Do you usually cook from scratch?

[HunnyPots]

It's all about priorities. What's important to me may be less so to you.
I do a lot of cooking from scratch. I make my own soup stock and buy whole chickens, rather than the boneless skinless variety. I make biscuits and cornbread from scratch. And always REAL mashed potatoes - never instant!!!
But if I bake a cake, it's going to be from a mix unless it's poundcake. I do insist on homemade buttercream frosting though.

I agree with the previous poster about cost; it's not always cheaper to cook from scratch. Most of the time it's healthier and taste so much better, though.

As far as making my own clothes, I haven't done that since I was pregnant and made all my tops and dresses, along with sewing elastic panels in the front of old jeans. That was because nothing off the racks fit so it was either make it or buy it and then alter it. I sewed some for my kids when they were little, but having been traumatized myself as a teenager forced to wear my mom's "creations", I swore I would never do that to my kids once they were out of the cutsie stage!

 

[bicker]

I think you're correct that everyone has their own definition and things they won't skimp on, now that you mention it. Thanks for pointing that out--my definition of cooking from scratch is probably different.

Yes, very good point. Everyone will have their own definitions for things like this, and for things like "wholesome" and even "natural".

We've done a little of everything over the years: Right now we're doing mostly from scratch, but we've done years where everything was from boxes and cans. Remarkably, we were far healthier when we are eating all processed foods than when we cook from scratch, so the linkage between cooking from scratch and health is a mirage. What matters, for health, is what you eat, and how you exercise, and there are ways to achieve "goodness" anywhere along the spectrum from processed to "from scratch".

Convenience is a big concern. Clearly from scratch works against convenience. Even if you could make your own "convenience foods" "from scratch", the making of them, itself, is inconvenient. What's worse is that many of the ingredients that food processors use to make their offerings more healthful (i.e., more filling without being excessively more caloric, or without employing too much saturated fats, etc.) are not available to the home cook. It is very frustrating to have these miracles withheld from us, just because we choose to cook from scratch.

Our recent foray into cooking from scratch is spiritually inspired. We're now pescetarians and working to be locavores as well. (Pescetarians are, essentially, vegetarians who eat fish. Locavores work to choose locally-farmed ingredients whenever we have a choice. We do buy the occasional pineapple, and do partake of other fruits that are simply not grown here, though. Many locavores will not. For more information on being a locavore, including why you'd want to be one, click HERE.) While it is possible to be a pescatarian relying on processed foods, obviously you cannot be a locavore except if you're willing to cook from scratch.

I do bake my own bread but sometimes I buy it from the farmer's market (they have much more exotic flavors)

I have one of those bread machines (because me knead? I don't think so!), but so far we haven't hit on a good recipe that adequately addresses our expectations (locavore -- remember? -- plus also we only each whole wheat breads) while also producing breads that don't readily get crumby in just a few hours after baking. The artisan wheat bread from Au Bon Pain is far better, and I'm jealous. I suspect I can get better bread by having the bread machine just do the kneading, and then baking the bread in the oven, but that will just address the crust -- I don't think that would improve the inside.

 

[bicker]

I don't think this has been mentioned but I cook from scratch to save money. Only, now with the price of ingredients it is just as cheap to buy as to make!!!

That's what we've noticed. We're spending a lot more now, cooking from scratch, than when we were eating all processed foods. This goes back to what I alluded to in my previous message: Food processors have access to ingredients that basically achieve miracles.

 

[Mom2Nick]

Depends on what you mean "by scratch". I do not grind my own flour - it's a convenience to buy it in a bag. I do not slaughter my own chickens - I buy it butchered and trimmed already etc. I do not grow and can my own vegetables, I rarely make my own stock.

I do not however use boxed mixes for cakes or side dishes, no meals in a box unless the kids want mac and cheese etc.

 

[Spinning]

I cook.....Thati is how I describe my style!
I make some things from scratch and some comes from a box or jar or freezer....
It just depends on the day, how much time and what we feel like eating.

As for sewing clothes...that would be NEVER! I hate sewing!

 

[Imzadi]

We are on a strict low carb diet so I make everything from scratch including flax bread, ketchup, BBQ sauce, ice cream, and peanut butter. All the prepackaged foods are chock full of sugar. I've been doing it for about 3 months now and its become like second nature.

I was very disciplined in doing South Beach Diet for a while. I pretty much had to make everything from scratch to watch the carb count and the glycemic index.

It was too unrealistic for me. That meant no eating out, no eating at a restaurant since I didn't know what was in the foods. If I binged for a meal, there was no way to correct by eating other things to balance them out the next meal.

I still make a majority of things from scratch, but it's more semi-homemade now.

I buy Barilla Plus pasta because it's higher protein. I tried making my own pasta sauce, but that turned into a joke. It took so long to spice it, and it never did taste right. I've been a die hard Classico jarred sauce since.

I assemble my own pita pizzas, but I buy the whole wheat pitas and use jarred sauce.

I was complaining once about how people find time to cook things like homemade chicken soup so often and I discovered that people were making "homemade" chicken soup by adding stuff to canned chicken broth and realized that, according to those definitions, I do cook from scratch.

I do actually boil bones and make soup a few times a year.

Chicken soup from scratch really only takes about 45 minutes. I use cut up chicken, not whole and uncut. I couldn't believe the first time I did it and found I do not have to simmer the soup for hours.

 

[Angelhalo]

I was very disciplined in doing South Beach Diet for a while. I pretty much had to make everything from scratch to watch the carb count and the glycemic index.

It was too unrealistic for me. That meant no eating out, no eating at a restaurant since I didn't know what was in the foods. If I binged for a meal, there was no way to correct by eating other things to balance them out the next meal.

I still make a majority of things from scratch, but it's more semi-homemade now.

I buy Barilla Plus pasta because it's higher protein. I tried making my own pasta sauce, but that turned into a joke. It took so long to spice it, and it never did taste right. I've been a die hard Classico jarred sauce since.

I assemble my own pita pizzas, but I buy the whole wheat pitas and use jarred sauce.

Hmmm we haven't had any problems at all. We still eat out a lot actually.

I make pizza at home with Soy flour. I make our own bread with milled Flax, we eat Dreamfields pasta which only had 5 net carbs per serving. We don't ever binge so I guess we just haven't had to worry about that. I don't really look at it as a diet but more of a lifestyle change. We're loving it actually. DH has lost 25 pounds and I have lost 18. I've learned to read labels all the time, and I have learned enough now to know what I can eat in restaurants and what I can't.

 

[eeyore65]

I also do a mix. All pasta sauce is homemade. Pasta is homemade when i have time but from a box all others. I make BBQ sauce sometimes but am happy with bottled too. I do use frozen veggies (they are cheap! spinach, corn) and canned tomatoes and beans. I joined a farm share cooperative and get fresh veggies delivered from the farm every other week. I love this as the quality is amazing and it gets us all to eat more veggies since they are from "our" farm. I have also tried things I never had before - weird squashes, fresh black eyed peas and edamames, micro greens (delicious!).

I make ice cream occasionally but it is cheaper to buy and not that much different then the quality of blue bell. I can bake most desserts from scratch but never bread. I have not mastered yeast! But sometimes you just want a Funfetti cake.

We NEVER eat fast food. If we go out, I want something I can't make at home. So we usually go for some ethnic foods -indian, sushi, greek, etc.

 

[Beca]

I wouldn't say that I cook much from scratch, but I think I must be more "scratch" than most people I know. When my dd was born (via c-section so I had limited mobility), people were so kind and made my family lots of meals (mainly cassseroles). I had a friend who made several dishes "from scratch" as she put it.

The problem was, my family couldn't eat any of them. Every one of them seemed to have canned soups of some sort in them (celery, mushroom, chicken, etc.) and they were really salty. It was such a sweet gesture, but out of the 7 or 8 families who brought food to us, we just didn't find any we could eat. We felt SOOOO bad. However, it did make me realize that we do eat a bit differently from most folks we knew. I am VERY sensitive to salt, and do not use much of it. I do keep organic broths (I buy those, don't make them), fresh veggies and fruits, and organic meats in the house. If we have rotisserie chicken, it is homemade....I cannot do the salt and added "spices" in store bought varieties.

I rarely make bread, and have never made my own broth/stock (although I would LOVE to learn). I most often cook cakes for my dd, and she prefers the "funfetti" cakes, so I seldom make homemade cakes. However, my dh is diabetic and LOVES pies, so I will often make him homemade pies with sugar alternatives.

But, all in all....I think I "assemble" foods more than I "cook from scratch".

 

[Minnesota!]

I do about 1/2 and 1/2. Last night I used a bagged red beans and rice mix, but added ham I cooked, fresh steamed broccoli, a green salad, and sliced tomatoes.

I use a lot of mac-n-cheese (from a box) but the veggies are usually fresh and the meat is something I have cooked rather than precooked or any of that stuff.

I would love to make my own bread, but haven't ever. Same goes for my own pasta and I do make my own spag. sauce once in a while. But I hate the taste of stuff that has been stored in plastic in a freezer. Just gross to me. And I am not a canner - yet.

 

[ericamanda01]

I don't usually cook meals from scratch, but I do bake from scratch. I notice a difference in flavor when I bake something pre made, but I do love some of Sandra Lee's semi-homemade recipes for baking and cooking.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

I fall somewhere in the middle. I can cook certain things from total scratch. Other things I havn't learned how yet. Right now, I don't really have the incentive to cook from scratch or even to cook much. Two single people in a house who rarely eat at the same time doesn't give much incentive for cooking.

 

[mjkacmom]

I wouldn't say that I cook much from scratch, but I think I must be more "scratch" than most people I know. When my dd was born (via c-section so I had limited mobility), people were so kind and made my family lots of meals (mainly cassseroles). I had a friend who made several dishes "from scratch" as she put it.

The problem was, my family couldn't eat any of them. Every one of them seemed to have canned soups of some sort in them (celery, mushroom, chicken, etc.) and they were really salty. It was such a sweet gesture, but out of the 7 or 8 families who brought food to us, we just didn't find any we could eat. We felt SOOOO bad. However, it did make me realize that we do eat a bit differently from most folks we knew. I am VERY sensitive to salt, and do not use much of it. I do keep organic broths (I buy those, don't make them), fresh veggies and fruits, and organic meats in the house. If we have rotisserie chicken, it is homemade....I cannot do the salt and added "spices" in store bought varieties.

I rarely make bread, and have never made my own broth/stock (although I would LOVE to learn). I most often cook cakes for my dd, and she prefers the "funfetti" cakes, so I seldom make homemade cakes. However, my dh is diabetic and LOVES pies, so I will often make him homemade pies with sugar alternatives.

But, all in all....I think I "assemble" foods more than I "cook from scratch".

I don't consider recipes that call for soup to be "from scratch." I made a chicken pot pie for a friend going through chemo, and used heavy cream, butter, cheese, flour, etc. (she also needed to gain weight!). I don't think I've ever used a condensed soup in a recipe.

 

[Pigeon]

I cook mostly from scratch. Because I WOHM full time, I freeze a lot of meals for convenience.

 

[ead79]

I'm impressed with all of you from scratch cooks! DH does most of the cooking at our house, and neither one of us are especially talented in that area, LOL. We therefore do use lots of processed foods like Hamburger Helper and pre-made tortellini. Our local Publix makes a great meatloaf that you buy raw and then bake at home, so we like that. We make some casseroles, but those also used pre-processed ingredients like Kraft shredded cheese or Pillsbury crescent roll dough.

 

[punkin]

I don't consider recipes that call for soup to be "from scratch." I made a chicken pot pie for a friend going through chemo, and used heavy cream, butter, cheese, flour, etc. (she also needed to gain weight!). I don't think I've ever used a condensed soup in a recipe.

I'm with you. Have you read the labels on condensed soups? Yuk! It takes 10 minutes to make your own bechamel sauce and if you want it healthier than butter and cream (OK it won't taste nearly as good), you could use vegetable oil and skim milk.

I cook almost exclusively from scratch.

eta: I suppose it's not exactly from scratch as I do not grow my own food or milk my own cow. I also use some canned foods (tomato paste, salmon and tuna come to mind) and I refuse to make my own pasta (I think from a box tastes better).

 

[java]

I'm a SAHM and I am an in between cook I guess- in that I'm not making my own pasta(but I do make my own sauce) I both buy bread sometimes and sometimes make it. Depending on what I want. I do sometimes buy frozen convenience foods at Trader Joe's. So I would say mostly scratch but I definately use conveniences like rice mixes and pasta.

 

[clutter]

I'm a single mom, with a long commute, and my dd12 was on three(!) teams this spring!

I still try to be somewhat-from-scratch in my cooking. I buy bags/boxes of noodles and pasta. And bagged rice. I buy bread, but we eat very little with only 2 of us. I've started buying hamburger rolls from Fuddruckers. (They're cheaper than the Pepperidge Farm ones!) I use Prego sauce because I still haven't figured out how to make sauce as good as theirs. But my dd doesn't eat tomato sauce, so it's only for my lunches. I do try to stay from cans. I have one recipe I make on occasion that uses cream of Mushroom soup. (For the little bit needed, just buying mushrooms would cost 2x as much!) I will use some canned broth. I don't buy the organic because I find that the boxes contain more than I would use while it's still good. I make my own chicken broth almost every weekend and use the cooked chicken during the week for quick meals.

 

[alexandria674]

I kind of cook from scratch. There are things i can make from scratch and are great, but other times I buy things like Boboli pizza crust and make pizza at home. I usually make my own sauce for it and top the pizza with mozzerella, tomatoes and basil. If I am really busy I will buy pre-packaged things like canned soups and put my own little kick to it. I don't sew my own clothes, but I do sew up holes, fix buttons, embroader (sp) pillowcases. I do grow my own tomatos, basil, aloe vera, chili peppers, lemons and mint, not because I have to but because when we moved in there was already a small garden there and I could not bear to rip it all out, so I have cared for it since.

 

[Footnotegirl]

I'm all over the place. It depends entirely on time and how I feel. Right now, I have chili in the crock pot (semi scratch.. browned the meat and onions and garlic, chose my own spices, but the tomatoes, paste, and beans were canned, and the corn was frozen) and bread in the oven (fully from scratch, I have a kitchenaid with a dough hook. Kneading? Who kneads?) We also have a breadmaking machine, but that takes up too much room when the crock pot is on. Still, if I'm on a working jag (my weeks vary between 6 days on, 1 day off and 2 days on, 5 days off depending on schedule) we buy the bread.
I don't make pasta or sauce, but I usually 'adulterate' the sauce with some of my own onions, garlic, peppers, (bought, not grown) or basil (grown).
I'm going to be doing a loooot more cooking from scratch soon though, because soon our CSA shares will start coming in, and then I'll have more fresh veggies than I know what to do with. We have the wok at the ready!