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Can I make these myself?
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So in a post I did about larger families we talked about what do we buy and could we make it ourselves. So after speding 184 on groceries for a week (family of 9 but one baby) here’s what I bought that I’m wondering if I could make it myself or you might know how I could save.
First off I make all my own baby food, so in this weeks groceries I bought some things like : frozen vegi’s, & fruit to make her food. So that’s ok. But maybe I shouldhave learned more about gardening in our area and planeted these things? Also some things I have to buy as we can’t grow: banana’s, pineapple, etc
Bread – 4 loaves, hot dog buns (or hamburger I seem to buy every week for one thing or anohter), deli meat and cheese for dh’s lunches (need a better advice on what to pack and it has to be cold he does not have a sit down job), butter (3-4lbs a week), shredded cheese (we love cheese). I bought sausage, 2lbs gr turkey & a 3lb bag of chicken breast cause it was cheap (5.89). PB & Jelly (which I could buy jiff and will but I don’t like it like the natural nothing added stuff), Olives (gr & black), salad dressing, mayo, granola bars for sunday on the road to church, cottage cheese (ah, cheese again!). Not to mention picking up 5 gallons of milk from the local farmer which is almost gone and we’ll be back before the end of the week.
Anything you see I could be easily doing or showing my kids to do? BTW I did try and make yogurt, ahhh still trying that one!
Bread seems like an easy one but I don’t have a big mixer just a normal kitcen one, and I don’t know how or been taught to kneed. Would love any suggestions. Thanks
Sounds like you did very well (pat on the back). As far as bread goes, I make 2 loaves at a time in my regular sized Kitchen Aide. For the kneading, if you have a dough hook for your machine, that does the kneading for you (yay!) and in a lot less time, to boot. I have also used my main bread recipe to make hamburger buns: I make “snakes” from the dough, tie them in knots and let rise. They end up looking kind of like Kieser (Keiser? Kizer?) rolls. They work well for sandwiches too. The other think I see that you could do yourself and save a bit is to shred your own cheese. If you have a food processor, you can run it in that as it is (it’ll be a bit more like crumbles than shreds, but it works!) or if you have a shredder attachment, put it to work. Buying cheese in bulk tends to be cheaper, and also 86es some of the additives, since those are added to keep the shreds from sticking together.
One more thing is granola bars. My best friend and her sister just made a bunch and said they turned out great. I’ve been wanting to try this since my kids love granola bars. I make our granola, but haven’t figured out the bars part. I will get ahold of my friend’s sister for the recipe and report back to this thread. I think your kids (and mine!) would have a blast with making those.
I’d also like to mention Karey Swan’s book, Hearth and Home, which has lots of really good information and instructions on how to cook and bake, as well as being a recipe book. It’s very encouraging with quotes and articles (she’s a home school mom, and a CM’er), and it includes recipes for things like how to make your own “cream of…” soups, breads, oh, all kinds of lovely things. It’s not an expensive book either- I highly recommend it. And here’s a little article/interview which includes her bread recipe (which is what I use; I just cut it in half because that’s what my mixer can handle).
I have to say that I’m pretty proud of your $184 for a week for 9 people. Buying real food can be expensive sometimes, and gardening or raising your own isn’t always possible (we’ve had a bad garden year >sniff<), so I think you’re doing well.
Blessings,
LillyLou
Misty, kneading is not hard at all. The big mixer can make the job a little easier but kneading is GREAT for mental health (I do it sometimes when I’m frustrated!) and can even be done by your oldest couple of boys if you want. Anyone can learn to do it in about a minute. If you are visual, try to find someone nearby that will let you watch, and if not, many of us can describe it to you. I’m shorter even on time right now than on money, but I used to make all our bread and hamburger buns (we don’t eat hot dogs). Also breadsticks, pizza crusts, and rolls. Granola bars are easy to make too–I have several recipes. Do you use all whole wheat? I think you are doing great. Reducing expenses with hungry boys around is a real challenge!
Bread – I would love to do. I have a Sunbeam Mixmaster. Is that simular to the Kitchen Aid? I will look into the book and would LOVE all the granola recipes. Also, would love to hear how to kneed by hand when someone has the time. Ah time! What about things like flatbread? Pita’s? My dh loves those or “taco shells” we love taco’s.
And Bookworm, thanks for mentioning pizza as that’s a Sunday night staple so I usually end up buying 4 pizza’s (frozen
). So that would be another expense I could cut.You know thanks for mentioning the shredding – as I use to do that, why I stopped? Don’t know. but I should start again. Thanks! We have (living in MN and 20 min from WI) great dairy’s around to buy blocks of cheese!
Whole Wheat all the way! I stay away from whites in as many ways as possible.
Kneading is simple. After mixing the bread to the point that you are having a hard stirring it (i.e. it is not runny), and you still have a cup or so of flour to mix in, you simply dump the dough on a clean counter or table top lightly covered in flour. Sprinkle some of the remaining flour on the dough and your hands ;), then I take the part of the dough furthest from my body, pick it “up” and fold in on top, then using my palms, I push it into the ball. I do this over and over while alternately adding the rest of the flour and turing the dough in a circle to keep it all rotated and mixed in. Once the dough is smooth and not sticking to your hands, place it in a greased bowl and cover with a thin dish towel. Set in a warm spot to rise. =) After an hour or so, check it to see if it has risen enough by poking it gently with your finger. If your finger mark makes a dent in it, the dough is ready to re-knead and place in pans for re-rising prior to baking. I loved the Honey-Whole Wheat recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook.
Also, if you choose to grind your own flour for bread making, use hard white wheat as it bakes a better bread. Hard red wheat can make “bricks” for people who are not used to making their own flours and breads. =)
You will save a ton of money on yeast if you buy it in the big containers or bags. The individual packets at the store are sooo expensive compared to the big ones.
I am not sure about your mixer. Is it really heavy? You can make bread without a mixer – we did it for years!
There is also a nifty contraption called a bread bucket. They are not nearly as expensive as big mixers. You dump your ingredients into a big bucket with a paddle in it and turn the handle at the top, I often have my boys help with this part. 🙂 I also use it for very big batches of other things like noodles, cookies, etc. I think I got mine at an Amish store.
I also have a bunch of knead-free recipes that work pretty well, especially for pizza dough. But I don’t mind kneading.
Iamasahm: Here are some recipes I’ve used and like: (and I’m working on getting that granola bars one)
Tortillas (this is one thing I make with unbleached flour instead of whole wheat-they just come out better. I also double it. These are the best, and they don’t use lard, they use oil-I use olive oil usually. Just make sure to actually let your dough rest-it makes all the difference. And again, these can be kneaded in your machine, or you can have your kiddos do it :o)
Flatbread (which we’ve used for hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza, sandwiches, wraps, desserts…you name it. They also freeze pretty well.)
Pita Bread: If you have the book A Child’s Geography II, Explore the Holy Land, there’s a recipe on page 182. If you don’t have the book, here’s the recipe (hope it’s okay to post it here with due recognition…)
1pkg of yeast (which is normally 1T)
1/2c warm water
3 c. all purpose flour (I’ll probably 1/2 this with ww when I make them)
1 1/4 t salt
1 t. sugar (I’m sure you could sub honey…)
1 c. lukewarm water
Pour yeast into warm water, stir until dissolved. Add sugar and stir until it is also dissolved. Stand for 10-15 minutes until water is frothy.
Combine flour and salt in large bowl and make a well in the center of the mixture. Pour the yeast mixture into the well.
Slowly add an additional 1 c. warm water and stir until the dough is elastic.
Remove dough from bowl, place on a floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes or until no longer sticky and dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in a large bowl coated with olive oil, turning once to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (1-3 hrs. depending on temp in room).
Gently deflate dough after it has doubled and roll it into a long rope. Pinch of 10-12 small pieces and place on a floured surface. Allow to rest, covered with a towel for 10 minutes. Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 500 F with a rack on lowest oven rung.
Roll each ball of dough into 1/4″ thick circles (about 5″-6″across). Place circles on hot baking sheet and bake for 4 minutes until the bread puffs up. Turn over and bake for an additional 2 minutes. Remove pitas with a spatula and gently push down on the puffed up part. Store in plastic bags.
If you try these, let me know how it goes. We’re gonna do it too, eventually :o)
OH, and I found you a little video on kneading bread by hand, which, yes, I enjoy also, but with the time it takes to really work up the gluten in a good whole wheat dough, I’d rather let my machine do it, and get my dishes rinsed out while I wait. (Also, if you find you can knead dough with your machine, make sure to use the lowest speed setting or you’re likely to burn out your motor because real whole wheat has more gluten, and is therefore inherently harder on the motor.) Time is premium… just my 2 cents
Have fun!
LillyLou
Bookworm: you mentioned noodles. do you make them homemade? If so, can I have your recipe? I’ve been trying to make them and I can’t find a recipe that actually works for me.
Misty: the only things I noticed were:
the bread/buns (as already mentioned),
the granola bars-make your own, they are easy or try muffins for in the car,
salad dressing-you can make your own but would need to compare costs as it may be the same amount depending on costs in your area,
baby food-I have not done any baby food since my third child. We just mash up whatever we’re eating (soup, beans, fruits/veggies or smoothies, etc) or wait until they want table food. If your doing a runny soup (like tomato), you can crumble in some crackers to make it more mushy and less messy.You may also want to cut back on milk (limit them to 1-2 cups a day-they really don’t need more) and butter (3-4lbs seems like a lot esp when it’s so expensive).
Another easy way to save money is by keeping a price book or all the things you usually buy. Write down the best price you’ve found and stock up when a good price comes along.
-Rebecca
Rebecca, I don’t make very dry noodles, but the thick soft ones. I will sometimes dry them a day and then freeze them, but most of the time I make just what I need to use that day. I don’t have exactly a hard and fast recipe, either, as I learned to make these from my Mennonite grandma. I start with about six eggs, about two cups of flour and a little salt–about half a teaspoon maybe? and then I work it until it’s mixed, then work in another handful or two of flour, so maybe from a quarter to a half cup or so until I can roll them. Then I roll them out on a well-floured thick plastic sheet I inherited from Grandma 🙂 I need plenty of flour on the roller too. I like them pretty thick myself, but with patience you can roll them down to about a Reames noodle thickness if you roll a bit, let them rest, roll a bit more. Then I usually cut into wide strips and tear into pieces about 4 inches long and cook. However, I’ve also cut them into much narrower strips and hung them for a few hours to use later that day, or freeze for later (use plenty of flour between if you freeze them!) We usually eat these in a dish that came down in the family called “ole hen and pot pie” even though there is NO pot pie. What happens when you have German speaking folks I guess. We have some funny food names in the family! LOL Oh, you can double this recipe up if necessary or cut it down or whatever. Once you’ve made it a few times you get to know the texture you are looking for and then you can do it in your sleep without paying any attention to measurements, lol.
OH I forgot–if you don’t have a plastic roller sheet, you can use a well-floured dish towel, the flat kind not the terry. If you want to hang them you have to cut the strips pretty narrow–do you have a noodle cutter? These are heavy and will stretch on the rack if you don’t cut them thin.
Here is the easiest bread recipe that I have ever used. It is almost no fail. Often I will substitute the white flour for wheat. I have used this for bread, cinnamin buns, french style loaves, dinner rolls, hamburger buns, and pizza crust (just added a bit more flour, oil and less sugar).
Mix:
4ish cups of white flour
1 TBS yeast (with a pinch extra if you’re pressed for time)
2 TBS vital wheat gluten flour (optional) 2 large pinches of kosher salt
Optional: 1/4 C of flax (ground)In 2 very warm water cups of water (equal to 2 min in microwave), add a healthy squirt of honey and oil (about 1/4 C of each, maybe a touch less). I use canola, but olive and vegetable work fine, too. Pour into the dry mixture and mix a bit with a spatula. Give it the KitchenAid bread hook treatment until loose ball forms, adding more flour as necessary (and it is).
Knead dough on floured service. Let rise (about an hour). Punch down, and put dough in greased bread pans as you usually do. Bake at 425 for 20ish minutes (my oven is 22 minutes, with a pan rotate in the middle when I’m making two loaves simultaneously).
Makes two loaves of bread.
WOW you are all awesome. So I will try and make points/questions:
1. Can I use my bread machine to do the mixing at all? I don’t like the end result of the bread in it so I might just get rid of it. But I get the idea of kneading now and we’ll give it a go! Thanks everyone. I will have to try 1 or 2 of the bread recipes adn find the one we like best.
2. Lilly Lou I wish I could sneak in your recipe book. LOL Thanks for the tortilla and flatbread! I will try those also.
3. This bread bucket – anything I should look for if I so choose to look into it or are they all universal?
4. Baby food – I usually do give wwhat we are having mushed. But it’s nice to have things for on the go or if something don’t mush like grill cheese! She’s only 9 mo and just got tooth 3 popping through!
5. They do only get a cup a day and the rest goes to baking. Can’t see anyway of cutting the milk? Butter, I try but we like popcorn for snack and I have to have the butter
. And some weeks I don’t buy any other weeks more. Also, depends on if it’s a loaded baked potato week!Thanks everyone! Misty
Yes, absolutely you can use a bread machine to mix dough. I NEVER bake in mine but use it often to make rolls and pizza dough when I don’t have a full crew to cook for. It won’t do a huge amount of dough but it will work. Almost all of them have a “dough only” cycle.
For the bread bucket–mine is very sturdy metal with a metal handle with a wooden grip. If it looked sturdy I think it’d be great. Mine is ENORMOUS but I love that–it’ll mix enough dough for 12 loaves and I use it to make 20 dozen cookie batches at Christmas.
Okay, Bookworm, I’m sold. I want one of those bread buckets. You said you found it at an Amish shop? I’ll have to look. Sad, my ancestry/heritage is Amish (my Maiden name is Troyer…) and I’ve never seen one of these
We had all other kinds of neat Amish doohickeys growing up, but not that one. I’m on a mission now. Thanks for mentioning it. I’d love to be able to do more than 2 loaves at a time, because we normally get throught at least the first loaf before it’s even done cooling, and with our family growing, it’d be nice to just load up the oven with loaves (I’d really like some of these too) and make a bunch; freeze some, eat some, give some away. I’m really excited now! And Christmas Cookies?! Be still, my heart!
Bread seems like an easy one but I don’t have a big mixer just a normal kitcen one, and I don’t know how or been taught to kneed. 
). So that would be another expense I could cut.
. And some weeks I don’t buy any other weeks more. Also, depends on if it’s a loaded baked potato week!- The topic ‘Can I make these myself?’ is closed to new replies.