What things do you make from scratch, to be more wholesome for you and your family?

suki1964

Would love to have a milkman, but there's none around here. However all the stores sell local milk, butter and cheese The dairy is just 7 miles up the road and I could be drinking the milk from the cows in the field behind me . I like that thought as the cows here in this part of the country are grass fed and arent intensively farmed. I've also gone back to full fat milk to ensure it's not messed with too much

YORKSHIRELASS

Still off sick but have found a new recipe to try for bread rolls - made with milk - so have just set the breadmaker going.

My teenagers were brought up on homemade stuff but lately are much keener on bought cakes and biscuits. I think (hope) its something to do with the amount of sugar and the shiny packaging rather than the quality of my baking! I have slightly given up on baking though.

missymoo81

Ooh yorkshirelass let me know how they turn out? I haven't had chance to dig out my book, and that was for hand made bread anyway. Would love a tasty roll recipe for the bread maker. Obv I'll have to shape them, but helps that I don't have to do anything until then.

Suki, that sounds lovely, when we stayed in the Lake District it was all local milk etc. I can definitely find a local milkman, but I'm unsure if they'll be grass fed, which is obviously prefer. Will have to make some more phone calls I think.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I love soup, but have to confess to never having made it from scratch. Bought a blender stick thing and had my first attempt at the weekend, using foraged nettles which are supposed to be nutritious, as well as FREE. It's also satisfying using veg you've grown yourself. The smell of veg stock simmering is lovely.

Meadows

Out,_Vile_Jelly wrote: »

I love soup, but have to confess to never having made it from scratch. Bought a blender stick thing and had my first attempt at the weekend.

My daughter does a few soups but says she does not know how to make others, imagination is the only thing stopping you.
Soups can vary depending on what veg is to hand, what meats need using up etc.
Sometimes I leave it chunky, sometimes I remove half the solids, blend the remaining and then add the solids back to the pan, other times it all gets blitz up.

If after Christmas and Boxing Day I have stuff left over it all goes into a pan to make soup, that can be Christmas Dinner meat/meats, vegetables, stuffing, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, pigs in blankets, then if you have any boxing day meats or cheeses they can be added. It makes a yummy soup, just what you need after a few days of eating heavier foods and easy for the cook (very disappointing if I have next to nothing to make a soup after the two days).


Enjoy your soups and have fun experimenting

suki1964

Soup is so easy. I know some people reading this think it's not but it really is

I cheat. I use a knorr stock cube

I take what ever beg it is I've got, sweat it down in butter. Add the stock pot and water and simmer till all the veg is softened. Then blitz. Add more water or cream or milk to get the consistency I want. Many a time I've had to add more lentils or more milk ( depending on soup )

If the soup is too slack, add potatoes, even a bit of smash will thicken it


Honestly soup is so easy once you get the basics and a stock pot is your best friend

missymoo81

I completely agree Suki and meadows, you can also make it by roasting some veg and then just blitzing it with water and pepper and a little milk, I always try to put some potato in mine, to thicken it up.

mrssnowy_2

Ooh,chicken noodle soup,tom yum soup,tomato and lentil,yes soup,leek and potato,cawl,s/w turkey meatball soup,list is endless and as said before changes if blitzed or thickened ,can add any pulses,beans or lentils -season carefully ,better to under salt!
Save veg water to add as stock or boil up ham/lamb/chicken bones for some flavour, even left over gravy.
Presentation does wonders tho',grated cheese,croutons made from cubed leftover bread baked with little oil and Parmesan cheese in the oven,chopped chives.
And all very cheap ,quick and nourishing.
x

UMD

I make my own bread and have just invested in a yoghurt maker after the thread about it popped up again on the forums yesterday - I get through quite a lot of yoghurt per week and after the initial cost of the electric maker it will be a lot cheaper. You can do it in a slow cooker too, but there seems to be more faffing around with wrapping it in towels and leaving it in the oven, so the electric yoghurt maker looks more idiot-proof! We get our eggs from a local farm which has a little shop, 90p for 6 and you can see the chickens wandering around quite happily when you go to get them I cook mostly entirely from scratch as well and would agree with everyone else about soup - it's the best thing ever! So easy to cook and it doesn't matter what you put in it

I'd like to grow my own fruit and veg but I'm still in a student house at the moment so would have to use containers, and as I'm constantly having to move around every 8 months or so I don't really want the hassle of moving them with me maybe when I graduate and settle somewhere for longer than the October-May term period! But I'm really enjoying reading all the ideas on this thread, it's giving me lots of ideas

missymoo81

Hey sorry for lack of posting, poorly toddlers

Hey UMD, well done for getting the yoghurt maker, I've seen some good ones on line, but will have a go with my flask first.

Have been keeping up with the bread maker, have used my actifry for things and have made biscuits. Have managed to plant 50 seeds and they're on my windowsill, I'm hoping they germinate, if not, maybe I'll have to get a propagater.

Last time I posted, I was talking about local milkmen, not one returned my call! Which is frustrating! I have found a few farms locally, this website was a great help http://www.naturalfoodfinder.co.uk

Have also found a recipe for oatcakes, so will see how that goes, when I have a minute.