I love good food. I hate paying for bad food. Thus, I love cooking. And once you start cooking, you realize just how bad some of the things you eat all the time really are. Try some of these homemade treats and you’ll see what I mean!
- BBQ Rub – What’s the secret to good bar-b-que? Ahh… that’s a secret! But ONE of the secrets is a good dry rub. A good rub is something you create on your own, but Alton Brown gives a good formula for success – 8 parts brown sugar, 3 parts kosher salt, 1 part chili powder, 1 part “secret ingredients”. Mix your own and have fun experimenting!
- Pizza – $12 for a piece of cardboard with fake cheese? (But delivery is free!) No thanks. I’d rather make my own.
- Jelly – Sure, it’s a lot of work, but worth it! Plus, it makes great gifts!
- Pancakes – Ummm… pancakes!! Yea, we all make them, but the box mixes taste like, well, box. Try mixing your own.
- Brownies – Again box mixes = box taste. Make sure to let these cool completely before you cut them. These are the best thing you will ever bake.
- Salsa – You can’t beat the taste of fresh salsa. No recipe here – just throw tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, a little garlic, lime, and salt in a food processor and near instant salsa!
- Whipped Cream – 1 cup cream + 2 tbsp sugar + 1 tsp vanilla + mixer on high = the reason I need to wear sansabelt pants!
- Marinara Sauce – Maybe a little over an hour, but better than anything in a jar!
- Ciabatta Bread – Yes, homemade bread. Worth it? Try it and find out.
- Refried Beans – Make these and you’ll never go back to the can.
- Biscuits – No, not from a can. Not from a baking mix. From scratch. Recipes don’t matter as much as technique – be gentle and you will be rewarded.
- Marshmallows – Homemade marshmallows? Worth it? You can’t roast these, but you can make any hot cocoa into a luxury experience!
Well, I am not sure which one I would remove… they are all so good!… but I feel strongly that homemade Pesto should be on that list somewhere!
It’s great as a base for pizza instead of sauce.
It’s obviously wonderful on pasta with chicken or shrimp.
You can also put it over bread and toast it.
Put it over your fish the last 10min on the bbq or in the oven and it will knock your socks off.
I also use it as a side for a steak instead of.. ick… steaksauce!
mmmm Pesto!
I’ll go with pesto… that just has to be fresh to taste any good. Tough to make without a food processor, though.
It’s so true that once you start cooking for yourself, you realize how bad most prepared foods are! Thanks for including my refried beans recipe and for the great list!