Grow Basil. Make Chicken.

I posted over on the Instablog earlier this week about the basil growing like crazy this year in the garden. We were a little excessive in planting it, throwing it in between all the tomatoes and peppers as a companion herb, because it's such a fun and easy thing to grow.  It germinates really quickly, too, which is nice for impatient little ones who are eager to see the fruits of their labor. Added bonus, baby basil sprouts are super cute. Just saying.

The problem is, now we have so much basil, we can hardly keep up with it. I've been using a little, giving away a lot, and it just keeps coming back up. I prefer to use basil fresh because it has such a rich flavor and adds nice color to so many dishes. But since we have so much, I'm planning on drying some of it and using it in some seasoning blends. I don't have a ton of experience doing this. I don't follow many recipes. Typically, I can be found in the kitchen sprinkling meat with a variety of spices that sound good in the moment. But I do have a seasoning blend I love to keep on hand and it's so good, I figured I'd share it! We use this a lot on chicken and veggies. Just mix everything together and sprinkle!

I don't know how to make fancy recipe cards.

I realize the title of this post might be a bit misleading. This is not a cooking blog so I needed to bridge a gap from what I like talking about (growing basil) into something I would ordinarily not talk about (recipes). For clarification purposes, you do not need to grow basil to make this seasoning blend. 🤣 You'll find the necessary basil in your Italian seasoning of choice. But I promise you, you'll love growing basil. 💚

A disclaimer for your reading entertainment: As I said, this is not a cooking blog. No science has gone into the creation of this "recipe." It might be too salty for your taste or have too much paprika. You might hate it. Please don't hold it against me. 😂 If you do try it and like it, please let me know. Also, I take no credit for this recipe because it's adapted from another recipe I found years ago and I don't need a legal issue haha. I took away a spice, added a different one, and have changed the amounts used over time. I have found similar recipes online but this is what I use.

P.S. I sometimes make my own Italian seasoning from a recipe you can find here. I like this blend much better with it homemade. But it's great with whatever Italian seasoning you can find in store, too.

Obligatory photo of the ingredients looking
pretty in a bowl before mixing them.