If you've been here for awhile, you know that I encourage you to make as much as you can from scratch. You'll save money and live a healthier life.

Making your own - especially when you make several of the same item at one time - will also save you time. Many people think that cooking from scratch is time-consuming but I live at least twenty minutes from a grocery store, so once we figure how much time it would take me to drive to town, do the shopping and drive back home, cooking from scratch doesn't seem so time intensive after all. I'll also save the cost of the gas needed to go to town.

Buying the raw ingredients might cost as much or perhaps a little more than a box or pouch of pre-measured, ready-to-make food, but after making one item you'll still have a partial bag of flour or box of baking soda or can of baking powder. It's definitely more cost-effective.

And we don't need to talk about all the processed stuff in that box or pouch, right? Artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors - we're better off without those.

Here are five food items that are so easy to make at home. Why not try one or two - or all of them? You'll never need to buy the processed variety again!


Pancake mix - seriously, these are the best pancakes ever! They are so light and fluffy and are easy to make. You'll impress your family with your breakfast ninja skills when you make these. I've even made them successfully with powdered milk when we were out of milk. Yes, the powdered milk curdled when I added the vinegar!



Bread - In this case, it's a recipe for a bread machine mix that you can keep in the cupboard, but I've used this recipe to make a single loaf of bread by hand too. Make several of these mixes at one time and you can just pull out a bag or Mason jar of mix, combine with the wet ingredients and yeast in your bread machine, and hit the Start button.


Mustard - store-bought mustard will last forever in your refrigerator, and is that a good thing? How many preservatives are in it for it to last forever? Making your own from scratch is quick and simple. Double the recipe if you use mustard often.

Taco seasoning - Why pay for a tiny packet of pre-measured spices? Buy the various bottles of spices needed and measure enough for several taco dinners at once. I use empty spice jars to store my pre-made seasoning mixes. Don't forget a label!


Cookie mixes or cookie dough - Make your favorite cookie dough ahead and store in the refrigerator or freezer, either in a tub or in cookie size portions. It's simple to make two or six or a dozen cookies at a time (which is a good thing if you're like me and liable to eat the whole plate yourself). Another option is to make your own cookie mixes and store in the cupboard for future use.

Leave processed food on the grocery store shelves and make it yourself. Share this post with someone who needs to cut their grocery budget.


This post has been shared at some of my favorite blog hops.


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My hope is to inspire you, and to encourage your homesteading plans and your dreams of a simple, self-reliant, God-dependent life. You can follow me at:
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