Author Topic: Cook-everything-from-scratch October  (Read 25037 times)

RootofGood

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #50 on: October 08, 2013, 07:33:10 PM »
Oh Yum! RootofGood, looks awesome!

Our fall isn't very fallish, kinda just a precursor to the 7 months of snow we get. Spending a few falls in the US is definitely on my life bucket list. The sights and sounds and tastes and colours...

I'm a little jealous :)

We don't really get fall either. We get about 3 months of hot, 6 months of OMG Hot and the rest is cold. I'm jonesing for some cooler weather right now.

It's fall here in NC.  87 degrees this weekend, 64 degrees high now.  At least for the next few days...

grantmeaname

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #51 on: October 08, 2013, 07:39:26 PM »
Quote from: SisterX link=topic=9170.msg149494#msg149494date=1381257519
http://hubpages.com/hub/Homemade_bagel_recipe_Make_great_nadrolled_water_bagels__its_as_easy_as_baking_a_loaf_of_bread
I'm never eating bagels at your house! :P

swick

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #52 on: October 08, 2013, 08:02:46 PM »
I might try making a loaf of naan bread.

Glad you liked it:) I am totally curious how it would bake up into a loaf, let us know :)

KulshanGirl

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #53 on: October 08, 2013, 10:19:16 PM »
Here in the PNW we have wet fall for 11 months, and then we have August.  :)

I made the crockpot refried beans from the recipe page, thumbs UP.  I will never buy a can of refritos again.  I'm also going to give the gluten free bread recipe another go later this week and maybe use part of it to make a little pizza.   

swick

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #54 on: October 08, 2013, 10:41:16 PM »
Here in the PNW we have wet fall for 11 months, and then we have August.  :)

I made the crockpot refried beans from the recipe page, thumbs UP.  I will never buy a can of refritos again.  I'm also going to give the gluten free bread recipe another go later this week and maybe use part of it to make a little pizza.

Nice! So glad you like them :) We make a batch every week or two. A brined and crock potted chicken and a batch of the refried beans and we can eat for a week with very little prep. Quesadillas, soup, rice bowls, nachos, those beans are a beautiful thing!

NinetyFour

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #55 on: October 09, 2013, 06:35:53 AM »
I failed yesterday.  We had a school function and there was pizza that was free.  I had two large pieces.  Didn't sit with me very well, and I am mad at myself.

Also, I found out that my school will be sending me to DC for three days later this month.  That means not only will I not be cooking from scratch but that I will be eating some hotel food and also going out to neat restaurants (maybe Ethiopian and Indian).  But this is a big part of why I like to travel--finding and eating in good restaurants (and drinking coffee in cool shops).

4alpacas

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #56 on: October 09, 2013, 11:46:17 AM »
Yesterday, I was craving chocolate.  I almost ran to the corner coffee shop to buy a cupcake (they're amazing).  Instead, I made a microwavable single serving chocolate cake (recipe http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/11/06/one-minute-chocolate-cake/) and put a little bit of chocolate sauce on top. 

I know I'm not as hardcore as the majority of the forum, but I'm feeling pretty resourceful. 

NinetyFour

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #57 on: October 09, 2013, 11:48:10 AM »
I'm back on track.  Just ate chick peas (soaked them yesterday and cooked them this morning) and quinoa that I cooked on Monday.  No pizza at school today!!

4alpacas

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #58 on: October 09, 2013, 12:01:53 PM »
Does anyone have any advice for making sushi at home?  I would love to try, but I don't really know where to start.  I'm having a serious craving for a salmon avocado roll.  Also, where do you buy sushi grade fish?

ace1224

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #59 on: October 09, 2013, 12:49:29 PM »
meatloaf and mashed potatoes for the win tonight

SisterX

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #60 on: October 09, 2013, 01:24:08 PM »
Does anyone have any advice for making sushi at home?  I would love to try, but I don't really know where to start.  I'm having a serious craving for a salmon avocado roll.  Also, where do you buy sushi grade fish?

My husband is the one to make sushi in our house, so I don't have much advice, but he's said the one thing he absolutely couldn't make it without is a very sharp, thin knife.  If the blade is dull at all, it just mashes the roll rather than cutting it and creates a huge mess.  And thinness is an important factor too, since our chef's knives don't work nearly as well as a thinner blade.
As for where you get fish...that depends on your location.  Are you inland?  I wouldn't really trust any raw fish if you're not in a coastal area.  We aren't anywhere near an ocean, so we do smoked salmon (both caught and smoked by my in-laws) rather than raw salmon.

Quote from: SisterX link=topic=9170.msg149494#msg149494date=1381257519
http://hubpages.com/hub/Homemade_bagel_recipe_Make_great_nadrolled_water_bagels__its_as_easy_as_baking_a_loaf_of_bread
I'm never eating bagels at your house! :P

Lol!  I didn't see that when I posted the link.  I assure you, it's some bastardization of "hand rolled".  :)

grantmeaname

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #61 on: October 09, 2013, 04:42:42 PM »
Lol!  I didn't see that when I posted the link.  I assure you, it's some bastardization of "hand rolled".  :)
The reason it's so funny to me is that that's the correct link on the site!

RootofGood

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #62 on: October 11, 2013, 09:18:59 AM »
Does anyone have any advice for making sushi at home?  I would love to try, but I don't really know where to start.  I'm having a serious craving for a salmon avocado roll.  Also, where do you buy sushi grade fish?

My husband is the one to make sushi in our house, so I don't have much advice, but he's said the one thing he absolutely couldn't make it without is a very sharp, thin knife.  If the blade is dull at all, it just mashes the roll rather than cutting it and creates a huge mess.  And thinness is an important factor too, since our chef's knives don't work nearly as well as a thinner blade.
As for where you get fish...that depends on your location.  Are you inland?  I wouldn't really trust any raw fish if you're not in a coastal area.  We aren't anywhere near an ocean, so we do smoked salmon (both caught and smoked by my in-laws) rather than raw salmon.


We used to make sushi all the time.  I don't really care for it that much, so our pace has slowed.  Mrs. RootofGood loves it though.  I'll usually buy her the salmon from the display case at the freshest grocery store I visit (it's $6-7 lb).  Apparently the wild caught salmon isn't as good as the farm raised says Mrs RootofGood.  I think the farm raised has a higher fat content because they don't work as hard to survive (fat = creamy goodness??). 

We shop at the asian grocery frequently, and buy the 50 lb sacks of New Crop Jasmine rice ($0.90/lb).  That's all we use for rice, but you can also buy shorter grain "sushi" rice that is more sticky or glutinous for 2-3x the cost of Jasmine rice. 

We also buy the seaweed wrappers ($5 for 100 wrappers) and sesame seeds ($3 for a ~11 oz jar) at the asian grocery.  Rice wine vinegar is sometimes sprinkled on the rice, but not required. 

For meat, we use salmon (raw), teriyaki chicken, shrimp, imitation krab/lobster meat.  Fried egg is good too.  We have used raw tuna when it's on sale.  Mrs. RootofGood doesn't care for it, and I don't do the raw fish thing.

Veggies - cucumber and avocado are typical. 

We skip the roe - can't really taste it. 

Spread the rice thinly on the seaweed wrapper.  Put in filling.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Roll.  Let it sit and cool a little before cutting.  Cut when rolls are room temp or cool.  They should be somewhat firm when slicing.  Don't overstuff the sushi rolls or they will catastrophically fall apart. 

Serve with wasabi ($2 at asian grocery for a 2 oz?? tube) and soy sauce.  Pickled ginger if you are into that (we aren't).

We use a $4 super sharp, super thin ~7" stainless steel knife, also bought at asian grocery.  I've never used the $100 fancy pants knives, but these $4 bad boys are awesome for chef knives and we have never sharpened them. 

kdms

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #63 on: October 11, 2013, 05:28:55 PM »
I tried the naan recipe posted earlier today - this is now going to be a staple around here!  What an easy, tasty recipe - thanks again for posting it.

cats

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #64 on: October 11, 2013, 06:48:28 PM »
We are pretty good at "mostly" eating home-cooked food, but this month I have really been trying to limit my purchases of snack foods or purchased meals consumed alone.  I'm okay with, say, buying dinner if it's part of an outing with friends (as it's money spent on a really good experience), but not okay with just randomly buying chips or hockey puck cookies from the pizza place downstairs.  I figure if I cut back on the snack purchases, I can enjoy the "experiential" dining out with less guilt (and maybe spend some less money overall!).

I've been focusing mostly on packing myself slightly larger and also "nicer" lunches, to make sure snack foods are not so appealing mid-afternoon.  Yesterday I had: lemon herb cauliflower rice, balsamic eggplant (made mostly in the MICROWAVE!  So easy), and two hard boiled eggs, plus some fruit.  Really yummy.  Then I ate my massive container of carrot sticks for a snack later.

Today I did a big restock shopping trip and picked up a 4-lb tub of tahini at the Persian grocery--time to start making lots of hummus!

Russ

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #65 on: October 12, 2013, 08:32:13 AM »
spent $25 on spices at the grocery store yesterday... I know I'm saving money doing this but it sure doesn't feel like it haha

on the other hand the jerk chicken I made was really good

grantmeaname

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #66 on: October 12, 2013, 09:42:28 AM »
on the other hand the jerk chicken I made was really good
Do tell.

cats

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #67 on: October 12, 2013, 10:33:27 AM »
spent $25 on spices at the grocery store yesterday... I know I'm saving money doing this but it sure doesn't feel like it haha

on the other hand the jerk chicken I made was really good

Yeah, I just did a bit of a re-stock of our spice cabinet and it was not cheap.  But it's a rare occurrence, and very much worth it!

Russ

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #68 on: October 12, 2013, 08:23:20 PM »
on the other hand the jerk chicken I made was really good
Do tell.

It was soooooo good. Hella spicy, both in heat (had to evacuate to the bedroom after cooking so I could breathe) and in actual spice (the soy doesn't even come close to overwhelming the jerk, for reference).

jerk chicken stir-fry

-stir-fry chicken and veggies over super hot heat (I did chicken, onion, and poblano and jalapeno peppers)
-add jerk seasoning
-sauce with standard soy stir-fry sauce
bam you're done

jerk spices (this is just enough to fill one of those small canning jars I gave you):
4t thyme
4t salt
2t allspice
.5t nutmeg
.5t cinnamon
4t sugar
2t black pepper
2t cayenne pepper
original recipe called for onion flakes and onion power, but I just cooked some instead.

1t of this was plenty for dinner for one. less would be alright if it wasn't getting drowned in soy sauce.

« Last Edit: October 13, 2013, 11:14:35 AM by Russ »

Russ

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #69 on: October 12, 2013, 08:25:34 PM »
for "authenticity" add plantains or yams or something

Russ

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #70 on: October 13, 2013, 11:25:45 AM »
I really want to make some lavender & honey ice cream, but there aren't any cheap ice cream machines on CL right now and I don't want it enough to make it by hand :-P

THIS IS HAPPENING

Found a Cuisinart 1.5 qt. ice cream maker (hell yeah mine's pink too) literally brand new, for $20. The bowl needs to freeze overnight or something but lavender honey ice cream is going down real soon. I also thought of jalapeno mint on the ride home from picking it up, but I'm not as sure about the tastiness of that one. So stoked right now.

4alpacas

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #71 on: October 13, 2013, 01:21:29 PM »
Thanks for all of the sushi making advice! I'm definitely going to try making it soon! I might start out with veggies only, so I don't waste expensive ingredients on trial and error. 

Nothing exciting cooked lately.  Just basics.  Too tired for any recipes too involved.

reginna

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #72 on: October 14, 2013, 10:43:44 AM »
I love making homemade lemon curd! The danger when making things from scratch is finding out how easy it is for some things to make :)

Or your home cooked food is so good you can't stand to eat at restaurants or eat prepackaged junk food.  That has happened now with my kids and their prepackaged breakfast muffins and pancakes at school.  They know what fresh ones taste like so don't care for the junk food variety.

Proud to be reaching the point where my cooking totally kills restaurants and take out.

Hoerwolle

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #73 on: October 15, 2013, 02:10:47 PM »
Proud to be reaching the point where my cooking totally kills restaurants and take out.

Proud? I am usually a bit sad / quite disappointed, when I go to a restaurant - in 75% of the events I feel like I could give the cook some pointers - either where to buy better and cheaper stuff or how to cook it better and use the spices correctly... The last exception was at a belgium restaurant of a 4-stars hotel, a french cook with great resources. To be precise, it was the only exception this year.

And I do not consider myself a good cook, I am just a happy amateur who likes to eat well.

swick

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #74 on: October 18, 2013, 07:47:45 PM »
Tonight was all made from scratch: lamb ragout with fresh fettuccine, cantuccini and mascarpone for dessert. I'm pretty proud of myself:)

cats

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #75 on: October 20, 2013, 08:00:21 PM »
I love making homemade lemon curd! The danger when making things from scratch is finding out how easy it is for some things to make :)

Or your home cooked food is so good you can't stand to eat at restaurants or eat prepackaged junk food.  That has happened now with my kids and their prepackaged breakfast muffins and pancakes at school.  They know what fresh ones taste like so don't care for the junk food variety.

Proud to be reaching the point where my cooking totally kills restaurants and take out.

We have hit this point also, and it is kind of awesome.  We do still like to go out sometimes (there are some things you just can't replicate!), but it's a good feeling to know that whatever you have in the fridge at home is genuinely more enjoyable to eat than run-of-the-mill takeout or pizza.

ace1224

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #76 on: October 21, 2013, 06:45:48 AM »
so far i'm doing good.  we went to a bday party at chuck e cheese over the weekend and had pizza but i'm telling myself it doesn't count since we didn't pay for it.

Tiamat

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #77 on: October 30, 2013, 08:58:05 PM »
I tried the naan recipe posted earlier today - this is now going to be a staple around here!  What an easy, tasty recipe - thanks again for posting it.

I didn't see the Nann recipe. I've made Nann, and it's pretty good. Not as good as the bought stuff, but good. I  haven't gotten around to making my own tortillas, but should.

ace1224

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #78 on: October 31, 2013, 10:52:14 AM »
im making pizza tonight for my final make from scratch meal.  i feel the urge to go out for sushi tomorrow but i'm trying to fight it

SisterX

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #79 on: October 31, 2013, 12:21:54 PM »
Ok, we had one...I won't call it a failure.  But we did go out to eat once.  My grandfather-in-law is ridiculously excited for the imminent birth of his great-granddaughter so every once in a while he's been sending us a bit of money "so that the parents-to-be can have a night out."  We talked it over and decided to take his gift as it was intended, rather than just banking the money. 
Other than that, though, every breakfast, lunch, and dinner has been home-cooked and most things, when possible, have been made from scratch.  :)  It's really helped me stick to a solid grocery budget.

jfer_rose

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Re: Cook-everything-from-scratch October
« Reply #80 on: October 31, 2013, 01:04:18 PM »
I started this challenge late due to not having a functional kitchen in the beginning of the month, so I think I will continue a bit longer than everyone else. The last few weeks I have done really well-- and I have come up with some really great meals. A favorite was the vegetable tamale pie from Budget Bytes. Using from scratch beans and enchilada sauce, of course.

Tomorrow I'm cooking for a friend and I think I will try roasted vegetable enchiladas with homemade corn tortillas.

Thanks for such a great challenge!