What Did You Cook From Scratch Today?

[Gootsy]

I loooove Banana bread. Roommate makes it occasionally for me. I really should learn how to make it for myself one of these days.

Today I made some amazing salmon sandwiches for lunch, but I bought the bread.

[Michelle Dawn]

Originally Posted by amandajane

Good one, hey maybe we could come up with some great recipe between us. I'd love to hear how you get on with the tweaking. It could be a good way to promote interraction. Do you have a blog? :0)

Yep, I'll let you know!

As a matter of fact I've just started creating a blog! Im just working out the layout and links on Blogger. It's going to be about frugal parenting (and pregnancy). I'm going to be a first time mom in April and I though it would be a good way to keep myself motivated to save money while off on maternity (and beyond). The blog should be up in the next week or so

Your blog looks great by the way. I have a lot of work to do...

Oh and Gootsy, the banana bread was super easy. I'd know :P

[Jess]

I've been thinking of reviving my old blog (or just making a new one), focusing on books, food, and "light" personal finance (nothing like GRS or The Simple Dollar, but more personal experience frugality sorts of things). I'll keep you posted if I do.

amandajane, I'm adding your blog to my RSS reader I like it a lot, and your header looks really nice. Can't wait to see what else you post!

Today I made minestrone:

[lucille]

I guess technically dinner was totally from scratch. Many times I don't really think about it but there are so many packaged foods for everything today.
I made grilled pork loin for dinner with a mustard sour cream sauce (made the sauce).
Made brown & wild rice with butter in the rice steamer and had some green beans.

I never buy rice mixes anymore since we bought the rice steamer. I takes about an hour to run but once you start it you can forget it completely. As long as I remember an hour before we want to eat to start it running.

The mustard sauce was about 1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 cup sour cream, tablespoon of brown mustard, 1/2 tsp sugar and about 1/4 tsp salt.

The soup looks great btw.

[amandajane]

Michelle - I look forward to reading your blog and good luck with the birth and beyond :0) I bet you're excited :0)

Jess - yes do keep us posted on the blog revival - sounds like a good plan. Maybe we could all start up our own blog ring, if such a thing is possible.

Thank you for adding me to your RSS reader. I still haven't got around to getting a reader yet, I must get on to it.

Your minestrone looks super yummy, it's made me hungry now :0)

lucille - the sauce sounds great, I don't make sauces as a rule, that's something else I need to explore :0)

[amandajane]

This is today's evening meal - Chunky Mince and Veggie Mishmash



It made heaps, enough for lunch tomorrow and for freezing for another day. If anyone is interested the recipe is on my frugal blog :0)

I'm really getting into this, lol

[Ohnalee]

Hi, I am new to the forums and to Wise Bread, but have been trying to practice frugal living again. When I was first married, we could make our budget stretch by baking our own corn bread and attempting to imitate my mother's famous vegetable soup. (I still can't get the recipe as good as hers, and she won't share her secret! Oh, well, everyone deserves the chance to be famous for something.)

I don't know when convenience foods took over our lives, but now it seems inconceivable that we used to have any time to cook from scratch.

In the last few months, our grocery bill jumped a startling $50 a week. We consume the same foods and the same quantities; I can only attribute it to inflation/rising gas prices. So it's time to see about eating for less by cooking for ourselves.

Thanks for all the great recipes in this thread!

[amandajane]

Originally Posted by Ohnalee

Hi, I am new to the forums and to Wise Bread, but have been trying to practice frugal living again. When I was first married, we could make our budget stretch by baking our own corn bread and attempting to imitate my mother's famous vegetable soup. (I still can't get the recipe as good as hers, and she won't share her secret! Oh, well, everyone deserves the chance to be famous for something.)

I don't know when convenience foods took over our lives, but now it seems inconceivable that we used to have any time to cook from scratch.

In the last few months, our grocery bill jumped a startling $50 a week. We consume the same foods and the same quantities; I can only attribute it to inflation/rising gas prices. So it's time to see about eating for less by cooking for ourselves.

Thanks for all the great recipes in this thread!

Hi! good to see a new member :0)

I've noticed a similar increase here in NZ on grocery prices, it's a worry that it's going to carry on like this. Convenience seems to be the key to price doesn't it? I've stopped getting takeaways too now, unless it's a one off occasionally, I just can't warrant it!

[lucille]

Our grocery prices have gone up quite a bit over the last year. I would say they have almost doubled. So we have cut out extra treats, prepackaged items and things that are really sky high. There doesn't seem to be any indication they are going to stop going up either. Milk, eggs, meat have all gone up quite a bit and are a bit hard to create yourself unless you live on a farm.
Our plan to try to counter some of this is to have a really big garden this summer and can or freeze the extra in hopes that it will help hedge against more increases at the grocery store.

[Michelle Dawn]

Mmmm... Everyone's dishes are making me hungry

Jess, I think you definitely should start blogging again. Books, food and personal finance? You're speaking my language!!!

Lucille, I'm thinking of investing in a rice cooker. Can you tell me which one you use and whether you'd recommend it? (BTW, that mustard sour cream sauce sounds delicious).

AJ, I've added you to my reader too!

Ohnalee, my husband and I have made a point of making most of our meals from scratch and we definitely saw a decrease in grocery bill. (I do miss my sushi though -I'll have to learn to make that myself soon).