Author Topic: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery  (Read 23542 times)

MikeDeMontreal

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Hey guys,

What food do you normally prepare at home, instead of buying the expensive and/or unhealthy version at the supermarket ?

Personally, I experienced so far with :
- Hummus: the classic case of an expansive grocery item that takes 3 minutes to prepare at home.
- Pesto: Great if you have your own garden for the basil
- Chicken wings/ribs: I just throw them in a ziplock bag with a dry rub for 24 hours instead of buying the disgusting and terribly unhealthy version
- Salsa: much more healthy than the supermarket version

I'm now preparing my kombucha, hopefully it will turn OK

boarder42

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Garbanzo bean chips
Yogurt
Salsa
Granola
Pesto
Pasta sauce


Wouldn't wings and ribs just be cooking. How is that different from cooking chicken breast and pork butts etc.

MandalayVA

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Ketchup
Mayo
BBQ sauce
Salsa

crazy jane

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Bread (New York Times no knead version)
Almond Milk
Crackers from the almond pulp
Oatmeal mixed with fruit and nuts instead of cereal
Pesto
Hummus (Alton Brown)
Pasta sauce

Mr Chin Stubble

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Hamburgers/ cheeseburgers

Not sure if that applies since I'm not butchering the meat myself or anything... but I remember reading somewhere about one individual critic of the McDonalds franchising idea saying something like: "you can cook a burger at home  in 5 min..."

If you think about this -- it really is funny and kind of true. In any case I always make a burger at home now -- it takes 5 min...
« Last Edit: January 25, 2017, 08:22:08 AM by Mr Chin Stubble »

Dicey

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I found a cookbook called Lost Recipes for $1.00 at the Library Book sale last weekend. Since Sunday, I have made homemade Tomato Soup, Spoon Bread and Gingerbread from scratch. Last night was a whole chicken in the Instant Pot, today will be chicken soup from the stock.

Recently, Costco dropped Mountain High yogurt (3.99/64 oz) in favor of something-I've-never-seen-before Organic (6.99/64 oz.), bleargh. Time to start making yogurt again.

Fishindude

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Pizza is so easy, here is the crust recipe, most exspensive thing is the yeast.
2-1/4 cups flour
(1) yeast packet
(1) teaspoon salt
(1) teaspoon sugar
Warm water to bind
Oil the bowl beforehand and your hands before kneading
When dough is prepared, sit someplace warm for at least 20 minutes to rise

Spread dough on baking sheet and use whatever toppings you like, 400 degree oven.

Dicey

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Pizza is so easy, here is the crust recipe, most exspensive thing is the yeast.
2-1/4 cups flour
(1) yeast packet
(1) teaspoon salt
(1) teaspoon sugar
Warm water to bind
Oil the bowl beforehand and your hands before kneading
When dough is prepared, sit someplace warm for at least 20 minutes to rise

Spread dough on baking sheet and use whatever toppings you like, 400 degree oven.
Yeast is sooo cheap at Costco. If you don't have a membership, ask a friend who does to grab a block of it for you.

Also "When dough is prepared" is a little vague. How long should the dough be kneaded? By hand or with a food processor? Do you add more flour? Can you be a little more specific? I want to try this recipe!

Fishindude

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Also "When dough is prepared" is a little vague. How long should the dough be kneaded? By hand or with a food processor? Do you add more flour? Can you be a little more specific? I want to try this recipe![/quote]

Best I can describe the process:

Dry ingredients in a bowl.
Add warm water and stir with a fork. 
When it gets good and thick, fork no longer works, so oil your hands and just work it into a ball
You want to wind up with dough about the consistency of playdough, so careful not to add too much water. 
Put ball of kneaded dough in a bowl, cover with towel and set on top of stove where it's warm as your oven pre-heats
Just use your (oiled) hands to flatten it out on a big (oiled) baking sheet, thinner the better, then pinch form the outside edge
Spread out some marinara or red sauce of your preference
Add meats and veggies
Cover with lots of shredded mozzarella cheese
Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, check bottom of crust with a spatula to assure it gets a little crispy, may need to leave in a little longer.


FireHiker

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salsa
hummus (first batch last weekend and it was great!)
chicken broth
cream of chicken soup
granola
working on bread-learning now, first effort was so-so but optimistic I'll get there
chicken nuggets

Hoping to have a much longer list by the end of this year

Dicey

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #10 on: January 25, 2017, 10:43:37 AM »
Quote
Also "When dough is prepared" is a little vague. How long should the dough be kneaded? By hand or with a food processor? Do you add more flour? Can you be a little more specific? I want to try this recipe!
Best I can describe the process:

Dry ingredients in a bowl.
Add warm water and stir with a fork. 
When it gets good and thick, fork no longer works, so oil your hands and just work it into a ball
You want to wind up with dough about the consistency of playdough, so careful not to add too much water. 
Put ball of kneaded dough in a bowl, cover with towel and set on top of stove where it's warm as your oven pre-heats
Just use your (oiled) hands to flatten it out on a big (oiled) baking sheet, thinner the better, then pinch form the outside edge
Spread out some marinara or red sauce of your preference
Add meats and veggies
Cover with lots of shredded mozzarella cheese
Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, check bottom of crust with a spatula to assure it gets a little crispy, may need to leave in a little longer.

Thanks Fishindude, but my questions were specifically about the kneading part, since I'm not an experienced yeast bread baker. How long to knead? By hand or can you use a food processor? Add flour when kneading or no? What should the texture be like? I can do all the other parts, it's the kneading I'm unsure of. Thank you!

peregrine

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #11 on: January 25, 2017, 10:52:08 AM »
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Crock Pots/slow cookers yet, but mine are a central part of my kitchen! I cook a lot; in an average month, I will eat out only 2 or 3 times. All other meals are prepped at home.

My favorite/most successful slow cooker dishes:

1. Pot roast. For about $12 (buy pork on sale), I can make 12-15 portions. Meat, veg, gravy, all in one.

2. Bean soup. Vegetarian or w/meat. 15 servings for $5-$8. The longer it cooks, the more the flavors enhance. Freezes well.

3. Roast chicken. I find that sea salt and pepper are enough to make this dish fantastic. One whole chicken: $6.  No broth, no veg.

Here's the key to major savings: Freeze extra portions in ready-to-go plastic containers. I have a full size freezer in the garage. I use it for bulk storage (when I hit a sale), and pre-portioned frozen meals, ready to go for work days.

boarder42

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #12 on: January 25, 2017, 10:59:11 AM »
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Crock Pots/slow cookers yet, but mine are a central part of my kitchen! I cook a lot; in an average month, I will eat out only 2 or 3 times. All other meals are prepped at home.

My favorite/most successful slow cooker dishes:

1. Pot roast. For about $12 (buy pork on sale), I can make 12-15 portions. Meat, veg, gravy, all in one.

2. Bean soup. Vegetarian or w/meat. 15 servings for $5-$8. The longer it cooks, the more the flavors enhance. Freezes well.

3. Roast chicken. I find that sea salt and pepper are enough to make this dish fantastic. One whole chicken: $6.  No broth, no veg.

Here's the key to major savings: Freeze extra portions in ready-to-go plastic containers. I have a full size freezer in the garage. I use it for bulk storage (when I hit a sale), and pre-portioned frozen meals, ready to go for work days.

i would say b/c IMO this should be typically packaged pre made things at the grocery store.  like sauces and chips and pizzas etc. not i cooked chicken or pork or beef etc.

Slow&Steady

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #13 on: January 25, 2017, 11:30:44 AM »
Things we do regularly:
Pizza dough/Pizza
Frozen Breakfast Burritos
Guacamole
Taco shells
Taco seansoning
Tea (Sweetened or Unsweetened)
Microwave Lunches (ok, maybe just leftovers but basically the same thing)
Flavored rice (beef/chicken/Spanish/etc)
Canned beans

Things we do occasionally:
Salsa
Ranch Dip & Dressing
Bread
Sushi (we did a date night/cooking class)
Cupcakes
Ice Cream/Popsicles
Single serving Oatmeal packages

Thing we would like to do:
Canned veggies
Spices


« Last Edit: January 25, 2017, 11:33:11 AM by NicoleO »

Slow&Steady

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #14 on: January 25, 2017, 11:32:23 AM »
Hamburgers/ cheeseburgers

Not sure if that applies since I'm not butchering the meat myself or anything... but I remember reading somewhere about one individual critic of the McDonalds franchising idea saying something like: "you can cook a burger at home  in 5 min..."

If you think about this -- it really is funny and kind of true. In any case I always make a burger at home now -- it takes 5 min...

I always chuckle a little when my in-laws pay for pre-formed patties.

Slow&Steady

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #15 on: January 25, 2017, 11:35:40 AM »
Quote
Also "When dough is prepared" is a little vague. How long should the dough be kneaded? By hand or with a food processor? Do you add more flour? Can you be a little more specific? I want to try this recipe!
Best I can describe the process:

Dry ingredients in a bowl.
Add warm water and stir with a fork. 
When it gets good and thick, fork no longer works, so oil your hands and just work it into a ball
You want to wind up with dough about the consistency of playdough, so careful not to add too much water. 
Put ball of kneaded dough in a bowl, cover with towel and set on top of stove where it's warm as your oven pre-heats
Just use your (oiled) hands to flatten it out on a big (oiled) baking sheet, thinner the better, then pinch form the outside edge
Spread out some marinara or red sauce of your preference
Add meats and veggies
Cover with lots of shredded mozzarella cheese
Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, check bottom of crust with a spatula to assure it gets a little crispy, may need to leave in a little longer.

Thanks Fishindude, but my questions were specifically about the kneading part, since I'm not an experienced yeast bread baker. How long to knead? By hand or can you use a food processor? Add flour when kneading or no? What should the texture be like? I can do all the other parts, it's the kneading I'm unsure of. Thank you!

I believe this is the recipe we use ... I am not the cook of the house.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/pizza-dough-recipe.html

With This Herring

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #16 on: January 25, 2017, 02:07:38 PM »
Pizza, cinnamon rolls, cheesecake, muffins, rosemary buns, sometimes naan and rolls for sandwiches
Roasted red pepper hummus, applesauce, roasted red peppers (which I freeze for hummus and sandwiches)
Cooked beans from dry
Taco seasoning
Fresh salsa for tacos (but I still buy cooked store salsa for chips)

Quote
Also "When dough is prepared" is a little vague. How long should the dough be kneaded? By hand or with a food processor? Do you add more flour? Can you be a little more specific? I want to try this recipe!
Best I can describe the process:

Dry ingredients in a bowl.
Add warm water and stir with a fork. 
When it gets good and thick, fork no longer works, so oil your hands and just work it into a ball
You want to wind up with dough about the consistency of playdough, so careful not to add too much water. 
Put ball of kneaded dough in a bowl, cover with towel and set on top of stove where it's warm as your oven pre-heats
Just use your (oiled) hands to flatten it out on a big (oiled) baking sheet, thinner the better, then pinch form the outside edge
Spread out some marinara or red sauce of your preference
Add meats and veggies
Cover with lots of shredded mozzarella cheese
Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, check bottom of crust with a spatula to assure it gets a little crispy, may need to leave in a little longer.

Thanks Fishindude, but my questions were specifically about the kneading part, since I'm not an experienced yeast bread baker. How long to knead? By hand or can you use a food processor? Add flour when kneading or no? What should the texture be like? I can do all the other parts, it's the kneading I'm unsure of. Thank you!

Here's the recipe/process I use for pizza.  We cut it into 8 pieces.  2 pieces is a decent meal.  Once you get good at it, you can make pizza in less than an hour.
  • Slice an 8-oz container of cheap mushrooms.  Slice any other veggies you may want to use.
  • Drizzle olive oil in skillet heated to medium, drop in mushrooms, drizzle in more oil, add some salt and pepper.  Let the mushrooms sit undisturbed until the water has come out of them, has boiled away, and they have started to sizzle once more.  Then scrape up and stir the mushrooms as they brown.  Add in any other veggies (bell pepper? onion?) that you want on the pizza.  Once those have lost a little water, turn off the burner/hob.
  • Mix:
    1 cup AP flour
    1 cup whole wheat flour (or more AP, if you don't have whole wheat)
    2 1/4 tsp (equivalent of 1 packet) quick-rise/bread machine yeast
    3/4 tsp salt
    1 tsp garlic powder
    1 tsp oregano
    1 tsp basil
    in a big bowl.
  • Run the tap until the water is hot enough that it is just under the edge of uncomfortable, then mix in 1 cup of that tap water and 2 Tbsp olive oil.
  • Stir with a big wooden spoon.  Maybe you will have a little dry flour around the edges of the bowl, but that is okay.  Dump the dough out onto your counter that has had a layer of AP flour added.  Dust a little more AP flour over the top of the dough.  Knead the dough vigorously for at least five minutes.  You can add a little AP flour at a time if needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands and the counter, but don't add more than the minimum.  Pizza dough is supposed to be a wetter dough.  No one can be too specific about how much flour you'll need because it depends on humidity in your house, among other things.
  • When you get sick of kneading, put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel (not terrycloth, something smooth that the dough won't eat).  Let it sit somewhere warm for 20 minutes or until you are tired of waiting.
  • Meanwhile, clean off the floury counter, wash what dishes you can, slice up some mozzerella (I usually use 8 oz sliced thinly with this much dough), grate some parmesan, get out the marinara sauce (or pizza sauce or spicy Fra Diavolo sauce!), and preheat the oven to 400°F.  Last, get out a rolling pin and the cookie sheet or pizza pan.
  • Eh, it's probably been long enough!  Roll out your pizza dough to the size of your metal cooking flat thing.  Once the oven is preheated, pop in just that crust for 7 minutes.
  • When the first bake is done, use a spoon to crush any massive air bubbles that may have turned half your pizza into a stupid balloon.  Cover the crust with sauce, then parmesan, then mozzerella, then your pan-fried veggies.  Bake for 7+ more minutes, at least until the mozz is melted, but if you want the mozz to brown a bit, that might be tasty.

I'm sure you could use a stand mixer for the dough, but I don't have one.  You really aren't going to mess up the dough much whatever you do, as it should be pretty flat bread ideally whatever happens.  The edges will naturally end up a little thicker than the middle, so you don't need to fuss with pinching them into a certain shape.

I use two 1-cup measuring cups: one for water, one for flour.  Then, I use the flour measuring cup to add flour a bit at a time to the dough when kneaded as needed (haha).  This way I don't have a big pile of flour off to the side that might be contaminated and never used.

I strongly recommend frying or otherwise cooking mushrooms and bell peppers before using them on pizza.  Mushrooms, the little stinkers, release a LOT of water when they are cooked.  That's fine in your pan, because the water boils away, but fresh mushrooms on your pizza will leave you with gross puddles on your cheese (or still-raw mushrooms).  Raw peppers are also pretty bad about this, but not as bad as mushrooms.

I cook the crust a bit before adding toppings because this seems to keep the crust from ending up soggy on top.

Make sure you like the sauce you chose for the pizza.  If you don't like the sauce, you won't like your pizza.

Once you've made this a couple times, you can make it a stuffed-crust pizza by rolling the dough out 1 inch wider on all sides, slicing another 8 oz of mozzerella into little logs, and folding those mozz logs into the edges of the dough.  Pinch it pretty well sealed all around, but don't worry if you get a massive mozz leak into the center of your pizza.

Another thing you can try later is to leave the basil and oregano out of the crust and top the crust (after first bake) with sliced tomatoes, salt and freshly ground pepper, lots of chopped garlic, chopped basil, parm cheese, and last mozz cheese.  (This has no sauce.)  It is pretty good with tasty ripe tomatoes, and the tomatoes don't release a lot of water.

Gal2016

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #17 on: January 25, 2017, 02:20:01 PM »
Bread (New York Times no knead version)
Almond Milk
Crackers from the almond pulp
Oatmeal mixed with fruit and nuts instead of cereal
Pesto
Hummus (Alton Brown)
Pasta sauce

How do you make your own almond milk?  (I'm not even sure what that is)

ketchup

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #18 on: January 25, 2017, 03:00:04 PM »
Kimchi.  Crazy cheap to make at home, but now the Whole Foods crowd has caught onto it and is willing to pay $12/quart.
Kombucha.  About a quarter a bottle if you make it yourself, three and a half bucks at the store.
Seasoning "blends"
Sauces/Gravy
Chicken stock
Salad dressing
Lard
Tallow
Guacamole

birdie55

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #19 on: January 25, 2017, 03:03:27 PM »
I make almond milk by soaking one cup of raw almonds overnight in 2 or 3 cups of water.  Drain and then blend the almonds with 3 - 4 cups of water until there are only bits of almond in the milk.  Strain the milk and refrigerate or freeze in the appropriate size container.  I do the same with coconut to make coconut milk. 

I strain the milks through a fine mesh nylon bag but you could use cheesecloth or something else.   

crazy jane

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #20 on: January 25, 2017, 03:36:29 PM »
I add dates, cinnamon and vanilla to the blender. I use a clean white flour sack dish towel to squeeze out the milk. 

Poundwise

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #21 on: January 25, 2017, 03:57:24 PM »
Chicken stock, using the bones of a roast chicken + carrot parings, onion ends, and other leftover vegetable trimmings that I keep in a ziplock bag in the freezer.

"Garbage muffins" using any odds and ends of leftover fruit.

moof

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #22 on: January 25, 2017, 04:11:09 PM »
Pancakes not from mix:

Mix dry ingredients:
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (I do a mounded 1 cup)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder

Make buttermilk'ish milk:
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1 Tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar
mix and set aside for ~5 minutes

1 egg whisked
1 tsp vanilla
add buttermilk mixture
pour into dry ingredients and whisk just until only small lumps remain

Cook on medium low heat.  Serve with maple syrup (don't go cheap on syrup!).

Been a staple at our house and we have not bought pancake mix in about almost a decade.  Great with wild blueberries added (add them in the pan, not the batter).

swick

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #23 on: January 25, 2017, 04:13:27 PM »
I make almond milk by soaking one cup of raw almonds overnight in 2 or 3 cups of water.  Drain and then blend the almonds with 3 - 4 cups of water until there are only bits of almond in the milk.  Strain the milk and refrigerate or freeze in the appropriate size container.  I do the same with coconut to make coconut milk. 

I strain the milks through a fine mesh nylon bag but you could use cheesecloth or something else.

I use to faff around with nut bags and cheesecloth, then I discovered this: http://www.thepretendbaker.com/easiest-cashew-milk-ever/

Instant nut milk, whenever I want it, no straining. Pretty life changing if you are dairy-free.


lunahsol

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #24 on: January 25, 2017, 04:33:10 PM »
Hummus - it is fun to make variations like sweet potato or red pepper
Salsa
Guacamole
Hot sauce
Bread (biscuits, pizza crust)
Corn tortillas
Vegan cheese (a couple varieties)
Vegan sour cream
Various bean soups/chilis/curries made from dried beans
Marinara sauce
Nut milks/rice milk
Veggie stock
French fries
Vegan ice cream

FIRE me

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #25 on: January 25, 2017, 05:09:56 PM »
Hey guys,

What food do you normally prepare at home, instead of buying the expensive and/or unhealthy version at the supermarket ?

I eat a lot of soup in the winter months. I like vegetable soup with beef, potato soup, and chili.

Many years ago I bought cans, but now I never even consider canned soup.

It's all home made for me now. It tastes better, it's healthier, it's cheaper, and I make a huge pot and eat on it for days.


Dicey

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #26 on: January 25, 2017, 06:06:28 PM »
With This Herring -
That is awesome! Thank you for taking the time to 'splain all the steps. Mark my words, before this week is over, I will have made pizza from scratch, with your help. I will report back. Wow! Thank you!!!

ketchup

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #27 on: January 25, 2017, 06:34:03 PM »
Chicken stock, using the bones of a roast chicken + carrot parings, onion ends, and other leftover vegetable trimmings that I keep in a ziplock bag in the freezer.

"Garbage muffins" using any odds and ends of leftover fruit.
Do onions affect the taste of the stock in a noticeable way?  I read something a while back about that, and haven't put onions in my stock ever since.  Maybe I should rethink this... All those poor onion ends in my trash...  And I love onions, and they are super healthy too of course.

laceconprof

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #28 on: January 25, 2017, 06:52:50 PM »
Chicken stock, using the bones of a roast chicken + carrot parings, onion ends, and other leftover vegetable trimmings that I keep in a ziplock bag in the freezer.

"Garbage muffins" using any odds and ends of leftover fruit.
Do onions affect the taste of the stock in a noticeable way?  I read something a while back about that, and haven't put onions in my stock ever since.  Maybe I should rethink this... All those poor onion ends in my trash...  And I love onions, and they are super healthy too of course.
Any good stock should have 'aromatics' of some sort in it, which includes onions, garlic, and celery among other things. I no longer out carrots in my stock as I find that makes it too sweet. Also, my go to for this kind of thing is The Food Lab. See eg http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/10/how-to-make-rich-flavorful-easy-chicken-stock.html

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Poundwise

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #29 on: January 25, 2017, 07:35:02 PM »
Huh!  I never thought that any good stock is complete without onions! I usually throw some oil on the bottom of the pan, then empty my trimmings bag (no potato or brassica trimmings, though) to brown and caramelize. If I feel that the mix could do with extra carrot, parsley, or celery, I'll also throw some in-- though I hate to waste a perfectly good new vegetable just for stock.

Speaking of perfectly good onion ends... just thought of something that Mustachians would like. Will start a topic in a minute.

[Edit]
Here it is!  Mustachian gardening from leftovers
« Last Edit: January 25, 2017, 07:46:25 PM by Poundwise »

BrightFIRE

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #30 on: January 25, 2017, 08:02:31 PM »
Do onions affect the taste of the stock in a noticeable way?  I read something a while back about that, and haven't put onions in my stock ever since.  Maybe I should rethink this... All those poor onion ends in my trash...  And I love onions, and they are super healthy too of course.

I usually don't bother putting aromatics in my chicken stock anymore, so I guess it's really a bone broth, but in the past, have not only used onions, but their skins. Brown onion skins give it a nice golden color. My bone bag in the freezer right now has chicken bones, leek greens and parsley stems - great use for those instead of the trash. I make it in the crockpot until the bones break apart. When chilled, I have "chicken jello".

With This Herring

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #31 on: January 26, 2017, 12:54:06 AM »
With This Herring -
That is awesome! Thank you for taking the time to 'splain all the steps. Mark my words, before this week is over, I will have made pizza from scratch, with your help. I will report back. Wow! Thank you!!!

I will keep my fingers crossed for you!  Good luck, and enjoy!

Gal2016

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #32 on: January 26, 2017, 10:04:51 AM »
I make almond milk by soaking one cup of raw almonds overnight in 2 or 3 cups of water.  Drain and then blend the almonds with 3 - 4 cups of water until there are only bits of almond in the milk.  Strain the milk and refrigerate or freeze in the appropriate size container.  I do the same with coconut to make coconut milk. 

I strain the milks through a fine mesh nylon bag but you could use cheesecloth or something else.

Thanks!  I was really wondering about this.

Hotstreak

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #33 on: January 26, 2017, 02:04:22 PM »
- Pizza Peppers (mixed hot peppers, ground) and cayenne pepper powder (very finely ground, no seeds).
- Baked pumpkins or squash for pie
- Pie crust (I use an almond flour base but homemade with white flour is super easy too)
- Any kind of Marinade is a combination of base ingredients, made at home (soy sauce, garlic, pepper, Worcestershire, wine, etc)
- Cocktail sauce for Shrimp (horseradish mixed with ketchup)

Just to name a few!

HipGnosis

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #34 on: January 26, 2017, 02:42:54 PM »
Pasta sauce
pizza sauce
hummus - though my favorite way has evolved to where I'm not sure it's hummus any more, it's tex-mex and smoky and hot
cheese cakes - I keep finding new recipies to try
english muffins - I don't eat them often enough to buy them
pork and beans - mine is more of a casserole and starts with roasting tomatoes
meatballs - I know they sell them, no idea how many people make their own
burritos

I've made 4 pizza crusts now; still fine tuning it

I'm going to make ketchup this next summer - store bought is to sweet to me, so I don't user much; when it's half gone I throw it out as it's a yr old.

I don't buy prepared or snack foods.  I end up eating crackers when I'm to hurried or hungry to cook.  I should look into making my own.  And nacho chips, then I could make salsa for them.

MikeDeMontreal

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #35 on: January 26, 2017, 10:43:40 PM »
Wouldn't wings and ribs just be cooking. How is that different from cooking chicken breast and pork butts etc.

Where I live (Montreal), whenever someone says that he'll bring chicken wings, you can assume that it will be the gross pack of wings that you buy for 10$ a dozen. Same thing for the ribs. I guess the BBQ culture is not really strong here.

At the same time, I saw another post about pre-made hamburger patties. I don't think I've ever seen someone buy/eat those !

Freedomin5

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #36 on: January 27, 2017, 05:36:35 AM »
Soya milk
Vegetarian meatballs and patties
Apple sauce
Cakes and muffins
Bread

Poundwise

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #37 on: January 27, 2017, 07:39:59 AM »
I actually made coconut milk yesterday! which killed two birds with one stone because I didn't want to go to the grocery store just for that one thing and I also had a bag of unsweetened coconut flakes growing old in the pantry.

Told husband, he laughed and said, "How do you milk a coconut? I didn't know they had udders!"

With This Herring

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #38 on: January 27, 2017, 01:43:58 PM »
Vegetarian meatballs and patties

Ooo, can you share any recipes?

I actually made coconut milk yesterday! which killed two birds with one stone because I didn't want to go to the grocery store just for that one thing and I also had a bag of unsweetened coconut flakes growing old in the pantry.

Told husband, he laughed and said, "How do you milk a coconut? I didn't know they had udders!"

Tell him GMO has been getting more sophisticated lately.  ;)

frugalfinancehippy

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #39 on: January 27, 2017, 07:01:51 PM »
Since we have been more conscious about eating at home we've found a lot of things are not as hard to make as you would think.

Pizza dough is super easy especially with a kitchen aid mixer to do the work

Tortillas - we just use olive oil, flour, and salt ( I think)

Coconut oil pie crust

honey mustard sauce (literally a spoon of mustard and a spoon of honey mixed together)

ketchup

we find many recipes here: http://minimalistbaker.com/

Al1961

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #40 on: January 27, 2017, 07:13:29 PM »
Bread
tortillas
yogurt
oatmeal/bran muffins
ginger beef
pizza/pasta sauce
pasta
chicken cordon bleu
BBQ salmon
mascarpone cheese
sticky toffee pudding
cheesecake

sparkytheop

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #41 on: January 27, 2017, 09:27:38 PM »
Hmmm... lots of stuff?

I buy coffee beans and make my own latte every day.  We also buy tea leaves, and sometimes tea bags, rather than buy bottled tea. 

I make and can my own salsa, relish, jam, fruit, tomatoes, tomato sauce, pizza sauce, apple butter, even can chicken.

I make my own biscuits, waffles, pancakes, quick breads rather than buying a mix or a tube of dough.  Sometimes I make my own bread, but not always.  If I'm making biscuits, cornbread, pie crusts and things, I'll make up my own "mix" and put the dry ingredients into a ziplock bag or small mason jar, that way I don't have to measure all the ingredients every time I want to cook something up quick.

We cook most our own meals, rarely eat out or get convenience/frozen/canned meals (things like stir fry, soups, mashed potatoes, gravy, etc).

I've made mozzarella before, and while it was awesome, it's more work than I want to do at this time, so I just buy it at the store.

I try to do things I can throw in the freezer for individual meals as well... meatloaf cooked in muffin tins, lasagna or "layered enchiladas" (layer like lasagna rather than roll individual enchiladas), things like that.

Monkey Uncle

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #42 on: January 28, 2017, 09:24:10 AM »
Beer.  I can do low-end micro brew quality for about 10-11 bucks a case.

swick

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #43 on: January 28, 2017, 10:20:33 AM »
I dug up the original thread on this topic:http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/share-your-badassity/diy-food-items/

There are TONS of great ideas and instructions for people who want to explore a little more food DIY :)

Dicey

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #44 on: January 28, 2017, 03:17:57 PM »
Popcorn! I can't believe all the bags of popped popcorn that I see in Costco carts. And don't even get me started on microwave popcorn.

High quality popcorn, air popper, easy-peasy.  If we really want to get fancy, we grate a little parmesan and shake on some Green Tabasco or Cholula. Brewer's Yeast is good, too.

swick

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #45 on: January 28, 2017, 04:19:29 PM »
Popcorn! I can't believe all the bags of popped popcorn that I see in Costco carts. And don't even get me started on microwave popcorn.

High quality popcorn, air popper, easy-peasy.  If we really want to get fancy, we grate a little parmesan and shake on some Green Tabasco or Cholula. Brewer's Yeast is good, too.

YES! I found a new favorite way of doing popcorn. I know most people just don't have these things on hand, but I tend to get lots of fancy pants food gifts involving truffle.

Fresh popped popcorn with a melted ghee (or butter) that has had some truffle honey melted into it. Then sprinkled with truffle salt and fresh cracked black pepper. It is AMAZING a little sweet a little salty, a little bite from the pepper and comes out very much like Kettle Corn. sooo good!

APowers

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #46 on: January 28, 2017, 04:53:14 PM »
Hamburgers/ cheeseburgers

Not sure if that applies since I'm not butchering the meat myself or anything... but I remember reading somewhere about one individual critic of the McDonalds franchising idea saying something like: "you can cook a burger at home  in 5 min..."

If you think about this -- it really is funny and kind of true. In any case I always make a burger at home now -- it takes 5 min...

I always chuckle a little when my in-laws pay for pre-formed patties.

FWIW...

In my observation at Costco, frozen pre-formed hamburger patties are about $0.30/lb cheaper than fresh ground beef. I've contemplated buying them in place of regular ground beef, but I normally just end up waiting until it's a loss leader or close-date-markdown at the grocery store instead.

Carrie

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #47 on: January 28, 2017, 05:11:17 PM »
Brioche buns / ciabatta / french bread / cuban bread / artisanal loaf
Pizza dough / grilled pizza
Muffins / cornbread / cake / pie crusts / pancakes  & waffles
Frosting / icing / fruit  pie fillings
Salad dressings / marinades / cream of anything sauces
Beef bone broth / chicken stock / broth
Seasoning mixes / taco mix / chili mix / curry / garam masala
Pita bread / naan / corn & flour tortillas
All curries - Thai, Indian, n.African
Pico do Gallo / salsa / hummus / tzatziki / refried beans
Pre shaped or prepared meat of all kinds (we rotisserie our own chicken, shape our own patties & meatballs,  etc)
All beans from dried (yay instant pot!)
Basically,  cooking from scratch is how I build my self worth.  ;)

Raenia

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #48 on: January 28, 2017, 07:41:19 PM »
Guacamole - so much better than storebought!
Applesauce - not necessarily cost effective unless the apples are cheap/in season
Dried Mango
Dried Apple Chips
Vegetable Stock
Marinades - my current favorite is a "cranberry ketchup" recipe that tastes like a cross between cranberry sauce and Worcester, made a batch and canned a while ago
Bruschetta/Salsas - most recently a mango salsa and a roasted red pepper bruschetta
Pizza Dough
Various Breads - I do still buy sourdough, haven't mastered that one yet
Other baked goods
Tea, esp Iced Tea - always have a pitcher in the fridge
Liquors/Cordials - I got really into this last year, great fun
Extracts - Vanilla is the big one, but also made orange, almond, mint, etc.

Dicey

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Re: Mustachian food that you prepare at home instead of buying at the grocery
« Reply #49 on: January 28, 2017, 09:20:40 PM »
With This Herring -
That is awesome! Thank you for taking the time to 'splain all the steps. Mark my words, before this week is over, I will have made pizza from scratch, with your help. I will report back. Wow! Thank you!!!

I will keep my fingers crossed for you!  Good luck, and enjoy!
With This Herring, your good instructions and crossing your fingers worked! Darnit, though, we scarfed it down without remembering to take a picture.

So, I basically did the lazy woman's version. I had no garlic powder, so I omitted it. My yeast was old, so I proofed it first with a little sugar. Too lazy to knead, I dumped everything in the mixer fitted with a dough hook and let it run, adding a little flour, until it seemed right. I had no marinara,  so I used pesto. Oh, and I used a pizza stone (previously unused gift from 2015, woot!), so I didn't par-bake, but I had no giant bubbles, and the crust was perfectly crisp, yay!

It was amaze balls, despite my laziness. We are a family of four adults. I made a field greens salad. (Organic, scored at the 99 Only Store, another woot!) We were stuffed. And happy. Everything was made from ingredients on hand. Score!

Hey everyone, with WTH's awesome instructions, you can make yummy pizza from scratch. Try it soon!

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!