making it from scratch

[jodi]

I am on a really big scratch cooking kick. So far I have attempted (successfully, even!):
granola
yogurt
muffins/cakes/cookies/pies/cinnamon buns - all baked goods
breads and rolls
pizza/stromboli
pancakes (SO much better than the mix!) and waffles
soups/chili/stew

What other things am I not thinking of? What mixes and prepackaged foods have you ditched?

[tinapbeana]

Re: making it from scratch

i can't stand jarred/canned spaghetti sauce, so i've always made it from scratch. i also make up a lot of spice blends/rubs to use when i cook b/c it's a cheap easy way to change flavors. buy the spices in bulk & make up a batch at a time...

let's see: BBQ sauce, soup, guacamole, mashed potatos... odd, the things i make from scratch

when it comes to pancakes, i'm thinking about making up my own mix & using that from a bin.

[budgetmom]

Re: making it from scratch

I made sloppy joe meat the other day and froze it for a later meal. I had always just used the canned stuff before. This tastes MUCH better!

[jodi]

Re: making it from scratch

Ooh, my DH makes the best sloppy joes from scratch.

Great ideas! I keep meaning to try my hand at spice mixes, but never quite get around to it. I made crockpot applesauce last night to take to a meeting - it was SO easy and so much better than the jarred stuff.

[JanH]

Re: making it from scratch

wow. growing up we made our cookies, pies, cakes, pizzas,cocoa, pancakes, even ice cream from scratch. Why, o why did we think convenience would be better. Scratch always tastes better.

[JanH]

Re: making it from scratch

I think I'm getting inspired from this thread.....

Re: making it from scratch

Cakes are the best when done from scratch! We live in such a convenience world, we tend to forget how to do things the "old fashioned" way.

If you haven't made Fruit rollups from scratch - try it! It just takes a dehydrator, fruit, honey, and applesauce. delicious!

[tinapbeana]

Re: making it from scratch

If you haven't made Fruit rollups from scratch - try it! It just takes a dehydrator, fruit, honey, and applesauce. delicious!

PL, you can do the same thing with fruit yogurt and your dehydrator. Still healthy, and doesn't have to be refridgerated. Used to take them to school for lunch.

[Fern]

Re: making it from scratch

I buy just popcorn kernels and pop them with a bit of canola oil, rather than buy the popcorn in a bag with all that god awful hydrogenated fake butter and salt.

[Squantum]

Re: making it from scratch

I always make microwave popcorn from scratch. Used to try it with a bag, but it comes out much better in a specially designed container I found near the microwaves in a discount store that doesn't exist any longer (c. 1992). It's a round bowl on a base w/ a vented top. I've seen in other stores since then.

I haven't always made turkey burgers from scratch. But when I do -- mmm, they are so much better than frozen patties (even if I freeze them).

[PrincessPerky]

Re: making it from scratch

Cakes are the best when done from scratch! We live in such a convenience world, we tend to forget how to do things the "old fashioned" way.

If you haven't made Fruit rollups from scratch - try it! It just takes a dehydrator, fruit, honey, and applesauce. delicious!

How much and how long, and how do you stop it from falling down the holes?

[kashi]

Re: making it from scratch

Thanks, PP, I was just about to post that. My mom used to make them but she used dehydrator sheets. Where on earth do you find them now?

[tinapbeana]

Re: making it from scratch

fruit roll-ups in a dehydrator w/out the liquid holding deydrator sheets: line the existing mesh dehydrator tray with plastic wrap.

[Fern]

Re: making it from scratch

I always make microwave popcorn from scratch. Used to try it with a bag, but it comes out much better in a specially designed container I found near the microwaves in a discount store that doesn't exist any longer (c. 1992). It's a round bowl on a base w/ a vented top. I've seen in other stores since then.

I haven't always made turkey burgers from scratch. But when I do -- mmm, they are so much better than frozen patties (even if I freeze them).

Definitely true about either turkey or beef burgers. I think the key is not pounding the patties out flat and thin; needs to be some air in there.

[tabbycat31]

Re: making it from scratch

I make salad dressing from scratch (I am allergic to pepper and most commercial salad dressings have that in it).
I used canned tomato sauce (really bland) and add my own spices (it's cheaper than say Ragu)
I made a cake and icing from scratch for the first time over teh weekend and it came out pretty good.

I wish I had more time for cooking