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Farm Kitchen:  Cooking naturally from scratch  |
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Pasthyme
True Blue Farmgirl
99 Posts
Gail
Mountain View
AR
99 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 18 2013 : 04:42:02 AM
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I try (not perfect, yet) to cook everything from scratch. I want to avoid all processed foods. What are your favorite homemade and healthful copies of the boxed, bagged, and premade chemical concoctions we find in the grocery store?
Here's a couple of mine to get us started:
Pancake Mix
4 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
Mix it all together and keep in a jar. I usually make a double or more batch.
Optional: soy flour, buttermilk powder, whole wheat flour, buckwheat, flax, etc.
I take an egg, oil (or applesauce), milk (or almond milk, water, etc.) and mix it in a jar. Then I add the pancake mix to desired thickness and stir. I keep the jar of liquid pancake mix in the frig and just pour out my pancakes for a quick breakfast. I top my pancakes with fruit, Greek yogurt, and pure maple syrup.
Homemade "Bisquick"
9 cups flour
1/3 cup baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons cream of tarter
4 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 cups powdered milk
2 cups shortening (I would like to find a substitute for this ingredient)
Mix it all together. Store in a big jar or freezer bags. I keep mine in the freezer.
Chicken Fajita Seasoning Mix
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon chicken bouillon (ok, this is processed--any substitutions???)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon cumin
I put this mixture in a small jar to keep.
Mix some of this with your chicken breast strips and let sit awhile before cooking. Really good!
www.thealteredego.webs.com |
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shanda
True Blue Farmgirl
522 Posts
Shanda
Broken Bow
OK
USA
522 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2013 : 05:23:00 AM
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Wow, great info. I'm going to have to remember this post! Thanks for sharing. There are so many ways today, that we can do it ourselves to create more natural and health meals instead of going along with the "convenient" methods.
You're bringing it back to the basics!
Shanda
Farmgirl #4233 |
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SandraM
True Blue Farmgirl
295 Posts
Sandra
Coldwater
Michigan
USA
295 Posts |
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Katlady93
True Blue Farmgirl
361 Posts
Charlotte
Denmark
SC
USA
361 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2013 : 09:17:42 AM
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i an going to have to try these. i am getting us away from procesed foods of any kind. and a good mix helps.
i am patiently waiting for the farmer's markets to open.
okay not so patiently, and the four inches of new snow this morning doesn't help!!
Some dreams are worth the risk it takes to make them real.
Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footsteps on the moon. |
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ivmeer
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Amanda
Pawtucket
RI
USA
409 Posts |
Posted - Mar 06 2013 : 06:58:10 AM
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I cook most things from scratch, and honestly, I don't feel like I need to make my own "mixes." I use the Good Housekeeping cookbook recipe for pancakes. If I have buttermilk, I'll use the buttermilk waffles recipe (I don't have a waffle iron, but the batter makes good pancakes anyway). If I want to make biscuits, I feel like cutting the shortening into the dry ingredients is the hard part, so no need to pre-mix them.
I highly recommend Earth Balance brand shortening. It's basically solid palm oil and contains absolutely no trans fat or hydrogenated oils of any kind. |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Mar 12 2013 : 06:55:04 AM
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I've always made things from scratch, too, and never really thought about it much. It's just what I do. A good white sauce (Bechamel) (butter, flour, milk) can be a base for anything you want to make!
What might seem like a chore to others seems like the "smart" way for me to make corned beef. I've tried the "packets" in the market and they taste...well, chemical--and they are, made in a lab and the meat comes from questionable resources. So, years ago, I ran across a really old recipe for brining my own. Takes some planning, but in reality, 10 minutes of mixing something in a big pot and 8 days of meat sitting in your fridge isn't a big deal and it's responsible eating. And the result is absolutely tantalizing (see my post in this section about homemade Irish corned beef supper and High Holy week).
"Hey, I've got nothing to do today but smile..."
The Only Living Boy in New York, Paul Simon |
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nouveau_farmchick
True Blue Farmgirl
173 Posts
Paris
Sequim
Wa
USA
173 Posts |
Posted - Mar 12 2013 : 07:22:45 AM
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Any favorite whole wheat bread recipes for use in a bread machine?
God Bless Farmers
Sister #167 |
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Farm Kitchen: Cooking naturally from scratch |
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Cooking naturally from scratch
