apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

100% homemade may make some people a little crazy... I do like to make lots myself. Even if I can buy some things that taste better, it's fun to learn new cooking tricks. I started making my own tortillas b/c I was tired of spending $2.79 at the grocery on 8 little, dry tortillas. They are so easy to make, even if they are a little time consuming. I've been making my own crusty bread for several years now (thanks to that Lahey no knead bread!). Cakes, cookies, brownies, pies I always make. Granola is easy & cheap to make. Chicken stock always homemade.

It's just something that I enjoy doing. I totally understand that not everyone wants to make it all or has the time to do it. We all enjoy different things. I love to make as much as I can.

Tallsarah, how do you make tortilla?

Hollie- I have tried 2 recipes. Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything was ok, but I prefer Beth Hensperger's The Bread Bible. Very simply, you mix flour, baking soda & salt together, cut in butter (or lard or veg shortening), add water, knead briefly, cover for 30 minutes, separate into balls, cover for 30 minutes, roll thin & cook briefly on a hot iron skillet. Check out her website for the proportions & actual instructions. They were far more delicious than the Bittman ones. And they tasted good the next day, too! Especially when filled with monterey jack cheese & grilled again... yummy.

I am allergic to cane sugar and have to avoid a lot of products, even the kind products that use organic evaporated cane juice. So out of necessity to avoid a reaction I have to make a lot of stuff myself. And I like it. It just takes some planning so that it isn't overwhelming.

Thank you!

I'm a vegetarian with a grain heavy diet, which is certainly not a bad thing, but I do think about trying to cut out flour where possible and adding fruit or fresh veg instead. So while I'll load up on the quinoa and whole grain mixes, I try and avoid buying bread, for example. While I love to cook, I really don't enjoy making heavy-on-time/effort recipes (especially baking). The nice side effect is that I don't eat stuff like bread as much!

That said, I did make homemade crackers the other day because I was too lazy to go to the store. While they were cheaper than artisan crackers and tasted delicious, I don't know that they were more economical than Trader Joe's crackers. Like you say in the post: it's a toss up in terms of price sometimes, but DIY is definitely better for the environment and most certainly better for the body and soul.

Making home made dog treats is fun and my pup loves them. The only problem is that it's hard not to make too much. With out the preservatives found in store bought treats my treats obviously can't be stored too long. I've solved this by filling old jars and giving the extras to my friends and family for their doggies.

I think doing things 100% homemade (at least attempting to) is one of the best things a person can do for themselves. It helps the environment for reasons already said and helps your health/wallet.

What did I do?

Learned recipes from friend's parents:

I have alot of international friends that I met in college. Many of their parents came to their country with very little money and had to use traditional dishes that were meant to get by on very little food or money. These recipes include Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Caribbean, Spaniard, Korean, and American.

Stocked up pantry and other non perishables:

What me and my gf realized a long time ago that when we had stuff in our pantry, we always had something to eat. Soon we found ourselves keeping stuff around like beans, rice, pasta, or anything that can keep for a while. We found ourselves making crazy concoctions that came out better than I thought they would.

Stocked up on spices and baking ingredients:

Having spices is key to eating well. Not only are many good for you (Capsicum is good for you metabolism) but they make your food taste amazing. I try to get whole spices as often as possible to keep them fresh.

Baking goods are awesome for the occasional loaf of bread or to satisfy those late night munchies with a batch of cookies. I'm sure this is better than the average sweets in the store.

Weekly to bi-weekly produce shopping:

I recently found this market that sells produce for very low prices. They're not exactly organic but they seem better than the average produce found at your local supermarket. I see it as if I can walk out of there for enough fruit and veggies to fit 8 bags for 30 bucks, then why not shop their often.

Shop for meat on a need only basis:

One of the biggest mistakes I see people do (including myself) is buying meat in bulk and letting it go bad. Bulk meat is fine if you have the freezer space and know how to freeze meat properly. However, by meat by the pound at your local butcher can save you alot of money. I am fortunate to live near a butcher that gets his meat locally, very tasty stuff.

Results

Lost weight:

I can say that I eat food from home at least 90% of the time. Since I started summer '08, I've lost 60 lbs. Eating food that I cooked helped me eat healthier and in moderation. I'm not a vegetarian or health enthusiast. I eat whatever I want. But I try to make as much of it myself. Sometimes, you need to learn what YOUR body needs.

Feel better in general - more energy:

Since I changed my diet, I feel much healthier. I get up and do something when I need to. I don't feel as tired when I wake up. I go on random walks for hours sometimes.

Food tastes better:

Since I moved to Ann Arbor, I've slowly grown tired of the food here. Growing up in the East Village, I realized that I was spoiled. 10 min walk in any direction from my place can get you jewish, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish or french food. Cooking everything myself and developing my palate
to replicate recipes has helped me eat food that I enjoy.

So much cheaper:

Being a New Yorker, you take for granted the resources available to you at a price that fits your budget. I found myself paying a lot for stuff like a loaf of bread(6-8 bucks a loaf at Zingerman's - No Knead Recipe produces a similar product for a fraction of the cost) For a long time, I was breaking even and it sucked. Since I started this new diet, I found myself able to purchase things for the house and save money for later.

Conclusion

I feel that my decision was worth it. As time went by, I started to cook faster and faster. My shopping lists would be max 10 items at a time, usually in and out of the market in 15 mins. My average bill is 10-20 bucks, 2-4 times a week. I lost a bunch of weight and still going.

I suggest giving it a try. You will suit it for your lifestyle and your life will be that much better for it.