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Forget the whole "homemade is from the heart" factor. Are there situations when making your own stuff is actually the smarter choice? |
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I think it is way better for cleaning products. I switched to green cleaning a few months ago and it is way cheaper and better to make my own general cleaners. Although I do still have to buy the ingredients. But they are FAR CHEAPER than the scrubbing bubbles. I also think most baked goods are cheaper and far better than the store bought alternatives. Plus, I like controlling my ingredients. I stock up on whole wheat flour when it goes on sale and the same goes for agave nectar. So my banana bread is much healthier and, in my opinion, better than anything I can get in the store. Speaking of agave nectar, we just subscribed with AmazonPrime to have 88oz of that wonderful stuff delivered free to our door for a grand total of $14.67 every two months. BTW, what kind of cleaning recipes do you have? We're interested in making our own. Wasn't sure if it would be cheaper or not, but you've answered that question too :)
(Dec 20 '09 at 02:38)
nessili24
If you are going to use it for baking, make sure you use light agave nectar. I found a bunch of agave nectar baking cookbooks on amazon bought them. Totally worth every penny. Although the chocolate tofu pudding was vile. Everything else has been a hit. My husband is OBSESSED with the banana bread and asks for it all of the time.
(Dec 20 '09 at 03:21)
Frugallawyer
why the difference between light and raw? Is it a taste thing, or does the light bake better? And I put two of those cookbooks on my Christmas wish list :)
(Dec 20 '09 at 05:48)
nessili24
I am not sure about raw and light. I know that the kind I find at my local grocery store and wal-mart is darker than the light stuff. Makes a definite difference when baking. Although the darker stuff is super good in tea and for other sweeteners. I would check the specific brand that you ordered. I am supposed to eat no sugar and no white flour, so discovering agave nectar was a dream come true. Hazlenut thins and banana bread are my best friends. Now, I am going to figure out how to make my own yogurt so that I can sweeten it with agave nectar.
(Dec 20 '09 at 07:10)
Frugallawyer
making yogurt's not difficult--I did that for my daughter for awhile. You can make your own culture from plain unsweetened stuff, or buy the starter on-line. I too am thrilled to find agave nectar--I can't have refined sugars, nor the sugar alcohols (malitol, sorbitol, etc). Nor can I do normal amounts of refined grains, and no corn (which means no maltodextrin either) or oats. Ezekiel bread (aka sprouted grain bread) is my new friend, especially the cinnamon raisin bread :) If you have problems with refined carbs, it's a wonderful alternative.
(Dec 21 '09 at 02:04)
nessili24
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We, well really my wife, buys wheat in bulk, grinds it, and makes bread. We haven't had store bought bread in years and years.... There is no doubt it is cost effective, but does take time. She bakes once per week, usually early morning-she is an early riser. Makes three loaves and a pizza crust or two. Bags it and puts in into the freezer. No preservatives, so only lasts a couple of days sitting out. Some would argue the time it takes makes it not cost effective. But that depends, if you are using your work time, then maybe. But if you are doing it instead of watching tv, Facebooking, blogging, etc. then it is cost-effective. Your store bought flour, even whole wheat has probably lost 80 plus percent of phyto-nutrients. So the health aspects have to be thrown into the mix, of whether it is worth it or not. But the best part, is waking up to the smell of fresh bread, right out of the oven...... We've been talking about doing that. Was actually going to get a grain mill this year for Christmas, but ended up having to put it off. Considering I have to buy the really expensive Ezekiel bread, making my own would be a definite money-saver. And I suppose if I use a bread machine, the time it takes wouldn't be that much more than getting in the car and driving to the store...
(Dec 21 '09 at 02:08)
nessili24
I am very intrigued with the idea of buying wheat and grinding it for my own flour. That sounds heavenly. I imagine I could do the same with spelt, etc. Does it just go into the food processor for grinding? Tell me more. I like to bake. But I have not started baking my own bread yet. (other than the heavenly banana bread.)
(Dec 21 '09 at 02:21)
Frugallawyer
The grinders are heavy duty, as grains are hard as rock. Ours is called a "whisper meal" which is supposed to be quieter than a lot of mills-however, it will wake you up from a deep sleep....
(Dec 21 '09 at 11:16)
Dr Dean 1
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