I have more money-management posts coming soon…thoughts are swirling in my head and are about ready to be born…but in the meantime I wanted to share a couple items that I normally purchase that I’ve taken to making myself. It’s nothing big, and I’m not saving many dollars, but it feels satisfying to discover that I can save a few bucks while easily making something that I somehow thought was rather complicated.
The items are…
Drumroll….
Tomato sauce!
and…
ooo, the anticipation..
We don’t buy a lot of processed food in our house, but it didn’t really occur to me that spaghetti sauce was processed. In fact, I really never considered the fact that tomato sauce (for spaghetti) could be made from scratch. Growing up, Mom always got Prego and then juiced it up with extra herbs and molasses and hamburger. Bryan and I have had a crush on Classico spicy tomato pesto. mmmmm good stuff.
Then one day, I decided to buy a big can of crushed tomatoes. I poured in a few tablespoons of olive oil. I added a small pile of oregano and a bit of basil. I pressed in a couple cloves of garlic. And yum! I actually can’t tell a difference in the flavor between it and a jar of sauce. And the prep time in almost no different. Opening a jar of prepared of spaghetti sauce and heating it takes maybe three minutes. Opening a can of tomatoes, tossing in oil spices and (sometimes garlic powder if I’m in a real hurry) while heating it takes maybe four minutes. Easy, cheesy! And I’m saving at least a dollar:)
My second homemade item is a little less standard. You see, I really like to make myself vanilla lattes in the morning. I like a cup of 3/4 steamed milk and 1/4 coffee with a shot of vanilla syrup. Recently I ran out of my syrup and was feeling a little guilty about spending a couple dollars on a new bottle. So I looked it up, and it turns out that it’s the easiest thing ever to make. Two cups of sugar and two cups of water. Boil. Add a vanilla bean (scraped first if you’d like). And I even happened to have a container of Penzy’s vanilla beans on hand. So now I have my homemade (non-sugar free) syrup in my old syrup bottle. It’s supposed to keep for six months in the fridge. I shall, however, devour it all before then!
So that’s my news for the day. Lovely made-from scratch items that make me smile.
Oh, here’s something else that makes me smile:
mmmm. I love Ghirardelli chocolate chips!
I’d love to hear from you! Do you have any easy made-from-scratch items that you’d like to share?
One of the great things about homemade spaghetti sauce is that you can incorporate all sorts of vegetables and things that your kids (well, MY kids) wouldn’t eat otherwise: carrots, spinach, chard, mushrooms, peppers, etc. The key is to blend it all after it is cooked so they don’t see the chunks…
i really try to make chicken stock with the bones of a purchased rotisserie chicken. i mean, all you need to boil a pot of water and add the bones – and an onion and carrot if you've got it – and after so many minutes, strain it. when john was little, i used to also make frozen veggies – cook some broccoli, freeze it on a cookie sheet, and then bag it. chocolate pudding is also extremely easy to make from scratch, and you probably have all the ingredients – milk, eggs, butter, cornstarch, and chocolate!
This has nothing to do with this post, but since it’s been awhile since you mentioned Mad Men, I just decided to post on your most recent entry. I’ve been working my way through season one and loving it, and tonight I came across this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgvKCfZqxrQ. It’s a clip of the Sesame Street version of Mad Men, and I got a kick out of seeing how they turned it into a kids’ version. 🙂
I’ve started making homemade sauce the past few months, mostly because a friend of mine posted a recipe for his marinara sauce a while back and I like it as well or better than any sauce I have purchased. This particular version has to simmer for half an hour for the flavors to blend, but I usually make a huge batch and freeze it in smaller containers. On the night we’re having pasta, I thaw and heat frozen sauce in a small pot while I am cooking pasta in a larger pot.
I’m weighing the benefits of trying to make my own hot chocolate mix. I know it’s very easy to do.