Spice it up
Spices are at their highest level of flavor immediately after you grind them and then start to lose flavor rapidly. In fact, ground spices should be tossed after 6 months (you can keep their whole form for years). I realize this doesn’t bode well for all those dusty containers on your spice rack. I’d be willing to bet some of them have been sitting opened for years!!
I encourage you to try an experiment at home. Take some freshly ground black pepper in one bowl and the pre-packaged ground pepper sitting on your spice rack in another bowl. Taste the two. I can guarantee you will identify the difference immediately. So whenever possible, please try to grind your own spices. Not only will they taste better, but whole spices generally cost less than their pre-ground counterparts. Invest in a cheap coffee grinder to do all the dirty work. If your food could talk, it would thank you!