What is your definition of 'cooking from scratch'?

-Anything over 4 ingredients.
-If it's just me and the (3) kids- anything that needs any prep at all (microwaved, cut up, unwrapped, etc)

MILs favorite clam chowder recipe (and she was dead serious) that she got from a readers digest ad consisted entirely of 1 can of Campbell's clam chowder, and 1 can of Campbell's potato soup. That was her idea of "from scratch". Seriously, she would even make Sandra Lee roll her eyes. After training her up well on the virtues of eating well to improve longevity, she now is quite competent with rare, esoteric ingredients like "flour" and "eggs".

I'd define "from scratch" as using mostly ingredients that aren't made up of other ingredients.

What brings pure joy is when those ingredients come from your own homestead.

__________________

Honesty and integrity are homesteading virtues.

I am going to make an angelfood cake! I am doing this because I am a masochist!

On my kitchen counter you will find: A large mixing bowl, a small mixing bowl, a regular bowl, a hand mixer, a spatula, a sifter, an angelfood cake pan, and a food processor.

For ingredients I have: a dozen eggs (from my chickens), cake flour, granulated sugar, vanilla, baking powder, and a couple other things, depending upon my mood.

In an hour, the batter will be in the pan, ready to bake. In two hours, you can have some.
*************************************

I am going to make gravy from scratch! Luckily, I don't have to be a masochist to do this!

I have: a pan, broth I have saved from cooking meat, some cornstarch, and a whisk. In 15 minutes, you can enjoy some gravy on your potatoes!

*************************************************

I am going to make.....

Nah, I figure ya'll get the picture.

__________________
Peace,
Caliann

"First, Show me in the Bible where it says you can save someone's soul by annoying the hell out of them." -- Chuck

"Gravy is magic." ~ my youngest son
(who is picky about which whisk to use)

__________________
Cows may not be smarter than People, but some cows are smarter than some people.

Kwanzaa Cake. Horrifying on so many levels.

Agreeing that scratch is scratch. I don't care what other people do, though, so clovis- ee-yeesh, whoever that is, tell them to take a hike if they're going to act like such a snot.

I understand that scratch means base ingredients, yet, sometimes if there are several different things to make, I'll use some of the less scratch products. I don't appologize if not every dish at any giving meal is not scratch. While I have a cornbread recipe that I like, sometimes when it's my time to make supper and I am in a hurry, it might be Jiffy brand corn bread getting served, or what not. I'ld like to say that I'ld never do anything of the sort, yet, it wouldn't be true. Sometimes we have visitors that I really don't think are worth my time to make a chocolate cheesecake from scratch, and they'll be eating a some instant mix with a dab of cream cheese added and chilled in one of those store bought crust. I make a well recieved chocolate cheesecake that involves scrapping the centers out of generic Oreos, double boiling chocolate squares and forming my springform. I make it, but I also make a quick mix and chill. I can make some great cressants. I make my laminated dough the night before I make the cresants. I fold and roll etc. I use a small amount of sugar in with the butter and flour between the layers. If you use a fine sugar, like powdered sugar, it helps push the layers apart. It's a lot of work, so frequently I twist a the cardboard tube and deal with it. Sorry, but one thing commercial cooks tell me is that it is just as important to have that meal served in a reasonable amount of time. I no it isn't officailly scratch, but it is necessary sometimes to do what has to be done.

I cook "from scratch" which amazes most of my friends. Mom didn't teach me much about cooking, she preferred to do it herself so when I got married 2 years ago to a guy who loves to eat, I jumped in and figured it out. He also loves to cook and we consider scratch to be prepared from mostly basic ingredients. I'd love to buy fewer and make more myself but its just the two of us and without a few preservatives, we would never be able to keep anything on hand. We just don't use it fast enough. So, I don't consider buying pasta for spaghetti cheating but I draw the line at opening the can. I make a mean spaghetti sauce, even if I didn't can the tomato sauce myself (an issue which I hope to learn to fix this season!)

Since when is using a microwave NOT cooking? It's just another appliance. Or do you only cook outside, over a wood fire that you started by rubbing sticks together? Just kidding, but a microwave is a useful kitchen appliance.

To me, cooking from scratch means using commonly available raw ingredients. I make bread from scratch, but I don't grow and grind my own wheat. A better term for much of today's cooking might be 'home made'. To me, that would go up to, but not include, completely premade 'meals' that you heat and eat. I do a lot of 'home made' cooking that involves canned/packaged ingredients. I rarely have the time and resources to do 'made from scratch'.

__________________
"What one generation tolerates, the next generation embraces." -John Wesley

NOTHING from a box

NOTHING from a can or jar

NOTHING from a bag.

Pancakes from "scratch" means you get out the flour, baking soda, salt, eggs, oil, milk, vanilla. You put them in a bowl and mix.

Cake from 'scratch' means you get out the flour, sugar, eggs, etc, mix it in a bowl and pour it in the pans.

Opening a box of bisquick and adding eggs and water IS NOT from scratch.

That's just my opinion.

__________________
I am sure of two things: There is a God, and I am not Him.
The movie Rudy

How about canned broth? If I make a make a potato/leek soup- cut up and saute raw vegetables, then use canned chicken broth, I consider that from scratch. But then I don't raise birds, or buy whole chickens to make broth.

My SIL asked me why there was so many dishes after I made dinner one night when they came over to eat. We do use boxed spaghetti and things. I have to purchase corn meal, flour etc. we can the small amount of leftover garden, freeze the extra berries if there are any, but I live in the city and don't have room to grow everything we need. We do can our own sauces and salsas, peppers, leftover soups etc but we do purchase meat from the butcher. I consider it from scratch even though we end up purchasing our bulk items from the store. I don't think opening a box is from scratch, and our microwave is for leftovers.

Our family looks at us like we're nuts because it just takes to long to cook like us everyday. We both work full time, have two kids and still manage so I don't understand why everyone can't do it. Plus it tastes better and isn't loaded with salt.

__________________
My fly tying/fishing blog: http://warmwaterflysandties.blogspot.com/

My Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/WEFlies

We cook from scratch using flour, baking powder, all the individual ingredients. Started this L-O-N-G ago. Found it to be cheaper actually than buying all those mixes and processed foods. No other definition applies.....

__________________
Be a fountain, not a drain!

^()^
http://tubbsfarmstead.com/

Flour comes in a bag. Sugar comes in a bag. Salt comes in a box or bag...
I like to use store bought pasta. Ingredient list says "organic whole wheat", and nothing else. Making pasta from scratch is a lot of work, especially for one person for one meal. I can, and have, made pasta, but usually I use the pasta from the store. OTOH, the sauce has multiple ingredients and is much better freshly made without preservatives and other unpronounceable ingredients.

I wouldn't dream of using hamburger helper or boxed mac and cheese, but I'm not going to condemn someone else for using those things. I think they would be healthier not putting that into their bodies, but it is their bodies, not mine.

__________________
I believe in God's willingness to heal.

Cyngbaeld's Keep Heritage Farm, breeding a variety of historical birds and LaMancha goats. (It is pronounced King Bold.)

I grind my own flour and cornmeal then I make my mixes from that I make a cornbread mix and a whole wheat bread mix I make pancake mix I also use store bought pasta because of the ease of it just can't make time for everything cooking from scratch does take longer but is so much better tasting and better for you

After cooking and baking for about 50 years now, I like anything that gets a meal on the table FAST and easy!

The boss makes some things from scratch but a lot is from jars as well. Years ago when I first met her I made some Spaghetti from scratch for her. I used things from my garden including tomatoes, peppers and onions to make the sauce. She was quite impressed with my sauce and I suspect she had never seen any made with fresh ingredients before.

Nomad

While scratch is the best (if the cook knows what they are doing), I'd sure prefer semi-homemade over McDonald's.
Some stuff from the store is pretty good. Frankly at 7AM on a weekday morning when getting ready for work, I'm not going to spend the time to make 'from scratch' biscuits, when the refrigerator type is almost as good.

__________________
Apocalyptic and Survival Fiction - Readers and writers welcome

Say what you want about Sandra - she makes the best cocktails EVER!

Wow! I googled it and watched the video. Just Wow! That has to be the most disgusting thing I've ever seen "made". She really has a show doing things like this? Opening a can of apple filling? Wow, don't know what else to say. Towards the end of the video when she is adding corn nuts it crossed my mind that maybe this was a saturday night live skit.

__________________
Idleness is leisure gone to seed

Would you teach me, please? I'd love to know how.