Cooking from Scratch - Made Easy!

Often the words "cooking from scratch" are associated with thoughts of "too much time and work." For several years, that is exactly how I approached the idea. Though I thought "cooking from scratch" would be great because of the potential cost-savings, the nutritional value and just the down-right "yumminess" of "from-scratch" foods, I never thought that I could do it. In fact, when my husband and I were first married my culinary ability could be summed up in the following recipe:

1. Open the box
2. Add water
3. Microwave.

When my daughter was diagnosed with food allergies and I began looking at labels, I was shocked and dismayed by how many things contained milk and eggs. All of the convenience mixes and semi-prepared foods that were staples of our diet had to go... (and I can't say that I really miss many of them - if I never eat Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni again it will be too soon!)

A friend introduced me to one of my now-favorite cookbooks and essential tools for being "in the kitchen with food allergies".

Make-a-Mix: Over 300 Easy Recipes for Every Meal of the Day

This cookbook gives 67 mix recipes that you can prepare ahead of time for convenient use later. It even includes sample recipes to make by using the mixes.

The main reason I love this cookbook is because it made transitioning to allergen-free cooking doable. If a mix (such as the Hot-Roll Mix) calls for dry milk, I just leave it out. I have tried many of the mixes in the book and have not had any problems leaving out the offending ingredients. When I cook something (like Pan Rolls) using a mix, I do have to use substitutes for the eggs and milk in the recipe. Often times this makes the recipe healthier than I would have expected!

Another reason that I have come to love Make-a-Mix is because of the cost-savings. I can make a breakfast for my family of large, tasty vegan biscuits (using a more expensive & healthier mix of all-purpose and whole-wheat flours) for around $.50. It costs me the same to make a batch of vegan cinnamon rolls. I've really enjoyed making loaves of yummy, nutritious bread for pennies compared to what I'd pay for the equivalent at the grocery store. Cake mixes are another jewel that we have enjoyed from the Make-a-Mix cookbook.

The nutritional value of my recipes went way up when I started making and using mixes. Usually the biggest plus comes from the elimination of cholesterol since I don't use eggs. I am also glad that in most cases I've cut out preservatives and several of those ingredients found in processed foods that I can't quite pronounce. Cooking from scratch also gives me the ability to make healthier substitutions - like using whole wheat flour instead of 100% all-purpose flour.

Does it take a lot of time to prepare these mixes? Not really. Considering that many of the mixes call for similar ingredients, you can buy in bulk which usually makes it cheaper as well as eliminating extra trips to the grocery store. For about a half-hour once a week, my kids and I have Mix-Making-Time where we practice math and science (for preschoolers), spend some fun time in the kitchen together and stock my pantry full of mixes for easy use later.

Overall, I have greatly enjoyed learning how to cook from scratch since my daughter was diagnosed with food allergies. Though it seemed like a great burden at the time, my whole family has definitely benefited from the changes I have made. A big "Thank You!" to the authors of Make-a-Mix for easing the transition.