Spice Up Your Gift Set
By – Ciatta–Mae Stubblefield

I can remember the first time I bit into my first beignets. Where had you been all my life? It was a December 2016 trip to New Orleans and all the best offerings of the city were mesmerizing my heart and creating memories that will last forever – soulful food, strangers who were warm like family and a deep sense of community.

While I can’t head back to New Orleans right now, I can create the taste of New Orleans through a homemade Cajun spice rub. Spice runs are wonderful gifts because they are practical and you can personalize a gift set by simply adding a homemade spice rub. To give the taste of New Orleans to a loved one, simply mix the ingredients of the dry rub and seal it in an airtight bottle.  Make it a gift set by adding your Cajun mix to a basket and personalize by adding pics from New Orleans, a journal, kitchen mitts and aprons. You could even make a list of top 5 – favorite slogans in New Orleans, top 5 restaurants or activities. Happy Crafting!

Here’s a Cajun dry mix recipe from Allrecipes.com to get you started.

2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Stir all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

Laissez les bon temps rouler (Let the good times roll).