From scratch cooking can be a daunting task if cooking isn’t something you find at least a little joy in. However, when you’re equipped with these from scratch kitchen hacks, you’ll be able to whiz through your kitchen and meal making with comfort and ease… AND save some money too! Keep these cooking hacks in your homemade cooking arsenal. You’ll need them!
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From Scratch Kitchen Hacks: QUICK BAKING TIPS
There are two things that blew my mind and actually kinda ticked me off when I realized how they were made because I felt duped:
Brown Sugar and Powdered Sugar
All these years. The whole time? THE WHOLE TIME!? In my Sally Fields voice. This whole time powdered sugar is just sugar blended well about 10 times in a blender into a fine powder. Hence why powdered sugar is sometimes labeled 10x sugar.
Sure, industrial-style, commercial-grade equipment will make the powder much finer but in a pinch, this is the go-to how-to!
Brown sugar is regular ol’ sugar plus some molasses. Incorporate well. That’s seriously it.
Now, some of you may be like “duh, Katie. I knew that.” Well, I didn’t until I got serious about more than just “assembly meals” in our kitchen.
What’s an assembly meal?
This may hurt some feelings but assembly meals are meals put together from boxes or bags or packets.
Pour sauce over noodles. Taco season packet in ground beef. Hamburger Helper with milk in a pan. Rice Krispies, marshmallows, and butter for a dessert. You get the point.
Sure, you can call that homemade but is it really or a just a play on words? You made it at home but we can agree there is very little home-MADE about it.
I’m not hating on dump and mix assembly meals. I just know now that not every thing “made at home” is actually “homemade”… in the 1960’s definition of the word.
Vanilla Extract
Vanilla bean pods, alcohol of choice, and time.
Do it now then thank yourself in 6 months for making it in less than 10 minutes and storing away in the pantry.
Butter
Break out your Little House on the Prairie apron and let’s churn some butter!
Just kidding. While I do love fresh raw butter made my own self
1- I don’t do it often because I choose to use my raw cream for coffee creamer instead of making butter.
2- I’ve never tried the shake it til you make it butter method in a jar. I do like first world technology in the kitchen such as a Kitchen Aid mixer to do this heavy lifting for me. Butter can also be made in a blender!
Buttermilk
Another from scratch cooking hack that blew my mind when I learned that I don’t need to spend $4 on a pint at the store is buttermilk.
Regular milk and an acid like white vinegar or lemon juice work the same.
Save your money, honey, when you’ve got this from scratch cooking hack in your back pocket.
Self-rising flour
And another one that I can’t believe we pay extra for the convenience of some manufacturer adding 2 extra ingredients to our all-purpose flour for us…
Self-rising flour is all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
From Scratch Kitchen Hacks: BAKED GOODS
Have a seat, Betty Crocker. You can too, Duncan Hines. We can take it from here.
Pretty much boxed brownies and cake mix are just the powders measured for you (with some hidden fillers and preservatives and junk ingredients, of course).
You still have to melt the butter, crack the eggs, pour the milk.
Is it really that much harder to measure the powders? No, it isn’t. Seriously, like 4 extra minutes. Sometimes it takes that long to locate the kitchen scissors to cut open the bag of powders, anyway.
Sure, some of these recipes below take longer than 4 minutes to whip up to bake but the taste and satisfaction in knowing each and every ingredient makes these desserts taste even better!
Cinnamon Rolls (recipe above this makes enough for 1 loaf PLUS 12 rolls!)
Banana Muffins (with or without chocolate chips)
From Scratch Kitchen Hacks: DIY SEASONINGS
Why make your own seasonings when they are super cheap to buy in a packet at the store?
Because those store packets are full of monosodium glutamate or MSG. Nothing about that umami producing flavor is good for your body.
Pretty much any other seasoning you want can be searched and found on Pinterest!
From Scratch Kitchen Hacks: BREAKFAST
One day your children will think back to their childhood and remember the mornings they woke to the smell of bacon frying and cinnamon something baking in the oven.
Cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting
No Knead, No Cut Biscuits AKA Drop Biscuits
Pancakes (several recipes to choose from!)
Yogurt in an Instant Pot
Healthy Granola (makes a great replacement for cold cereal in expensive boxes!)
From Scratch Kitchen Hacks: LUNCH & DINNER
Oftentimes last night’s dinner is today’s lunch.
From scratch cooking takes effort and intentionality, in this post you’ll learn how I actually only cook one from scratch meal a day and stretch it.
Homemade mayonaise (no seed oils, hallelujah!)
Tomato Sauce for pasta or homemade pizza
Bone Broth (never toss the meat bones away! Use them for a soup base.)
- easy lunch with homemade bone broth: cook pasta noodles or rice in it! Toss in some frozen peas or shredded carrots.
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