Not Always Scratchy

I love to make things from scratch whenever I can.  I like knowing what is in the foods or products I make and usually have a good time making taco seasoning mix, Ranch salad dressing, soap, window cleaner or whatever it is I'm making on a given day.  The extra effort is usually worth it to me in superior quality and/or peace of mind.

On the other hand, there are some things I just don't bother with.  Here is a short list of things I don't (or seldom) make from scratch along with my reason(s) why.  Remember, your mileage may vary.

1) Jams and Jellies - The reason why I don't make wholesome jams and jellies from our homegrown berries or local fruit is because....we don't eat them.  Between the three of us, we go through one or maybe two small jars of jam or jelly in a year.  It's just not our thing. Many people give jams as gifts, but for a number of reasons, that doesn't work for us, either.  So, instead of making jams and jellies, I just buy them homemade from someone at the farmers' market or spend a little extra and buy a quality brand of fruit spread from the store.

2) Yogurt - It's not that I don't ever make homemade yogurt, I just don't do it often.  The reason, again, is because we don't eat a lot of it.  To be more accurate, our yogurt eating is sporadic.  Kat and I go through phases where we eat it almost daily, then drop it like a hot potato for months.  So, I make it sometimes, when we're in a yogurt-eating phase.  When I start making a lot of yogurt cheese because I know we aren't going to eat it as plain yogurt, I know it's time to stop making it for a while.  We recently discovered dairy kefir, which is a yogurt-like probiotic drink.  I find it easier and quicker to make than yogurt, so sometimes make it instead.  Also, I have no problem buying the occasional tub of quality yogurt from the store.

3) Homemade Dishwasher Detergent - We make our own bath soap and laundry powder, so you'd think I'd be all over this idea. I've tried and tried to find a homemade dishwasher formula that I'm happy with, but I haven't found it yet.  Until I do (if ever), I buy commercial detergent and cut it with some baking soda and borax (ingredients in most homemade dishwasher detergents) to make it go farther.

4) Mayonnaise - I think knowing how to make homemade mayo is a good skill to have in a pinch, but for the cost of farm eggs and good oil (for me, that means not canola, soybean or corn oil), there is no savings to be had by making our own.  My family and I also find the homemade stuff a little too eggy for our tastes.  Since the oil is the only ingredient in commercial mayonnaise that I have a big problem with, we'll either just cut back on how much we use, or fork out the extra for mayonnaise made with better oils, like olive oil. 

5) Flour Tortillas - As with the yogurt, it's not that I won't make them, but I won't make them often.  We have some Hispanic markets in our town and I can usually find locally-made tortillas that are made with manteca (lard) instead of hydrogenated shortening.  When I'm busy (when am I not?), I'd prefer to buy good tortillas rather than roll out my own.

6) Hand Sanitizer and/or Disinfectant Wipes - I don't buy these products and don't see the need to make them, either.

7) Granola.  I've made homemade granola and it's great tasting stuff -- much tastier and healthier than boxed cereal.  But...you guessed it...we just don't eat it.  None of us really likes cold cereal; I found a box of cereal in the pantry last week that had a 2010 expiry date on it.  I don't eat it at all, and the other two lose interest after a bowl or two.   The same goes for granola, so after making two batches, I called it quits. 

Can you add to this list?  What do you NOT make from scratch that other DIY and homesteader-type folks seem to be making all the time?  Why?

To Begin...Begin

"To begin, begin."
                            --William Wordsworth


This is what my kitchen looked like most of the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve.  It's looked this way since then, too. Truth be told, it looks this way about once a week. 

Some days there are just so many things to do around here that it's hard to know where to begin . On days like this, I don't even try to prioritize.  I just pick something and do it.

I might not get as much done as I would with a properly ordered to do list, but I'll get something done.

Some days, I think that's the best you can hope for.

Things I Want To Accomplish This Year

Oh, I know we're already a few days into the new year, but it's not too late for me to set a couple of goals for 2012. 

These aren't resolutions, per say.  They are just a couple of mini goals I've set for myself.

The first is a reading goal.  Last year, I set a goal to read 52 book, or one a week.  I reached my goal, and in fact, I read 55 books, but it was tough.  I lost a lot of ground during gardening season and had to really push at the end of the year to meet the goal.

I love reading, but this year, I'm scaling back to a much more reasonable 26 books, or one every two weeks. I fully expect I'll read more than that, but I don't want to feel like I HAVE TO.  If you are interested, you can follow my progress by watching the Goodreads widget in my sidebar.  If you click in, you should be able to see the titles of the books I've read.

My other goal is that I will do more crafting in 2012.  I enjoy crocheting, knitting, cross-stitch and sewing (among other crafts), but I have a hang-up.  If I have chores left to be done, I won't allow myself to sit down and craft.  That's all going to change this year.  I plan to finish some projects I've already started and also start (and finish) some new projects, to the tune of at least a project a month. I'm going to make sure I have some fun craft time this year, whether I like it or not!

This is where that accountability comes in.  The first projects I plan to finish are:

1) Cut and hem 4 pair of light- and draft-blocking drapes.  The drapes are long enough that they cover our furnace registers if I don't pull them back.  Pulling them back defeats their draft blocking properties.  This is NOT what I consider a fun craft project but it needs to be done.

2) This multi-colored crocheted afghan I began for my daughter and son-in-law more than two years ago.  Crocheting is usually fun for me, but all the color changes in this project have got me down.  It's time to be done with this one.

3) Cut out and sew some skirts and pants for Kat.  I bought the patterns and fabric a couple of months ago, so I need to get going on these.

I've also decided that if I simply can't or won't finish something, well, I'm going to get rid of it one way or another.  Who needs the guilt of an unfinished project hanging over their head?  I don't.

Anyone else want to join me in wrapping things up this year?