This winter, the term “savory” has appeared probably more times than in my 5-year blogging history combined. Wonder what that’s all about.

Of course, now I’m fishing for a joke about unsavory characters in years past, but why give any more airtime to neck-slobbering gents who do things like eat McNuggets in your bed while you’re trying to sleep or pout when you beat them in Skee-Ball? Or you know, ghost you after a few months because they saw something shiny with tits on Ye Olde Dating Site. Or got scared because they’re intimidated by women who have their act together. Not like any of these stories are true, of course, but I digress.

So, this spice & seed blend…This became a thing as a result of my friend Lauren’s Facebook comment on a photo I posted to highlight my hemp heart enthusiasm. She mentioned a “savory” blend she’d seen in Whole Foods with hemp and rosemary and parm, and it sounded so good, I made a version for dinner that night. It became an instant staple. Being a household of one, I make small batches, but you can easily multiply this recipe to serve your needs—just store any leftovers in the fridge.

Ingredients*:

• 2 tbsp ground flax
• 2 tbsp hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• a few grinds of black pepper

Directions: 

• Shake ingredients together. Done. Store in the fridge if not using right away.

*Yields ~4 1 tbsp servings

I like to toss this over steamed greens (and whatever other veggies) with a little tahini and mix everything well. If you hadn’t gathered as much, I basically want to put tahini on everything all the time. Tahini—like avocado—is why I do not give a f*** about mayonnaise.

Worst-case scenario: I’ll be th kooky aunt with all the stories and recipes; things could definitely be worse.

Have you ever known any unsavory characters? What’s your favorite spice blend?