Two years ago today, my first post went live.
Time has been flying by, and I am so thankful that I started this site. I’ve met so many wonderful new people, expanded my culinary and health knowledge, improved my photography skills (which still aren’t that great yet), learned a bit about website programming, and had a blast creating my recipes and sharing them with you!
In honor of today, I will share some of my favorite and most popular posts from the past two years. At the end of the post, you can enter a giveaway, too!
2 Years of Sharing
Spoonful of Sugar Free two year milestone.
Most Popular Sweet Recipes:
Most Popular Savory Recipes:
Favorite Being Healthy Articles
McDonald’s “Real” Fruit Smoothies
Milestone Spice Giveaway
This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Janel, whose Spice set is named “The Artful Eater.” Thanks to all who entered!
Courtesy of Spices Inc.
I am very excited for this giveaway! It sounds like a fun way to be involved, and win some yummy spices. For the giveaway, you will leave a comment to create your own 6-jar spice set. The winner not only receive their customized gift set but will also be added to the Spices Inc. site as a “Limited Edition Spice Set” for others to buy, too!
North America residents only, sorry!
How to Enter:
- Leave a comment with the following:
- Choose any 6 spices, herbs, seasonings or chiles from Spices Inc. site.
- Select a creative name for your spice set
- Provide a couple of sentences on why you picked these particular spices (i.e. family favorites, reminds me of my grams, etc) this is equally important as the story is often one of the biggest deciding factors when two spice sets are “almost too close to call.”
The person with the most creative spice set and name will win!
Giveaway ends May 24th at Midnight.
P.S. I would love it if you followed me on facebook, twitter, and pinterest, but it is not required to enter.
Name: “The Vegan Thanksgiving Special”
1. Thyme
2. Lemon White Pepper
3. Cinnamon
4. Paprika
5. Caraway Seeds
6. Sage
As a vegan, holidays with my non-vegan family can be tough. However, I’ve managed to combine these spices in one of the best vegan savory chickpea tarts they’ve ever tasted! Now, the holidays can be a little more merry as we all sit and break bread (vegan bread, of course) together 🙂
katherinedibello (at) gmail (dot) com
My spice set “Sexy Savory Six” would include:
Garlic herb
Parsley
Onion powder
Celery salt
Basil
Rosemary
With my “Sexy Savory Six” I would use these spices for some of my savory recipes. These spices, and the garlic and basil in particular, remind me of meals my mom would make for me when I was young. She was an exceptional cook, and made my brothers and I a homemade meal every night. Our favorite dinner was Pesto, made with garlic and basil. I’d love to try to recreate it using these spices!
I call this set…”The Artful Eater”.
1. Bourbon Barrel Smoked Pepper
2. Smoked Paprika (Sweet)
3. 18 Spice Chicken Rub
4. Chipotle Honey Rub
5. Organic Yellow Mustard Seed Powder
6. Sensational Salad Seasoning
My grandpa did not cook. A few times a year he would make a fried egg or help BBQ and proclaim it the best thing anyone had eaten all year, but if prompted to cook more he refused. However, he loved to sneak in the kitchen when my grandma (or whoever was cooking!) wasn’t looking he would add some of his favorite spices or spice blends to the food. It used to drive her crazy and make me giggle because he only did it when someone wasn’t looking.
He was also famous for his BBQ chicken or trip-tip and sure enough before the meat was going to go on the grill he would be in the kitchen whipping up a secret marinade full of his favorite spices (and boy was it yummy!)
My grandpa was like my dad, and he passed away 5 months ago. This set is inspired by his love of BBQ and is an awesome reminder of his secret culinary talents and a reminder of how amazing he was!
I should also note that the title of my spice mix is a play on my grandpa’s name which was Art. 🙂
happy happy 2 years, wow!! I think I’ve been reading since just about the beginning in fact and have loved every post since then.
Oh no…my comment got deleted! I’ll try again…
“No sugar, plus spice, makes everything nice”
1. Saffron
2. Lavender
3. Star Anise
4. Vanilla Beans
5. Cardamom Pods
6. Whole Nutmeg
I find that avoiding sugar is so much tastier if I use spices to give my dishes more depth. These spices are luxury items for sweet dishes…ones I would be lucky to have in my kitchen all the time! Because they are all so cozy, each one evokes images of special places to me…whether they are as distant as India (cardamom) or as close as home (lavender).
I don’t have any particularly ‘spicy’ stories in my life, but I just wanted to say thank you for your awesome recipes and posts!
I haven’t had processed sugar (probably… I’m sure that sugar snuck into a couple of things I ordered when I ate out with people, e.g. in black bean soup or occasionally in bread or something) since March 16th. That’s two months today. I’ve lost nearly 10 pounds. I feel fantastic. I’m currently working on ditching bread/gluten the same way (just started yesterday and doing fine), because I know there are better foods out there that I can consume 95% of the time. I know I’ll probably have a bit of cake on my birthday, and ice cream once or twice while I work at camp this summer, but honestly I just feel so good not having it, I know I won’t get off track.
Thank you for your awesome recipe inspiration – I’ve made some of my own fruit-sweetened oatmeal cookies (unsweetened chocolate, banana, oatmeal, baking powder, peanut butter and/or almond butter). It’s amazing what you can do with great ingredients! Keep up the great work!
Absie,
Wow! That is fantastic 😀 I am so happy for you!!! Congrats!!! Thanks so much for the sweet comment and keep up the good work.
I call this collection “A Culinary Vacation”
1) Manzanillo Mexican Seasoning
2) Baharat
3) Maharajah Curry
4) Habanero Mango Chicken Rub
5) Salt free southwest seasoning
6) Piri Piri Seasoning
One of my favorite things is to travel and really immerse myself in other cultures. I love love love all the different spice combination and flavors combination used by different regions. Plus you gotta love all the health benefits as well from the mix of spices. This spice blend would make me feel like im going on vacation around the world. Love it!
By the way, so glad you held this giveaway! This company is fantastic!
Congratulations on your 2 year anniversary!
My Spice Collection:
“Anti-Inflammatory Essentials”
1. Organic Raw Cacao Powder
2. Organic Ginger Powder
3. Organic Korintje Cinnamon Powder
4. Organic Cayenne Pepper (Medium)
5. Organic Chia Seeds
6. Himalayan Pink Sea Salt
For the past six months (ironically the number matches the number of spices) I have been focusing on un-learning what I though I knew about health and researching what I really need to be doing for optimum health and wellness (big change from the SAD diet). I have learned about inflammation caused by our diets, our environment and the chemicals we come in contact with every day, hence the Anti- Inflammatory Essentials spice collection!
“Greece on my Shirt”
Mint
Oregano
Basil
dill
garlic powder (Love your Posts!!) Very Inspirational!
Left Out # 6
Sorry
Bay Leaves
“Senses of Hidalgo”
1.Saffron
2.Saigon Cinnamon
3.Cardamom
4.Curry Powder
5.Dill
6.Organic Ground Cumin
I chose many of these spices because they are related to what my mother use in her cooking. My mother is the best cook EVER, and being from Costa Rica, you can bet she loves using spices. She would always tell me how her mother made a certain dish and show me how. I love listening to her talk about her childhood and how her family prepared things, and I can tell it makes her happy. I can always tell what she puts in it, and believe it or not… I can actually feel if whether or not she was happy or upset through her cooking. Weird, right? She used to love cooking for everyone and I would love helping her in the kitchen. She would invite people over and we would just enjoy each others company, and we all loved her cooking. Though, she hasn’t been doing that lately and I kinda miss it. I would love to learn more from my mom, which she has learned from hers. And to hopefully pass it down in the future. I hope that if I win these spices, it would give her some inspiration and a sense of home with these spices. I could tell she really misses her family back home, and through cooking, it always brings her memories.
Her mother was named Hidalgo, if your wondering 🙂
Taste Bud Safari
1. Pure Vanilla Bean Bean Powder
2. Saffron
3. Organic Dried Orange Zest
4. Organic Ginger Powder
5. Organic Cardamom Seed Powder
6. Lemon White Pepper
Saffron combined with vanilla creates a unique adventure for your tastebuds! Together these two spices can be used in sauces to accompany your favorite protein bases, soups, or as a way to bring out an aromatic sweetness (with or without sugar) for desserts, meringues, puddings and more. When combined with citrus flavors, or a ginger/cardamom mix, the ante is upped, making a flavorful spice base for rices and carbohydrate dishes along with spiced breads and cookies.
This mix will send you into a whole new set of adventures in your kitchen. The endless possibilities of how to apply such unique flavor profiles is now in the hands of your imagination!
Alex, congrats on 2 years of sharing!! Your blog is wonderful ~ heres to many more 🙂 Love the giveaway too!
Thanks, Marla!
Congrats on 2 years; yea for you!! My spice collection:
-chili powder
-ground cinnamon
-turmeric
-saffron
-raw cacao
-lavender
Have a wonderful weekend, Alex; hope the sun is shining for you!
Great site Alex! You have a very interesting story and have motivated me to go sugar-free. It’ll be hard but obviously, as shown by you, it’s not only doable but enjoyable! Can’t wait to read the rest of your blog.
And what a sweet giveaway! Would it be weird if I asked for 6 Greek spices? I’m obsessed 🙂
Haha okay okay…my choices in my “Totes Rando Spice Set” would be:
GREEK seasoning
Citrus seasoning
Piri Piri seasoning
Tandoori spice
Pumpkin Pie spice
Organic ginger powder
It really is a random combo but these just looked so good to me! A little savory, a little (sugar-free!) sweet. Also, I was SO pumped to see the piri piri!! I recently studied abroad in Tanzania and our group (as well as all the natives) were absolutely obsessed with the stuff! Too funny. Over there it came in hot sauce form and we would always fight over the pili pili (that’s what he called it) to add on top of our cheap, bland hiker food.
I may have to get some even if I don’t win your giveaway 😉
Molly,
Glad you found me! And I am excited you might like to try sugar-free (are you joining my June challenge?). Thanks for entering!
Oh yeah, definitely in for the challenge
Grilling around the globe
1. Habanero mango run
2. Jamaican jerk
3. Kansas city bbq
4. Mediterranean dry run
5. Moroccan chicken spice run
6. Blackened seasoning
We love grilling, and it would be fun to have flavors from all over to grill with.
It is suppose to be Kansas city bbq rub, and rub not run on the other two, only have internet on my phone, and of course the autocorrect….
Emergency Kit to “Fix” School Lunches and Teacher Workroom Coffee
Organic Red Pepper Flakes
Organic Saigon Cinnamon Powder
Organic Ground Black Pepper Medium Grind
Organic Ginger Powder
Organic Garam Masala
Organic Chia Seeds
I’m a teacher with a spice addiction, a need to live health, and only a 35 minute lunch break. I have to keep a kit of spices & seasonings in my classroom to make it through the day. Each of these will add a kick to a salad, some heat to a soup, and some verve to tea & coffee. The chia seeds make any dish more healthy while adding a yummy flavor note. I keep this kit in the locking cabinet or my students would use them up, just like they used up my hot sauce when they realized I had that stashed in the room.
*healthy not health
Hi Alex!
How fun how could I pass this up!
My spice set would be called Spicy Love
Jamaican Jerk
Cajun Rub
Hot Curry
Lebanese 7 spice
Pure Vanilla Bean Powder
Ginger
I picked four different combinations from different cultures..I would use them on chicken,fish,veggies etc…The vanilla powder would be for dessert..Mix it with some coconut milk with chia seeds or mix it in some coffee..Yummy! You can never have enough vanilla bean laying around the kitchen.Lastly I picked the ginger because I felt that you could add ginger to each combo if you wanted to and also if you get a stomach ache afterwards you can mix it with water..
Hi Caysee!
Ginger alway helps my stomach feel better 😀
Congratulations on two years of blogging! That’s a big achievement!
My spice set is called, “Help! I’m being A-salt-ed!”
1. fleur de sel
2. Pacific sea smoked sea salt
3. Hawaiian black salt
4. Himalayan pink salt
5. jalapeno seasoning salt
6. smoky citrus salt
I picked them because salts can add a lovely finish to a dish that completes it in a way beyond description. Somehow it just pulls everything together and makes the other spices stand out more beautifully.
Alex, I absolutely love your site and recipes! You are a perfect example of how to live a healthy, thriving, active life with strict dietary restrictions.
My spice collection would be called “The Crafty Cookie Smuggler” and would include:
– Saigon Cinnamon
– Vanilla Bean Powder
– Organic Cacao Nibs
– Pumpkin Pie Spice
– Apple Pie Spice
– Shredded Coconut Flakes
After struggling with a severe eating disorder throughout my pre-teen and teen years, I have slowly come to a point where food is no longer an “enemy.” During my healing journey I discovered a deep love of cooking and baking, particularly recipes that have been “revamped” to be truly healthy and nutritious. Spices are a fantastic way to add deep body and flavor without processed sugars/fillers. I love discovering new spices and healthy recipes to use them in(especially cookies)!