Did you all have a nice Easter? I did. My whole family went out to dinner at Bugaboo Creek. We're quite the noisy crowd when we're all together. My Mom was in her glory. All of her kids were there, all of the grandkids were there, and we didn't even throw food at one another. Definitely a successful day. So...how are you? I'm doing ok. I'm enjoying the sunshine that breaks through the clouds. Of course, it snowed last night and it depressed the ever lovin' life out of me, but this too shall melt!

I talk about my kids, Nick and Gabby. I don't know if I've ever mentioned it here, I doubt it, but Nick is autistic. April is National Autism Awareness month. So, if you don't know much about this disease you should check out the National Autism Foundation for lots of info. Education is the key to success. Want to see the kids? I rarely show pictures of them..I hate to be one of those insanely bragging Moms who drags out every picture of their child. I like to see other people's photos but I'm not interested in every single picture since they were born. My Prince Nicholas and Princess Gabrielle.

So. You didn't come here to hear about my life. You want something from me, right? You want freebies, samples, and tips on how to live a more frugal life. Well, let's start with my favorite of the bunch...freebies! Off to our health and beauty department.

We have a free sample of Maybelline Mineral Power liquid foundation. I was blessed with good skin and I rarely ever wear make up. I'm going to try this out though. The older I get, the more I notice blemishes. Ok, there's nothing funny to say about this but it's a free sample of TENA Serenity Overnight Pads.  Now, here's a free sample I can wrap my head around. It's XCID Antacid. My husband suffers from horrible acid reflux/heartburn. He's always got it. I worry about it too. I'm ordering this as we speak. When the kids were babies I swore by Gold Bond powder. I can say that my kids never once got a diaper rash, even in the heat and humidity we have here in the summer. Here's a free sample of Gold Bond Ultimate. It's not powder, though. It's a cream. I don't have curly hair. I've always been intensely jealous of women who do have curly hair. I spent $275 on a perm once. Yep, came out looking like FiFi the wonder poodle and never went back. Redken is offering free samples of their products for curly hair. JJ Martin Clothing has a freebie of the day. Today it's a free sample of L'Oreal Color Juice Lip Gloss. Just send them your address and request the sample. Lovin' it! I wear glasses. Ok, let me rephrase. I am supposed to wear glasses. I lose pair after pair after pair. I don't bother anymore. Sign up at Windsor Eyes and get a free eyeglass case! I'm kind of weird. I have an incredible sense of smell. Shopping for detergents literally overpowers me because I have to sniff every one that I am considering..mostly to make sure that I find the smell appealing. I'm the same way with soap. Here's a sample of New-Formula Dial Antibacterial Soap. We have a free sample of Dove Ultimate Clear Deodorant. Choose from cool cucumber or grapefruit and lemongrass. Here's a free sample of Coty Beauty Fragrances. You get 12 free fragrance samples! Sometimes they're just those little pieces of paper like a scratch-n-sniff. I use them in the vents in my car..free air fresheners.

I live in Boston..or close enough that I can say "I'm from Boston." I am a huge Red Sox fan! Rock on Red Sox Nation! Opening Day is right around the corner. How about a free pack of Exclusive MLB Baseball Cards? I signed right up for them. I hate to give PETA even free mention in my little blog. I despise their methods. However, if you approve of their methods, you can sign up for a free No Fur PETA pin.

I have a free sample of NutraSweet Swirl. My Mom is a Type 2 diabetic and takes 3 shots of insulin per day. I am vigilant about sugar in her food. So, what do we put sugar in? We put it in COFFEE! Here's a sample of Seattle's Best Coffee. There are 3 flavors to choose from. I picked vanilla bean. After you've eaten and you want to wash your hands, how about using a sample of Klean-To-Go sanitizing wipes?

I am now a huge Trace Adkins fan. God, I just love that man. I'm a huge country music fan to begin with. After Trace's season on Celebrity Apprentice,  I'm even more in love with him. He was trying to raise money for a charity that deals with food allergies. Here is a Food Allergy Survival Guide. It afflicts millions of children every day. I was always pretty apathetic to it. The whole "it doesn't affect me, it's an allergy, big deal." Yep, Trace was a true eye opener and I am now a proud contributor to his charity!

My other favorite show is Top Chef. I blab about it every time I blog. Well, since I plugged Trace Adkins and his Celebrity Apprentice appearance, I will give you a cookbook for Australian Lamb. Now, I don't eat lamb. I may wear their sweaters but that's about it for me. On Top Chef there are always lamb dishes that the judges just adore.

My Dad loved to bird watch. I started putting up bird feeders last year. I love seeing the colorful birds sitting in my windowsills. You can sign up  for a Celebrate Urban Birds kit. It contains posters on how to identify birds and free seeds!

For you music fans, pre-order your free Walton Music Chorale Sampler CD.

I gotta tell you. I love blogging. I am a little disappointed in the other ChaCha blogs lately. Where are our crafts for the Spring? I'm diligently waiting for them. Where are the new recipes for Spring Smoothies? Come on people, motivate! Use the coupons I give you for ideas and materials. In Family Fun magazine this month there is a club house for kids built out of cereal boxes. It is the neatest thing. We should be reading about it in our blogs!

Well, I've made lunch, answered a few queries, checked the mail, patted the dog...I think this is it for now. Until next time...Happy Saving!

I spent all day thinking about this. How to live the "simple" life. There's nothing wrong with the simple life. We all get so caught up in being able to afford the most expensive toys that we forget to enjoy the toys. By the time we remember, it's too late. I came up with some tips to share on how to simplify our lives and save some money in the meantime. I always said my husband should have been an adult in the 1950s. He's so old fashioned. Doesn't think his wife should work, women shouldn't swear, and I should never contemplate getting a tattoo. I guess my point to that statement is that he thinks that back then, life was much more simple. I agree with him.

Remember when I said I needed to cut out the premium channels in my cable package to save some money? I thought about this all day and realized that I need to cancel my cable package altogether. Just call up and tell them "No, thank you." I'm going to invest in some board games for me and the kids. Too many Americans spend too much time in front of the tv. I rarely watch television and the kids could do without it. Just say goodbye to it and don't look back. Don't panic, you'll still have basic cable if you have a cable ready tv, but you won't have to go crazy with a $190 a month bill for channels you never watch. Invest in a VCR or DVD player and sign up for Netflix. I was spending $2.99 to rent movies from Comcast's On Demand service. At Netflix, movies are $1 each and they deliver them to your home with no shipping charges. That's a 200% savings right there.

Which brings me to family vacations. The last family vacation I went on is a blur. 3 or 4 days in Maine which was such a nightmare I think my subconscious has blocked out, to spare me more pain. The kids were 2 and 3, Maine broke a record that week for rainfall, and we stayed in our log cabin (pictured) in a town in the middle of nowhere. The closest hospital was 60 miles away. I'm from just north of Boston..NOTHING is 60 miles away. Buying that log cabin was not one of my smarter purchases. Either way, sometimes we don't truly "see" what is right in front of us. I was born in the first city in the United States to use water power. Lived here all of my life. Last year was the first time I ever took one of the free tours they offer. We took a boat down the Merrimack River, walked around inside of mills that are hundreds of years old, rode the trolley, and truly experienced history. The tours are offered by the National Park Service and are free of charge! Sometimes we don't see the beauty and history that's right under our noses. Check with the Travel and Tourism department in your state and see what hidden gems it has to offer. I just read that in Dillsburg, PA on New Year's Eve, instead of dropping a ball, they drop a huge dill pickle. I'd drive to see that. I don't need a plane ticket or a rental car or a limo to the airport if I'm staying in relatively close proximity to my home. All I need is my car and a hotel room. Huge savings. We all dream of these really exotic vacations..we daydream about Paris and Italy and Rome and Switzerland and the Caribbean and Aruba. What we don't daydream about is Mass and NH and ME and VT and NY. Which is a shame..because there's just so much here to see and do.

Family entertainment is no longer cheap..unless you're doing it right! I am a huge Red Sox fan (don't hate me, now). To take my small family of 4 to a game it would cost me about $300 between tickets, parking, food and souvenirs. Instead, look for things to do with your kids that are free or discounted. Boston Children's Museum is just an amazing place to take your kids. The regular price is $10 for adults and $8 for kids. It would cost me $36 for admission for us to take the kids there. On Friday nights I found out that it is $1 admission for everyone after 5pm. Now, we go on Friday nights. Nothing is different, you don't miss out on things because it's Friday night, you just save a lot of money. On Thursdays at the local library they have story hour. The kids love it and it's free. We have a Quilt Museum that has shows and exhibits and it is all free of charge. You just need to do a little bit of research on what you have near to you that you'd enjoy exploring. How about some bowling? I signed up with Brunswick Bowling for their newsletter and they send me some great coupons. Free bowling for an hour, highly discounted lane rates, etc. It's so funny to watch my kids learning to bowl. Don't forget library hour, either. Every Thursday at noon our local library has story time and cookie time. The kids all gather around while someone reads them a story and then they socialize and have cookies and punch. It's free. Doesn't cost anything and it's so great to see your kids interacting with other kids. Instead of an expensive meal at a restaurant with your kids, how about planning a picnic? My kids adore that. We have a lot of fun packing our picnic basket with foods we all love and finding a great spot to sit and eat. Sometimes, it's as simple as sitting on the big rock in our backyard. We lay our blanket out, unwrap our food and have a fun lunch. We don't disturb other patrons (a big no-no) and they learn how to help make their own lunch. Doing fun things doesn't have to cost anything. You can take half a loaf of bread (cost of about .50 cents) and go to your local pond or lake and feed the ducks. Saving money isn't about sitting in your home with the lights and heat off while you remember the "good ole days" of when you spent a quarter on a bag of chips. Being frugal just means being aware of where your money is going and how well you are spending it!

One quick tip on how to save on your electricity bill is laundry. Probably the chore I dread the most. I do love the smell of clothes that were hung out to dry. When we moved into our new house a couple of years ago, our "old" washer and dryer didn't have the newly required 5 prong plug. Instead of having my brother put a new plug on, my husband surprised me (Oh yes, yes he did) with a new front loading washer and dryer. I want to get as much mileage out of this as I can since he doesn't shop on sale and I almost fainted when I saw the price. So, during the spring and summer months I hang most of our clothes out to dry on a clothesline. Some of my best memories are helping my Nana hang out her clothes on the line with the basket and the clothespins. No one in my neighborhood hangs their clothes out..lol. I always make a remark like "Oh look honey, it's that nice young Boure couple hanging out their clothes. How passe." I save money on my electricity bill, it doesn't heat up my house in the summer making the a/c work harder and I'll get more life out of my dryer.

Thanks for all of the support and great comments you all leave! They are truly appreciated. Until next time....Happy Saving!

Happy 2008 to all of my Frugal Living followers. As I sit back and reflect upon my life this year, I find myself pondering how to simplify my life...not even so much for money, though it doesn't hurt, but for peace of mind. I find that I work and work and work so I can earn and earn and earn...but why? So I can have THE prettiest funeral because I didn't stop to enjoy what I'd earned? Well, anyone who knows me knows that I am a person who is determined to enjoy my life to the fullest. Oh, there will be the regrets one day of "I wish I had...or I really SHOULD have.." but well, that's because I'm a coward and as much as I want to try sky diving, I want to try crashing even less. I was thinking of ways to simplify my life and in the course of doing that, how could I save money? Here is what I came up with...

Cable television. I have one of those bundle packages where I get the phone,  internet and cable tv for one price. That price was SUPPOSED to be $99 a month for life. Typically, it was $99 for about 3 minutes and then it jumped to around $197.00 a month. I mean, come on, I'm paying that much for tv? So, I took out the bill and started to go through it. I was furious. They're charging me over $25 a month just for "rental" fees of their boxes. Oh, I don't THINK so. So, I pack up the 2 boxes we had and the 2 remotes and return them. Then I start looking at the "premium" services I'm paying for. I'm paying for movie channels that not only do I not watch, I don't even know who signed up for them. I rarely have time to watch a movie and if I have that much free time, I prefer to read a good book. So, cancel all of these lame channels that no one ever watches (except for Nickelodeon and Playhouse Disney, can't have a mutiny), and all of a sudden my bill is almost $90 a month cheaper. Basic cable costs pretty much nothing. Invest in a DVD recorder or even a VCR at Wal-Mart for around $25, and you've got a really decent yearly savings. Close to $1000 a year.

It's no secret that gas prices are astronomical. If you live in an area that has public transportation, invest in a monthly bus pass. I found out that for my personal car I was spending around $500 a month for gas. That's just ridiculous considering that I don't go far. I called the local MBTA and found out that a bus pass is $34 a month and there's no charge for kids under 5. So, if I bought 2 bus passes for me and the 2 kids, it's $68 a month for transportation costs. The kids get to ride the bus (a treat for them) and I am saving not only the wear and tear on my car, but $432 a month on gas. So, I figured that the savings for the year is $5184. That's a decent chunk of change to put in your piggy bank for a rainy day. If you don't live in an area that has reliable (that's very important when you have small kids) public transportation, how about buying some bicycles? Not only is it great exercise but it's a great way to spend some time with your family.

Have you heard about Freecycle.org? Freecycle is a group in your community that is dedicated to keeping unnecessary trash out of our landfills. We offer items that are in perfectly good condition, at no charge, so that we can also help our environment. Freecycle is a great way to save money. I have given away all of my kids' baby clothes, toys, computers, etc. In return, I have also gotten a television, some dress up clothes for my little girl and a laptop computer for my son. Freecycle is such a great organization where I live. You can save hundreds of dollars on items you'd buy just by posting a note to your local group that you are looking for something. When my Dad passed away unexpectedly we were left with so much of his stuff. We gave away his 2 wheelchairs, crutches, clothing with tags, etc. We saved someone a LOT of money...and that's what it's all about.

There is nothing I like more (other than chocolate) on a breezy summer morning than to get up, grab the newspaper, and see where the yard sales are. You can find some of the coolest stuff at yard sales for pennies. Some people don't like "used" items but I don't care. If I can clean it up and get some use out of it and save some money, then it's been a successful day. I can pay $25 for a new book at a large chain store or I can get up at 7am on a Sunday morning, armed with a purse full of dollar bills, and buy tons of books for a quarter a piece. I can also buy pictures for the walls, a sugar bowl to replace the one I dropped, and still not spend $5.

Phone service. Ok, I admit, I'm a sucker for a phone with a lot of buttons. I keep changing my cell plan. At this rate, I will have to live to be 112 years old to fulfill the terms of my contract..lol. Ever since phone companies were deregulated they're offering you everything but to come over and do the dialing for you. You could check around and compare pricing plans. I changed over from one company ::coughverizoncough:: to a different company and instead of $350 a month I am paying $138 a month. Sounds high but I have a LOT of lines here. Or, compare your monthly cell bill with your monthly land line bill and see which one has the better deal. Usually it's the cell..then consider just dumping your land line altogether.

Well, if I gave you all of my tips today you wouldn't come back, I'd miss you, there'd be no reason for me to be here, and I'd be sad...so, I'm going to hold onto some more of my tips until next time. Living a simple life isn't a bad thing. It's...simple. Until next time..Happy Saving!

     Well, the holiday season is winding down...so, instead of some online deals today, how about some tips on how we save money here in my household? There's nothing better than having decent things AND money left over after buying it.

     I am a carb hound. I love carbs and don't even understand how people can actually cut breads out of their diet. I could live on a loaf of bread and a stick of real butter for 3 meals a day if I had to do so. I love bread from the bakery at my local grocery store. I do not like to pay full price for it though. They bake it on Sunday night and put it out fresh on Monday morning for $3.50 a loaf. So, I wait until Tuesday and I buy it as "day old" and they take 50% off. They also do this with birthday cakes that weren't picked up and other pastries. I figure, I was going to make pasta on Wednesday and make French garlic bread. So, isn't it "day old" on Wednesday even if I bought it fresh (at full price) on Monday?


     I was reading one of the other Frugal Living Blogs..they all write such excellent articles. One that really caught my attention was the one about serving leftovers! She had some totally great ideas for that. My way here though is that I don't make enough to HAVE leftovers. If you can't package it up pretty in this house to serve it again, I guarantee no one is going to eat it a second time. When you're shopping, buy just enough for each meal. If you cook using recipes, figure out serving size and buy your packages of meats and vegetables accordingly. You may end up with one extra piece of chicken but ultimately someone will eat that during the meal and you won't have leftovers.

     One thing I do like to do though, is when I grocery shop, I buy a lot of "store brand" items.  Store brand is nothing more than the same as a "premium" product but at a lower price. There are only 2 items I flat out refuse to purchase the store brand and one of them is mayonnaise . I was raised on Cain's All Natural and I will  never again try store brand. Ick.  I also buy packages of meats that are much bigger than I'd need and when I get  home, break the packages down to smaller packages and freeze them that way. I will buy a whole cut up chicken and then separate it into freezer bags with the right amount of meat for a meal. In my grocery store you can buy "previously frozen" hamburger. Nothing personal but since I'm going to take it home frozen, stuff it in the freezer, shouldn't I be GLAD it's been previously frozen? I can usually get around 4 pounds of hamburger for around $5. That can last for a whole lot of meals in this house. Shopping store brand is really smart. I remember my Nana sitting on her porch doing piece work for a very large jeans manufacturer. They had sent her 500 pairs of jeans and 500 labels. One batch of the labels was to a major jeans company and the other was to a much lesser known jeans brand. Notice I said brand and not "company?" There's a reason for that...it was the same company! Ever since that day I haven't been skeeved out by store brand. Well, except that mayo thing. Some things you just can't compromise.

     To save money on your electric bill you need to turn out the lights in the room that you aren't using. Buy a small night light if the kids need a light on at night (this is the voice of experience!) and don't leave their closet light on, which will save you about $75 a month. Just trust me on this one. You don't really need the bathroom light on at 3 o'clock in the morning. Keep a small battery powered flashlight
on your headboard. It sounds stupid, but it works. I was getting electricity bills of almost $350 a month. I was not impressed with this. When I was single, my light bill was always around $40 a month. Imagine the shock I went into the first time I saw triple digits. So, we started turning off the lights in rooms not in use, turning off the extra televisions upstairs that no one was watching and keeping the air conditioning a little lower. My light bill is now back down to around $180 a month. I figure for 4 people and 6 taxi companies working out of here, it's not bad at all.
     As I've mentioned, I have 2 small kids, and with that brings video game consoles. They fight over everything (one boy, one girl) so we tend to double up on everything in order to avoid Ninja Baby Toddler Wars. So, instead of buying 2 of the same new  video games I hit GameStop and buy the games used. Instead of paying $40 or $50 per game, I buy them used and spend around $10-$20 a piece. They have a great selection this week with their weekly deals. You should check them out..I still need 2 stocking stuffers, so I guess this was a good reminder.

     Well, I'll be out for the next couple of days doing that whole holiday thing with my husband and Bonnie and Clyde..lol...So, keep the comments coming, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Chanukkah and anything else you may celebrate. If you don't celebrate, happy day off. Until next time, Happy Saving!

Five Simple Techniques to Get your Family to Eat Leftovers and Actually Like Them!

The antithesis of frugal living is throwing away food.  As we're striving to save money, such waste is practically painful.  Also, we've all heard the merits of "cook once, eat twice," and we all know the savings in time and money that come with buying and cooking in larger portions.  But honestly, whose family wants to see an encore of last night's fare?  Unless it's pepperoni pizza, very few.  Here are some ways to make them love it the second time.  All options below are health-conscious and wallet-friendly.  Try a few of these clever disguises to have them welcoming those leftovers:

Wrap it:  Use tortillas or flat bread to make fun wraps
Chop the leftover meat and vegetables into bite-size pieces and saute in a pan.  Serve with warm flat bread or tortillas, lettuce, and a cool dressing.  Depending on the original seasonings, you can give your leftovers a Mediterraneans flair with a little rosemary, cumin, and mint, and serve with a simple dressing of plain yogurt with lemon juice (add a little tahini paste if you have some).  Or you could prepare a veritable fiesta by spiking the filling with chili powder, cayenne, and lime juice, and dressing with a mixture of light sour cream and salsa.  Feel free to bring the warm ingredients--the seasoned meat and vegetables--to the table right in the skillet just like at the restaurant, and keep the wraps on a warm plate covered with a tea towel.  Present the lettuce, dressing, and any other toppings (shredded cheddar, sprouts, feta crumbles) in little bowls, allowing for assembly right at the table...dinner and entertainment!


Toss it:  Enjoy a tangy salad in the warm months
This works especially well in the summer with leftover vegetables.  Include chicken or fish only if you have some.  Before wrapping the poor, unwanted vegetables in
plastic and letting them sadly wilt to oblivion, take any remaining steamed or grilled zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, carrots, sugar snaps, cauliflower, etc. and toss them with your favorite vinegar and a splash of light oil to marinate.  Try balsamic for a more Italian idea, or rice wine for an Asian twist.  For their encore, you can serve them cold over greens (with or without meat) or you can quickly saute them in a skillet before adding them to create a heartier salad.  Check your pantry for any other possible additions such as mushrooms, olives, artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, chickpeas, crumbled ramen noodles, or wonton chips.  Freshly ground pepper finishes it off nicely.  


Bake it:  Italian-style bakes never fail
With leftover meat and vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and/or spinach you can make a baked pasta dish they'll never guess wasn't Plan A.  Boil any kind of pasta, and toss it with your leftovers cut into bite-sized pieces, a little skim ricotta, and pasta sauce or canned, diced tomatoes with herbs of your choice.  Oregano, basil, and thyme work well.  Add a little Parmesan on top and bake at a low temperature (300-325) until it's warm and bubbly and just a tiny bit brown around the edges.  Add a salad and you're good-to-go.


Put it in a pie:  Don't be afraid of pot pie
It can be so much better than the lunch ladies used to make, without much trouble.  They key to a good pot pie is the sauce, and if you're not familiar with the basic white sauce, or bechamel, try it, because there's no more thrifty or delicious way to transform a dish.  (Find a recipe here.)  Again, chop your meat and vegetables, and put them in a shallow baking dish.  As you're cooking with leftovers and avoiding waste, don't forget that half glass of white wine left in the bottom of the bottle!  Add that to your sauce right before pouring it over the meat and vegetables.  Don't make the poor peas swim in it; just a light-to-medium dressing will do.  Top with either a homemade pie crust or a store-bought refrigerated one, press it tightly to the edges of the dish, and bake until warm, bubbly, and browned.  An egg-wash on the crust will make for a prettier, browner result.  This is a winter staple in our home.  It's a definite way to eat cheap that is tasty and homey.

Put it in your pocket:  Not your pants, a pita
This is a really good idea if you have too many leftovers to throw out, but not enough for everyone's dinner, as it makes an excellent lunch.  Don't even put the leftovers in the fridge yet, prepare this re-do as you're storing them.  Take pitas, halve them and open them.  Layer in your leftover chicken, fish, pork, or beef, followed by vegetables and salad.  Feel free to add the three last olives floating in  the jar, or a few mushrooms, or a shake or two of Parmesan.  Dress very lightly with an oil and vinegar dressing--just to keep everything moist, but not to sog the bread.  Then, wrap the pitas tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight.  Send them to work or school along with a pickle spear or chips, or enjoy them at home around the table.


All these tricks work well with meat and vegetables--your average family dinner that is frugal and healthy but not always exciting.  These repeats can add a good bit of variety to your repertoire without adding much expense.  And these, by far, aren't the only ways you can give new life to last night's efforts.  Once you get going with re-cooking, you'll think of many more techniques that suit your family's tastes--a stir fry over rice, soup or stew, or even grilled kabobs.

Some key money-saving tips for stretching your grocery dollars with leftovers:  

• With meats, abandon the convenience cuts such as chops, boneless/skinless poultry, tenderloins and cutlets, for larger, less processed meats like whole roasters or fryers, pork shoulders, and whole loins and pot roasts.  
• The cheaper pieces such as flank steaks and chicken thighs work well, too, and you'll be saving money wing over chop.  
• While fresh vegetables are marvelous, consider frozen if you haven't before.  They're much more thrifty, and are often actually fresher, as the "fresh" produce at your supermarket may have traveled miles to reach you and may not even be in season.  You'll also waste much less, as the peeling, seeding, and chopping have already been done for you, and you only take out and thaw what you need.
• Keep aromatics on hand.  Any of the sautes above will be enhanced by a little chopped onion, diced celery, minced garlic or shallot. Buy the cheaper ones in 5-lb. bags.  The individual vegetables are smaller, so you'll use a whole one each time.  And the rest of the bag will keep well for quite some time in a cool dark place.
• Seasoning is key.  If you do not have a variety of spices on your rack, this thrifty girl understands why.  Man, are those tiny jars expensive!  But honestly, it's with the seasonings that you keep your meals interesting and varied.  They can also add health value.  Try one new one at a time, and learn what it can do for your dinners.  You can learn more online about a variety of seasonings and their benefits.