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Why Buy When You Can Make?

Published on April 3, 2014 By Emily. Updated on April 3, 2014

Occasionally I’m asked what my blog is about, or what my philosophy on food is – they’re both pretty intertwined.  I generally say one of two things: Michael Pollan’s “eat food, not too much, mostly plants” or my own “why buy something when you can make it yourself?”  But as much as I agree with the latter statement, it’s much easier said than done.  I like food shopping, I like trying new products, and I have a fairly busy schedule.  As with many things in life, it’s easiest to take the lazy route in the kitchen.

Last year I made a commitment to bake all my own sandwich bread.  Somehow, miraculously, I didn’t buy a basic loaf of bread all year.  Looking back, I kind of wish I’d kept count of how many I baked.  Fifteen months after imposing my own rule about bread buying, I still haven’t returned to my old ways.  Bread baking has become part of my routine, buying it seems so foreign and, as we don’t go through it too quickly, making my own is sustainable for now. 

Yet despite all that dedication to bread, my dedication to homemade hasn’t translated as well to other sections of my pantry.  Granted, I do a lot of dinner cooking and I undertake the occasional extra project, but as far as making grocery staples is concerned, I have a long way to go.  If I really want to make as many ingredients from scratch as possible, I need to improve my game.

For the immediate future, I’m going to focus on two items we use a lot around here: vegetable broth and tortillas.

The vegetable broth has been on my to do list for weeks now, ever since Heather talked about making her own on the Best Life Ever Podcast.  Why, I asked myself, if I make my own bread, can I not manage to make my own broth in the slow cooker?  But for some reason I still haven’t gotten around to it, because I apparently have weird priorities.  Hopefully this post will be just the push I need to get rolling with making and freezing my own.

My decision to start making my own tortillas is based on my current obsession with breakfast wraps and all things Mexican food.  No sooner did I have the thought than I started seeing tortilla recipes online, including this one from The Kitchn and this one from Mark Bittman.  My plan is to try them both, plus some other recipes I have saved, see what works best and get into the routine of making a batch or two regularly for consumption through the week.

Also on my list of things I want to start making: granola, crackers, granola bars and pasta (for special occasions, not regularly).  Any advice or links would much be appreciated!

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Filed Under: food Tagged With: goals

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Comments

  1. Lucy says

    April 3, 2014 at 8:24 pm

    I don’t know about vegetable broth but the smitten kitchen recipe for chicken broth (http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/11/perfect-uncluttered-chicken-stock/) is pretty amazing and very easy.

    • Emily says

      April 4, 2014 at 6:09 am

      I probably have that recipe saved somewhere…is there anything from Smitten Kitchen that isn’t awesome? Nevertheless, there generally isn’t much chicken around here.

  2. Casey @ Salted Plates says

    April 3, 2014 at 8:41 pm

    I make really great veggie broth from the vegetable scraps. I save them in the freezer until I have a gallon sized bag full then simmer for two hours. It’s basically free ( I do add a bay leaf) and so simple!

    • Emily says

      April 4, 2014 at 6:10 am

      That’s my plan! I have a pretty full bag in the freezer as we speak, but for some reason I can’t get the vegetables from the freezer to the pot. Go figure…

Trackbacks

  1. » Spice Blends–My Kind of Convenience (Review & Giveaway!) says:
    April 6, 2014 at 10:07 am

    […] that time (3 days ago) when I posted about making more things instead of buying them?  There’s another aspect to that […]

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Emily
UPDATE: the giveaway is now CLOSED. Congrats @aloh UPDATE: the giveaway is now CLOSED. Congrats @alohr3!

 @thelazygenius' second book, The Lazy Genius Kitchen, is finally here and I'm so excited! I don't purchase many books, but I pre-ordered this last July because I knew it would be right up my alley and then I pre-ordered a second copy because I knew that I'd want to give one away.

Author Kendra Adachi has been one of my favorite voices in recent years. Her principles (shared through her first book, The Lazy Genius Podcast and her Instagram) have helped me focus my priorities and give myself more grace. 

This book is NOT a cookbook (it has just 2 recipes), it is a kitchen guide - to help you "have what you need, use what you have, and enjoy it like never before". It is beautiful (full color!) and thoughtful.

I'm very excited to send this book to one of you.

TO ENTER: Leave a comment below with one of your greatest kitchen struggles. 
I'll draw a winner at 8 pm on Friday, May 6.
This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram or The Lazy Genius, Kendra Adachi.
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#LazyGenius #KendraAdachi #NameWhatMatters #TheLazyGeniusKitchen #TheLazyGeniusWay #BookGiveaway
This morning we took advantage of @massmoca's Berk This morning we took advantage of @massmoca's Berkshire Teacher and Social Worker Appreciation Day free admission. After enjoying the student Art Invitational exhibit, the 4 of us took in several of the other galleries. Mass MoCA always impresses and it was delightful to be able to be out in the world with my kids.
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#igers413 #InTheBerkshires #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires #NorthAdams #NAmazing #MassMoCA #ArtMuseum
Today I finally found my way into @plantconnector, Today I finally found my way into @plantconnector, in its new location on Main Street in North Adams. The shop is incredible - the displays are great and the plants are delightful. There's a refill station with bottles and jars for soaps, detergents and other products, a terrarium bar, and an abundance of sustainable and beautiful products. I'm now in the process of pondering who I can purchase Plant Connector gifts for in the coming months.
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#igers413 #InTheBerkshires #ShopLocal #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires #NorthAdams #NAmazing #PlantConnector
This is your periodic reminder that @berkshiremuse This is your periodic reminder that @berkshiremuseum is a great visit for all ages. The current Voyage to the Deep exhibit, which involves an interactive Nautilus submarine that my 5 year old spent literally hours in.  We also thoroughly enjoyed the Aquarium and Berkshire Backyard. Highly recommended - we'll be back soon!
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#igers413 #InTheBerkshires #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires #BerkshireMuseum #PittsfieldMA
My January and early February menu plans for my @m My January and early February menu plans for my @mightyfoodfarm vegetables are finally up on the blog. See how we're making use of these beautiful items, as well as the items from the other pick up we made in the past month. 
Link in profile.
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#MightyFoodFarm #EatLocal #EatSeasonal #VermontGrown #CSApickup #CSAshare  #KnowYourFarmerKnowYourFood #MenuPlanning #MealPlanning #igers413 #igers413_food #BerkshireFoodies
One of my favorite things to do is bake from scrat One of my favorite things to do is bake from scratch.
But, in the interest of full transparency, this pie was made with Pillsbury pie crusts and a $5 bag of Walmart Granny Smiths. I used the recipe on the pie crust box.
I am very excited to eat it.
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#RelishmentsBakes #BakingFromScratch #baking #igers413_food #semihomemade #pie #ApplePie
#igers413 #BerkshireFoodies
I can't remember the last time I baked bread, some I can't remember the last time I baked bread, something that was part of my routine for a long time. Today school was cancelled due to the extremely cold temperatures outside and I took the opportunity to make 8 loaves - most of which will be put into the freezer until they're needed. Baking more bread was part of my 2022 theme of "resume" and I'm so happy to be back to it.
Recipe, as usual, from @breadin5
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New on the blog: my first posted CSA menu plan sin New on the blog: my first posted CSA menu plan since September! I didn't intend to take so much time off, but I'm looking forward to the meals I've planned over the next 2 weeks using @mightyfoodfarm produce.
Follow the link in my profile to see the post.
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#MightyFoodFarm #EatLocal #EatSeasonal #VermontGrown #CSApickup #CSAshare  #KnowYourFarmerKnowYourFood #MenuPlanning #MealPlanning #igers413 #igers413_food #BerkshireFoodies
My blog post with my 2022 theme word is now publis My blog post with my 2022 theme word is now published! Click the link in my profile to read more.
Did you choose a theme word for this year? Share it in the comments!
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#2022 #2022Theme #2022ThemeWord #MyOneWord #resolution #Resolutions
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