Welcome to Home Base! If you are returning for another look into today's Home Base idea  or if this is your first visit, I hope you enjoy what information I have to share. I hope you can use my base ideas in your home.I also welcome your ideas you find work for you in keeping a stable home base  in your life.  Keeping it simple, encouraging others to try, doing what it takes to accomplish a goal are some of the avenues I think about daily. Putting my words to the board is  my way of  helping someone in someway find the easy, simple, and hopefully fun way in making life  just that much less complicated in our busy and complex lifestyles.

Trying something new,revising something old, standing by the standards that still work for me - these are areas I pull my base ideas from. Sometimes these  ideas may seem to be more of a challenge than I figured for a simpler solution to what I trying to do. Other times these idea outcomes are so much easier once accomplished  I say to myself " WOW!! Why couldn't I see that beforehand"?!!  In any event, being simple  and getting it right  matter to me. All it takes  is the base  thought "I can do this"  and I'm off  trying to do that very thing.

That is how today's idea  came about. I want to share a couple simple base recipes for my home seasonings I keep on hand in my pantry.  I use them almost always  when I cook so you will see them in my recipe lists often.  I decided, one day a couple of years  ago, since I use them so often to create my own. I like them because  the ingredients are simple fresh and I know what is in them as opposed to buying off the store shelf. What you buy in a store may contain  additives  that are unnecessary(like preservatives  which I am allergic to). 
I like knowing what I am using  is healthy in content. 

Purchasing these essential products as a whole actually saves me money and time as they last longer and can be purchased at your local  dollar stores, discount / closeout  stores , and bulk food stores  at a fraction of  what  it  runs you on the shelf in your grocery stores.  When I can find these items in bulk and I am willing to pay the  price offered I do it because I know I am saving money and will not have to  run out and get it again for a while.Finding them on sale = BONUS!!!

I  normally reuse the original  store bought container of what I am replenishing , a) because it is a familiar  container and b) it usually is a convenient size  to use  while I am creating  my  foods. I don't want to have large containers on my counter being in my way, it is just a preference because I can get clumsy once in a while. I keep the bulk containers on the pantry shelves  and use them  as I run out of my base. Once they are empty, if they can be reused I will stock  what I need in them, always recycling what I can in my home.

So with that in mind, let's get started!!
This home base is easy and economical and gets used every day in my house. It is preferred over all other salts.

Home Base Garlic Salt
I use EQUAL PORTIONS  of:
1 container Garlic Powder
1 equal amount ( use the garlic powder container as a  measure guide) 
Mediterranean Sea Salt  ( I use  the FINE  type, you can choose  Coarse if you prefer)
1 equal amount ( again use the garlic powder container)  dried Parsley Flakes

In an appropriate size bowl, ( medium or large) depending on quantity you are making, empty ingredients and mix all thoroughly. Store desired amount in current  container and if there is any left over  store it in your pantry in an airtight  container for future use. I keep  unpopped popcorn kernels in my regular use  container to keep the  powder  and salt from clumping. Some people use rice in their  shakers but rice would fall out of the holes in my shaker container.
     Variations for this base- use equal amount of onion powder  instead or/ with original  base.  Add 1/4 amount of ground black pepper  if you like pepper in your food.

Now this next recipe is an all purpose seasoning I use for fish, poultry, meats, soups, casseroles, and anything I think needs a touch more  homemade flavor to it. I have two options I am offering; when I season fish, poultry and meats I use the option  that has soup base added to it. When I season all other savory style  dishes I use  the  actual regular option base.

All Purpose Seasoning
Option 1                                            
Using EQUAL parts  or 1/4 cup per spice:
                 
Dried Parsley                                                                          
Poultry Seasoning 
Paprika
Cumin
Turmeric
Chili Powder

Option 2 
Use equal part 
Powder form Chicken flavored Soup Base
(similar to Bouillion)                        

  Mix all ingredients in a  bowl and put in container. This is good used a s a rub , or just sprinkle into your dishes. 
Add to your breading mix when you are  breading  foods to add another level of flavor.
Feel free to add to or omit to these base recipes  per your preference.


I want to share another tidbit  with you today-
Last weekend I was in the  Tawas, MI area searching out  fun  and interesting things. On Newman Street there are many local owned,  eclectic shops  with fantastic products and one of these shops really caught my eye because everything in it was produced  using natural products  from merchants in the USA!! The owner Cheley  Herman was as charming as her shop Lime in de Coconut, Bath & Body Boutique. Check her  place out online @www.limeindecoconut.tawas,MI and "Like" her page on Facebook, she  has some  awesome offers right now!!! Give them a look -see for some unique and  reasonable priced items.

Today's Home Base Tip -  Do not  miss an opportunity  to tell your friends  you care!
I hope you enjoyed today's offerings. Please join me soon foe more Home Base ideas!

"Commit your work to the Lord, then it will succeed".   Proverbs 16:2
 



 

Hi There! 
Welcome to my site "HOME BASE".
Home Base was designed with the intention  of creating your desires  by using a practical  and simple base idea as the foundation . Everything we do has a starting point and that starting point is taken and built upon until the end  result is achieved.Without a base idea nothing  will be accomplished; thus began my quest for Home Base to be born  and flourish.

My idea grew out of a need to share what wonderful things I am experiencing as I make my way through life as I know it to be. In my home, any idea we have  begins  with a base element - thought-, and from there  once thought  out, it is tried and if it works it is a keeper, if it doesn't work , well,  we try to figure out  where the issue is and  create better or  if it isn't feasible then  it is  tossed and we go back to the home base to work on a new  solution. I am sure this is the way it is in your home as well.

 With that in mind, I hope you will touch base with me often and and bring to your home ideas you can use creating your own Home Based  ideas, sharing  and utilizing them here with us all in an effort to build solid, fun, simple, ways to make life easier  for ourselves as life propels us through our busy  complex daily lives.

  I have never taken on a project like this before and it is a new avenue I walk,so please bear with me as I learn and grow. Home Base will share what works  and what doesn't  and hopefully will encourage us all to strengthen our base elements - So, with that said ...let's get started!
I thought  about what my first base idea to bring home to you would be.I have discovered over the years that FOOD is always a nice ice breaker and is usually enjoyed best when shared. My first Home Base offering  will be a hearty soup base .  It is an easy , quick to make  base. and as you will see, will make a great base  to build upon creating your own personal recipes over and over. Keep in mind I am providing the base, you can change it up any way you want  and use what works for you. If you cannot find the items I use, feel free to improvise with what you think will work, and let us know if your attempt was a win or pass on how it turned out. 

Each of  my homemade recipes begin with a base of ingredients I normally have on hand at home.A well stocked pantry is a nice thing. My husband Bob likes to buy some items  as if they are going out of style so sometimes I have  many  containers of  one specific thing and have to  decide how to be creative in  providing meals  in what appears to be forever until the supply will run low. This isn't so much a concern for packaged or canned goods , however when he brings home  fresh foods in quantity then I  have to  figure  on  using them up or  freezing them for future use.
  A lot of my recipes are  altered  ones  when I  cannot  use the  ingredients from a recipe because I may not have  that item. I go to the next available  thing I think  might work in my  base.  The  soup base I am going to share with you today  was built out of  this  same  necessity. Once I have a  solid  home base I can use, I always change it up for variation sake and that is a nice thing because, this soup base can be worked with in so many ways.

      Homemade French Onion Soup Base.....

Quantity: about  a gallon or 8-12 servings.

4 - 6           Large sweet onions of your choice, chopped or sliced to your preference. 
                   (I like mine halved  and sliced thin)
6  cloves    garlic minced or chopped
4 TBSP      butter and (or) 1/4  cup olive oil
2 stalks      celery chopped small
2                 carrots chopped small
2 pkgs        Brown Gravy  mix (found by the gravies)
2 TBSP      Worcestershire sauce
2 TBSP      liquid steak seasoning sauce (found by the steak sauces)
6-8  cups   water

* Croutons and a melty cheese  are optional, just depends on if it is on hand at the time.

In a large soup pot  melt butter and olive oil , add onions and sweat and stir them until they begin to brown a little. This will take some time, so  you can cut up your other veggies  to put in. Once you add these  vegetables  stir and let them  incorporate  in the  mixture and get  to a tender crisp  state. Add your 2  pkgs of  brown gravy mix , the worcestershire sauce and steak seasoning sauce and then the water. Stir  until  everything is incorporated and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to  medium low and simmer for at least  half an hour., longer if you have the time and want a heartier richer flavor.

If you want the addition of  croutons and  a melted cheese broiled on top of it then go for it. We only do that  sometimes because the soup  is quite hearty and flavorful as it is. Some people do not like so much deviation from  the "norm" as they  know it to be, so go ahead  and enjoy! It is all about what  suits you!!
That is all it takes to make the base. I usually parce out a 2 two hour time slot from beginning to end, but it really doesn't  need to be that long. 
 This time  I did put a variation to this as you can see in the photo above I had a yummy  basmati rice with mushroom  mix that Bob had brought home and I added 1 1/4 cups to the soup base, I also added 1/4 cup of barley at the same time.I added  them when I added the water.  That is what all the  extra  stuff floating  with the  carrots and onions are in the bowl. There was no need for any spices either  because the gravy mix and the rice mix already had plenty of spices !    Believe me, after  every  spoonful of his first bowl Bob said "Mmmmmmm" ! 
 You can use this base as is or take it further with the additions like I did this time. Be creative and  use what you like and if you do please let us know  how it was...good, win or bad,pass.We'd love to know so we can give it a try too!   The additions I used this time around added another level of  flavor and a little more substance as well. This recipe is a WINNER in my home. Its base is simple, tasty, economical and more healthy than not.  Please try this recipe, let me know what you thought of it and if you found it to be a win or pass!!

Today's tip: Enjoy what you do and if you don't enjoy it...find a way to enjoy something about it so it will at least be easier in some way.

Be sure to check back soon, because next time i would like to share what must have's I like to stock my pantry with and what I use to make my own  seasoning mixes.

"For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness" Psalm 107:9 

Hope you enjoyed today's Home Base and have a beautiful day!