[imamumto3]

In the other thread about using sachets while cooking food for a 12mo, a lot of people said they wouldn't touch them.

I'm interested now, how many people actually cook from scratch. I don't mean growing your own veggies or making your own bread, but using store bought flour, eggs, sugar type cooking.

personally, I cook from scratch because The kids are on a fails safe diet so it's easier to make my own, but I enjoy cooking, am a sahm, meaning I can prepare earlier or partly prepare during the day, and I think the end result tastes nicer.

one friend of mine is the same as me, but most of my family and friends use packets or jar sauces for most meals.

I don't want this to be a you're wrong, I'm right type thread, I'm just curious how many do and how many dont and your reasons for your choice

[♥~Bodhichitta~♥]

I cook completely from scratch.

For a few reasons - firstly I enjoy it . And also DS and I can't tolerate anything out of a packet or jar. We are very sensitive to additives, flavourings, colourings etc.

I even roast and grind my own spices for curries etc - but that's again because I love cooking

[Cherish]

I dont tend to use jars or packets- but I will use convenience items like tinned tomatoes or passata and even (shock horror!) Keen's curry powder

[**Mel**]

I am a mixture of both. If I have time, I like doing things from scratch but I am not completely adverse to using a jar or pouch at times.

But, in our house, DH cooks most often. He doesn't necessarily like it, but it has just become his 'job' over the years. He wouldn't do it at all if it meant doing everything from scratch, so if he is doing spag bol or curry or something like that, he will use a jar

[~Supernova~]

I cook almost everything from scratch. I enjoy cooking, and have a huge cupboard full of herbs and spices. We still have "easy" meals, when I just couldn't be bothered, but it will be things like steam veges and fish or similar. The rest of my family uses mostly jars and packets, which is what we grew up with.

I USED to cook with a lot of packets, and the difference between DD and DS is already very obvious. DD likes bland salty food, and DS loves herby food, chilies, curries, you name it.

[Green Door]

We cook mad make most things from scatch , only because I have the time and I love cooking

[CupcakeMumma]

Pretty much from scratch here, other than gravy lol

[Lucretia Borgia]

Yes I cook from scratch.....well, as per your post I don't mill my own flour or make my own cheese, but if I am doing a casserole I chop up fresh onions, garlic, celery, garlic etc.....I make my own chicken and beef stock.....sometimes fish stock but I don't really use it a lot......I prefer home baked cakes, I don't really eat biscuits, and I DO eat store bought chocolate. ALOT...

I have an 11 month old and I boil up apples and pears to purée, I make all his vegetables up from scratch...my issue with pre made
Baby food...or any pre made food really is the shelf life of the stuff.....I mAke my own stuff and will refrigerate it for up to four days (depending) or freeze it...this stuff sits around on supermarket shelves for months....what do they put in it to enable it to do that? Salt and sugar are the least of our worries here I think....

It all comes down to personal taste....I know I am coming off self righteous.....FTR my family eat sultanas and yoghurt, they eat hot chips when we are out. And I drink like a fish. Alcohol though...not water.....

[Flibbertigibbert...]

I've always cooked from scratch, even if I am feeling really lazy I would refer to cook scramble eggs on toast for dinner than use a jar. They taste icky and way too many unnecessary ingredients.
I do however make gluten free cakes out of a packet for DS because the from scratch ones I make look like pancakes and have the consistency of a rock.

[marley*and*me]

I cook from scratch in that I don't use commercially prepared sauces, dinners, etc.

But I do use already made pasta, puff pastry, condiments like mayo, and if making caramel I just boil a tin of condensed milk and jelly just use the natural colourings packet. We eat rica crackers, cruskits and wholesale salads. I buy already made stock. I buy bread from the local bakers.

I don't buy woollies cakes, piklets, or premade bakery things.

So not sure where you draw the line, but I think I cook for our family mostly from scratch. And the biggest reason would because premade pasta sauces, packet mixes are so expensive. I could not afford them.

This post has been edited by marley*and*me: 20/01/2013, 07:58 AM