Two part question...........

[newg]

The Infomama thread about velveeta got me thinking about some of my own views about cooking and now I have two questions........
(and by no means am I trying to start something, I really am just curious!!)

My first question: What do you consider "homemade" ??

My second question: Not sure if I am going to correctly phrase this next one, but........
for those of you who completely (or mostly) cook from "scratch" do you ever use canned or box "meals"?

For example: I just "made" DD some chicken noodle soup from a can for lunch. Low salt, low fat, whole grain noodles. I added carrots and let her use whole grain salteins. Now, by no means do I consider this a "homemade" meal, but I just don't have time to mess with "made from scratch" chicken noodle soup right now.


You ladies always have great insight and I've learned so much from you over the years.....and I am always trying to improve on myself (and my famiies lifestyle), so I hope no one takes my thread as an attack on anyone's personal choices for feeding their families :)

[brittone2]

We rarely do boxed or homemade.

However, I make my own convenience food more or less. If I do soup, I do a giant pot and freeze the extra in freezer jars. One freezer jar works out well for my two older DC to have for lunch. So we might have soup and a salad for dinner one night, but it wasn't a lot of extra work to stock the freezer with 4-5 jars of soup (in lieu of cans).

I do a lot of bulk cooking. If I roast a chicken, I almost always do two and then cube/freeze the meat, which is easy to turn into a quick dinner.

Stuff like that. So no, I don't cook most items from a box but I don't slave over a stove for an hour or more 3x a day, kwim? Many of our weeknight dinners start as planned leftovers or I use my easy "starters" from the freezer.

[pastrygirl]

To me, homemade means that the meal was cooked at home, not just reheated, and that the bulk of the ingredients were not processed. For ex, I include stuff made WITH cream-of-whatever soup in the homemade category, but if cream-of-whatever soup WAS the meal, then it's not homemade. For myself, I try to avoid cooking meals with processed food ingredients. Every once in a while I use a cream-of-whatever soup, but it's rare.

However... I usually eat Ramen noodles or frozen Trader Joe's meals once a week or once every two weeks, if I'm desperate for something to eat and don't want eggs or other quick-to-cook foods.

The kids usually get boxed/processed meals once or twice a week -- frozen fries with fishsticks or mac & cheese. Those are pretty much the only two things I buy prepackaged for them. The other days we have leftovers, eggs, PB&J, or grilled cheese (made with Meunster).

I make everything else from scratch, though I do use premade broth, canned tomatoes (need to figure out an alternative b/c of the BPA!), canned beans, etc.

[newg]

So what about "simple" stuff like spaghetti or mac&cheese? Do you consider using a box of pasta (you cook it) and adding a jar of sauce (and whatever else) a homemade meal.....or does the pasta have to be made by you, as well as the sauce?

I guess that's what I'm really wondering (questioning my own views about cooking).

Right now I would consider cooking the pasta (boxed), cooking meat (or tofu or turkey) and adding it to a jar of sauce (healthy and organic)...and then adding that to the noodles (with bread and a salad...but both from the store in the winter) a homemade meal.

[wendibird22]

My first question: What do you consider "homemade" ??


If I needed any kitchen equipment like a mixer, blender, or pot, I consider it homemade! For me, baking a cake from a box mix is homemade. Buying the cake already made from the store is not. I distinguish homemade from "from scratch." I consider boxed spaghetti with jarred sauce homemade (though we do use from scratch sauce during tomato season). DH does most of the cooking and we are about a 50/50 split on scratch vs homemade/boxed. We mostly cook from recipe books but do use hamburger helper, manwich, etc on occasion and we don't have time for making our own pasta.

[pastrygirl]

So what about stuff like spaghettie or mac&cheese? Do you consider using a box of pasta (you cook it) and adding a jar of sauce (and whatever else) and homemade meal.....or does the pasta have to be made by you, as well as the sauce?

I guess that's what I'm really wondering (questioning my own views about cooking).

Right now I would consider cooking the pasta (boxed), cooking meat (or tofu or turkey) and adding it to a jar of sauce (healthy and organic)...and then adding that to the noodles (with bread and a salad) a homemade meal.Ack! I would consider that a homemade meal, even though it doesn't fit the definition I posted above. :o

My husband sometimes makes pasta from scratch, but not often. We usually use boxed pasta, as well as jarred sauce. Friday dinner is frequently pasta, sauce, and a bag of shredded cheddar mixed in. I consider it homemade.

[brittone2]

We don't do much pasta. I do buy the occasional box of annie's mac and cheese. DS1 and I ate a lot of it while I was pg with DD...it was one of the few things I could handle when I had morning sickness ;)

I think it really is a continuum and things like a bag or box of pasta can certainly be part of a "homemade" meal IMO. I would say it is more of a homemade item than opening a can of Chef Boy R Dee, kwim? Fewer preservatives, less BPA, etc. than a canned item.

I don't think you can divide homemade and not homemade into neat and tidy boxes. You can throw together a reasonably healthy meal that isn't necessarily "homemade", but we usually just choose to make stuff from scratch.

eta: agree with Latia that to me, boxed mac and cheese is not homemade. Not that it can't be incorporated into an overall healthy way of eating, but IMO not homemade. Homemade cheese sauce over boxed pasta to me is homemade however.

[vonfirmath]

Right now I would consider cooking the pasta (boxed), cooking meat (or tofu or turkey) and adding it to a jar of sauce (healthy and organic)...and then adding that to the noodles (with bread and a salad...but both from the store in the winter) a homemade meal.

I consider that homemade as well.

My ingredients are often canned, boxed, or bagged. But I mix them up together to make something. I'll add additional spices to jarred spaghetti sauce (and browned meat). And add canned tuna (or chicken) and frozen peas to mac and cheese

One of our favorite meals is bagged pasta, cooked chicken (bought fresh or frozen from the meat department), canned cream-of-soup, jarred pimientos, container of sour cream, fresh red pepper, fresh onion, frozen corn, bagged shredded cheese

[essnce629]

So what about "simple" stuff like spaghetti or mac&cheese? Do you consider using a box of pasta (you cook it) and adding a jar of sauce (and whatever else) a homemade meal.....or does the pasta have to be made by you, as well as the sauce?

I guess that's what I'm really wondering (questioning my own views about cooking).

Right now I would consider cooking the pasta (boxed), cooking meat (or tofu or turkey) and adding it to a jar of sauce (healthy and organic)...and then adding that to the noodles (with bread and a salad...but both from the store in the winter) a homemade meal.

Homemade spaghetti to me means that I made the sauce from scratch using diced tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, spices, wine, veggies, meat (that I cooked with onions and spices). I'll add that to noodles that I bought at the store and had to boil in water. I've never made my own noodles and have no plans to do so (my grandma has though!) I don't use jarred sauce since I don't like the taste and I like to make a lot of sauce at once (crockpot) and have lots extra for leftovers and to freeze.

We never really eat mac & cheese as a meal. When I have it it's a side dish to go with a BBQ main dish that I've made from scratch (ribs or pulled pork) and I usually buy the TJ's frozen mac & cheese. I wouldn't consider boxed mac & cheese "homemade." I've made homemade mac & cheese before, but it consisted of cooking the noodles and making a sauce with flour, butter, cheese, and milk and then putting it all in the oven.

[boolady]

Homemade spaghetti to me means that I made the sauce from scratch using diced tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, spices, wine, veggies, meat (that I cooked with onions and spices). I'll add that to noodles that I bought at the store and had to boil in water. I've never made my own noodles and have no plans to do so (my grandma has though!) I don't use jarred sauce since I don't like the taste and I like to make a lot of sauce at once (crockpot) and have lots extra for leftovers and to freeze.

We never really eat mac & cheese as a meal. When I have it it's a side dish to go with a BBQ main dish that I've made from scratch (ribs or pulled pork) and I usually buy the TJ's frozen mac & cheese. I wouldn't consider boxed mac & cheese "homemade." I've made homemade mac & cheese before, but it consisted of cooking the noodles and making a sauce with flour, butter, cheese, and milk and then putting it all in the oven.

These are the descriptions I would use for "homemade" as well. I guess for me, "homemade" means from scratch, but I don't make pasta. I will very infrequently make pasta with a jarred sauce that I'm okay with the ingredients, but I don't think of it as homemade. I usually make macaroni and cheese from scratch, as detailed above, b/c my parents did it that way and it's what I know. Occasionally, I will buy a TJ's frozen mac and cheese that DD will eat some with dinner, and some more with a lunch or something.

We don't really cook using soups and premade sauces-- that's not a dig, we just don't. If I'm going to make tettrazini or some sort of casserole with a cream-based sauce, it's just as easy to me and just as cheap (probably cheaper) to make a quick roux and then add some milk and let it thicken a bit and use that as the base. We also buy and eat some convenience foods that we're okay with the ingredients/source/whatever- Bell and Evans chicken tenders or nuggets, or TJ's frozen individual pizzas, something like that. I usually make them at night, let them cool, and send them as DD's lunch as a treat every few weeks or so. So we do eat some prepared foods, but if you're asking about what I consider homemade, it sounds like I define it almost identically to Latia.

[KrisM]

I've wondered this, too.

We make our pasta for spaghetti about 10% of the time and I'd call that from scratch. We never use jarred sauce, as I just make a big batch and freeze it. I'd call using that and boxed pasta homemade. But, I don't can tomatoe and have no idea how to make tomato paste or sauce, so I buy those.

I don't use cream soups because DH dislikes them. I make a roux in the microwave and it's super easy and for me is easier than the soup because I don't have to remember to buy soup and store soup. I have milk and flour already, so it's easy.

We make ravoili and I use our sauce with frozen ravioli and I consider that homemade, too.

Like Beth, I cook a lot for the freezer - potatoes, enchilada mix, spaghetti sauce, chili, etc. Lots of big batches and frozen to pop into a pan and reheat.

Our sides are often prepackaged though - veggies in a bag, refried beans in a can. I'm sure people make and grow them, but I don't know how.

[sewarsh]

I make homemade chic noodle soup a lot.
its SO easy and so delic.
but, i must admit as i type, it isn't exactly homemade becuase its made with a rotisserie chicken from costco, but the broth is homemade and the carrots come from my garden in the summer.

[Roni]

That's a good question. I'm trying to get my family to eat healthier. We usually have some kind of meat and a vegetable, but I'm always stuck on what to have for a carb side dish. Sometimes we have baked potatoes, but usually it's rice pilaf from a box or sometimes a boxed pasta (not too often-I'm trying to cut down on boxed food). I really like rice pilaf, & I can't imagine anyone in my house eating plain rice, especially brown. What do people do for easy, healthy side dishes?

[daisymommy]

In my eyes, from scratch means it all came from single ingredients. So milk, flour, eggs, butter, cheese, meat/poultry, sugar, vegetables, etc. This is what is also known as "whole food" cooking.

For me, "Homemade" however means you had to put ingredients all together to makes something new. But these ingredients can be things like spaghetti sauce in a jar, cream of chicken soup combined with other ingredients to make a casserole, etc.

But things that are just "heat and eat" or so very highly processed such as boxed macaroni and cheese, no I wouldn't call that homemade.

Edited to add:
Please join me in the cooking forum! Can all of you "homemade pasta sauce" gals please share your favorite recipes? I will admit I have only done it a few times because I didn't like how mine came out and it was a waste of time and ingredients.

Also, lets share some side dish ideas for Roni. I could use some new ones myself!

[brittone2]

That's a good question. I'm trying to get my family to eat healthier. We usually have some kind of meat and a vegetable, but I'm always stuck on what to have for a carb side dish. Sometimes we have baked potatoes, but usually it's rice pilaf from a box or sometimes a boxed pasta (not too often-I'm trying to cut down on boxed food). I really like rice pilaf, & I can't imagine anyone in my house eating plain rice, especially brown. What do people do for easy, healthy side dishes?

We don't do a ton of carbs, and often do 2 veggies in lieu of a "starch". We do pureed cauliflower like mashed potatoes, or sometimes I shred it and use it as a "rice" sub. If you seasoned the rice really well do you think your family would eat the rice from scratch? I mean, the boxed rice mixes are basically just seasonings added to the rice, so what if you found a seasoning blend you like? (garlic, onion, sea salt, etc.).

[niccig]

I think pasta is a good one to consider. I buy dried pasta, and either jarred sauce that I like that I add things too, or when I make pasta sauce from scratch, I'm still using canned tomatoes/pasta/sauce.

I do use some canned/boxed items in with my cooking. I use ready made broth, canned tomatoes, beans (I know I can soak and I have some, but never organized to do so). I buy frozen beans,peas, edamame other vegetables are fresh. I do buy TJ's frozen pot stickers, but I don't buy other frozen entrees.

As for sides, for us it's mostly vegetables and for grain we have quinoa, a rice medley or harvest grain medley from TJs, or couscous, but my family likes brown rice, so they're fine with that. Like Beth we have pureed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes - DH has blood suguar issues, so we haven't eat carbs like potato, white rice or pasta in nearly a year.

You can make pilaf, but it is an extra step of frying the orzo and rice in butter and then boiling it with a chicken or vegetable broth, add salt/pepper/herbs. To be honest, if you have time then great, you might like it better than the box, as I like my pasta sauce better than jarred. BUT, if you don't have time, then I have no issues with using the best boxed pilaf I can find.

For me, it's all about balance. Last night we had TJ's lentil soup with grilled cheese (harvati cheese) sandwiches, as I was tired. Tonight it will be marinated salmon with stry fry vege sides. Tomorrow night it could be hebrew national hot dog for DS with carrots/brocolli and hummus (bought hummus).

[vonfirmath]

We don't do a ton of carbs, and often do 2 veggies in lieu of a "starch". We do pureed cauliflower like mashed potatoes, or sometimes I shred it and use it as a "rice" sub. If you seasoned the rice really well do you think your family would eat the rice from scratch? I mean, the boxed rice mixes are basically just seasonings added to the rice, so what if you found a seasoning blend you like? (garlic, onion, sea salt, etc.).

I have a rice seasoning "blend" I bought at Uwajimaya when we lived in Seattle that turns plain rice into a meal!

[Roni]

You can make pilaf, but it is an extra step of frying the orzo and rice in butter and then boiling it with a chicken or vegetable broth, add salt/pepper/herbs. To be honest, if you have time then great, you might like it better than the box, as I like my pasta sauce better than jarred. BUT, if you don't have time, then I have no issues with using the best boxed pilaf I can find.

I really don't have time, with a baby interrupting cooking time, but over time it will get better. I guess it's a question of if it's healthier to add my own spices, which I assume it is. It would take a real shift in my thinking, but my family's health is important, especially as dh & I get older. Maybe getting everyone to eat more ruits & veggies is the way to start, & then take it from there. I am going to head over to the cooking forum, though.

[niccig]

I really don't have time, with a baby interrupting cooking time, but over time it will get better. I guess it's a question of if it's healthier to add my own spices, which I assume it is. It would take a real shift in my thinking, but my family's health is important, especially as dh & I get older. Maybe getting everyone to eat more ruits & veggies is the way to start, & then take it from there. I am going to head over to the cooking forum, though.

I would just do as much as you can and later if you think you can do more, then do so. Small changes are also easier to deal with. Have a look at the rice pilaf packet - it might not have much extra things in it.

I do the best I can with what I have, but there are times when we eat something that is more convenient.

I've had to change some of our eating because of DH's health. It's taken DS a little while, but he's fine now with pureed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. I had to get over the no grain with a meal. We'll do more vegetables instead.

[pastrygirl]

I really don't have time, with a baby interrupting cooking time, but over time it will get better. I guess it's a question of if it's healthier to add my own spices, which I assume it is. It would take a real shift in my thinking, but my family's health is important, especially as dh & I get older. Maybe getting everyone to eat more ruits & veggies is the way to start, & then take it from there. I am going to head over to the cooking forum, though.Do you have a rice cooker? I used to LOVE Rice-a-Roni, and finally found a from-scratch recipe that comes pretty darned close! The rice cooker makes it easy because I don't have to watch it. I can make it early in the day and it stays warm and fresh for hours. I make up the spice mixture in a huge batch and keep it in my spice cupboard, and use a few spoonfuls every time I make the pilaf. It's SO good.

[citymama]

We don't cook out of a box I think mostly because both DH and I were raised by moms who were amazing cooks and we are spoiled! We use mostly fresh vegetables and ingredients, but there are definitely some short cuts we take. Sometimes the short cut is to do prep work the night before or on the weekend.

Convenience ingredients we use: canned tomatoes (low in sodium and usually organic from TJs) to make pizza sauce or chili, TJs frozen pizza dough to make our own pizzas, store-bought vegetable bouillon or broth for soup bases (I would love to make my own broth but I rarely do), canned or jarred curry pastes for Thai cooking (sometimes make our own curry paste), sometimes canned beans to make our own bean dishes, but we usually use dried beans.

Convenience prepared foods we do use: packaged cereal, veggie burgers, TJs veg. gyoza, frozen berries for pancakes, premade food in our earthquake kits, and that's pretty much it! On very rare occasion we will have canned or packaged soup to warm up on a cold day.

Convenience foods we don't use: frozen vegetables other than peas, pre-made pasta sauce, pre-made frozen or boxed foods, frozen desserts other than ice cream, cheese-like products, pre-made frosting, anything you have to spray or squeeze out of a tube that isn't a condiment!

[mommylamb]

If it's something that Sandra Lee would make, I do not consider it home made. Especially if it's that nasty blue Hanukkah cake that someone posted about a while back. I was soooo grossed out by that!

[newg]

Okay, I def. don't feel as bad as I thought I would about using items already in jars/boxes/cans to make my own meals.
When I make mac & cheese it is from scratch (milk, flour, "butter"......)BUT I need to discover a new "cheese", as I have been using Velveeta as my mom does (heading to the cooking forum now ;))
We mostly use frozen veggies in the winter, along with salads, because it is just easier for me right now.

In fact most of my "homemade" meals use some box/can/jar in it (but I pick healthy and organic if possible). Again, mostly because with a baby and toddler, I need FAST to be part of my dinner planning!

Glad to know I'm not way off base with my cooking philosophies!

[kijip]

I think that this is very much a self-defined thing. For some people, just reheating pre-made ingredients is as close as they can or want to get to homecooking. And given that heating up a can of sauce and boiling pasta and mixing a salad is a FAR healthier and more economically wise meal than ordering pizza, who the hell am I to disparage or discourage them? And for a lot of people, using basic packaged foods can be the gateway drug for more and more cooking.

When I take a packet of seasoning and an avocado and some pre-made salsa and mix it up I jokingly call it homemixed. But I am also someone who can make to die for homemade guacamole without following a recipe.

We do a significant amount from scratch. From total scratch. You will never find (nor could I even eat, because of the high sodium) a can of cream of mushroom thickening my stroganoff or shortcutting my roux. Most of our grilled cheese is grilled on our own sandwich bread. But we do some canned ingredients here and there, and we like most people with jobs, eat dry pasta most of the time. Many people would consider us foodies, I consider us just plain everyday cooks. So I think it is ok for me to have a different bar for myself, who can cook in my sleep, than others for what is homemade. If my husband, the baker but not cook, makes a simple meal at home I call that homemade. If I cook the same thing, it is me reheating in a rush. And that is a-ok.

[niccig]

Do you have a rice cooker? I used to LOVE Rice-a-Roni, and finally found a from-scratch recipe that comes pretty darned close! The rice cooker makes it easy because I don't have to watch it. I can make it early in the day and it stays warm and fresh for hours. I make up the spice mixture in a huge batch and keep it in my spice cupboard, and use a few spoonfuls every time I make the pilaf. It's SO good.

Recipe please....