tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post3450198677689249327..comments2024-03-28T15:55:53.792+10:00Comments on down to earth: Three good reasons to cook from scratchUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-88841929792782397172011-10-29T05:15:33.067+10:002011-10-29T05:15:33.067+10:00Hi Barbara, we do it for taste. If you're usin...Hi Barbara, we do it for taste. If you're using whey you may not have that problem. If you do some reading about this, it's still uncertain if you should rinse before eating for health reasons. Thanks for your comment. :- )rhonda jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962112306968959985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-14663513040535588192011-10-28T21:34:49.539+10:002011-10-28T21:34:49.539+10:00I love your blog Rhonda!!! I was wondering why the...I love your blog Rhonda!!! I was wondering why the recipe recommended rinsing the oatmeal after soaking. The only reason I could think of is for taste, particularly if using a stronger tasting acid like cider vinegar. I use a tablespoon of whey when I soak my oatmeal and have never read that I should rinse it, nor have I had a problem with the taste being too sour. I'd love to know if I'm doing it wrong! :)Barbarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09477728618324402064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-61112952298315913652011-10-27T05:48:40.977+10:002011-10-27T05:48:40.977+10:00Excellent post. I came over from Beauty that Moves...Excellent post. I came over from Beauty that Moves blog. I grew up in Switzerland and "cereal" meant rolled oats w/ yogurt, nuts, and fruit. I still like it so much better than the "junk cereal" that comes in boxes. I also make granola for my very American box-cereal loving husband. =)Elisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07975746279957689529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-9191512309368834292011-10-25T21:13:59.533+10:002011-10-25T21:13:59.533+10:00Wonderful post, Rhonda! I cook from scratch, and a...Wonderful post, Rhonda! I cook from scratch, and always have. Your cabbage rolls look delicious. One of my favorites!Tracyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11011968957287943985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-67280958011521749192011-10-25T09:18:28.650+10:002011-10-25T09:18:28.650+10:00Since being married in my early 20's I have al...Since being married in my early 20's I have almost always cooked from scratch. Though at the time I didn't have a real knowledge of what I was avoiding, but it felt like "cheating" in a sense to cook a casserole and use a flavoured packet. My mother had always cooked from scratch out of budget necessity.<br />Of course now I know so much more then I did then about the benefits of cooking from scratch and have added daily bread to the list. I do love reading your posts as a reminder to benefits of living this way.Taniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00123593037593548003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-19551040709874635102011-10-25T04:54:12.390+10:002011-10-25T04:54:12.390+10:00Ahoy Rhonda, You had plenty of callers on your rad...Ahoy Rhonda, You had plenty of callers on your radio spot, I'll try to call next time so you get a bloke on. All the best. Cap'n Dan Van Blarcom, Airlie Beach, WhitsundayCap'n Danhttp://waterfront.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-73401633620621333572011-10-25T04:48:33.554+10:002011-10-25T04:48:33.554+10:00Edwina, I'll post the recipe for stuffed cabba...Edwina, I'll post the recipe for stuffed cabbage rolls soon. <br /><br />Michaela, well done!rhonda jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962112306968959985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-40273829738921894072011-10-25T04:47:35.346+10:002011-10-25T04:47:35.346+10:00Hannah1cestmoi, canning doesn't work because o...Hannah1cestmoi, canning doesn't work because of added preservatives, you sterilise the food and container. The people who have died from botulism didn't die because they ate food with no preservatives, the canning wasn't done correctly and the Botulinum toxin survived the process. That had nothing to do with added preservatives.<br /><br />I do understand why the food industry was developed, it's what certain parts of it has developed into I have a problem with.rhonda jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962112306968959985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-57564118296847654862011-10-25T00:31:51.916+10:002011-10-25T00:31:51.916+10:00Hi Rhonda,
My husband works for a circus company ...Hi Rhonda, <br />My husband works for a circus company and we are currently touring Japan. As fabulous as the food is here we find ourselves making food from scratch as we have a picky 3 year old. I made a quiche with your pastry recipe yesterday. It was my first time making pastry as I usually buy it frozen. It was a big success! <br />Thankyou! Really enjoying your blog. <br />MichaelaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-76976033677932434542011-10-24T20:33:06.537+10:002011-10-24T20:33:06.537+10:00Another one in full agreement with you Rhonda. No...Another one in full agreement with you Rhonda. Now, where do I find the recipe for that yummy looking stuffed cabbage? I'm drooling just looking at it.Edwinanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-22889581175380479922011-10-24T18:13:18.752+10:002011-10-24T18:13:18.752+10:00I agree with the main message of this post. I cook...I agree with the main message of this post. I cook a lot of our meals from scratch (and so does my husband) - but not as completely as you, Rhonda. I do buy yoghurt and stock cubes. But then again, we both work outside the house full time. Making stock is satisfying, but also time-consuming!<br /><br />I wanted to make a little remark on a phrase from your article: "Humans have survived all these years without eating artificially preserved and flavoured foods and now it is our turn to control the food chain and what do we do?" <br /><br />Well, humans did survive, but the truth is that 100-200 years ago a lot of people died because of food poisoning. Antibiotics were not available back then, so once you got infected, it could turn out pretty seriously. A lot of people died because of faulty canning (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botulism, but I learned about this from the Slow Food Magazine). Food technology is not all bad, it saved a lot of lives, especially of poor(er) people, not in the least because healthier food became available for them (in the cities, working class could now afford to eat vegetables and meat -which is a more balanced diet than eating mainly potatoes and bread). <br /><br />This is not to say that cooking from scratch is wrong, or dangerous. (I do it myself and enjoy it!) I just wanted to point out that it is not all black-and-white and there is a reason why the food industry got developed and people embraced it. As far as additives such as sugar and salt - you can eat a lot healthier if you cook from scratch. But some preservatives are really useful and make healthy food available to the masses.Hannah1cestmoinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-1025308801718132242011-10-24T18:08:35.726+10:002011-10-24T18:08:35.726+10:00goodmorning from France Rhonda!
I enjoyed this pos...goodmorning from France Rhonda!<br />I enjoyed this post very much and would like to know if you have the recipe for the filled cabbage on your blog? It looks so delicious!!<br />Thanks again for all your interesting posts!! GerryAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-41086200724751698202011-10-24T17:04:06.026+10:002011-10-24T17:04:06.026+10:00Just a reply to Serena's Secret Gardens questi...Just a reply to Serena's Secret Gardens question re teens & junk food. If you don't buy it (fizzy drinks, store-bought junk food), then they can't eat it. I know that's obvious, but it can work. Of course, if he has money he can buy it elsewhere. <br /><br />Perhaps having homemade choc chip cookies with oats or homemade peanut butter cookies or homemade oatmeal cookies or raisin/date/jam slices in a glass jar (that he can make too) or nuts & dried fruit like 'trail mix' (if he'll eat dried fruit) available will be something he'll reach for. Also, gluten-free pasta & bread and low GI food plus protein (eg tuna or hard-boiled eggs in a wrap w/ any kind of previously cooked or cold veg already cut up) helps the body feel full longer, so that's another thought. <br /><br />My 19 yr old son is the same, but if I have such things available, then he's fine. He likes to cook, for which I am thankful. He's forever making his own meal right before the family meal is made.....I think the term is 'grazing' for growing teenagers (eating small meals often). It's just important that they don't 'graze' on empty calories/kilojoules to keep the blood sugar even.Beccahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18122656833028913453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-42734591857327482952011-10-24T16:05:27.820+10:002011-10-24T16:05:27.820+10:00I spent much of the last school holidays cooking u...I spent much of the last school holidays cooking up meals so that I could restock our freezer. We'd gotten to the point where I was completely out of energy on Thursday nights, and couldn't make a decision about what to cook, let alone cook it. Add that to an empty freezer and you end up eating far too much takeaway! I am also usually an avid menu planner but have gotten out of the habit over the last few months. Hopefully as life settles down a bit after some crazy mad busyness, I'll get that under control, too. I'm a big fan of cooking from scratch, so it unsettles me when we end up relying on outsourcing.dillpicklehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10167045189440606367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-48532228293159060132011-10-24T15:01:52.660+10:002011-10-24T15:01:52.660+10:00I completely agree with you, Rhonda. And the secre...I completely agree with you, Rhonda. And the secret, in my opinion, is to find the time and organize your cooking life. When I have to go at work, for example, I wake up very early to prepare the "base" of our daily meal. Or prepare lots of thing on sunday. Thanks for this very interesting post, Clara.Clarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00732806287346736401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-88703530001703821922011-10-24T13:51:10.380+10:002011-10-24T13:51:10.380+10:00I agree completely about cooking from 'scratch...I agree completely about cooking from 'scratch' but really wish we could think up a better phrase. It always conjures up a vision of the cook scratching away at various ailments as they prepare the food. Not a good vision. :)Sandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09540456562833941487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-77074682692499314142011-10-24T13:30:39.872+10:002011-10-24T13:30:39.872+10:00have yet attempt my own vegie stock but food does ...have yet attempt my own vegie stock but food does taste best from scratch so I'm inspired to give it a go.Kirsty @ Bowerbird Bluehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12511849105347338654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-28213163701148366252011-10-24T12:28:14.064+10:002011-10-24T12:28:14.064+10:00This is great, really articulates my passion for g...This is great, really articulates my passion for good, healthy, simple homemade food. It's so essential and so often overlooked. And a little preparation and planning is all it takes to do this week in, week out.Brooke {Slow Your Home}http://www.slowyourhome.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-15729499853945210832011-10-24T12:04:51.071+10:002011-10-24T12:04:51.071+10:00Hi Rhonda, I posted our families favourite Honey ...Hi Rhonda, I posted our families favourite Honey and Oat bread today which my kids love as an alternative to cereal....toasted in the morning with butter, or a little honey on top its a filling and " made from scratch' brekkie to start them off for the day....Suzannehttp://enchantedthingsprimitives.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-32976741069298835152011-10-24T11:45:50.650+10:002011-10-24T11:45:50.650+10:00Like Frugal Wife above, I got thrust into cooking ...Like Frugal Wife above, I got thrust into cooking from scratch because of food allergies. That was 20 years ago when I was just out of college, so I've never really known any different during my adult life. Although it would be really nice not to be allergic, in a way I view it as a gift that allowed me to escape the whole processed food trap that would otherwise be so easy to fall into. <br /><br />It was a bit of a baptism by fire though, since I was raised by a mother who's idea of "home cooking" was sticking a TV dinner in the oven! But I've always taken inspiration from my Italian grandmother who could take the scantest of ingredients and whip up a feast. And you totally hit the nail on the head when you said you should stop buying food and start buying ingredients!<br /><br />A great way to learn how to really cook from scratch, as opposed to just following recipes, is to join a CSA farm. There's nothing like having a big box of unfamiliar vegetables arrive every week to broaden your horizons and teach you how to cook with what you have on hand!<br /><br />Another thing I've found extremely helpful is to get educated about what I call "spice families." I don't mean that in the sense of which plants are related to each other, but which seasonings are used together in various different cuisines. I often have to substitute spices because of my allergies, so it's really helpful to know which things will "go" together nicely.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-27400609005091623002011-10-24T10:41:18.895+10:002011-10-24T10:41:18.895+10:00Thank you for your wise words, Rhonda. In our kitc...Thank you for your wise words, Rhonda. In our kitchen right now there is the smell of hot Tuscan Bean Soup and Herb Bread that will be enjoyed for dinner in just a few short moments. A home cooked meal is not only better for you physically, but mentally as well. Cooking relaxes me and the look on a loved one's face when they take the first bite of the meal you have put so much love into is the best feeling in the world! Home cooking brings us all closer.<br /><br />Brenna<br /><br />consciousearthveg.blogspot.comBrennahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02556244513660572044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-31828458325876078272011-10-24T10:21:34.345+10:002011-10-24T10:21:34.345+10:00You know that I'm on the same page Rhonda...ex...You know that I'm on the same page Rhonda...except for my dirty secret -- pastry. But I will try again, I know you have some directions here. <br /><br />I didn't know Laucke made German grain flour, I'll go to their site and see where I can get it.Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14751315680374413649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-28211585724329652812011-10-24T09:24:41.837+10:002011-10-24T09:24:41.837+10:00I really want to be able to cook from scratch more...I really want to be able to cook from scratch more. There are so many things you can make with the most basic of ingredients. I guess its all in the know how! In our fast paced lifestyles packaged food seems easier and you know what you are going to get (even if its a bit gross!). I think the first place for anyone wanting to learn to cook from scratch is pancakes! They are so unbelieveably easy yet so many buy the packet mix! Insanity!Wylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10162670316853611250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-59419255388548826692011-10-24T09:24:14.260+10:002011-10-24T09:24:14.260+10:00hi rhonda, yes cooking from scratch is the way to ...hi rhonda, yes cooking from scratch is the way to go but these days alot of people just do not know the basics! We have a well known cook here in nz, alison holst. She has a couple of really good cook books which tell you and show you all the basics ways to do things when cooking, helping you to budget simply for your family. My mother told me: "If you have flour , eggs and milk then you can make alot of things if you try, and you will always have a meal". love your blog sue~n.z.-girl from the bushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01694078926048982759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-70762097242706763982011-10-24T08:32:34.112+10:002011-10-24T08:32:34.112+10:00We have a huge vegetable garden, some goats and ch...We have a huge vegetable garden, some goats and chickens and supplement our pantry with ingredients (only) from the supermarket. I can't help but notice what other people are buying, glancing over their products whilst I'm queuing at the checkout. It is amazing to see the volume of prepackaged, pop-in-the-microwave products (I don't call it food) people throw their money away on - or the fast food, synthetic, extruded snacks to be washed down by gallons of sugar laden fizzy drinks. It's no wonder that allergies are galloping through society when the bulk of products have synthetic components rather than real, simple, good honest food. That's why I'm so grateful for what you write Rhonda, and thank you for this post.Melissanoreply@blogger.com