Rice a Roni Mix

 

Rice a Roni style mixes

Happy Sandy's Kitchen

I was asked to re-share my Rice-a-Roni style mixes with you all... here they are, enjoy! ❤

I’m going to tell you how to make your own flavored rice mixes - to use in place of the box mixes from the store. I like making my own mixes because it saves me money, I control what goes into it, and I think they taste better. Plus they make great gifts for family and friends.

Today I'm posting 3 varieties of my mixes and I’ll share the recipes and how to use them.

Each variety will have the following:

Rice - I use regular long grain white rice. You can use other rice varieties if you prefer but the cooking time might be different. Just do not use instant rice.

Vermicelli - this is a very thin pasta in little pieces. If you can’t find this you can buy angel hair pasta and break it into small pieces. I buy my Vermicelli online from Amazon - the brand is La Moderna and it’s .50 for a 7 ounce package. I’ll give the link at the end of this post.

Bullion - I use Orrington Farms Powder Broth Base - but you can use whatever powdered bullion you like best. Where I shop this is sold where the rest of the bullion, broth, and stock is sold.

Seasonings - If I have certain seasonings or herbs in my mixes that you don’t like you can leave it out or substitute it for something you do like.

1. Chicken Flavor: For a 1 pint size jar

1 cup rice

1/2 cup vermicelli

1/8 cup dried parsley

3 Tablespoons Chicken bullion

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2. Beef Flavor:

1 cup rice

1/2 cup vermicelli

1 Tablespoon dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 Tablespoon beef bullion

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3. Southwest Flavor:

1 cup rice

1/2 cup vermicelli

1 heaping Tablespoon chicken bullion

1/2 teaspoon of each of the following-

Garlic powder

Cumin

Chili powder

Oregano

You can see from my picture that I put mine in the jars in layers, but you can mix it up and then put it in the jars. When you go to use it you will have to mix it up. I just did the layers because it’s pretty that way! From now on I will mix mine before putting it in the jars, the reason is that each recipe calls for 1 cup of the mix and each pint jar holds 2 cups of mix. You want the seasonings to be well distributed throughout the whole jar when you're taking out that cup of mix to make the rice.

Directions for making the rice dish:

1 cup of your mix

2 1/4 cups water

Put around 1 Tablespoon of butter and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Begin to heat it up. Add the rice mix, stir, and let it cook until it browns just a bit.

Add the water and bring it all to a boil.

Reduce the heat cover the pan and let it simmer for 15 minutes. That’s it!

Enjoy

link for the vermicelli - https://tinyurl.com/yc88xbaw

The price for vermicelli has really gone up. You can substitute the vermicelli with broken pieces of thin spaghetti, broken pieces of angel hair pasta, or orzo.

#HappySandysKitchen #makingourownmixes #fillingmypantry #yummy #livingthankful

happysandyskitchen.com

Lemon Ginger Sunshine Jam

 

🍋🌶️ Lemon–Ginger Chili Sunshine Jam ☀️✨

Bright, zesty, and lightly spicy jam bursting with lemon, fresh ginger, and a warm chili kick — perfect for toast, cheese boards, or glazing meats 😍

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes

Yield: About 2 cups

Ingredients:

* 3 large lemons (zest and juice)

* 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

* 1/2 cup water

* 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely grated

* 1 small red chili, finely minced (or 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes)

* 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (optional, for color)

* 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

* Pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Zest lemons first, then juice them. Remove any seeds.

2. In a saucepan, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, water, sugar, ginger, chili, turmeric (if using), and salt.

3. Bring mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.

4. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30–35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and glossy.

5. Stir in apple cider vinegar during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

6. Test thickness by spooning a little onto a cold plate — it should wrinkle slightly when pushed.

7. Remove from heat and let cool. Jam will thicken more as it cools.

8. Store in a clean jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Pro Tip:

This jam is incredible brushed over grilled chicken or shrimp, or served with cream cheese and crackers for a quick appetizer 🌶️🍋✨