Author Topic: Making foods you would normally buy  (Read 23041 times)

EmFrugal

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WhiteTrashCash

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #51 on: January 08, 2018, 03:02:19 PM »
Following this thread as I'd like to make more things by myself.

So far it's mainly been baking stuff, like healthy variations of chocolate chip cookies (oatmeal, banana, chocolate, that's all!), kruidnoten and oliebollen. Especially for baking I really don't understand why people use mixes. Those are usually just flour and and sugar pre-mixed with a load of additives.

I also like to 'make' my own ice-cream flavors by just buying a plain one from the supermarket and adding whatever flavors I want to it (fruits, chocolate, cookie dough, name it).

I'm curious in trying out self-made pesto, peanut butter, ice cream and bread.

I never got pancake mixes. The grocery store has 20 different kinds, but all you need to do is throw milk, flour and eggs in a bowl.


I made pancake mix yesterday from some bulk supplies I had sitting around in the kitchen. Must have cost me maybe 30 cents to make four meals worth of pancake mix. It's amazing how many people don't know how to do this. I made the mix in less than a minute.

Aelias

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #52 on: January 08, 2018, 03:40:18 PM »
I decided that I'm going to learn to make bread this January. I just need to pick a good day for it, when my mum hasn't already done it with the breadmaker.

Same!  Had pretty solid results with the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day, cooked in my cast iron dutch oven.  Still some room for improvement, but could have passed for a Whole Foods peasant bread.  This weekend, trying whole wheat!

https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2010/02/09/back-to-basics-tips-and-techniques-to-create-a-great-loaf-in-5-minutes-a-day/

https://artisanbreadinfive.com/tag/dutch-oven/

roystonea

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #53 on: January 08, 2018, 04:04:11 PM »
I have fun making things from scratch. Things in the regular rotation:

- yogurt: I'm not convinced I save money doing this since I still buy a single-serving container for my starter culture each time I make it. I need to try a long-lasting dry starter again.
- kimchi: I cheat and use sriracha instead of dried hot chili powder, but it's still way cheaper than buying kimchi from the store.
- ghee: this is a big money-saver. Plus, when you make your own, you get to use the yummy milk solids in other recipes.

I used to make milk kefir, but had trouble figuring out what to do with it every day. I did get into making kefir bread, which is delicious and easy: https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/recipe/milk-kefir-recipes/simple-milk-kefir-yeast-bread/

Sometimes I make shrubs, especially if I come across some "seconds" fruit at a farmers market. We use them in sparkling water, salad dressing, and cocktails.

herbgeek

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #54 on: January 08, 2018, 04:05:28 PM »
I haven't seen anyone mention crackers.  These are getting really expensive in the store, and so cheap to make at home.  Similar to making pie crust, which I also make from scratch.

almcclur

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #55 on: January 08, 2018, 04:05:58 PM »
Do you guys have a recipe you would recommend for homemade yogurt? My family of 5 goes through so much plain, whole milk yogurt a week and I'm wondering if I could save by making it myself. Right now I buy about 5 big containers a week. Each container is about $3-$3.30 depending on the store. Unfortunately our warehouse store (BJs) doesn't sell plain, whole milk yogurt. Only non fat. It always feels crazy to put that much yogurt in my cart but everyone eats it for breakfast and snacks with fresh fruit and granola.

Homemade yogurt is a huge win for us. The siggis that my family likes is 1.50 for a tiny little container and I estimate I can make maybe 10 of those with a gallon of milk. So easy too. I’ve started adding rennet to make it more like the skyr style we like (even thicker than Greek). Anyway the basics are: slowly heat the milk up to 180 degrees. Then cool to 110. Add the starter yogurt—at least a couple tablespoons (and rennet st this point if you want to but not mandatory). Then cover it and wrap it in a big towel and let it sit for many hours. I’ve done 8-14 and it doesn’t make a difference. Voila. Yogurt. Then if you want it really thick you can strain it. I use a flour sack type towel. Actually I just got a nut milk bag for Christmas and that works great. I scoop it into separate containers so people can take it for lunches.

Mikila

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #56 on: January 09, 2018, 06:55:41 PM »
We are working on improving in this category.  We've been making bread, canned pickles, salsa, stuff like that.  Next I'm going to try my hand at making Asian sauces.

scissorbill

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #57 on: January 10, 2018, 11:54:40 AM »
I made dog biscuits this week, my dogs seem to like them.  Take 2 cups of whole wheat flour add in an egg and a mashed banana and enough chicken broth to make dough.  Roll it out and cut into squares and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #58 on: January 11, 2018, 09:34:31 AM »
Gluten-free wraps are always crumbly, not large enough, and expensive, so I decided to find a recipe online and make my own. I also ended up making GF banana bread and will try regular bread too since the variety I normally buy is $6/loaf.

Tonight I made mayonnaise in the stand-mixer from my hen's egg, dijon mustard, salt, apple cider vinegar, and canola oil.

I've recently felt empowered to make various foods that I might normally buy, since the component ingredients tend to be cheap (I'm sure if I factored in my time, the tradeoff is not worth it, but it's a relaxing activity for me that replaces mindless web browsing). It's also nice to know what ingredients are in my food, using organic ingredients when possible, or reducing the amount of sugar/salt in a recipe.

Are there any foods out there that make sense from a financial standpoint to make yourself vs. buying? Anything that's particularly easy to make that you wouldn't normally think to do?

My next venture will be trying my hand at DIY ketchup in the slow cooker.

Would you share your GF recipe for banana bread? My toddler has a wheat allergy and I think she would like banana bread :)

I used this one and used brown rice flour instead of wheat-flour. I'm sure all-purpose GF flour would work too. Add a little bit of xantham gum so it doesn't crumble so much (though the bananas help hold everything together too): http://allrecipes.com/recipe/20144/banana-banana-bread/

Acastus

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #59 on: January 11, 2018, 10:56:22 AM »
I used to buy baba ganough, but Syracuse has never heard of it. The closest I can find is an eggplant spread with a mayo base. Yuck. Pretty easy. I use a recipe from a hippy dippy vegetarian cookbook by Anna Thomas.

Started making sushi. Just maki so far. I am not ready for nigiri yet. Do not try it with fresh fish unless it is today's sushi grade. Crab is more forgiving. My son loves it. I whip up some miso soup as a starter.

FireLane

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #60 on: January 11, 2018, 04:31:21 PM »
I forgot another good one: applesauce! Little FL eats a lot of it, so I experimented with making my own instead of the store-bought single-serving packets. It's incredibly easy to make on the stovetop.

MrDelane

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #61 on: January 14, 2018, 04:35:11 PM »
I realize this isn't really a food most people would normally buy... but I wanted to share this with people who would understand (and no one in my life, other than my partner, fits that mold).

I just finished making turkey chili, which we like to refer to as our 'year-long chili.'
I'll spare you the play by play - but it freezes incredibly well and keeps forever.  It is not terribly unhealthy and its somewhat easy to make en masse.

Well, I am pretty ridiculous, so we now have 66 individual servings of chili stocked in our freezer.  We'll slowly eat it over the next year, a couple of times a month, on nights where we don't feel like cooking or have the urge to get an easy meal.  It keeps us from eating unhealthy and otherwise expensive options.

I just did the math and each serving cost $1.46 to make.
« Last Edit: January 14, 2018, 04:37:08 PM by MrDelane »

nancy33

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #62 on: January 14, 2018, 05:33:38 PM »
I made dog biscuits this week, my dogs seem to like them.  Take 2 cups of whole wheat flour add in an egg and a mashed banana and enough chicken broth to make dough.  Roll it out and cut into squares and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Thank you I, going to try it!

Tabaxus

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #63 on: January 14, 2018, 07:22:27 PM »
Pasta is easy and delicious to make

+1000.  One of the best things I ever bought was a pasta maker addon for my stand mixer.  Once you have homemade pasta it's basically impossible to go back to the premade stuff.

appleseed

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #64 on: January 14, 2018, 07:44:29 PM »
I just made my own chai concentrate. It's $4/tetra pack so definitely a savings to make it (5 black tea bags, 1/4 c sugar, and spices you have on hand but versatile). Also less sugar than the packaged stuff. I can find the recipe if anyone is interested. You mix with milk of your choice and hear. Quite good!

Tass

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #65 on: January 14, 2018, 09:34:06 PM »
I also like to 'make' my own ice-cream flavors by just buying a plain one from the supermarket and adding whatever flavors I want to it (fruits, chocolate, cookie dough, name it).

This also works great with yogurt, especially since plain yogurt is way cheaper than flavored cups (assuming you're not already making it yourself!) Honey, peanut butter, fruit or jam, and shredded coconut (w/lime if you choose) have all been winners.

I started learning to make bread with this 5-ingredient no-knead recipe: http://alexandracooks.com/2012/11/07/my-mothers-peasant-bread-the-best-easiest-bread-you-will-ever-make/
I make it in one large bread pan instead of the two bowls like she does, and I've substituted 1/4 of the flour for wheat flour with success. It comes out with a very nice crust, and I still make it whenever I want bread without effort.

The one thing that has consistently eluded my DIY efforts is tortillas. They keep turning out too small and dense, so I pay a couple bucks for them instead - perhaps I'll try MrDelane's recipe.

- ghee: this is a big money-saver. Plus, when you make your own, you get to use the yummy milk solids in other recipes.

What do you use the milk solids for? Also, do you find ghee makes a big difference in flavor in your cooking? I've just been using an inauthentic butter + olive oil mix as a ghee stand-in.

Appleseed - I am interested in the chai recipe, but it sounds like it is still more expensive than just drinking tea black? I like sweetened chai as a treat but I drink my tea plain on the daily.

Raenia

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #66 on: January 15, 2018, 07:03:48 AM »
I'm falling behind on my from-scratch cooking, I actually had to buy yogurt last week :(  But, some things we usually made from scratch:
 - Bread
 - Yogurt
 - Chai tea (not cheaper than bought, but so much better tasting!)
 - Applesauce
 - Jam (also not cheaper)
 - Pickles: cukes, beets, pickled eggs
 - Corn tortillas
 - Salsa
 - Hummus
 - Other baking: cakes, muffins, cookies, pancakes, dessert breads, etc.

Things I've been meaning to try:
 - Pasta
 - Cheese (got a book on cheese making for Christmas, can't wait to start)
 - Condiments: mustard, ketchup, etc
« Last Edit: January 15, 2018, 09:06:44 AM by Raenia »

Hirondelle

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #67 on: January 22, 2018, 11:29:35 AM »
Made my first ever homemade hummus today and it's amazing! I have a little jar filled with it, so I can use it on bread and as a veggie dip throughout the week. I've used this recipe (https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/hummus-237832) which I found in APowers' sub $200 grocerie thread.

Dragonswan

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #68 on: January 22, 2018, 02:33:39 PM »
Let's see:
Pesto (pine nuts)
Tomato mother sauce (then adjust it when I use it)
BBQ sauce
Muffin pan egg fritatas
Ice cream (although I do still buy a fair amount)
Sorbet
Soup
Lamb meatballs (still buy the beef ones from Wegman's since I don't eat them often)

All of which are freezer friendly.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #69 on: January 22, 2018, 06:21:49 PM »
Tried homemade yogurt for the first time, and it was great! Super easy. Long process, but a delicious outcome. I used this recipe. https://www.daringgourmet.com/easy-homemade-greek-yogurt/

mountain mustache

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #70 on: January 22, 2018, 09:35:46 PM »
I'm pretty basic about making things. I love to cook, and I feel comfortable making just about anything in the kitchen, but I don't have a ton of free time.
Just about every week I've got a crockpot full of chicken, beef or veggie broth brewing. I freeze it after 36 hours of slow cooking, and it is amazing!
I make my own Kombucha, which I keep as a continuous brew, and do second ferments with yummy flavors.
Lacto-fermented sauerkraut is another thing I've made, but I personally like the store brand my local health food store sells better!
I used to make my own Almond milk, which was delicious, but also more expensive than the cartons of organic from Costco

roystonea

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #71 on: February 07, 2018, 01:04:48 PM »
- ghee: this is a big money-saver. Plus, when you make your own, you get to use the yummy milk solids in other recipes.

What do you use the milk solids for? Also, do you find ghee makes a big difference in flavor in your cooking? I've just been using an inauthentic butter + olive oil mix as a ghee stand-in.


Sorry for the very slow reply! Some dal recipes call for milk solids. Beyond that, I'll mix them into almost anything (vegetables, soups, rice, breads, popcorn...) to add a rich and toasty flavor. Some people spread them on toast. Ghee should have a nutty taste compared to plain butter. If it's not nutty, then it's pretty much just clarified butter. Ghee also has a higher smoke point than butter, so it's better for sauteing.

Hirondelle

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #72 on: February 07, 2018, 01:24:52 PM »
The home made hummus has become a bit of a regular now. About to make my 3rd batch this week.

Tried to make pesto last week but it wan't too much of a success yet. I burned my walnuts a little (oops) plus the mixture turned darker than it's supposed to. I read that adding some fresh parsley can prevent that, but I only had dried. Will try again and refine my recipe soon!

On my to-try list is currently a vegan garlic sauce made out of soy yoghurt.

asauer

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #73 on: February 07, 2018, 01:28:47 PM »
We make our own pesto because we grow a ton of basil. Ends up being pretty inexpsive to make yourself.

I make pizza dough, that is also very easy.

We grow carrots and use the carrot tops to make pesto.  Tastes virtually the same.  Found that out one year when the Japanese Beetles decimated our basil plants.

middo

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #74 on: February 07, 2018, 08:20:21 PM »
My daughter made her own muesli yesterday.  Much cheaper than anything from the store, and much less sugar.  And the toasted nuts in it were fantastic.

(Oh yes, I had some...)

cchrissyy

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #75 on: February 07, 2018, 10:10:46 PM »
for pesto, I found that making it with or without pine nuts is just as good

krustyburger

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #76 on: February 08, 2018, 04:41:55 AM »
Currently I make the following almost weekly:
soy yoghurt
bircher museli
hummus

these occasionally:
gyoza
gnocchi
tomato relish
quince paste (although I no longer have access to free quinces)
marinated labneh (yoghurt cheese)

things I'd like to try to make one day:
sauerkraut
sourdough bread, rye bread, any bread really

Raenia

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #77 on: February 08, 2018, 06:12:27 AM »
gnocchi

I can't believe I forgot that one!  I love making homemade gnocchi, just made a batch last weekend in fact.  They freeze so well, and so decadent for a freezer meal.

Quote

sourdough bread, rye bread, any bread really

I want to try sourdough, but it just seems like such an investment to keep the starter going, and I have a tiny kitchen :/  I love my rye breads, though - I have a recipe for a honey-rye loaf that is delectable.  I recommend starting with a white bread batch or three, since rye is a little more difficult to work with.

diapasoun

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #78 on: February 08, 2018, 09:34:04 AM »
gnocchi

I can't believe I forgot that one!  I love making homemade gnocchi, just made a batch last weekend in fact.  They freeze so well, and so decadent for a freezer meal.

Do you have a good freezer recipe? I've used the Smitten Kitchen gnocchi recipe and love it for fresh gnocchi, but when I've followed her instructions for freezing I end up with a weird starchy disintegrated slop when I boil them. It hurtsss, hobbitses, it hurtssss.

Quote
Quote

sourdough bread, rye bread, any bread really

I want to try sourdough, but it just seems like such an investment to keep the starter going, and I have a tiny kitchen :/  I love my rye breads, though - I have a recipe for a honey-rye loaf that is delectable.  I recommend starting with a white bread batch or three, since rye is a little more difficult to work with.

If you have one square foot that you can use for the various proofing/raising parts of sourdoughs, you're golden on space. The time and consistency is definitely more of a thing. Starters can be hard to get going -- I'm currently on my third because I keep neglecting to feed them appropriately while they're young. However, if you get an active, healthy starter from someone else, you can basically keep it in the fridge, feed it once a week, and only take it out when you actually want to bake.

Raenia

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #79 on: February 08, 2018, 02:50:31 PM »
gnocchi

I can't believe I forgot that one!  I love making homemade gnocchi, just made a batch last weekend in fact.  They freeze so well, and so decadent for a freezer meal.

Do you have a good freezer recipe? I've used the Smitten Kitchen gnocchi recipe and love it for fresh gnocchi, but when I've followed her instructions for freezing I end up with a weird starchy disintegrated slop when I boil them. It hurtsss, hobbitses, it hurtssss.

Quote
Quote

sourdough bread, rye bread, any bread really

I want to try sourdough, but it just seems like such an investment to keep the starter going, and I have a tiny kitchen :/  I love my rye breads, though - I have a recipe for a honey-rye loaf that is delectable.  I recommend starting with a white bread batch or three, since rye is a little more difficult to work with.

If you have one square foot that you can use for the various proofing/raising parts of sourdoughs, you're golden on space. The time and consistency is definitely more of a thing. Starters can be hard to get going -- I'm currently on my third because I keep neglecting to feed them appropriately while they're young. However, if you get an active, healthy starter from someone else, you can basically keep it in the fridge, feed it once a week, and only take it out when you actually want to bake.

I'll send you my gnocchi recipe if you like.  I also had trouble with them getting mushy or disintegrating when cooking from frozen, and I've found the key is to make sure they go straight from the freezer to the pot, and not to overcook.  I'm still experimenting with optimal cooking time, but I'm currently at about 3 min in the pot, or as soon as they rise to the top.  It's also possible I have lower standards ;P

Sadly, I have about 6 sq ft of countertop space, total, so giving up even one for sourdough is painful.  I'm looking forward to moving into a house with a proper kitchen someday so I can try it.
« Last Edit: February 08, 2018, 03:09:41 PM by Raenia »

Shropskr

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #80 on: February 08, 2018, 02:58:53 PM »
My newest try is PHO.  Its soooo expensive here Portland Or.  I've made beef and chicken.

centwise

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #81 on: February 08, 2018, 03:02:37 PM »
Love this thread! Posting to follow.

centwise

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #82 on: February 08, 2018, 03:10:15 PM »
Things I make at home:
Bread, pizza dough
Pie crust
Other baked goods (muffins, banana bread, apple crisp, etc.)
Salad dressing
Soup stock from vegetable scraps and/or bones
Hot salsa
Pickled carrots (just stick them in a jar of pickled jalapenos)
Spice mix, especially curry powders
Barbecue sauce

Things I would like to make at home, inspired by this thread:
Tortillas
Hummous and other yummy dips

Lemonhead

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #83 on: February 08, 2018, 03:34:13 PM »
Technically a salad dressing, but I make cole slaw dressing.  The dressing itself is crazy expensive and so is pre-made cole slaw.  Apple cider vinegar, sugar and mayo with added celery seed, salt and pepper and shake in a jar.

I do usually cheat and buy pre-cut green cabbage, red cabbage and carrot mix at $1 a bag.  Especially good in hot weather with food on the grill and easy to make as a large side for pot lucks, etc.

SimpleCycle

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #84 on: February 09, 2018, 11:04:33 AM »
Technically a salad dressing, but I make cole slaw dressing.  The dressing itself is crazy expensive and so is pre-made cole slaw.  Apple cider vinegar, sugar and mayo with added celery seed, salt and pepper and shake in a jar.

I do usually cheat and buy pre-cut green cabbage, red cabbage and carrot mix at $1 a bag.  Especially good in hot weather with food on the grill and easy to make as a large side for pot lucks, etc.

I looooooove coleslaw, and will either shred the cabbage in the food processor or buy bagged mix, depending on price.

Inspired by this thread, I am making yogurt in the crock pot right now.

HipGnosis

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #85 on: February 09, 2018, 11:31:10 AM »
I really want to make BBQ sauce, but that requires me to make ketchup.   I don't eat ketchup so I'm not motivated to make it...

ElizaStache

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #86 on: February 09, 2018, 11:35:57 AM »
I haven't seen anyone mention crackers.  These are getting really expensive in the store, and so cheap to make at home.  Similar to making pie crust, which I also make from scratch.

I absolutely love making sourdough discard crackers. Tbf, I use the KitchenAid roller attachments that I use for tons of things, so it’s easier and faster. I live adding in herbs and cheese to crackers. It all stared because one night I bought Brie but no crackers, a quick google search later and I had a great snack!

ElizaStache

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #87 on: February 09, 2018, 11:51:09 AM »
I used to work prep in a fine dining restaurant, so over the years I’ve built my kitchen equipment into a small commercial kitchen. Investing in a KitchenAid, deep freezer, pressure canner and high quality containers has benefitted me greatly. Moving within walking distance of a Cash n Carry is extremely helpful for the budget.
Some things I like to make vs. buy:
Pasta sauce- I’ll jar about 12 qts worth and give away a lot as gifts.
Bread- sourdough boules, Pullman loaves, challah, yeast rolls, wheat loaves, etc
Crackers- leftover sourdough starter gives them a fantastic tang
Pasta/spaghetti- once you go fresh, you never go back. I love adding in different flavors
Soups- freezer friendly recipes galore. They clean out my vegetable drawer and anything that needs to go
Stock- I keep bags of vegetable scraps, chicken bones, nubs of flavor everywhere and when I fill the bags I know it’s time to make stock. Can it, rice and other items are much more flavorful. I make sure to roast the bones and have a very long simmering period, about 18-24 hours for deep flavor. Make sure to open the windows!!
Chicken- buy whole, break down all the parts and add homemade brine or marinades
Salad dressings- I have a family recipe
Scones, cookies, cake,pies,  treats must be homemade, no slut bread allowed!
Jams, jellies-lucky to work in a garden over the summer so I can have some of the bounty
Pickles of all sorts
Freezer pizzas, lasagnas, meatloaf, season treats  and other lazy foods so we don’t have to go out to eat or have the fun of a different season for a night.

I will also add that my professional cooking experience provided me with techniques and the joy of cooking I may not have had otherwise, but I enjoy doing prep days and stocking my deep freezer for when I know I need the boost to my regular food budget. Cooking is one of my few innate talents I wish I could pursue professionally without taking a pay cut and detriment to my health.
« Last Edit: February 09, 2018, 11:55:02 AM by ElizaStache »

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #88 on: February 09, 2018, 03:11:54 PM »
@ElizaStache - would you mind sharing your family dressing recipe?

ElizaStache

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #89 on: February 10, 2018, 10:17:22 AM »


@MaybeBabyMustache here you go :)

I’m always happy to share. I also add a tap of shallots and I use an immersion blender for better emulsion, but you can just shake it up if it separates.

Mikila

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #90 on: February 13, 2018, 08:28:47 AM »
We made cheese crackers (ala cheez-its) Sunday.  When I discovered that DH had almost eaten the whole box of cheez-its by himself, I was angry and then thought, I'll make some.  How card can it be?  In about 15 minutes of mixing, rolling, and cutting, I made about 2 boxes worth of cheez-its.  It was surprisingly easy.  We still had some cheez-its on hand to compare, and the homemade are tastier.

We make a lot of our own bread products, too, like giant pretzels and scones and muffins and wheat bread, mostly on the weekend and then we freeze the extra to be pulled out all week long.

We also cook our own beans.  Failing to plan ahead is the only reason I can fathom for buying the canned ones, when they are so much more expensive canned and so easy to make fresh.

Homemade "farmer's cheese" is also ridiculously simple.  It's a great thing to make with about-to-expire marked-down milk.  Milk, vinegar, salt, and lemon juice are the only ingredients needed.

geekette

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #91 on: February 13, 2018, 08:55:54 AM »
We made cheese crackers (ala cheez-its) Sunday.  When I discovered that DH had almost eaten the whole box of cheez-its by himself, I was angry and then thought, I'll make some.  How card can it be?  In about 15 minutes of mixing, rolling, and cutting, I made about 2 boxes worth of cheez-its.  It was surprisingly easy.  We still had some cheez-its on hand to compare, and the homemade are tastier.
Recipe?  I've tried making crackers before and decided that either they weren't worth the effort, or I was doing it wrong...

Mikila

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #92 on: February 13, 2018, 09:06:45 AM »
We made cheese crackers (ala cheez-its) Sunday.  When I discovered that DH had almost eaten the whole box of cheez-its by himself, I was angry and then thought, I'll make some.  How card can it be?  In about 15 minutes of mixing, rolling, and cutting, I made about 2 boxes worth of cheez-its.  It was surprisingly easy.  We still had some cheez-its on hand to compare, and the homemade are tastier.
Recipe?  I've tried making crackers before and decided that either they weren't worth the effort, or I was doing it wrong...
This is the recipe I used: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-crackers-at-home-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-186144   
I followed the cheese cracker variant at the bottom of the recipe. 

Smevans

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #93 on: February 13, 2018, 09:46:48 AM »
Made "chipotle" bowls for lunch. Corn, black beans, chicken, salsa, cheese, brown rice, pico de guio. Delicious, cheap and easy.

PKate

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #94 on: February 13, 2018, 10:50:34 AM »
Honey.  We keep bees sell enough honey to cover the cost of the hobby and leave us enough to give as gifts.  This spring we want to learn how to make Mead. 

Pies.
I can pie filling.  Cherry, blueberry lime, strawberry rhubarb, raspberry and apple.  I get the fruits form my own garden or local pic your own farms.  When the occasion arises we make a pie crust from scratch using the food processor.   

Condiments
Pesto. 
I use garlic scapes and garlic leaves along with basil from our garden.  I prefer a good Romano cheese over Parmesan and I use pine nuts, walnuts, or pecans depending on what I have in the house.  Often I will use a mix of nuts.  I store it in small canning jars in the freezer.  Last year I put up just over half a gallon of the stuff and it wasn't enough. :)

Salad dressing 
I make a balsamic vignette every few days in the summer.   This is largely used on Caprese Salad.

Bar Barbecue Sauce.  I use ingredients from the garden and honey instead of sugar.  It all gets canned. 

Relish.
DH loves a sweet relish and bread and butter pickles. 

Tomato sauce.  I canned 40 quarts of ti last year and grew everyone one of those tomatoes. 

Salsa
I can a traditional tomato based salsa and a Salsa Verde  from home grow tomatillos. 

Apple sauce, apple butter, pear sauce, and pear butter when I can get free fruit. 

Jams are not something we eat much of but I will make it when I can score free fruit.  Most of this is given away as gifts.  Knowing lots of gardeners is a great way to score free excess produce.  Also being able to help them preserve it also helps. 

I make pickled hard boiled eggs and store them in the fridge.  I do this when my chickens are producing an excess of eggs. 

I also lacto fermented dill pickles and sauerkraut.  These are inexpensive, healthy and easy to make.  They also keep for months in the fridge.

Herbs.  Many cooking herbs are perennial in my area and I dehydrate them throughout the growing season.  I cook with them in the winter and I also give them as gifts.

Stock/Broth.  It is the number one thing I pressure can.  I make soups, stews, pot roast, gravies, and I cook my rice in it too.  I freeze bones and save them till I have enough to make using my 5 gallon stock pot worth while.  Once the stock is cooked down I pressure can it and have it when every I need it.

I also make my own frozen veggies from the garden.  Kale, green beans, winter squash, broccoli, peppers, snap peas and I am hoping to add to this list this year.  They get bagged up into one or 2 meal servings and are so much better than store bought in the middle of the winter.

Brownies are always from scratch along with pies. 

We also make Needham which a chocolate covered coconut candy.  My DH is from Maine so the are a family tradition.

Drizzling a high quality dark chocolate over fresh strawberries is my favorite desert and is much easier than dipping the strawberries.
 
   
 




MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #95 on: February 13, 2018, 08:03:11 PM »
@ElizaStache - thanks for the recipe - looks great!

@PKate - you've got yourself a full homestead going. Super impressive!

onehair

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #96 on: February 14, 2018, 09:36:40 AM »
I just did homemade Peruvian chicken which I usually get from the zillion places in the area.  It's pretty close though I almost wished I had used a whole chicken and had a rotisserie.

PKate

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #97 on: February 19, 2018, 10:01:55 AM »
My newest try is PHO.  Its soooo expensive here Portland Or.  I've made beef and chicken.

I want to try this.  Can you share recipes?

fuzzy math

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #98 on: February 19, 2018, 04:03:59 PM »
DH makes kombucha but it never tastes as good as GTs. Have tried other brands, never as good either. He made ginger kombucha and it's finally great! Am excited to dump my $3 bottle habit.

ElizaStache

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Re: Making foods you would normally buy
« Reply #99 on: February 20, 2018, 04:30:13 PM »
I made croissants this weekend. Oh my goodness, they are SO good. Not as beautiful as I'd like them to be, so I need to work on my technique, but they are tasty. Instead of buying for for $2.50 at a coffee shop, it probably cost about $4 in ingredients and maybe an hour or so of my time to make 30 of them. 26 of them are frozen, I pull out just the ones I need to defrost, prove a second time, egg wash, and then bake.

My goal is to make delicious snacks, but also make a different style to make a breakfast sandwich with.

It's also one more item for my freezer sweets. I'll make cookie dough rounds, biscuits, scones, etc. to save for when I need them instead of baking a ton at once (and eating them all at once). I think of back when my dad used to make 4 dozen oatmeal cookies at a time and bake them all. I only recently let him know that he could bake just a few and save the cookie dough for another time instead of letting the baked cookies go stale.