Homemade

So in efforts to save money I have been experimenting with things homemade. I already make 99% of my meals from scratch but what about those everyday items that you just think of as an ingredient, like butter, sour cream, yogurt, buttermilk, pie crust, cheese, mayonnaise, bread, and this list goes on.... I have tried my hand in quite a few of these but many are not very cost effective (unless you are buying/making organic) and others just don't have the shelf life for how in often I use them. However, I will note that if money is not your issue than making things from scratch is always the way to go. First you can get an organic product for usually half the price, you don't have any stabilizers or preservers, and the taste is usually 5 times better!

Still I can't imagine my life without homemade yogurt, especially while I have been on this Candida diet and have been eating around a half gallon of yogurt a week. I spend about 20 minutes of active waiting 8 hours of unwatched waiting and an overnight and the fridge and I have can have yogurt for half the price!!! I got my recipe online and now wouldn't have it any other way! (http://www.makeyourownyogurt.com/ great step by step tutorial that I used my first few times)

 First Bring Milk to 185 degrees

 Then cool to 110 degrees

Then mix in your few TBS of yogurt

Let it sit for 8 Hours 

( the recipe call for minimum 7 but I like mine strong and the longer you go the thicker it gets)

Stir it Up!

 Put in in containers

And let it sit in the fridge overnight!

Other homemade experiences: 

- pie crust... pros: delicious, can make using butter instead of crisco cons: good amount of extra time, messy, toddler pokes holes in it, pies are already time consuming without

-butter... pros: all you need is heavy cream, a blender and a strainer... supper yummy and fresh cons: not cost effective at all- takes a quart to make a pound of butter. right now a quart of cream is going for about $6 and a pound of butter $2.80. But if you can get cream from a local farm in bulk and in the summer (the time when farms have access cream) and freeze your butter then it would be worth it for sure!

-sour cream... pros: very cost effective, simple ingredients, no added preservatives, nice fresh taste, can have organic for about 1/3 price. cons: have to prepare 24 hours in advance, sour cream is often on sale when I buy it so no work for same price

-bread/bagels/pretzels.. pros: simple ingredients, not too much time needed- mostly waiting, really good, price is better compared to quality breads  cons: time- have to set aside a good amount of time and it goes bad faster. 

-ricotta... pros: great flavor cons not very cost effective (similar to butter issue)

-cheese.. I haven't made my own yet but research shows pros. flavor flavor flavor cons. waiting .. price is about equal in the end compared to quality cheeses but not compared to bogo Publix cheese

-Mayonnaise... pros. taste no preservatives cons. shelf life... if I used mayo enough this would be cost and time effective but for how in often I do it is easier to just buy when on sale. 

cookies/treats... pros. good ingredients, can use organic, can put less or no sugar, can use what is in your pantry,  no other ??? ingredients, great taste, cons. time, shelf life- if they last that long, experimenting with recipes

Popsicle... pros. less sugar or refined sugar, can use left over smoothie or juice, get more for your money, more variety, better flavor (in my opinion) cons. waiting time if not prepared

beans... dry vs can pros... cost cost cost half the price cons. have to be prepared, have to do day ahead if want beans cold

ok my brain is fried... can't think of what else I make. Let me know if you have any questions on something homemade you have been considering! 

Don't be afraid to experiment a little... cooking is just science, with the right recipe anything is possible!!

Hope you are having fun in your kitchen this week :)