so, what have you stopped buying prepackaed or made and make your own now?

[hsmom]

Things like soups, sauces, noodles, breads, etc?

 

I have recently got a kitchenaid mixer with a lot of attachments and one of which is a pasta roller and cutter. Ever since I have gotten that I make my own noodles now. My family loves them. I have been trying to make my own soups and sauces when possible. I make breads often, but still buy sandwich bread, since I cannot get my family to stray away from that. Oh, we also have been making our own waffles and freezing them.

 

I am looking for more ideas on things, so what do you do?

[Impish]

I used to make our bread, pasta, etc, but losing the use of one of my hand/arms really killed that, lol!

 

Honestly, there's not much we buy prepared. I've always done everything pretty much from scratch.

 

I'm going to have to look for a Kitchen Aid mixer, so I can get back what we've lost!

[rosehaven]

we make most of our stuff from scratch as we grind our own wheat that said........If you make your own bread and stop buying store bought they will have to eat it ! Once they get a taste for homemade I'm sure they will look at store bought as our children do "dead bread" which is what it is. It takes time but if you cut the cord on store bought they WILL survive.

 

Blessings

[Pretty in Pink]

We grind wheat for flour but don't bake our own bread all of the time. It is a lot of work! We cook almost exclusively from scratch but I don't make pasta.

 

I did start making my own laundry detergent a few months ago and like it.

[BikeBookBread]

 

• Salad dressing (this is the easiest place to start)
  
• Bread and rolls
  
• Pizza crust and pizza sauce (with evil canned tomato products)
  
• Soup
  
• Pasta sauces (again with the help of evil canned tomatoes)
  
• Dried bean dishes - I buy dried beans, lentils and peas in bags or bulk and use fresh or jarred herbs and spices rather than using the salt-laden mixes in boxed stuff. TONS cheaper, too.
  
• Pastries (cookies, cakes, pies, etc.)
  
• Pie crust for quiche
  
• Pancakes
  
• Rice dishes (no boxed rice pilaf, etc.)
  
• Gravy
  
• Stuffing (from homemade bread)
  
• Croutons (from the day-old bread)
  
• Bread crumbs (from the day old bread)
  
• Lemon and lime juice - we live in citrus country so friends bring BAGS of lemons and limes into DH's office - I juice them and freeze in ice cube trays
  

 

What I don't do:

 

 

• Pasta, although I'd LOVE to
  
• Chicken and beef stock - (well occasionally chicken stock), but I can buy organic low salt aseptic-boxed stock that is decently priced and of good quality - I often doctor this up with veggies, etc.
  
• Mayo
  
• Pesto - we buy delicious jarred pesto from Costco 2 and 3 at a time.
  
• Macaroni & Cheese - after trying at least a dozen recipes, the girls STILL want that blue box flavor. At least I found a healthier alternative with Annie's blue-box kind. It's even that strange orange color thanks to the natural food coloring from annatto.
  
• Yogurt - I used to make my own, though. Easy, but I just didn't want another gadget on the counter. I guess I don't really NEED a gadget; maybe I'll come back to it someday.
  

 

[WiseOwlKnits]

Bread, yogurt, beans...I try not to buy anything in a box or any sort of "mix" (pancake mix, biscuit/muffin mix), etc. It seems that making your own food is a lost art these days, unfortunately.

[Ailaena]

I keep thinking I want to grind my own wheat, but dont do that quite yet...

 

I do make bread, pizza dough, pasta, tomato sauce, tortillas and salsa from scratch (and pie crusts when necessary). We dont eat much in the way of sandwiches, so I dont bake sandwich bread very often, but when we do want a sandwich, I just make a roll of some kind. I mostly make my own sauces when I need them, except for curry. I have been trying to figure out how to make a good curry paste so I dont have to drive to the Asian market across town, but it is not working out:glare:

 

If you eat tortillas, but dont make your own, try it, they are incredible! You can make a bunch and freeze the balls, or flatten them out first and they will be even easier to cook when you need them!

[Laura Corin]

I buy baked goods and sausages. I make pretty much everything else from scratch.

 

Laura

[MomsintheGarden]

Since dh is so sensitive to MSG, and it's in most prepackaged foods, we make most of our food from scratch. We make what you said - soups (including "cream of whatever" substitutes), breads, pizza, pie crust. We never use mixes for biscuits, muffins, cakes, pancakes, etc.

 

We make and can our own pickles, and relish from home-grown cucumbers, peppers, and beets. I haven't found pickles that don't cost a fortune that don't have natural flavors (an msg code word). We also corn our own beef & venison to avoid nitrates & msg. I am considering buying straight-run chicks next summer and culling the roosters to make canned chicken meat and especially broth (I've butchered one and *think* I can do it again). We make and can our baked beans from dried beans because of the msg issue as well. I also can tomato products: spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, juice, salsa, and tomato sauce - and will continue if early blight doesn't get my plants again this year! One fun thing we did this year was grow Anaheim peppers, roast them on charcoal grills, peel them, and can them for chili rellenos anytime (yum!).

 

Prepared things we still buy from the store: sausage (Aidelle's chicken & apple from Costco), summer sausage (Aldi's has no msg), hot dogs (no msg, hard to find!), mayonnaise (I can't stomach the idea of serving my family raw eggs), and Marzetti's cole slaw dressing. But now that I've looked online and see substitutes for Marzetti's as well, so I'll try that, too (from purchased mayo)! I don't make noodles anymore because it takes me so much time, but I adore homemade egg noodles.

 

You can take this as far as you can - from growing your own to canning, freezing, drying, etc.

 

Have fun, and don't beat yourself up about what you can't do (or don't want to:)). Do what is most important to you first, then the next thing, etc. Avoid comparing - there's always someone who is more "homesteadier."

 

Blessings,

GardenMom

[myfunnybunch]

Tortillas! We recently went to Mexico and resolved to make our own tortillas from now on. Fresh tortillas are SO good.

 

Jam. Some breads, canned "meals" like chili, canned peaches. Salsa. Pesto. Applesauce. Beans.

 

Dried fruit. We invested in a dehydrator and eat local fruits in our oatmeal or plain as snacks all winter long. We also pick and freeze strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches (and peach salsa as a yummy substitute for mango salsa) and applesauce. Picked in season and frozen immediately they are delicious and nutritious, cheaper, and haven't been flown across the world.

 

I stopped using a pancake mix long long ago, as it's just (well, almost) as easy to make them from scratch.

 

Chicken broth! Making your own is e-a-s-y and gets the most out of a chicken carcass. We just freeze any extra and use it as needed.

 

It's been a fun adventure trying to find ways to help my family eat more healthy and delicious foods. I haven't been brave enough to try making our own pasta yet. My next venture (I think!) will be yogurt. :)

 

Cat

[BridgeTea]

In the last year, I started making (or raising) our own:

 

bread

tortillas

pizza crust

pie filling

applesauce

pasta and pizza sauces

chicken and stock

some eggs

pancakes

syrup

individual oatmeal packets

laundry soap

[SonshineLearner]

I keep thinking I want to grind my own wheat, but dont do that quite yet...

 

I do make bread, pizza dough, pasta, tomato sauce, tortillas and salsa from scratch (and pie crusts when necessary). We dont eat much in the way of sandwiches, so I dont bake sandwich bread very often, but when we do want a sandwich, I just make a roll of some kind. I mostly make my own sauces when I need them, except for curry. I have been trying to figure out how to make a good curry paste so I dont have to drive to the Asian market across town, but it is not working out:glare:

 

If you eat tortillas, but dont make your own, try it, they are incredible! You can make a bunch and freeze the balls, or flatten them out first and they will be even easier to cook when you need them!

 

I'd like this recipe:-) Are the tortillas whole wheat?? I have to say that I love fresh whole wheat flour (doesn't taste "stale") for everything but pie crusts

 

:-)

[Carmen_and_Company]

We've changed over to roughly a 50% whole foods way of life slowly over the past 4-6 months.

 

We use to eat all organic, but still a lot of processed & packaged foods.

 

We own a water canner, pressure canner, pressure cooker, electric slicer, blender, food processor, dehydrator & a Kitchen-Aid mixer that allows us to make our own healthier versions of packaged foods as follows:

 

baked tortilla chips

seasoned sweet potato fries

turkey sausage

various soups

freezer/refrigerator cookie dough

all sorts of doughs--I freeze, thaw when needed, let rise & bake

pancakes

sorbet

ice cream

flavored coffee

Spice mix for making Chai tea

breakfast sandwiches/burritos

we canned peaches, blueberries, pickles, jams, differnt vegetable soups, tomato sauce, pickles, salsa, beans, beets,

sauces

hot pockets/calzones

fresh salsa

yogurt

salad dressings

10 grain hot cereal

fruit leather

dips

 

I also use books such as The Biggest Looser books, Dinner's in the Freezer & Fix, Freeze, Feast, Clean Eating and Clean Eating Cookbook. I like the concept of freezer meals, but do not like the taste of most meals that require precooking the whole entree before freezing. The above books have the cook assemble the raw ingredients into containers or freezer bags uncooked, which then are cooked the day of serving. The Biggest Looser & Clean Eating series provide recipes adaptable to freezing. The authors also do not use a myriad of canned soups, potato chip toppings, tons of cheese or enormous quantities of mayo.

 

As a result of eating a more wholesome diet, I'm loosing approximately .5 -1.0 lb. per week without effort or increase in exercise.

 

I plan to covert to a 75% whole foods diet by years end.

[Carmen_and_Company]

duplicate post

Edited January 18, 2010 by Carmen_and_Company

[Dawn in OH]

Soups

salad dressings

sauces

cookies

pancakes

breads

muffins

ice cream

gravy

 

There's probably more than I'm just not thinking of right now.

[HSMom2One]

We buy very, very little prepared foods. Everything is from scratch with the exception of a few soups (not many) that we use for back-up quick meals, an occasional spaghetti sauce, about 1/3 the salad dressings we consume, and sliced bread for sandwiches.

 

I'm into grinding my own flour too, although I do buy a bag of white flour from Bob's Red Mill now and then.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[aggieamy]

 

• Salad dressing (this is the easiest place to start)

• Bread and rolls

• Pizza crust and pizza sauce (with evil canned tomato products)

• Soup

• Pasta sauces (again with the help of evil canned tomatoes)

• Dried bean dishes - I buy dried beans, lentils and peas in bags or bulk and use fresh or jarred herbs and spices rather than using the salt-laden mixes in boxed stuff. TONS cheaper, too.

• Pastries (cookies, cakes, pies, etc.)

• Pie crust for quiche

• Pancakes

• Rice dishes (no boxed rice pilaf, etc.)

• Gravy

• Stuffing (from homemade bread)

• Croutons (from the day-old bread)

• Bread crumbs (from the day old bread)

• Lemon and lime juice - we live in citrus country so friends bring BAGS of lemons and limes into DH's office - I juice them and freeze in ice cube trays

What I don't do:

 

 

• Pasta, although I'd LOVE to

• Chicken and beef stock - (well occasionally chicken stock), but I can buy organic low salt aseptic-boxed stock that is decently priced and of good quality - I often doctor this up with veggies, etc.

• Mayo

• Pesto - we buy delicious jarred pesto from Costco 2 and 3 at a time.

• Macaroni & Cheese - after trying at least a dozen recipes, the girls STILL want that blue box flavor. At least I found a healthier alternative with Annie's blue-box kind. It's even that strange orange color thanks to the natural food coloring from annatto.

• Yogurt - I used to make my own, though. Easy, but I just didn't want another gadget on the counter. I guess I don't really NEED a gadget; maybe I'll come back to it someday.

 

 

I'd love it if you'd post a few of your rice recipes. My family loves box rice mixes and I can't seem to recreate them very well at home. Thanks.

[cin]

Since dh is so sensitive to MSG, and it's in most prepackaged foods, we make most of our food from scratch. We make what you said - soups (including "cream of whatever" substitutes), breads, pizza, pie crust. We never use mixes for biscuits, muffins, cakes, pancakes, etc.

 

We make and can our own pickles, and relish from home-grown cucumbers, peppers, and beets. I haven't found pickles that don't cost a fortune that don't have natural flavors (an msg code word). We also corn our own beef & venison to avoid nitrates & msg. I am considering buying straight-run chicks next summer and culling the roosters to make canned chicken meat and especially broth (I've butchered one and *think* I can do it again). We make and can our baked beans from dried beans because of the msg issue as well. I also can tomato products: spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, juice, salsa, and tomato sauce - and will continue if early blight doesn't get my plants again this year! One fun thing we did this year was grow Anaheim peppers, roast them on charcoal grills, peel them, and can them for chili rellenos anytime (yum!).

 

Prepared things we still buy from the store: sausage (Aidelle's chicken & apple from Costco), summer sausage (Aldi's has no msg), hot dogs (no msg, hard to find!), mayonnaise (I can't stomach the idea of serving my family raw eggs), and Marzetti's cole slaw dressing. But now that I've looked online and see substitutes for Marzetti's as well, so I'll try that, too (from purchased mayo)! I don't make noodles anymore because it takes me so much time, but I adore homemade egg noodles.

 

You can take this as far as you can - from growing your own to canning, freezing, drying, etc.

 

Have fun, and don't beat yourself up about what you can't do (or don't want to:)). Do what is most important to you first, then the next thing, etc. Avoid comparing - there's always someone who is more "homesteadier."

 

Blessings,

GardenMom

 

 

We have MSG issues in our house too. Itn's not deadly, but he gets a horrific migraine from it. We use the low sodium 'cream of...' soups and broths. Those usually don't have MSG and Kahn's hotdogs are the only ones DH can eat. Sausage is a problem, so I'm starting to make that. I also make our own yogurt. That's just because my girls go through it like water. Bush's Baked Beans are ok for DH too. Obviously scratch is better, but I thought I'd pass this along to you :)

[BikeBookBread]

I'd love it if you'd post a few of your rice recipes. My family loves box rice mixes and I can't seem to recreate them very well at home. Thanks.

 

Here are a couple of ones I had in my frequently-used recipe binder :) My family really like these, especially with chicken.

 

Rice Pilaf

Here's a simple rice pilaf recipe that I tweaked from Taste of Home:

 

2 TBSP butter

2 TBSP olive oil

1 cup long grain rice (we use Jasmine)

1/2 uncooked fine pasta such as angel hair broken into small pieces no longer than 1/2 inch, or orzo

2 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 TBSP minced fresh parsley

 

Melt butter/heal olive oil in a large pan on medium high heat. (I use a 5 1/4 qt dutch oven)

Add the rice and noodles, stirring constantly until well browned

Stir in broth and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes, or until the broth is absorbed and rice is tender.

Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

 

Lemon♠, Herb and Garlic Wild Rice

Adapted from an epicurious.com recipe

 

1/3 cup wild rice

3 1/2 cups water (or add in a portion of chicken stock to total 3 1/2 cups of liquid)

1/2 medium yellow onion

1 clove freshly-minced garlic or good powdered garlic (not garlic salt)

3/4 cup long-grain white rice (jasmine)

Juice of one lemon

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley (Italian)

1 tsp freshly-grated lemon zest

 

Rinse wild rice under cold running water and drain in a sieve. In a 1-qt heavy saucepan, bring wild rice and 2 cups water to boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes or until rice is tender.

 

While rice is simmering, finely chop the onion. After wild rice has been simmering for 20 minutes, in a 3-qt heavy saucepan bring white rice, onion and garlic and remaining 1 1/2 cups water (or water/chicken stock combo) to a boil and simmer, covered for 20 minutes (or however long you cook your white rice). Remove white rice from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes.

 

(Alternatively, before cooking the white rice, saute the onion in a bit of olive oil and/or butter until softened, then add the garlic until fragrant, finally adding the liquid and rice, cooking as directed...this will mellow the onion and garlic flavor.)

 

Drain wild rice in sieve, and combine with cooked white rice. Stir in parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Edited January 18, 2010 by BikeBookBread
spelling!!!!

[aggieamy]

Thanks so much Stephanie! They look wonderful.

[Ellie]

I make my own mayo (food processor is my preferred appliance). When I'm not doing Atkins I make my own bread with my Bosch and grain mill.

 

Otherwise, I don't buy very much prepared foods/mixes anyway.

[Ailaena]

I'd like this recipe:-) Are the tortillas whole wheat?? I have to say that I love fresh whole wheat flour (doesn't taste "stale") for everything but pie crusts

 

:-)

 

 

 

Well first, there was a fantastic thread about it last August (right when I needed it). It is here and was awesomely helpful (thank you everyone). I had an initial recipe to guide me, but I dont use measuring items so much... The more you make them, the more you know how to tweak them to your preference!

 

The recipe I started out with is http://www.texasrollingpins.com/tortillarecipeprint.html I have used wheat flour and they turn out great! I usually use whole wheat bread flour, but have even used whole wheat pasty flour. I knead the dough just a little bit when it's big, then I knead the balls before letting them rest just to get them as smooth as possible.

 

Have fun!

 

Oh! I always use butter as a personal preference, but I know some people even use oil!

Edited January 18, 2010 by Ailaena

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

Things I used to buy packaged that I now make myself:

pizza dough

pie crusts

bread crumbs

seasoned coating mix

chocolate milk mix (no more nestle quick)

cookies

quick breads and snack cakes

strawberry jam in the spring

ice cream in the summer

stewed tomatoes

soups

mac and cheese

scalloped potatoes

rice pilaf

pumpkin puree

 

Sometimes:

rolls

bread

frosting

[nandmsmom]

I make my own

 

breads

tortillas

bread crumbs

croutons

cookies

cakes

muffins

pancakes

jams and jellies

pasta sauces

gravies

stocks

soups

 

I'm aiming to learn to make my own

 

pasta

english muffins

bagels

cheeses

mayo

yogurt

 

I have a large garden and can, freeze and dehydrate the excess. We also have our own chickens, so the eggs for the mayo I trust. The flour is ground with my own grinder as well. It's taken a while to learn all of these things and incorporate them into our diet and lifestyle.

[prim*rose]

I didn't see anyone post about this, but if you're looking for great, EASY bread recipes, I highly recommend Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. The recipes are great and really don't take any time at all. I was mourning the loss of my breadmaker that died a few months back, but with these books I don't even miss it. So easy!

[meet me in paris]

Well first, there was a fantastic thread about it last August (right when I needed it). It is here and was awesomely helpful (thank you everyone). I had an initial recipe to guide me, but I dont use measuring items so much... The more you make them, the more you know how to tweak them to your preference!

 

The recipe I started out with is http://www.texasrollingpins.com/tortillarecipeprint.html I have used wheat flour and they turn out great! I usually use whole wheat bread flour, but have even used whole wheat pasty flour. I knead the dough just a little bit when it's big, then I knead the balls before letting them rest just to get them as smooth as possible.

 

Have fun!

 

Oh! I always use butter as a personal preference, but I know some people even use oil!

All right - I'm in! I'm going to try this recipe this week... I've never made my own tortillas before, but there's a first time for everything.

 

In the last 2 years I've given up buying any kind of baking mix... cake/brownies/cookies/pancakes, etc. (except for Trader Joe's pumpkin pancake mix, which I absolutely cannot duplicate!). It's been remarkably easy and I can't believe how much money we've saved... plus, it tastes a whole lot better. :)

[kewb]

Over the last 10 years I have been making more and more from scratch. As I researched the chemicals in our environment and our food I take as much control of what goes into my families bodies as possible.

 

I just took the splurge and purchased a grain mill, so now I make my own flour.

 

From scratch I make:

pancakes

waffles

bread/rolls

soups/stock

cakes/cookies

 

I have a meat grinder so I make my own ground beef/turkey/chicken

 

I do still keep on hand a few boxes of soups/stocks and a few boxes of mac and cheese for a treat. My kids won't touch real mac and cheese. Something about that Annie's powdered cheese that makes them only want that.

[hsmom]

 

I have a meat grinder so I make my own ground beef/turkey/chicken

 

 

 

what type of meat do you use for ground beef? I have a grinder now also and would love to know which one works best for hamburgers and such like that.

[Audrey]

Things like soups, sauces, noodles, breads, etc?

 

I have recently got a kitchenaid mixer with a lot of attachments and one of which is a pasta roller and cutter. Ever since I have gotten that I make my own noodles now. My family loves them. I have been trying to make my own soups and sauces when possible. I make breads often, but still buy sandwich bread, since I cannot get my family to stray away from that. Oh, we also have been making our own waffles and freezing them.

 

I am looking for more ideas on things, so what do you do?

 

 

I make most pasta (but still buy some fun shaped ones). I can and freeze a lot of produce from our garden, too. I also can my own soup. I bake every week, but I don't bake everything. I will buy hamburger or hot dog buns. Other things I make:

tortillas (corn and wheat)

anything that is sold as a baked goods mix (pancakes, cakes, muffins, cookies, etc.)

spaghetti sauce

any gravies

seasoning mixes (taco, chili, etc.)

Edited January 18, 2010 by Audrey

[gemrae]

I second the recommendation for Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes. With my KitchenAid I make pita, baguettes, foccacia, sandwich bread, you name it.

 

I just ordered an ice cream attachment for the mixer and can't wait to use it!:001_smile: