Making all my food from scratch these days including snacks and

60sgirl · ‎11-24-2014

yesterday I made 2 receipes I found in Self magazine.

I made roasted almonds to take with me in the field

Bought a bag of unsalted almonds at Aldis

To make:

combine 1 tsp of maple syrup

1 tsp of finely chopped rosemary

1 tsp of coarse sea salt

combine in bowl and mix almonds thoroughly, lay on parchment lined baking sheet and roast at 350 for 15 minutes. They came out warm and delish. Put them in a tightly closed mason jar and will use to take with me

Today I made my own chocolate cherry bark

! package of dark chocolate 70% cocoa melted with 1 tsp coconut oil and 1 tsp maple syrup. melt in double boiler., Pour onto parchment lined pan, sprinkle dried cherries, coconut flakes, chopped pecans and sea salt. Put in freezer for 3 hours. Break apart and enjoy.

I am cooking everything myself from fresh ingredients so as to avoid all preservatives, additives, and other ingredients I can't pronounce.

coconut oil is virgin unrefined I've been using this exclusively in place of butter or margarine or olive oil

coconut flakes unrefined, organic

using coconut and almond flour in place of any wheat flour for all my baking and breading needs as well.

I'm done with P.C. Just say what you mean and mean what you say. It's easier.

Debzzz · ‎11-20-2015

@60sgirl Good for you. I have recently developed a wheat sensitivity ( or maybe it just got bad enough to notice) plus due to my health I try not to eat wheat, corn, rice etc basically very few carbs. I started to eat a flavored nut mix yesterday and it had wheat flour in it. Who would of thought nuts were coated with wheat flour? Not to mention the preservatives and goodness knows what added to most prepackaged food. You're on the right track, we hav to start making our own snacks, meals from scratch to avoid the bad stuff. You're inspiring me to get busy!

"The love you extend to others, will eventually find it's way back to you, no matter how many times it has left you hurt."

jaxs mom · ‎04-18-2012

I make most of our food from scratch, I even mill my own wheat berries to make flour for bread and can my own stock among other things. Canned or prepackaged items at our house are ingredients ( like tomatoes, cocoa powder ect). My husband does insist on certain store bought things, like cereal. But I do make granola and ferment my own yogurt. Making it yourself tastes better and it's cheaper.

Don't Change Your Authenticity for Approval

morganjen · ‎03-13-2010

That way you know what's in it. I also have to make almost all my food. My food sensitivies have really changed my kitchen habits.

Originally joined board 12-14-2004

eddyandme · ‎09-24-2011

I should start "cooking from scratch" too, but keep saying I'm gonna do it, yet haven't. Good for you! Perhaps you could start a thread with many different kinds of simple recipes that would help people like me get into it instead of procrastinating.

I just got a doggie bone maker - just adopted a cutiepie - and one of the rescue people suggested using oat flour in please of regular/wheat flours. So, I'm gonna grind up some Quaker Oats - it's not much, but it's a starting point - right?

HonnyBrown · ‎11-23-2013

60s, good for you! The recipes look delicious!

A few years ago, hubby had a BP scare. His numbers were borderline high and he didn't want to take the medication. I told him I could make everything from scratch to lower the salt content.

The high sodium goods that I had were stock, tomatoes, beans, salad dressing and bacon. I told him I could make the stock and salad dressing from scratch; buy fresh tomatoes; soak the beans; and stop buying bacon.

The last one was a NO.

Get your flu shot...because I didn't.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

This isn't the easiest thing to do, and I commend anyone who does it and does it well!

That said, for others who find value in doing so, but feel overwhelmed by the cost, the time, the talent it takes to cook only from scratch, I'd suggest not diving in with every meal, snack and product in your house, but begin with so many meals or recipes per week, without feeling guilty about what you still consume as take out, or pre made.

Sometimes we can "bite off more than we can chew" with something new, get discouraged, and quit very quickly. But if a meal per day or even a few per week, to start, gets one into the habit, and doesn't overwhelm them, should lead to a more complete conversion in time.

I knew a family with children that my son went to school with, and I loved their 'theory' for eating. When you went into their home, there was only whole food. The counters were full of fresh vegetables and fruits. The kid's lunches consisted of whole fruits and veggies, whole grain breads with maybe some peanut butter etc. They kept no junk food, pre packaged food, etc at home. They never ate at restaurants, as it wasn't in their budget.

But, when there was a school pot luck, or a class party, the kids joined in and ate what everyone else did, be it pizza, ice cream, candy, or an array of things one would find at a banquet or pot luck. These 'different for them' types of meals were not frequent, and a very small part of their diet.

The entire family maintained health and weight, and seemed just as happy with one food style as the other. I don't remember them ever complaining about being deprived.

I thought this was such a healthy and common sense approach to food, and they 'fit in' with whatever was happening anywhere they happened to be.

60sgirl · ‎11-24-2014

@eddyandme wrote:
I should start "cooking from scratch" too, but keep saying I'm gonna do it, yet haven't. Good for you! Perhaps you could start a thread with many different kinds of simple recipes that would help people like me get into it instead of procrastinating.

I just got a doggie bone maker - just adopted a cutiepie - and one of the rescue people suggested using oat flour in please of regular/wheat flours. So, I'm gonna grind up some Quaker Oats - it's not much, but it's a starting point - right?

thanks I do have some good recipes that are quite easy. I know for lots of people especially those who work outside the home. they don't always have the time to do this but in all honesty except for a few things that take time in the oven most of what I've made is simple and quick.

If you like Naan flatbread, here is a good recipe that I've made. And in the spring and summer it's easier to get fresh vegetables.

Get the mini Naan breads if you can. Brush olive oil on top. I used coconut oil but it calls for olive oil. load them up with slices of pear, feta cheese, white cheddar cheese, 2 layers of each, apiece. Lay down some arugala (I used fresh spinach), crumble some fresh thyme over all of it. Bake at 400 about 15 minutes until bread is browned and cheese is melted. This is the best "pizza" I've ever made. And easy.

I'm done with P.C. Just say what you mean and mean what you say. It's easier.

chessylady · ‎05-01-2010

60sgirl, are you not concerned with the amount of saturated fat in coconut oil?

Snowpuppy · ‎03-09-2010

It's not hard to do once you get the hang of it.

Scratch cooking & baking usually conjures up memories of grandma spending hours in the kitchen every day. But grandma didn't have a deep freezer or storage containers.

I began by simple breadmaking on the weekends. I make bread & biscuits then toss a batch in the freezer. I did the same with chili, soup, mashed potatoes, spaghetti sauce, etc. If you're used to a 4qt pot, crank it up to 8 and store the rest in the freezer.

It's a from scratch meal instead of a cardboard box.