How far from scratch do you make your food?

[QuootieSpookypie]

Just wondering as there seems to be different levels IYSWIM - firstly take lasagne, you can buy ready made (yuk), buy mince, lasagne sheets and the 2 sauces, or buy mince, lasagne sheets and make the two sauces OR buy mince, make the sheets and two sauces. How far do you go? I am at that stage where I am worried because I don't make everything for the bare ingredients and presume/assume everyone else does! Plus I am just being nosey.

I would ever buy a bread maker as I enjoy making bread. I would love a magimix but I don't have enough room in my tiny kitchen. I manage pretty well with a hand blender with the different attachments.

Lasagne I would make my own sauces all from scratch.

I use pasta sauces but do my own carbonara as the jars are just not right, but sometimes use a stir in type one I do like.

I use stuffed chilled pasta as making own pasta is above and beyond I think. Even italians but ready made pasta.

Make own soup like veg, tomato and basil, chicken and rice and potoato and leek. But but some to like heinz tomato for the kids and chicken noodle for me.

Buy sausages (good ones) and supernoodles, but make my own chicken dishes like stir frys, but might use a sweet and sour sauce.

Don't tend to buy much frozen food now, occasional fish pie and breaded haddock, waffles as kids don't like boiled or mashed potatos.

Oh and I love instant smash love love love it!!!

You need a breadmaker Twig. I ressurrected mine a few weeks ago as part of my economy drive.

Love it.

I am confused but can't see how you save money by making your own bread - please give me the secret!!??

I used to make it and still do but it's more of a luxury as I think it's cheaper in the shops. At Tesco, 2 fresh loaves are £1 (although white ) and the granary is about 80p I think, when I costed my loaves out it was about 65p for each loaf and that was only half the size of a shop bought one - must be doing something wrong methinks!

I'm making cheese this afternoon I don't make a habit of it, I thought it would be a mother daughter bonding exercise but dd1 refused to join in.

Wisteria - if you use own brand flour, marg, yeast, etc, it is cheaper.

I costed out a loaf at about 35p. Also, I know exactly what is going in......

A breadmaker is fab, dh is the one who uses ours but it's great

I make sauces (bolognase, shepherds pie) from scratch mostly but wouldn't dream of making pasta (I don't like it anyway although dh and children do)

Otherwise, yes, most things from scratch.

delia smith has a no-kneading bread recipe on her site

Yes, I appreciate the 'ethics' behind it and am very concerned about what we eat in that respect. Where do you shop? Do you buy fresh yeast or dried and is that own brand too? I always struggle to find yeast.

Which marg do you favour as well?

Sorry for all the questions but I'd love to do it properly again..

Wisteria - I usually use tescos or asda own brand (but that is a bit more expensive). Aldi's flour is great.

I use dried yeast.
If I am feeling flush, I will occasionally buy a more expensive seeded flour and mix a bit with the cheap flour.

own brand dried yeast

thanks popsycal

Right, already use Aldi flour so will start again and see if it works!!

I also tend to use Aldi' margarine....
I only use a sprinkling of salf and sugar....

how much does it cost to 'bake' a loaf then?

Going to go and do it now!!

My Dad makes all his own bread and it's lovely, he then makes it into toast on the Aga and it's blardy lovely......wish I was rich and could afford Aga......

I calculated it nearly 2 years ago at about 35p.......

Inflation......

I have a foolproof white bread recipe if you want it....

Yes please!!!

DP and I share the cooking. We buy bread, pasta, pastry and the odd pie. (Mostly Ponce Organic, though.) We also buy pesto and harissa sauce in jars. We don't buy cook-in jars.

make some things from scratch and others with Jars/ready made sauces - depending on time etc

same goes for my new addiction of Casseroles/Stews .. sometimes I lovingly prepare totally from scratch, and sometimes I cheat and use one of those packets that you just add water too plus fresh ingredients

am and undecided sinner/saint (and doubt that will change much tbh! )

Message withdrawn

Bread
(from the back of a Hovis granary flour packet, kept for 2 years inside my useless breadmaker cookery book)

Ingredients
500g bread flour
25g butter
1.25 tsp salt (but I just use a pinch)
275ml water
1.5 tsp of fast acting dried yeast (I use tesco own brand - 1 sachet)
1tsp sugar (optional - makes crust crusty)

Stick water in bread maker tin
Put flour on top of water
Put margarine in corner 1
Put salt in corner 2
Put sugar in corner 3
Make little dent in middle and put yeast in it
Turn bread maker on to normal programme (mine is 3 hours)

Voila
(can't do fancy French accent thingy)

Ingredients say butter but i tend to use marg or whatever I have in. I can't tell the difference

(am making pumpkin rissotto from scratch tonight though )

Popsy, thank you - I shall return to this thread later to let you know how I did - have made some lovely homemade soup today so looks like that's for tea!!