Made From Scratch

There is something truly special about enjoying a made-from-scratch meal.  In today's fast food nation, it's becoming something of a rarity, too.  I'm fortunate.  As a stay at home hausfrau, I'm able to treat my family to many goodies that are made from scratch.  Tortillas, pancakes, cookies, et cetera.

As I was making up a batch of my sourdough tortillas, I started to ask myself, "what foods are so easy to make from scratch, and much tastier than store-bought, that they should ALWAYS be made from scratch."  I decided to make a list.

Below are my top 3 foods that should ALWAYS be made from scratch.

1. Cake
If, like me, you grew up in a house where birthday cakes were frequently store-bought, and homemade cake was always from a box you should do yourself a huge favor and make a cake from scratch soon.  The difference is staggering.  Made-from-scratch cake is much tastier, and it really is not that much more difficult (recipe depending, of course).

Most made-from-scratch cakes follow the same formula.  Mix/sift all of the dry ingredients together in one bowl.  In another bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together.  Then, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.  It really is that simple.  And there are a crazy number of easy recipes to chose from.  Do everyone in your household a favor and never make another box cake again.

2. Salad Dressing
Have you ever really looked at the ingredient list on a bottle of conventional salad dressing?  Corn syrup, MSG, binders, fillers, dyes...  Some dressings have a frightful amount of questionable ingredients.

Salad dressing should really only have a handful of ingredients: an oil, an acid/vinegar, some seasonings.  Done.  Considering that those ingredients should be easily on hand in every kitchen, whipping up a tasty, fresh dressing is easy-peasy.  My personal favorite combination is below.

Happy Hausfrau Salad Dressing
To about one tablespoon of Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or Shoyu, or Soy Sauce), slowly drizzle in about two tablespoons of olive oil.  Use a whisk to blend the two ingredients together as you drizzle creating an emulsion.  OR/ Spray a bit of Liquid Aminos onto a personal-sized serving of salad, then spray/sprinkle a bit of oil.  Toss salad and eat.

Of course, you can get quite creative in putting together a salad dressing.  I love experimenting with flavored vinegars and seasoning combinations.  Since I usually only make just enough dressing to dress one salad, I can have a variety of flavors each week without sacrificing an entire fridge shelf to bottles of store-bought dressings.

3. Stock/broth
Here's one that seems to be daunting for a lot of folk, and it really need not be.  It doesn't get much easier, in fact.  Step 1, put a carcass in a pot.  Step 2, add water.  Step 3, simmer.  Step 4, strain.

If you eat a vegetarian diet like I do, it's still very simple.  Instead of a carcass, gather up your veggie straps.  Potato skins, carrot tops, celery bottoms, onion skins, et cetera.  Throw those into a pot instead.  Mushrooms are a good addition, too, but really any vegetables will work.

Grab some ice cube trays, pour in cooled stock, and freeze up some cubes of stock.


There are several other recipes that *I* make from scratch, but those three make a difference and are not terribly difficult.  Even the busiest of working stiffs could whip them up.

What would YOU add to your list?

a product of my surroundings

There are times when the blank box for composing a blog entry is so intimidating.  Right now is one of those times.  While I do have a lot on my mind, my brain feels so cluttered and unorganized.  It must be the influence of my surroundings.

Almost everywhere I look I can see boxes.  Fully boxes, empty boxes, in-between boxes.  Worse would be the places where there are no boxes, for there is still so much left to pack.  The kitchen is largely untouched.  Not a thing from the bathroom has been packed.  It is certainly daunting.  We still seem to have so much left to do.  I should be thankful that our closing date was pushed back.

Yes, we are not closing this week rather next week.  One week from today, supposedly.  I am so looking forward to more space, a back yard, and a life not surrounded by much of my personal items boxed and stacked.

I am trying to take advantage of this time by purging items that are no longer needed.  We've made numerous trips already to donation centers in our area, but there is still more that could go.  I have at least five different ways to curl my hair; hot rollers, rag rollers, velcro rollers, hot sticks, curling irons (numerous).  I think it's time I downsize.  I have so many pairs of black heels I could shod a troupe of ladies.  I have three FULL boxes of vintage hats.  I think that it's time to let go.

My disjointed thoughts are washing over me again and I'm not sure what else should be said.  Perhaps it's best that I close this confusing, rambling entry and get back to work (as much as I can work with the very active toddler at my heels)...

Hands are so full

Can I again bemoan how a baby/toddler/child is able to entirely derail a hausfrau's plans? Yes, I think that I can.

In a few days, it will be time to pack our cars from floor to roof-rack and head out for our annual family camping trip, aka Great Western War. Yet have I even managed to stitch one new piece of clothing? Not so much as a t-tunic!

Additionally, I've been fortunate to have attended two wonderful events--the Queen Mary Art Deco Festival, a wonderful public event; and a lovely afternoon tea with two swell ladies, a relaxing private affair. And have I been able to blog about either? Heavens, no. As I neglected to photograph much of either, there isn't much point except to say that both were divine.

In short I think it safe to say that I have yet to get this whole Mom-of-a-Wee-One down again. With my daughter, I felt as though I was able to settle into a routine rather quickly and easily. But I can confess that my daughter was a far easier baby, and even toddler, than my son has been.

I do hope that you, one of only a small handful of folk who take time to peek at this journal, forgive the feast or famine nature of my blogging. I can hope that as my darling high-needs boys ages, my life will again be able to settle into something resembling normalcy.