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If you've ever tried “real” bacon bits from the store, you've probably been sorely disappointed. The taste of bacon is completely off, and those flavorless pieces do absolutely nothing except pile even more calories on top of a small salad or baked potato. {And it's not like they're even worth it!}

But who has time to cook bacon every time you need it as a topping or for a recipe? It's actually easier than you might think.

All you have to do is set aside 15 minutes and whip up a big batch of bacon all at once. Since they keep amazingly well in the freezer, you'll always have a stash on hand whenever the need for bacon bits arise!

How to Make Your Own Bacon Bits

Step 1: Cut bacon strips 4 at a time with kitchen scissors and place into a frying pan.

Step 2: Set frying pan on Medium High heat and stir occasionally until bacon is done. The timing will be different depending on how much bacon you put into the pan, so keep a close eye on it!

Step 3: Drain bacon grease into a bowl and place bacon bits onto a plate with 2 sheets of paper towels on it to soak up remaining grease.

Step 4: Pat dry, and remove paper towels so bacon sits directly on plate. Spread out bacon bits and flash-freeze for 10 minutes.

Step 5: Pull bacon bits out of freezer and place into a labeled jar. Store in freezer and pull out whenever you need some!

Total Cost: $2.75/cup

Store-bought bacon bits are slightly cheaper than cooking your own from pre-cut strips, but that's considering you never buy bacon on sale. Our local Publix often has a Buy One Get One deal every few months, which makes the price pretty attractive.

We like to stock up and make bacon bits a few packages at a time, just so we always have some on hand in the freezer. I guess you could say it's our very own convenience food, except this one tastes SO much better!

Do you buy bacon bits or make your own?

Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.

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This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

If you've picked up a few specialty seasonings in the baking aisle lately, you know how frustrating it is to spend $4-$6…..a bottle.

I found this out immediately after shopping for the ingredients of our {now} favorite slow cooker pulled pork, which included about a tablespoon of Jamaican Jerk Seasoning. I, for one, had never heard of this blend before, but was anxious to try something new. Tropical island flavor? Savory herbs with a little bit of heat? Sounds good to me!

However, when I finally discovered this Caribbean specialty at the local grocery store, I pretty much gasped at the price. Then I flipped over the bottle and was in even greater shock. All of the ingredients were already in my pantry. I could totally save some money on this!

So, I immediately went back home and made my very own recipe. It still tasted amazing, and costs pennies compared to what I had {almost} bought. Score!

How to Make Jamaican Jerk Seasoning:

Step 1: Gather all the ingredients from your pantry or spice cabinet, and lay them out on the counter. {Ingredients are listed in the printable recipe portion of the post below.}

Step 2: Measure out each spice into a small bowl.

Step 3: Mix together thoroughly so all spices are combined.

Step 4: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a super long time….pretty much indefinitely. Although we go through ours rather quickly because we use it so much!

Homemade Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

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• Prep Time: 2 minutes
• Total Time: 2 minutes
• Yield: 1/3 cup

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Ingredients

• 2 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground thyme
• 1 1/2 tsp ground all-spice
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground red pepper

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Instructions

1. Stir together ingredients.
2. Store in air tight container at room temperature.
3. Rub seasoning on meats or poultry before grilling or roasting.

Total Cost: Pennies…seriously!

Even though we love using our homemade Jamaican Jerk Seasoning for pulled pork, it's perfectly acceptable for chicken, steak, and shrimp too. Definitely a must-have in your spice cabinet for weeknight dinners or special occasions.

Plus, you just can't beat the savings that comes from making your own seasoning combinations at home!

What seasoning blends are your favorite?

Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.

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This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Any time I get a chance to experiment in the kitchen with homemade pantry staples, I take it. Honestly, there's nothing that excites me more than taking a store-bought item and turning it into a made-from-scratch masterpiece. A domestic instinct, perhaps?

Lately, my new obsession has been with this DIY Pantry Cookbook by Kresha of Nourishing Joy, and although I'm not a real foodie, I do strive to be healthy {most of the time, anyway} and love when I can keep all those nasty preservatives out of our food. Kresha has a ton of fabulous recipes that don't use a lot of sugar, and are super good for you. Plus, they meet my overwhelming need to make my own everything. Win-win!

Since Joseph is completely enamored with fruits snacks {seriously, you would think he was 5}, I was elated to find a recipe in there to make our own. The result? Not bad! My husband can't stay out of them, and it makes me feel better that he isn't eating waxy fruit-shaped candies anymore.

You will definitely want to try making these yourself as they are the perfect snack for little hands, and you totally feel good about feeding them to your kids!

How to Make Your Own Fruit Snacks

Step 1: Choose any fruit you'd like {I chose strawberries}, place in a blender, and puree until smooth. Make sure the puree equals 1 cup. You may have to take some of the puree out and set aside.

Step 2: Add a strong complementary fruit juice and light colored honey to the blender and puree again until smooth. Then, pour mixture into a large bowl and set aside.

Step 3: Fill a saucepan with 1 cup cold water and stir in the gelatin until combined. Place over medium-low heat and heat the mixture until the gelatin is dissolved, stirring occasionally (about 3 to 4 minutes).

Step 4: Pour the dissolved gelatin into the fruit mixture and whisk well to combine, then quickly pour the mixture into an ungreased 9″ x 9″ cake pan or into candy molds and allow to cool in the refrigerator uncovered for 2 to 3 hours. If you decide to use candy molds, work really fast as the mixture will set fairly quickly!

Step 5: Once the mixture is completely set, remove it carefully from the molds or cake pan. If you used a pan, cut them into squares with a knife or spatula. You should be able to get 12-13 horizontal strips and then cut each strip into 12 pieces.

Step 6: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks. I like to package mine into snack bags so I can quickly throw them into lunches!

Homemade Fruit Snacks

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• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 4 minutes
• Total Time: 3 hours
• Yield: 144 pieces

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Ingredients

• 1 cup pureed fruit
• 1 cup strongly flavored fruit juice
• 1/4 cup honey (the lighter the color the better. Dark honey is stronger and less sweet)
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/3 cup unflavored gelatin (about 8 packets)

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Instructions

1. Place fruit in a blender and puree until smooth. Make sure the puree is 1 cup.
2. Add the fruit juice and honey to the blender and puree again until smooth.
3. Pour mixture into a large bowl and set aside.
4. Fill a saucepan with 1 cup cold water and stir in the gelatin until combined. The mixture will be very thick and will want to congeal.
5. Place over medium-low heat and heat the mixture until the gelatin is dissolved, stirring occasionally (about 3 to 4 minutes).
6. Pour the dissolved gelatin into the fruit mixture and whisk well to combine. Quickly pour the mixture into an ungreased 9″ x 9″ cake pan or into candy molds and allow to cool in the refrigerator uncovered for 2 to 3 hours. If using candy molds, you must work extremely fast or the mixture will set before you can pour it all.
7. Once the mixture is completely set remove it carefully from the molds or cake pan. If you used the cake pan, cut them into squares by cutting 12 horizontal strips and then each strip into 12 pieces.
8. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks.

Notes

Recipe from the DIY Pantry Cookbook

Total Cost: $5.38/batch or $.74/serving {20 fruit snacks}

Because there is so much gelatin in this recipe, homemade fruit snacks are actually just a little bit more expensive to make over brand name. However, I can knock down the cost down a lot just by purchasing unflavored gelatin in bulk rather than the store, which makes the comparison pretty much a wash.

Even though I wouldn't go exclusively homemade  in the fruit snack department, this was still a fun recipe to try and fairly easy to put together. I am definitely looking forward to experimenting with different flavors in the future!

What homemade snacks do you love to make?

The DIY Pantry features over 100 homemade recipes and is the perfect complement to your cookbook collection. Learn how to make pantry staples from scratch and get rid of processed foods for good!

From graham crackers to homemade pasta, you can stock your pantry with ingredients you feel good about. And the best part? Each recipe can be completed in 30 minutes or less!

Buy the Book

Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.

I received this book free from Adams Media. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

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Skip the drive-thru and make your own spiced cider at home. Just a few ingredients leave your kitchen smelling like Fall!

The post Make Your Own Spiced Cider appeared first on Kalyn Brooke.

These easy homemade breadcrumbs come together in less than 10 minutes, and are super flavorful! You'll never buy breadcrumbs from the store again!

The post Make Your Own Breadcrumbs appeared first on Kalyn Brooke.

Although canned soup is super convenient, nothing tastes as good as homemade! Save your chicken broth and whip up a batch on the weekend. It`s freezer friendly and incredibly frugal!

The post Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup appeared first on Kalyn Brooke.