Nine Foods to Make from Scratch w/ Recipes
It always sounds bigger in my mind than it really was. I wanted to start making certain things from scratch but the task sounded daunting. One more thing to add to my plate. My plate was already over flowing though. It was going to take so much time and I already don’t enjoy cooking. But I still had it as a goal: One day I want to start making foods from scratch.
Well that one day arrived over the last two years. Somewhere along the line things started disappearing from my plate. I suspect it has something to do with saying no, decluttering, not taking on as much, and getting up earlier.
I started small. I’ll try making mayonnaise, I said. When I realized it took me less than ten minutes. I moved on to muffins and cookies. I’ve made those before anyways. So I made them more often. Then it snowballed from there. Now I am milling my own flour and making bread and all kinds of crazy things.
So my advice is to start extremely small and work yourself up, just like anything else you’re new at doing. And by small, I mean nothing that takes hours and is extremely complicated.
I’ve listed nine ideas to get you started!
NINE EASY FOODS TO MAKE FROM SCRATCH + RECIPES
Salad Dressing
FYI this caesar salad dressing is a mayo based dressing.
Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
The salad dressing in this recipe is the chef’s kiss! It’s soo yummy!
Cookies
These truly are the BEST chocolate chip cookies. We make them every.single.time!
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever
Buttermilk Pancakes
Let’s see if I can do this from memory. I call this Uncle George’s Buttermilk Pancakes because it’s the recipe my brother-in-law made up, uses, I’m not totally sure, but he gave it to me and they taste like sugar cookies!
1 cup flour
2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter (melted)
2 tablespoons vinegar
¾ cup milk
Mix the vinegar and milk and set aside. Mix the dry ingredients. Add in the milk mixture and butter. Then add the egg and vanilla.
Almost! Had to go get the recipe to double check. Sometimes we add cinnamon or use almond extract instead of vanilla.
Lemonade
This is a family favorite! I’ve already made it a couple times this summer! I use less syrup than recommended. I think it is too sweet per the recommendations. I typically use 1.5 cups of syrup to 6 cups of water.
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise can be a little finicky. Some recipes I’ve used don't emulsify. This one has never let me down!
Fail Proof Homemade Mayonnaise
Granola Bars
These bars are also a hit! We like cashew butter the best and I added more nuts and chia seeds. I should throw in some flax meal next time 🤔
Muffins
You can’t go wrong with anything from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
We also enjoy double chocolate sourdough muffins from Little Spoon Farm.
Pie Crust
Again, Sally for the win.
Homemade Buttery Flakey Pie Crust
Granola
I like to sprinkle this granola on vanilla greek yogurt with berries.
