Better Tasting and Almost as Easy TT-15

If you are on a quest to cut your food budget, learning to cook from scratch is one of the best places to start. Food made from scratch is almost always cheaper than the boxed versions. It also tastes better and is better for you.

Cooking from scratch can seem like a foreign concept if you've grown up in a generation where everything comes from a box. I once had a roommate who did not know you could make brownies without a boxed mix! When I first started expanding my "from scratch" horizons, I was amazed that the boxed versions ever become popular. Most items we are accustomed to making from a box really aren't that difficult to make, and they taste so much better made from scratch. I couldn't believe I ever relied on a mix!

Here are thirteen items that I find to be better tasting, more economical, and almost as easy to make from scratch:

1. Corn Bread
It took me awhile to find a recipe I liked, but the linked one above is a winner. With only five dry ingredients and three wet, it really is simple to make too.

2. Microwave Popcorn
This is so incredibly simple. Really! No need to buy the extra packaging and chemicals in the ready made kind!

3. Refried Beans
This does take a little planning ahead, but the process is simple, and the results well worth it.

4. Spice mixes
For tacos and chili I normally just add the individual spices, but you can make your own mixes in bulk to have ready to go. Butterfly Mama has a recipe for a seasoning mix. In the same post she also has a recipe for the next thing on my list.

5. Sloppy Joe
Puts the stuff in a can to shame!

6. Bread
Admittedly, only almost as easy if you have a bread machine, but oh so delicious.

7. Pancakes
We use several different recipes, but the linked one is what we use most. Again, there are not a lot of ingredients, and it tastes so much better than any mix.

8. Hot Cocoa
Perfect for those chilly days, and so easy!

9. Cakes
I tend to make the denser type of cakes as opposed to the delicate textured types, but they all are better homemade. One of our favorites is Jessie's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake. Scribbit has a wonderful post about making cakes from scratch: Tips for the Perfect Cake.

10. Brownies
This is another item that is easy, but it took me awhile to find a recipe I really liked. We like Baker's One Bowl Brownies the best.

11. Pizza Dough
Homemade pizza in general is just simply delicious. I grew up with homemade pizza; the dough made from a mix. The recipe I normally use is a little more involved, but pizza dough really can be simple. RecipeZaar has a very simple one you might try: Quick and Easy Pizza Dough.

12. Mashed Potatoes
Instant potatoes just can't stand up to the real thing, but peeling potatoes does take time. Well unless you are a lazy mashed potato cook like I am. Buy potatoes with thinner skins, like redskins or Yukon Gold. Scrub them well, cut into cubes and boil until tender. Then mash them (peel and all) with some butter and milk. Yummy!

13. Cleaning Products
These don't taste better, but they do fit all the other criteria for this list. Most of my cleaning is done with vinegar and water. You don't need to buy different cleaners for every room. You probably already have everything you need for more natural and frugal cleaning right in your cupboard. Read Naturally Frugal Cleaning for more information.


If you don't already cook from scratch, I encourage you to try a few new things from scratch. I think that you'll find them more economical, delicious, and almost as easy!

Thursday Thirteen