So do you know how to cook from scratch?

[SewCrafty]

I am one of the older members here and grew up with mom at home. We always had all of our meals made for us by mom, no convience foods etc... and mom also canned from June to the end of Sept. early Oct. non-stop.

What I'm getting at is, my generation generally had thier mom's at home to take care of the family. While I know later generations many families couldn't make it on only one income, so consequently many kids fended for themselves or mom/dad were just too dog tired to cook from scratch each night along with doing all the other day to day stuff.

So if any of you don't know how to cook from scratch or just need help here and there, I'm sure there are plenty of us here that would be very happy to help you learn.

[perSue]

Good post!!!

I am from a younger generation... but "I" cook most foods from scratch.
My mother made ALL meals at home, but use a LOT of the prepackaged stuff.
It wasnt until I was older and began cooking for the house (and had a job where i cooked meals for ppl) that I started to MAKE my own foods that you could get in a box at the store... AND saved a LOT more money than these prepackaged notions cost.

there are some things that save a LOT of time (like polenta, some sauces, pasta, etc).

AND, if it's something "I" wouldnt normally make/eat but ONE person wants in the house... I'll buy it in a can (ie, soups).

Otherwise, there is NOTHING like a good homemade, homecooked meal.

NOTHING compares.

[JerryG]

My mother cooked EVERYTHING from scratch. She grew up in a family where they even made their own saurkraut. I'm not that extreme. I purchase most "ready made" such as rice / pasta / sauce / pickles / mustard / ketchup / soup, etc. I do buy the biscuit mix stuff cuz' it's convenient. Growing up we made our own ice cream and no, I don't do that either. Truth be told, I do it because it takes too long from scratch but I can do it, if necessary. From most of my friends' perspective, I cook from scratch cuz' I don't throw something in the mircrowave and call it "dinner".

Lots of things can be made via crockpot, oven, grill if you want to cook. I'm a fan of salad when the heat is over 100 degrees. My son will eat cold cereal for breakfast but I grew up on *cream cereal, oatmeal and rice cereal.

A friend of my son recently got married and I was asked to contribute to her "cook book" with written recipes.

[SewCrafty]

Actually this is funny, I grew up with 3 brothers and 3 sisters and while mom showed us how to do many things i.e. laundry, ironing and cleaning, her favorite saying in the kitchen was

GET OUT FROM UNDER MY FEET!

I'm not kidding, mom is a member here and if she sees this thread she will agree with me.

I learned how to do all things pertaining to cooking, baking and canning, by either watching mom or teaching myself.

I too use "convienence" type foods as it just isn't cost effective for me to always make my own bread versus buying a loaf for just the 2 of us. Besides when I make a loaf, I EAT a loaf!

[Marie78]

Growing up my mom would bake bread sometimes. She made most of our dinners from scratch or mostly scratch. Sometimes she would have some help from Bisquick. I am not a fan of the taste of Bisquick so I don't bake with it. My mom did not teach me how to cook though. She didn't teach me how to do laundry either. All other chores I knew how to do by the time I was 8 years old. I could wash dishes (no dishwasher in our home), dust, windex vaccum, etc...

When my mom moved out and we lived with my dad he taught me how to wash my own laundry at 14 years old and I have been doing it ever since.

At 24 years old, I finally taught myself how to cook. Now I enjoy baking and cooking things mostly from scratch. I ask questions or refer back to posts made here to help answer any questions while baking. I appreciate how many people are skilled at scratch cooking on this site.

[shortstack]

I actually do have two questions...
How do you make really great scratch biscuits?
What kinds of at home marinades can I make for meat?

Andrea

[Holly]

Growing up I learnt how to cook from scratch from my mom also.
( I mean from killing and cleaning chickens to putting them on the table
roasted with gravy potatoes and homemade biscuits )
Canning freezing and baking.
I to use some convenience foods but more and more I'm doing it all from scratch again. ( not killing the chickens but could if it came to it )
Great thread

[Darlene]

I actually do have two questions...
How do you make really great scratch biscuits?
What kinds of at home marinades can I make for meat?

Andrea

As far as the marinades go this old thread is one of my fav's about it.
http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/...p/t-22725.html

[IntlMom]

I kinda chuckled as I read this, cause we just finished having dessert: Homemade Brownies. So good and just as easy as a mix. Seriously, choc squares and butter melted in the micro, add sugar, eggs, vanilla and flour. That's it. YUM-O!!

I did not grow up with a mom that cook lots of stuff from scratch, some, but nothing memorable. No canning either. I'd LOVE to can. She didn't garden, but I have been learning that one on my own over the years. I love to be in the kitchen, it's very rewarding knowing what all the ingredients are in the food that you are feeding your family.

[MomK]

Thank you! I'm sure I'll have lots of questions! My mom was a working mother, but she still managed to cook from scratch a lot.

I'm a working mother too, so I tend to do a lot of warming up dishes. I feel like I'm cooking because I have dirty dishes at home!!!!

I love being home taking care of my family, but I find that I'm happier and more fulfilled when I balance that with my career as a teacher. It's the best of both worlds!

[cab54]

Yup.

I'm the oldest daughter of an oldest daughter. (of big families). I learned to can with my mom, although I don't anymore except for pickles or jam once in awhile. When canning with mom, I used to sit and eat tomatoes (whilst sorting and washing) til I got hives. Made my mom so mad.

I can make a lot of 'staple' type things like bisquits, pancakes, bread, muffins, spaghetti sauce, and a host of family favorites by just using the 'eyeball' method of measuring at times, and by memory of the recipe itself.

I rarely read recipes, unless I'm trying something new, or baking something I've not often made. Baking requires much more care in amounts.

I substitute, if I know it won't change the dish much. I've become pretty good at 'guestimating'. But I've been cooking over 40 years.

JerryG--my grandmother used to make sauerkraut. And her own version of an alcoholic holiday drink called Cherry Bounce. I make my own Bailey's Irish Cream.

I've made some blooper meals----real doozies even the dog wouldn't eat, but it's fun experimenting (except for the cost). I'm the only one in the family who knows how to make all of dh's grandma's specialties. I have sons, so whom do I teach? My sons cook some, but not that kind of stuff.

My favorite experiments were French food recipes. YUM. I make a Beef filets in Puff Pastry my sons request quite a bit. But rarely get.

Lately I've gotten REALLY tired of cooking. Just the day to day repetitiveness of it. You don't like to do even something you LIKE every day.

[janelane]

One of my new goals is to bake something from scratch every sunday. I have yet to do it though.

When we were younger I used to use a lot of premade or prepackaged things for meals like my mom did, but now I make everything, trying to be healthier.

I sort of actually like my cooking, and I like making up my own recipes. I've only ever burned a couple things, and I've never had lumps in my gravy.

What made me realize I was a pretty good cook was a few years ago when my grandmother completely disillusioned my view of what I thought was her laborious and original cooking. I was dying to get hold of all her wonderful recipes, especially for her cakes and pies. when she finally got done copying everything for me imagine my surprise to see she uses mixes and just adds some pep, lol!

[stinkbug]

I cook pretty much completely from scratch. I learned at an early age...always helping in the kitchen, and my mom is a fabulous cook! We eat mostly whole foods, so not much packaged, processed food here. I bake on Sundays for dh to take to work. Like most of you, his co-workers are just amazed that he always brings a lunch and has good food, instead of take out, junk, deli.

[ladykemma2]

my mom cooked from scratch, and i cook from scratch. i am also self taught from watching "great chefs" and the betty crocker cookbook.

my good friend is teaching me to preserve, can, and make pickles. it's not hard, just time consuming and hot.

i am amazed at how many people cannot cook or follow a recipe. In my chemistry classes i can immediately spot people who cook at home. they follow the directions.

[luv-my-lexi]

I am of the age that I should know how to cook, but I came from a family that ate out almost every meal. My mom rarely cooked. She was a realtor and would mostly show houses in the evening because that was when people were off work and needed to see them.

Soooooo I really hate to even try. I do try now. I follow recipes EXACTLY and they usually turn out pretty well. But, I guess I will just never be one of those who love to cook and experiment in the kitchen because I was never around anyone that found it enjoyable and taught me. I am trying with my daughter to let her help me with recipes and to see me cooking so that maybe she won't despise it.

That is definitely one of my goals ~ to cook more so we don't eat out and spend so much money. Since I have been on this forum it has definitely been working. Just seeing what everyone makes and does has been very inspiring to me. Thanks all!!!