Home Made vs Store Bought


adamllado

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Very recently, when I was discovering the many questionable business practices of the food industry, I decided to challenge myself and start making my favorite things to eat at home. My first few attempts were followed by several trips to the bathroom on my knees, haha but eventually I was able to make several foods that I know enjoy far greater when I make them myself.

I would like to know if anyone else has decided to make things at home by scratch and if they enjoy them better than their store bought counterparts?

Some things I make now:

Sour Kraut

Almond Milk

Coconut Milk

Yogurt

Ghee

Peanut Butter

Adam Llado (Smoking Bull)

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We make yogurt at home. Just cheaper really and not too much effort. We do eat a fair bit of natural yoghurt. We used to make peanut butter when we had a shop and a big machine, but we don't eat much of it.

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We make yogurt at home. Just cheaper really and not too much effort. We do eat a fair bit of natural yoghurt. We used to make peanut butter when we had a shop and a big machine, but we don't eat much of it.

Ya the only thing I hate about making peanut butter is the clean up! It's always a mess, but it's so worth it.

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Generally speaking, I don't really make anything from scratch, but I eat fairly simply and do try and keep an eye on the ingredients of foods I buy. For example, you guys mention peanut butter - I buy an unsalted one made by a local (relatively) company - ingredients are dry roasted peanuts and nothing else. Mix a spoonful into oatmeal - ingredients whole grain rolled oats and nothing else. As much as possible, I stay away from anything "prepackaged".

I also try and keep an eye on where things come from, but that's a bit harder to do on a regular basis. Anyone use fat free half and half for their coffee? Take a look at the ingredients versus regular half and half....

you don't get fat from eating fat.....

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I've been making my own bread for years now, totally by hand (not with a bread making machine) and it's very fulfilling. Tastes good too. My Mrs likes it as it's not full of preservatives and sugar like shop bought bread. It doesn't keep as long and I don't get to keep up a daily supply but twice a week does us and the rest is from our local bakery.

I do most of the daily cooking and she does the special occasions (glory hunter!) and I've found that when we eat out there's stuff we don't order cos it's not as good - Lancashire Hotpot, anything chicken, chilli, burgers. She makes incredible ice cream in funky flavours not found anywhere else (they don't always work out...) and our teenage son is the Curry King - he's very popular on scout camps and his boating trips as he always takes a pot of spices he makes up.

What's important to us is using the local butcher, fishmonger, baker and deli. If they go, the supermarkets take over.

Due to the high UK tobacco taxes I get my cigars from a man I know on the other side of the world... I haven't worked out how to grow my own. Yet.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Generally speaking, I don't really make anything from scratch, but I eat fairly simply and do try and keep an eye on the ingredients of foods I buy. For example, you guys mention peanut butter - I buy an unsalted one made by a local (relatively) company - ingredients are dry roasted peanuts and nothing else. Mix a spoonful into oatmeal - ingredients whole grain rolled oats and nothing else. As much as possible, I stay away from anything "prepackaged".

I also try and keep an eye on where things come from, but that's a bit harder to do on a regular basis. Anyone use fat free half and half for their coffee? Take a look at the ingredients versus regular half and half....

you don't get fat from eating fat.....

I always laugh when I see people in a restaurant ordering Diet Coke or Cole Zero! If only they knew the kind of chemicals they put in them to put it zero calories, but I believe the fact that we are all in the business of losing weight has perpetuated this notion that we need to eat less and only worry about calories when EATING THE RIGHT THINGS should be our major focus.

I'll say it's very hard to do in this society because everyone has an opinion and it's very tough to figure out what is the right thing to eat.

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To Akela3rd,

I have never tried baking my own bread but it has always interested me! I am very glad to see other people taking charge of what they eat as I believe it's one of the most important factors to being healthy and happy.

I always try to support my local farmers and butchers. We always get the best produce and meat from there and I know it's raised from our local farms here in Georgia. I think if people shipped more at their farmers markets we would see our local farmers grow more and help out our whole community.

As for tobacco hahaha boy would I love to have a factory in Esteli! I would sleep on the floor for all I care!

Adam Llado (Smoking Bull)

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Adam:

Bread's easy! It's only flour, water, salt and yeast. Once you've got the basics down you can start playing around with it a little. Someone asked me recently to show the local Scouts how to do it and we had a problem when I couldn't give them exact quantities cos I've been doing it so long I don't measure anything out any more. I use "some flour, enough water and a bit of salt with a packet of dried yeast. Knead it, rest it, cook it". Got there in the end though...

I think what I'm trying to say is - don't ask me for a recipe!

Neil

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I make my own pesto.

Fresh basil, pine nuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano, olive oil, and garlic.

Also make my own Fresh Tomatillo Salsa.

Tomatillo, Garlic, Onion, Serrano pepper, and Cilantro.

No recipes, either, all done by touch, scent, taste, and sight.

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I'll say it's very hard to do in this society because everyone has an opinion and it's very tough to figure out what is the right thing to eat.

Yeah, true. We're bombarded by all kinds of information, which can difficult to wade through and make sense of. Compounded with strategies not always working the same way for different people with varying schedules, etc

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Yeah, true. We're bombarded by all kinds of information, which can difficult to wade through and make sense of. Compounded with strategies not always working the same way for different people with varying schedules, etc

That's why I say if you want to be healthy the best way is to educate yourself and try a ton a different things to see what works best for you. I don't believe there is one chart we can all follow but I do believe there a guide that all us can take different paths to achieve great health!

The most important thing I've learned is the key to being healthy is cooking yourself.

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I make my own pesto.

Fresh basil, pine nuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano, olive oil, and garlic.

Also make my own Fresh Tomatillo Salsa.

Tomatillo, Garlic, Onion, Serrano pepper, and Cilantro.

No recipes, either, all done by touch, scent, taste, and sight.

Hahaha ya I guess you do it enough times it just comes like second nature. The salsa sounds delicious though. Any chance you have your own garden? I'd being coming over to you house for salsa every night!

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Adam:

Bread's easy! It's only flour, water, salt and yeast. Once you've got the basics down you can start playing around with it a little. Someone asked me recently to show the local Scouts how to do it and we had a problem when I couldn't give them exact quantities cos I've been doing it so long I don't measure anything out any more. I use "some flour, enough water and a bit of salt with a packet of dried yeast. Knead it, rest it, cook it". Got there in the end though...

I think what I'm trying to say is - don't ask me for a recipe!

Neil

Hahaha I am exactly like you I make my own sour kraut and although it's not as involved as making bread you have to add salt and I literally just dump as much as possible until it tastes right! The only reason I'd make recipes though is if I wanted to pass it down to my kids someday.

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Hahaha ya I guess you do it enough times it just comes like second nature. The salsa sounds delicious though. Any chance you have your own garden? I'd being coming over to you house for salsa every night!

Used to grow my own Basil before we moved.

Been meaning to start a garden, but sometimes life just derails a man's plans.

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Doing my own pesto - all sort of.

And I am the queen of Jam. Easy to make, delicious on the bread, yoghurt, cheese ....

Cakes, pancakes and other old traditional recipe like Pfitzauf.

Chutneys and sugo.

And Spaetzle.

All with out recipes , done by experience:-)

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Homemade pizza when I have the time.

Every Friday for the last 10 years - I do the dough, my son does the sauce and after that load it with whatever you want! Or can find...
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Every Friday for the last 10 years - I do the dough, my son does the sauce and after that load it with whatever you want! Or can find...

Hell yeah!!!

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  • 3 weeks later...

I make my own pizza dough, pasta and sauce, as well as a variety of soups. It sure beats store bought.

EDIT: Today I made cinnamon rolls with a maple/coffee icing and I'm quite pleased with the final product. No more store bought cinnamon rolls for me. hungry.gif

Cinnamon_Rolls_zpsrtxq8dml.jpg

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We try to do as much as we can home grown. We raise bee's so we have lots of honey, next years plan is to increase the garden to the point where we grow all our own veggies. We haven't bought red meat in years (with the exception of the occasional beef steak) as we keep the freezer stocked with deer, elk, and wild hog.

As far as baking, we make bread on most weekends and as previously mentioned you can't beat a pizza made from scratch! Of course all of these grand plans are subject to change come the middle of June when our first child is estimated to be born lol.

Billy

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  • 1 month later...

Bread and pasta from scratch are two of the most satisfying things to do.

With pasta the whole family gets involved, I'll make the pasta, my son works the crank on the machine when we roll it out and the Girls do the filling and sauce.

Its always an amazing meal.

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Once a week we do a family meal, we take turns to cook. This weekend is my turn, home made pizza...

Magic, I'll make the pizza base from scratch, just a bread mixed and a simple tomato sauce that has been cooking for two days.

Turn the oven up to max, roll out the base, spread out some "Dad's Special Sauce" and let the troops go mad with their toppings....

So much fun

Cheers

PS the kitchen looks like a disaster zone the next day but it's worth it

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We do condiments -- stuff that lasts (or gets better and better the older it is), is easy to run up in decent batches, and makes it easier and quicker to make a tasty dinner.  Chermoula, pesto, onion marmalade, dukkah, Branston pickles and piccalilli, and above all lots and lots of chutneys.  

I've also found that it can be very therapeutic to stand in the kitchen ... an excellent way to work away stress and tension, and the satisfaction when things go right is simply enormous.  

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We do condiments -- stuff that lasts (or gets better and better the older it is), is easy to run up in decent batches, and makes it easier and quicker to make a tasty dinner.  Chermoula, pesto, onion marmalade, dukkah, Branston pickles and piccalilli, and above all lots and lots of chutneys.  

I've also found that it can be very therapeutic to stand in the kitchen ... an excellent way to work away stress and tension, and the satisfaction when things go right is simply enormous.  

Do you do the - without looking up, arm extended, finger pointing to door, loud voice "Out" - thing? It works a treat in our house! And my Mrs and son know it's probably worth putting up with as the results will be better too.

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We try to do as much as we can home grown. We raise bee's so we have lots of honey, next years plan is to increase the garden to the point where we grow all our own veggies. We haven't bought red meat in years (with the exception of the occasional beef steak) as we keep the freezer stocked with deer, elk, and wild hog.

As far as baking, we make bread on most weekends and as previously mentioned you can't beat a pizza made from scratch! Of course all of these grand plans are subject to change come the middle of June when our first child is estimated to be born lol.

Billy

Man, this sounds ideal. Not much in the way of elk etc in the UK though! We had a veg plot and a big freezer full of local lamb and pork when I was growing up in the Lake District, but I'm in the London suburbs now. One day I'll get back there and set something up again.

BTW - Arrival arrived?

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