The Things I Make Myself

There's going to be another blog in the future about doing crazy homemade things, but this one is just for what I absolutely refuse to buy, because making it myself makes me look really impressive, and isn't THAT hard.

WAFFLES

Why on earth would I buy eggos when I have a waffle maker and a freezer? We tend to take a morning every few weeks, quintuple a recipe for waffles, then park ourselves down in front of the waffle maker, eating as we go. Once they're cool, I bag them up, write the date (but they really never last long enough to go bad), and shove them in the freezer. Then all I have to do for a delicious home made waffle is to grab one from the freezer and put it in my toaster. Perfection.

Also, when making the waffles, you want them pretty light in color, otherwise they'll burn in the toaster when you're reheating. Same thing goes for pancakes. Don't be a baby, just try it.

COOKIES

With the exception of Oreo's, I don't buy cookies. Ever. I already have fantastic recipes for gingerbread, chocolate chip, sugar, oatmeal raisin, chocolate, peanut butter, and shortbread cookies. Want to know what people say when you offer them a homemade cookie? They say OH MY GAWD YOU HAVE HOMEMADE COOKIES YES PLEASE. And you're a hero. If you want to REALLY impress people, keep a stash of pre-formed, frozen cookies in your freezer, then whip them out and bake them. Jaws will drop, minds will be blown, and you've just become someone's favorite person.

Oh and those fabulous recipes? Most of them are on the freaking bag/box/can. Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chips have the recipe right on the bag, and it's the only one I use when I make chocolate chip cookies. Same goes for Jif peanut butter cookies. And the cookies on the canister of Quaker Oats. Yeah. So no excuses!

VEGETABLE SOUP

I make this soup, and it's called "The Soup of Good Intentions" where I put all those veggies I really was planning on eating in a pot, add some stock, spices, and herbs. This has saved me tons of money so that the food doesn't go bad. You could easily add in some beans, maybe some cream, or even meat if that's what you want. I tend to stick to the veggies, then serve it over rice.

MAC AND CHEESE

Kraft Mac and Cheese is really, really good. I'm not going to lie to you, because we're in a Safe Place here. However, a good baked macaroni and cheese, casserole style, is really hard to beat. I make a crapload of sauce and noodles, then fill up as many casserole dishes as I can and put them in the freezer. Nothing is easier than a freezer mac and cheese for either dinner at home or a huge one for a party. Seriously, one evening of prep and cleaning for at least 5 stress free nights is worth it.

VEGGIE TRAYS

Are you so afraid of your knife and cutting board that you're willing to pay someone a crap load of money to get old soggy celery in a little plastic container tray? No. You're a big girl now, so get out your fancy wedding serveware, cut up some carrots (or just get baby carrots, considering you're being a big baby about the whole thing) and some freaking celery and pour out some grape tomatoes and you're done. Or be a fancy pants and do a grilled veggie tray with zucchini, asparagus, brussels sprouts (from the I can make food like a big girl post), and mushrooms. Again, you're the hero and they're just as good cold or room temperature as they are hot.

PIE CRUSTS

Okay, so if I were living alone, I'd buy the frozen pie crusts and feel no shame. But Hubs does a homemade dough that's so freaking good that I'm spoiled. It's a huge mess, is so full of fat I could die, and not even my own mother does this, but I love that he does. Probably because his mom, my mother-in-law Wendi, is big on doing homemade, and would definitely judge me if she saw Pillsbury crust in my fridge. My mother, however, has used the Pillsbury crust for my entire life, even in the pot pies she made when she used homemade broth, and I love it.

BREAD CRUMBS

When your bread starts going stale, just shove it in the freezer. Then, when you need breadcrumbs, thaw it out, grate it either on a grater or take it for a spin in your blender or food processor. Add grated Parmesan, whatever herbs you feel like, salt, and pepper, and you're done! If you want to be fancier, throw in melted butter, put the crumbs on a pan, and toss it in the oven until they're golden brown and delicious. Panko, however, you can't really make at home, so you still need to buy that. But save some cash and some bread (get it? It's a pun!) and make your own. 

Now keep in mind, I'm not judging anyone for buying any of these things. In fact, I've bought them all myself before. These are just the things I enjoy making enough to no longer feel compelled to buy them. If you hate cooking, don't. Just remember to invite me out to dinner.

One day I'll have a post of the things I'd never dream of making myself so that we're even, okay? Because I'd never attempt to make lots of things that you've probably made. Mostly due to the fact that I'm lazy.

Until next time, good luck on adulthood!