Help me submit to my hubby - vegan cooking is wearing me out

[momee]

Everything being made from scratch, no cheese, no dairy, no meat :)

 

Cooking has become expensive and time consuming and I'm ready to quit.

 

Any advice on how you make things from scratch regularly (it's not the recipe, it's the scheduling).

 

For an example, if we don't buy bread that means I have to make it regularly. To make it regularly I have to grind the grain AND doing it once isn't enough. I see that now. (jk) I know, one massive bread baking day won't cut it. It needs to be done once/twice a week.

 

We don't buy meat but that means having fresh veggies on hand all the time!!! Not many freezer meals are vegan. That means multiple trips to the store.

 

Just looking for hints on how to make this lifestyle work easier on me personally.

 

DH loves to come home each night to home cooked from scratch meal (I would too) but it takes SOOOO much work, forthought and planning. I'm not sure I can do it and ever leave the kitchen :tongue_smilie: I can manage it once/twice a week but every. Single. Day. Waaah.

Edited April 5, 2012 by momee

[momma2three]

Why do you have to grind your own grain?

 

I make all of our bread, but I use a bread machine. And a giant sack of flour from Costco.

[stripe]

Not many freezer meals are vegan. That means multiple trips to the store

 

I can't offer advice about submitting. At all.

 

But I would get a vegetarian pressure cooker cookbook (or an Indian cookbook) such as the one by Lorna Sass and start making vege stews and beans. You can add a starch.

 

Start with these.

http://www.tarladalal.com/recipes-for-equipment-pressure-cooker--312

http://www.hawkinscookers.com/recipe1.aspx

 

I don't know what a freezer meal is. Is that like a frozen casserole? I can't advise on that either.

[stripe]

I have to grind the grain AND doing it once isn't enough.

 

Are you grinding in some hand cranked contraption? Buy a Nutrimill. It will grind 5 lbs in 20 min or so. It's loud but fast. And takes only one run through the machine.

[WeeBeaks]

Slow cooker? The Vegan Slow Cooker by Hester has many tasty recipes. We are not a vegan family and like the recipes in there. Slow cooker gives the opportunity to start your meal at breakfast (cook on low) or at lunch (and cook on high) on many meals. Our crazy time here is right before dinner, so anything I can do ahead is a benefit.

 

Peas and Thank You is another cookbook with lots of good ideas for a family that don't take forever.

 

Your DH requires fresh ground flour? Otherwise, I would do the costco bags of WW flour or whatever too. Try also Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day, from the same authors as the original artisan bread book. The dough keeps in the refrigerator and you just have the rise time and bake rather than starting from scratch each day.

[KatieJ]

What are you mixing your bread in? I have a Bosch and I can make up to 6 loaves (15 cups of flour) of bread at a time. I can have bread made in under 4 hours depending on how fast it rises, and that includes grinding the wheat. Bread freezes beautifully and for long periods of time.

Fill us in on why you have to do it twice a week?

[ezrabean2005]

HobbWhat about a rice and vegetable stir fry? We make a week of brown rice at a time. You can even chop vegetables before hand. Then you can add variety by changing up the seasonings or spices. I can't help with the bread since we eat gluten free (they trigger migraines for my DH).

 

Maybe your DH can help by getting recipes for you? Or he can be the one to go to the store with a list for you?

Edited April 5, 2012 by ezrabean2005

[Bluegoat]

I think that is it usually a bad idea to try and implement so many changes at once. You get burnt out and then end of throwing it all out. It's a much better idea IMO to start one new thing at a time and figure out how to fit it into the routine. It also makes it a lot easier to judge which things are really worth the effort and which are not - maybe you discover baking bread is worth it, but grinding the grain isn't if you can source local flour, yk?

 

So I would talk about it with your dh and decide which things are really fundamental and get into a routine with them, and then add new things and evaluate them as time goes on. You'll also want to talk about what is possible as far as other responsibilities you might drop in favour of your diet and what you wouldn't, and what makes you personally feel satisfied or like a nut.

 

Something to consider with bread, besides big batches, is actually substituting other things in your diet. That could be bakery goods like biscuits or cornbread you make on the day, or things like bulger that you eat as part of the meal instead of bread.

[HappyLady]

Well, hmmmm...... since this is my daily life let me see if I can help. :) First of all, I used to bake my own bread, but I cut that out after our second child came along. It was just too much. I'm lucky that I can buy vegan bread at the store so that's what I do. Once my DS is more manageable, I'll go back to making a lot of our bread, but probably not all. :)

 

Someone already mentioned making enough for leftovers. I do that quite often. This way, we all have lunch for the next day. Or, make breakfast for dinner and then you have breakfast the next day. :)

 

I shop once a week and always have enough fruits/veggies. What I try and do is find meals that will use the same ingredients when I plan my menu for the week. This way, I'm buying maybe 6 different veggies instead of 10 and ending up with leftovers, or not enough space in my fridge, or food going bad.

 

I don't know how picky your DH is (he sounds like mine) but even my DH doesn't mind a "quick" meal every-so-often. You can take butternut squash (I buy it already cut up) and cook it however you like. Then mash it up, mix it with whatever milk you prefer and mix it with pasta to make sort of a "mac n cheese." I add frozen peas and I'm done. Or, if you do vegan cheese then make grilled cheese, add some sliced tomato and seasonings (I like fresh basil if I have it or Italian seasoning), cook some frozen veggies, and throw some potatoes in the oven for baked potatoes. Super easy. :) If you do the vegan "meats" I can give you more ideas so just let me know. We don't use them, but we used to and back then my meals were REALLY simple. :)

 

Fajitas/burritos are easy, especially if you can buy the veggies already cut up (frozen or fresh). Just add some instant rice and salsa and you're done.

 

Soups are great and you can freeze most of them so make a big batch of soup and you have a few quick meals right there.

 

I'll try to think of some more ideas for you. I know it can seem overwhelming, but it's so worth it. :)

[AdventureMoms]

Rice & beans are very freezer friendly and can be done a zillion ways.

 

Soups are almost always freezable unless they have potatoes.

 

Many Indian and Thai recipes are vegan and also freeze well.

 

The main bread recipe in Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day is vegan, and you mix up a big batch of dough once and just bake it on loaf at a time. Bread also freezes well. I can't help with the wheat grinding issue either, though, we just buy flour.

[Danestress]

I have never been a vegan, because we always used dairy. However, I can imagine my husband would be quite happy with meals like black beans and rice with various toppings, red beans and rice, stuffed baked potatoes, various vegetable enhanced pasta dishes. None of those would take a lot of time. Also, we eat a lot of soup, and while I use meat, most of them could be modified to not have meat. I have some good vegan recipes like a mexican stew that he loves. I make it with cornbread. Could you find a vegan corn bread recipe?

 

But for us, a lot of meals would end up being either rice based asian inspired meals or beans and rice.

[HappyLady]

Quinoa dishes are always easy! Cook it in broth and add whatever seasonings you typically like. Add some frozen veggies and toasted nuts and it's a GREAT meal.

 

Another easy dish is couscous cooked in broth, add canned tomatoes (if you use them), seasoning to taste, and chickpeas. Done.

 

If you Google something like "lazy vegan" you'll get a ton of websites for people who cook vegan, but do it the easier way. :)

 

It really doesn't have to be that difficult! :)

[Briartell]

Beans and Rice freeze wonderfully. I add a couple of packages of frozen veggies for the side.

 

Baked beans freeze wonderfully. I would serve it with slices of buttered bread and a salad.

 

Amy's Vegan Pizza - worth it's weight in gold. I loved that fake cheese so much!

 

Sweet Potato, black bean and kale enchiladas can be made in a double batch and frozen. You can find the recipe online by doing a search.

 

Frozen Veggies! They are already cut. Mix them together add, a sauce, and serve on a grain. Add them to broth with herbs and you have a quick soup.

 

Spaghetti night at least once a week!

http://onceamonthmom.com/menus/vegetarian/ has some vegan recipes that freeze well on her site. She teaches how to cook most of your meals on one day of the month.

[ezrabean2005]

I agree with the pasta and potato ideas, even GF we can use a rice pasta. We also have burritos at least once a week (DH will have the burrito filling in a bowl with tortilla chips).

[JFSinIL]

Let him take over grinding a week's worth of wheat for baking on the weekend, or whenever he has time - and teach him to bake, so he can do one of the weekly batches. He needs to know how to do this - what if you get sick? Plus he will be setting a good example to the kids - cooking from scratch must be valuable work, see, even Daddy does it! if he doesn't want to do this - well, you don't want to, either - so time to find brands of organic, vegan-friendly breads from the local health food store or co'op to use when you just can't bake.

 

He can do one mid-week veggie run, too, after work. Make it a night out, and teach him how to shop, if need be. I am on a major weight-loss/exercise venture (down 45 lbs since late August!) and do find I am running multiple times to the store each week to get more fresh veggies and greens. I have older kids, though, so I don't mind.

 

It will all run smoother if he does a bit of the work, since he is the one, I take it, demanding this particular diet/life-style. But don't make it sound like you dislike all the shopping/baking and want to fob some of it off on him - rather, act like this shopping/cooking/baking is an interesting adventure, and you look forward to working WITH HIM to make it work. Without HIS HELP it won't be a success.

 

Also - once a week it is beans in the crockpot night. Leftovers can be taken in a thermos for his lunch. He doesn't NEED homemade bread for sandwiches every day. My hubby brownbags it and often takes leftovers instead of sandwiches.

 

I am into making different Indian dals - I love knowing I have a container of spicy lentil stuff in the 'fridge when I get hungry. Dal him, too. Have rice cooked and sitting the the 'fridge, too - dal and rice, like beans and rice, is a complete protein. And no grain need be ground ;-)

Edited April 5, 2012 by JFSinIL

[amyinva]

You know I'm in the same boat! Over the weekend, plan the upcoming week's menu using the following meal types, order can be mixed up:

 

1 Mexican (burritos, chili, taco salad)

2 Asian stir fry over brown rice

3 Lentils or Quinoa or Main dish salad

4 Curry over brown rice or Soup & bread

5 Pasta

6 Roasted veggies (sweet potatoes, squash, root veggies, mushrooms) or this summer- Grilled veggies (zucchini, eggplant, peppers, onions, mushrooms) and grilled bread or brown rice

7 one leftover/eat out/DH cook night

 

Breakfast- homemade granola, oatmeal, smoothies, muffins, fruit

 

Lunch- leftovers, pb&j, cashew butter & banana, hummus & veggies in pita, Quinoa salad, fruited lentil salad

Edited April 5, 2012 by Amy in VA

[stripe]

I am into making different Indian dals - I love knowing I have a container of spicy lentil stuff in the 'fridge when I get hungry. Dal him, too. Have rice cooked and sitting the the 'fridge, too - dal and rice, like beans and rice, is a complete protein. And no grain need be ground ;-)

 

And those orange lentils cook in 15-20 min!

[amyinva]

In the morning during the breakfast mess, grind wheat. Have your middle DD load the bread machine. Make a loaf every day. If it is not needed, freeze it.

 

Use a couple hours over the weekend or Monday afternoon to make hummus (it's fast!) And Quinoa salad. Your older DD could do both of these. She could also make muffins one day for breakfasts, just grind extra wheat that day.

 

Hummus, Quinoa salad and leftovers are our main lunches, but the other options (previous post) are available.

 

I'm not at home, but will give recipes if you want.

Edited April 5, 2012 by Amy in VA

[VeganCupcake]

I don't usually bake our bread because I've found one that I like at the natural foods store. But even if I do make bread (I usually use the master recipe in Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day), I don't grind the grain. We go through 50 lbs of WW flour pretty quickly, so that's what we buy.

 

My DH is omnivorous, I'm vegan, DD is lacto-ovo vegetarian these days, DS doesn't eat enough solids to really count at all.

 

I have a "theme" for each day's dinner that helps me get my act together to cook something.

 

Sunday: roasting/grilling/broiling meat (for DH), vegetables for everyone, etc.

Monday: soup

Tuesday: "rice and sauce"--curry, daal, stir fry, something like that

Wednesday: sandwiches and salads

Thursday: pasta

Friday: our version of pizza

Saturday: ???

 

This may not be what you want to hear, but I have plenty of days when we all just sort of fend for ourselves and slap something together for the kids. My DH doesn't mind that.

 

I do feel like I'm going to one store or another many days of the week because I can't do all our food shopping in one place--different places have different things we need. That is kind of a drag.

[Pretty in Pink]

If you want to grind your own grains then invest in a good mill. I have a Whisper Mill and love it. It's fast (though not quiet :D) and you don't have to grind the grain twice (which I've never even heard of...are you using a hand crank or something)?

 

Bread machine. Grind a week's worth of flour on Sunday and then toss in a batch of bread every morning.

 

Beans can be cooked in large batches and frozen so that you just scoop out what you need for soups and such; conversely, plan two days worth of meals using X bean so that you can skip the freezing step altogether (if you don't mind eating the same bean for two days straight).

 

Lentils cook in 20 minutes or so.

 

Rice cooker. Make a pot every morning and have rice for the day for meals or snacking. Pair the rice with beans from your big batch in the fridge or freezer.

 

Do you meal plan? Do so, one week at a time. Plan to use rapidly perishable produce during the first half of the week and longer lasting stuff during the second half of the week.

 

Slow cooker. Invest in a crock pot if you don't have one and one or two really good slow cooker cookbooks. I really like Williams Sanoma cookbooks because they use so many fresh, wholesome ingredients.

 

Theme nights. Ideas:

 

Salad

Soup

Potato

Sandwich

Pasta

Ethnic

Pizza

Casserole

Breakfast for dinner

[momee]

These are all fantastic ideas. Just reading you all are trying to do the same things makes me think I shouldn't jump ship just yet.

 

Our grocery budget and my time in the kitchen are waaaay out of control.

Time to buckle down.

thanks much!!!!! for the replies

[Deniseibase]

I strongly suggest using your slow cooker more - soups and stews are easy, they can be a quick light meal or you can serve many stews over a grain and call it a full meal. Many Indian and Middle Eastern recipes are easy to adapt for the slow cooker. Any Indian recipe that calls for yogurt or cream, just use coconut milk instead.

 

Look for these cookbooks - http://www.amazon.com/The-Indian-Slow-Cooker-Authentic/dp/1572841117/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333836299&sr=8-1 Not all vegetarian, but a lot of vegetarian recipes in it and they are particularly tasty.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Vegetarian-Cooking-Middle-Africa/dp/1566563984/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1333836367&sr=1-2 Not all vegan, but mostly, and a lot of good, simple, CHEAP recipes :-)

[Truscifi]

Let him take over grinding a week's worth of wheat for baking on the weekend, or whenever he has time - and teach him to bake, so he can do one of the weekly batches. He needs to know how to do this - what if you get sick? Plus he will be setting a good example to the kids - cooking from scratch must be valuable work, see, even Daddy does it! if he doesn't want to do this - well, you don't want to, either - so time to find brands of organic, vegan-friendly breads from the local health food store or co'op to use when you just can't bake.

 

He can do one mid-week veggie run, too, after work. Make it a night out, and teach him how to shop, if need be. I am on a major weight-loss/exercise venture (down 45 lbs since late August!) and do find I am running multiple times to the store each week to get more fresh veggies and greens. I have older kids, though, so I don't mind.

 

It will all run smoother if he does a bit of the work, since he is the one, I take it, demanding this particular diet/life-style. But don't make it sound like you dislike all the shopping/baking and want to fob some of it off on him - rather, act like this shopping/cooking/baking is an interesting adventure, and you look forward to working WITH HIM to make it work. Without HIS HELP it won't be a success.

 

Also - once a week it is beans in the crockpot night. Leftovers can be taken in a thermos for his lunch. He doesn't NEED homemade bread for sandwiches every day. My hubby brownbags it and often takes leftovers instead of sandwiches.

 

I am into making different Indian dals - I love knowing I have a container of spicy lentil stuff in the 'fridge when I get hungry. Dal him, too. Have rice cooked and sitting the the 'fridge, too - dal and rice, like beans and rice, is a complete protein. And no grain need be ground ;-)

 

:iagree: Get him involved in doing some of the work. It will make it easier and more fun for you, and if it really is unmanageable he'll see that too and you can work together to come up with a different plan.

[FO4UR]

:iagree: Get him involved in doing some of the work. It will make it easier and more fun for you, and if it really is unmanageable he'll see that too and you can work together to come up with a different plan.

 

:iagree:

 

 

Send him with a list of groceries to bring home after work, at the very least. Ask him to help in the kitchen clean-up after dinner, and cooking on the weekends.

 

 

Also - bread - I have a good grain mill and I use a mixer. It's prepped easily as I make lunch, rises while I'm HSing, and bakes while I'm relaxing (or chasing kids...whatever the day brings:tongue_smilie:). I would NOT commit to bread-making regularly if I didn't have the tools to make it feasible. With a good grain mill and mixer (or bread machine), it does not take much time at all.

[NicAnn]

I find cooking vegan, from scratch to be so INexpensive. Funny how our experiences are different!

 

Here is a list of freezer meals I have in the freezer at this moment:

-italian white bean soup

-chickpea curry with brown rice

-black bean and corn enchiladas

-enchilada casserole (from the Oh She Glows website)

-bean burger patties

-sweet potato pancakes

-lentil and brown rice stuffed pepper filling

-14 individual veggie pot pies

 

(All gluten free)

l think that's it right now, but look around..there are lots of freezer meal ideas out there.

 

Tonight we are having baked potato and broccoli soup. Probably with a salad too.

Tomorrow I'm doing a cold pasta salad, sauteed zucchini, and some kind of fruit.

[NicAnn]

Oh, and once a month I cook and freeze about 2-5 lbs each of:

black beans

white beans

brown rice

quinoa

 

 

Makes things way easier!

[Annie G]

On bread baking...we don't eat many sandwiches and if we do, they're grilled on a panini press. So I rarely make regular bread but make focaccia or other flatbreads often. They're fast, easy, and go with most every meal. Tonight we had pasta so my focaccia was topped with olive oil, garlic, sea salt, and Italian seasonings. Tomorrow we're having meatloaf and we'll top the focaccia with parmesan. No leftovers tonight because ds has two friends over- but if there are leftovers, splitting it makes a great bread for a sandwich.

[SonshineLearner]

My mom grinds my flour for me. She just commented today that her wheat berries are $11 for 25 lbs. I'd consider just running berries through to make a ton of wheat, and then making up mixes for yourself. My mom was kind enough to do up four batches of pancakes and it was so wonderful. I just poured in the mix, an egg, milk and a bit of butter and presto.... Pancakes!! :) You can do the same thing with bread. It is just easier to make things when they are part way there... Also, as far as submitting, I'd encourage my husband to help me. As Christ loves the church is something that reference if I had resistance. Seriously, Christ calls husbands to care for their wives and families, and this goes beyond working at a job. Ask him for help :)

 

PS, I do bread in a bread machine on the dough option and then transfer it to the oven, as I like the way it bakes there, better. My mom did the Bosch thing, when we were young and baked 6 loaves of whole wheat bread :) With the Saf-Yeast

Edited April 7, 2012 by NayfiesMama

[besroma]

Have you looked at the books "Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day" or "Healthy Bread in 5 minutes a Day?" These books have made a huge difference in my life.

 

I have a Nutrimill and grind a lot of flour, then freeze it and pull it out when I need it. I also have a Bosch which I use to make many loaves at one time to freeze. We also use the bread machine!;)

 

I agree with others who recommend stews and soup. If your DH likes spicy foods, Black Bean Chipotle Soup is delicious and freezes well. There are a lot of Indian dishes with no meat. If you have an Amish market nearby, they usually carry a Harvest Grain soup mix that is good.

 

Cook and freeze as much as you can at one time. I freeze a lot so that DH always has a variety of foods to take for his lunch during the week.

 

I did not see the ages of your kids, but my kids love to help with the breads. DS8 makes the bread machine breads and DD10 makes a lot of the breads from the Artisan and Healthy Bread books. The Artisan book uses mostly AP flour, but we have found soft white wheat to work well.

[Haiku]

DH loves to come home each night to home cooked from scratch meal

 

I'm sure he does, but doesn't he also love to come home to a happy wife who doesn't feel like she's chained to her kitchen?

 

We are vegan. I used to make everything from scratch (bread, tortillas, vegan yogurt, etc). Now I have three kids and many responsibilities. I'm not able to do it all from scratch.

 

One thing that helps me is having dh stop at the store on the way home. I have a meal plan, and I grocery shop once a week. If we need things we have run out of or fresh things, dh gets them on the way home. If you plan well, dh can stop on Tuesday evening for what you'll need Wednesday, for example.

 

We don't eat fancy food. We eat spaghetti with marinara sauce, we eat bean burritos, we eat lentil soup. We do a lot of frozen veggies. Perhaps your dh will need to relax his standards a bit. You can still have delicious and nutritious vegan meals without having everything be super-fresh and from scratch.

 

Tara

[CalicoKat]

You could have DH help make these over the weekend. :D

 

Salad in a Jar

 

Oats in a Jar

 

Other non vegan meals in a jar but perhaps inspiration.

[Mom-ninja.]

I have no choice but to cook everyday do to health issues.

 

There is no reason why you have to have bread at all times. You can eat quite nicely without bread. We rarely have it. :) Think outside the box when it comes to bread. We use nice long romaine leaves as a bread substitute. Corn tortillas whether store bought or home made can be frozen and pulled out as needed.

 

There are lots of veggie meals that can be frozen. Think soups and chowders. Veggie lasagna (you don't have to use diary) is another example of a meal that freezes nicely.

 

The book Saving Dinner the Vegetarian Way might be good for you. I don't know if it has diary in it though. I have the regular one and the low carb one and I love them.

 

As for burn out....does your dh cook at all? My dh loves to cook and regularly helps with cooking. He cooks on weekends and a few days during the week.

[Carol in Cal.]

Instead of bread have brown rice, corn tortillas (the masa harina ones are so good--you can buy masa in bags and they are easy to make), or some kind of mixed grain pilaf to vary things. Indian breads are more tortilla-like and very good, too.

 

Also, in the 'olden' days, no one baked every day. They baked once per week and they were more forgiving of slight staleness. That's really the traditional way, and it is because baking is so time consuming. They would make bread, pie, coffee cake, rolls, and sometimes cookies, and what they had at the end of the day was what they would have all week. I'm not suggesting that you go that way--with today's devices you don't have to. But fresh bread each day is pretty much a luxury.

[momma2three]

Instead of bread have brown rice, corn tortillas (the masa harina ones are so good--you can buy masa in bags and they are easy to make), or some kind of mixed grain pilaf to vary things. Indian breads are more tortilla-like and very good, too.

 

Also, in the 'olden' days, no one baked every day. They baked once per week and they were more forgiving of slight staleness. That's really the traditional way, and it is because baking is so time consuming. They would make bread, pie, coffee cake, rolls, and sometimes cookies, and what they had at the end of the day was what they would have all week. I'm not suggesting that you go that way--with today's devices you don't have to. But fresh bread each day is pretty much a luxury.

 

:iagree:

 

Not to mention that pretty much the first thing newly formed communities do is establish a mill and a bakery of some sort... this has been true for all of modern human history all around the world in every society that mills grain. Because grinding flour and baking is hard, time consuming work.

 

Historically, nowhere in the world does anyone grind their own grains and do all of their own baking unless they absolutely had to.

[celticmom]

Have you seen this site: http://onceamonthmom.com/menus/vegetarian/

The menus are vegetarian rather than vegan but most if not all of the recipes can be tweaked to make them vegan. Many of the recipes have notes at the bottom on how to change them to vegan.

 

If you try nothing else off the site the lentil and brown rice hamburger substitute is a major money saver.

[Liz CA]

This is an excellent opportunity for new gadgets:

 

You need a Bosch Grain Grinder

A baking stone

A programmable oven

 

I do cook very much from scratch down to making my own mayo, mustard and bread - but I do enjoy it!

Once I got into a groove of soaking flour and grains the night before, everything became easier. There is a learning curve - or a remembering curve. :)

[Carol in Cal.]

Make spaghetti sauce and bean soup in big batches and freeze them.

 

Also, if you want really flavorful vegan food that is not too spicy hot (ie tasty but not Indian), see if you can find a church cookbook from a Middle Eastern Orthodox church. They follow very rigorous vegan fasts several times per year and so their vegan cooking is really advanced and tasty.

 

Also, invest in some vegetarian 'better than boilloin'--it's very tasty and helps with pilafs and gravies as well as soups.

[MidwesternMom]

I don't mean to be dense, but what is the advantage of grinding your own flour? Is it a nutrition reason, or just that he wants you to be as busy as possible, or cost, or ?

[SonshineLearner]

I don't mean to be dense, but what is the advantage of grinding your own flour? Is it a nutrition reason, or just that he wants you to be as busy as possible, or cost, or ?

Right after grinding, the berry starts losing nutrition and actually the oil in it starts to "turn rancid"... It's also quite expensive. It's about $6.50 for organic 5 lb sacks... and about $11.00 for 25 lbs of berries... (I think that's the cost my mom just gave me) Also, you should actually mix in 3 grains when you do grains, to complement each other. And, leave a bit of the "whole grain" part if possible... (Have some "crunch" to at least some of the grain) Course, I get farm fresh eggs, too :) And... organic pretty much everything else. Still, a loaf of bread is under $1.00. If you get a breadmaker from say... a Thrift store, it's not too hard... then I stick it in the oven(I just use the dough cycle)...(Ugh... I have to make some more tomorrow :))

[HiddenJewel]

My mom grinds my flour for me. She just commented today that her wheat berries are $11 for 25 lbs. I'd consider just running berries through to make a ton of wheat, and then making up mixes for yourself. My mom was kind enough to do up four batches of pancakes and it was so wonderful. I just poured in the mix, an egg, milk and a bit of butter and presto.... Pancakes!! :) You can do the same thing with bread. It is just easier to make things when they are part way there...

 

The only thing to remember with grinding a bunch of grain ahead of time is that you have to refrigerate or freeze it within a couple days or it will go rancid. So that would go for any mixes you made from it as well. Perhaps there are some grains that don't do this but wheat does.

[CalicoKat]

This is an excellent opportunity for new gadgets:

 

You need a Bosch Grain Grinder

A baking stone

A programmable oven

 

I do cook very much from scratch down to making my own mayo, mustard and bread - but I do enjoy it!

Once I got into a groove of soaking flour and grains the night before, everything became easier. There is a learning curve - or a remembering curve. :)

 

ooooo, I like this one! A vitamix blender!

[Stellalarella]

Try also Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day, from the same authors as the original artisan bread book. The dough keeps in the refrigerator and you just have the rise time and bake rather than starting from scratch each day.

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree: This method of bread baking is super easy.

 

Here is another book, that I appreciate. "Wildly Affordable Organic on $5 a Day."

 

I cook everyday and make almost everything from scratch. Even hot dog buns. :) THey are absolutely wonderful. Here is the link to the recipe from a book called "Make the bread, buy the butter." Scroll past the homemade marshmallows. :001_smile:

 

Also, on my blog you can find cheap food to make from scratch.

 

Here is the number one reason why cooking from scratch works for us: I am not solely responsible for feeding a family of 8 on homemade food on a small budget. My husband helps. He helps cook and gets up every morning to make breakfast. He helps me with the shopping. He eats beans without complaining. He understands that when food costs go up, and we are already eating beans, that we just have to shift the budget to food or make more money.

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

We're not vegan, but I cook gluten-free low dairy meals every night for my family. It's a little hard right now with a baby but it is doable. DH does do the grocery shopping, though. I plan 7 dinners, then make a shopping list with items I need for those recipes, things for breakfast (lunch is leftovers), and snacks. I send the list to dh and he goes shopping one night a week after work. Especially since his diet is by choice and not necessity, would he be willing to do the shopping to make things a little easier for you?

 

As far as prep time, 4pm on is scheduled as dinner prep. I also do other chores then if I don't need to be actively cooking the whole time.