes you can whip up a batch of spice mix

Taco Meat Spice Mix

Tips:   If you are using a low fat ground meat like turkey or chicken you might want to add 1-2 tablespoons of water along with the spice just to help it blend in.   Mix up a jar of this and keep it on hand for taco night, use it as a seasoning for chip dip, toss it over some veggies/potatoes for oven roasting/grilling or sprinkle it over popcorn to spice up movie night.  

As with all kinds of spice mixtures, you can adjust the flavors to your preferences.  The below ingredient list and measurements are a rough road map for you to start with but you can get creative and develop your own special blend.   Imagine mixing up a jar of your own special blend and passing that along as a hostess gift or sending off a jar to your kid in college. 

Mix all of the above ingredients together and store in an airtight container.  Use approximately 2 tablespoons of spice per 1 pound (450 g) of ground meat.   Brown the ground meat over medium to high heat.  Reduce the heat to low to medium heat and add in the spice and a little water if additional moisture is needed.  Let it simmer for 3-5 minutes before serving.  

The taco seasoning will last several months in an airtight container.  You can use it in a variety of other ways such as is mentioned above in Tips.   

The smell and taste of autumn, perfect for so many things.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Fun:  Starbucks debuted their pumpkin spice latte in 2003 with an estimated more than 600 millions sold since then.  

Tips:  This is not just for pumpkin pie and lattes.  Try adding it to:  a cookie recipe, yoghurt, cream cheese frosting for a cake or cupcakes, pancake batter, a cream cheese and yoghurt fruit dip, french toast batter, whipped cream for lots of types of desserts and many, many more.  Let your imagination run wild.                         

Mix all of the above ingredients together and store in an airtight container.  The seasoning will last several months in an airtight container.  You can use it in a variety of other ways such as is mentioned above in Tips or even think about making it to put in a hostess gift basket.