I’m trying to prepare more and more food items from scratch, rather than buy a convenience version at the store. I like cooking, and I like to know what’s going into my food. Plus, in many cases, it’s more economical to do it yourself.

Some items I’ve made recently include:

• Homemade tartar sauce (It’s just mayo, relish, a few drops of lemon juice/vinegar, and dill)
• Bread crumbs. I just save the heels of bread loaves, and put them in the freezer. When I need to restock my supply, I toast the bread in the oven, and toss it into my food processor. I add some seasonings, and that’s it! Sooo much cheaper than the store-bought version.
• Jello as a spread on toast. Have you ever done this? Sometimes, we like to put butter on toast, and then sprinkle a little bit of Jello (the powder, not the finished product). It’s delicious! I don’t know how good or bad it is for ya, but it’s an idea for when you want some flavor but are out of jelly.
• Apple syrup. Yum!

Visit Tammy’s Recipies and Hillbilly Housewife for tons of ideas.

Here’s a list of interesting foods you can make. My husband put this list together. (He’s actually pretty involved with this site! I love it)

Top 16 homemade ingredients:

1. Instant Oatmeal
2. Microwave Popcorn
3. Peanut Butter
4. Brown Sugar Syrup
5. Mustard Spread
6. Grape Jelly
7. Yogurt Mixins
8. Ranch Dressing
9. Beef Jerky (without dehydrator)
10. Honey Mustard Sauce
11. Curry Powder
12. Salsa
13. Corn Relish
14. Chocolate Syrup
15. Apple Butter
16. Granola

… and for something completely different

1. Kool Aid Pickles
2. Mountain Dew jelly

What do you make from scratch? What has worked, and what is better to just buy pre-made?