Why is it that we have become so accustomed to buying everything we eat already made. What ever happened to homemade? Are we to busy? Are we lazy? I sometimes wonder, if we were to get into the habit of making things from scratch again, we would learn to do it fast and it would not take up so much of our time. It's when we do it once in a blue moon that it takes us forever because we are out of practice.
One of my biggest pet peeves is not being able to pronounce the ingredients on packages, this is a big motivator for me to make it my self so I know exactly what goes into what I'm making.
Health issues are another big reason to make your own stuff. Manufactures of food products like to put ingredients like MSG, Soy products (Soy is good only in moderation but it is in everything!) and high fructose corn syrup just to name a few in their food as fillers and flavor enhancers. You can find all kinds of health claims on these and other products stating they can cause all kinds of reactions and illnesses from diabetes to A.D.D. to cancer.
So what do we do? Do we not eat these things? I like to try to make things from scratch that we eat a lot of. For example, in our family we like bread. So once a month, I make whole wheat bread and I make enough to last us a month(leave one loaf out and freeze the rest). Pancakes, waffles and muffins are another good freezer item. Just double or triple the batch when you make them. Another item we have had fun with this summer is homemade popsicles which are so easy and yummy (recipe follows below). I have a daughter that is sensitive to high sugar content, (it makes her so hyper) and store bought popsicles are loaded with sugar.
In the end, I think it is worth your time to make some things from scratch, you'll get into good eating habits and teach your kids some valuable cooking lessons along the way. Your body will thank you for it, but be careful to not become so extreme that when you do have to eat at McDonald's (once in a while) it won't wreck your day!
Homemade Popsicles
ingredients:
1 cup of water
1 banana
10 strawberries frozen or not
sweetener (I use agave) to taste, I'm sure if you use white sugar it's still going to be better than what you get in a Popsicle in the store.
Directions: put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into Popsicle molds or small paper cups. I use crafting sticks because they come in a big bag at Walmart, and freeze until solid. I have been making some almost everyday, transferring them to baggies when frozen and then all of them into a gallon freezer bag to store. That way I have enough when the kids want them. Try out your own combinations with fruit or another favorite is chocolate coconut with nuts.
1/3 cup cashews
1/3 cup almonds
grind to powder in blender
1/3 cup cold pressed coconut oil (it's so good for you)
3 T agave
3 T alkaline free coco powder
Same directions as above. Makes about 8
