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Deb W
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Hereford
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23-04-2018, 08:46 PM
1

Make it, or buy it?

What do you always make from scratch rather than buy ready-made? And what would you not deam of making when you can buy it?

Pastry - I always make shortcrust (in the Kenwood), but buy puff and filo.

Bread - regularly buy sliced for toasting. As for the rest, I suppose I make my own about 50% of the time, but buy it ready-made if time is an issue.

Jam - always make my own with fruit from the garden.

Pickles - never bother making my own as we don't eat much, though I do make a batch of picallili once a year.

Pasta and curry sauces - usually make my own, but not always.

Potato products - wouldn't dream of buying ready-made/frozen roasties or mash, but always have bought oven-chips and hash browns in the freezer.

Cakes and biscuits - never buy cakes as I make them regularly, but sometimes buy biscuits.

Christmas cake, pudding and mincemeat - I have recipes for these from my great-great-grandmother which are on another level compared to bland bought ones.
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23-04-2018, 09:42 PM
2

Re: Make it, or buy it?

Most of my food is made from scratch - apart from Marmalade - never quite got the hang of that - and the occasional sliced loaf to use in my sandwich toaster.

I make a lot of my clothes as well.
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23-04-2018, 09:58 PM
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Re: Make it, or buy it?

I make my own sauces for pasta and meat (I do a nice beef stroganoff) but that's about it - I'll buy bread and any jam/marmalade.

Although I did make damson jam a few years ago - it was lovely.
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23-04-2018, 09:59 PM
4

Re: Make it, or buy it?

I make as much as possible, even down to things like prawn cocktail sauce etc.
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23-04-2018, 10:43 PM
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Re: Make it, or buy it?

Originally Posted by fender ->
I make as much as possible, even down to things like prawn cocktail sauce etc.
But do you make the mayo and the ketchup?

I buy puff and filo pastry

I buy jam, ketchup, mayo - we use so little its not work making

All potato products are from the fresh potato

Make cakes and biscuits - but not very often and when I do I tend to take them into work to share

Curry is made from scratch, right back to roasting and grinding the spices

Pasta sauces home made

My biggest cheat is stock pots. I always have stock pots even though I do sometimes make stock. With a stock pot you can have a tasty soup made in minutes

And I use tinned beans, cant be bothered to soak dry ones.
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24-04-2018, 06:19 AM
6

Re: Make it, or buy it?

Ah - beans - I forgot about those. Yes - I also use tinned Kidney/butter/cannellini/black eyed beans. I love them and use them a lot but never remember to soak them, so it is easier.
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24-04-2018, 06:52 AM
7

Re: Make it, or buy it?

Yes I make my own stews from scratch, likewise toad-in-the-hole, casseroles, roasts, fish pies, cottage pies. I used to make my own cakes too, but haven't done so for some time.
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Meg
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24-04-2018, 08:27 AM
8

Re: Make it, or buy it?

There isn't much I don't make myself except filo pastry .

I don't make as much as I used to and no longer make or eat jam and marmalade, too much sugar.
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24-04-2018, 10:01 AM
9

Re: Make it, or buy it?

Bread

Obviously always make my own unless unable to. Store bought bread is laden with chemicals and preservatives and really very bad for you. Bread needs to be long fermented. You'll only get that from an artisan bakery or from making your own.

Passata

I make batches of homemade passata with nothing but fresh plum tomatoes, garlic and basil. Store in portions in the freezer to make pasta's and chillis.

Granola

A delight in summer. From a base of muesli oats, which I toast, I add hazelnuts, pecan nuts, almonds, cranberries, dates, dried apricot nibs and raisins, all bound together with healthy coconut oil and a little treacle to give that slight gingerbread flavour. Great with yoghurt and fruits.

Washing Powder

Recent commercial washing powders are hugely alkalinic and burn or irritate many people's skin. An unhealthy option.
I make batches of my own using £1 bags of soda crystals and completely natural soaps which I grate. Finding truly natural soaps without bad parabens in is difficult but the Faith In Nature website has many with great scents. Lavender and Rosemary are 2 of the best for washing powder.

Cold/Flu Remedy

Never buy over the counter remedies like flu capsules as all they do is greatly prolongue your illness and make it worse with the paracetamol or equiv element. I blitz entire lemons (pith, peel and juice) in a blender with big chunks of fresh ginger and a little hot water to make a super healthy flu busting pale yellow concentrate. It keeps in the fridge for a week or so. I use it like orange squash, a little in a mug with hot water and a little honey for sweetness. The vitamins and goodness in the pectin quickly kill throat bugs.

Chutney/Jam

Wife used to make many 100s of jars of various chutneys every Christmas but hasn't done so for many years now. It's just not cost effective to make your own unless you have access to a free windfall of fruit.


Aside from that, like many others I make all my meals from scratch using fresh ingredients. Never ever buy ready meals and only very very occasionally have take aways.
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25-04-2018, 10:04 AM
10

Re: Make it, or buy it?

Well, here is one lady who hardly makes anything! I am crap at making pastry so always buy frozen, tastes lovely when baked and he who must obey assumes I made pies, sausage rolls etc from scratch when he sees me rolling out the pastry on a floured board. LOL. I don't make my own soups either, even though I have every kitchen mod con gadget whereby I could if wanted to.... thing is, I don't want to! I spent over 30 years cooking from scratch for a family of seven. Now I am retired, it's MY time,and I don't intend to waste a minute of this precious time left to make life harder by doing everything myself when I can get Sainsburys to deliver same. Of course the taste of shop bought will never beat the taste of home-made, but I will happily live with that. I buy fresh meat from my butcher, Tiger Bloomer Bread from Iceland, fresh vegetables from the outdoor market. That, is the sum of the donation I am prepared to make towards healthy living foodwise.
I no longer want to spend time in the kitchen doing things from scratch. I enjoy cooking new recipes and baking, but only when I feel like it and know I will enjoy doing it.
 
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