Why I DIY in the Kitchen

My husband and I have a lot in common. This does not always mean such great things for our relationship (like when we are equally stubborn or equally willing to procrastinate), but when it comes to our love for cooking, we are a perfect team.

One of our favorite activities in the kitchen is to learn how to make something new from scratch. We have been making bread since before we met one another, but since we started dating, we have also learned to make homemade nut butter, mayonnaise, yogurt, pasta, crackers and many other things.

For a long time, it was simply fun for us to make these foods from scratch that most people pick up from a grocery store. We loved discovering and perfecting the process, and figuring out new varieties of things not found in the store, such as pear almond yogurt or carrot-cumin bagels. Of course, we also could not get enough of the amazing taste of homemade foods made just to our liking.

There are many reasons - political, practical or other - why people decide to make their own food, but for my husband and me, it was pure pleasure. Plenty of people have thought we were excessive or strange, but we just never ceased to get a kick out of trying something new.

Over the years, I have come to understand many of the other reasons why people DIY in the kitchen and my own reasons for doing so have become more complex. Something that started out of enjoyment and intellectual curiosity has become something of a life-style choice. Here are some of the reasons why I cannot imagine going back to the way things used to be.

1. It tastes better.
There is really no need to say any more about this. Everyone knows that fresh foods taste best.

2. I control the ingredients.
When I make my own, I know exactly what is in my foods and why it is in there. Of course I do not add preservatives or other chemical enhancers, but I can also play around with different types of sweeteners, whole grains and other things to boost the nutritional value and flavor of my foods.

3. It is more convenient.
This is the one that causes the most raised eyebrows from people who do not DIY in the kitchen, but it is true. I timed myself once when I was making bread in my bread machine and it took me seven minutes, including a bit of extra time to hunt down a new jar of yeast. Much, much quicker than a trip to the grocery store.

Here is another example. I do not use mayonnaise very often, but I always have oil, salt, eggs and vinegar. So, if I suddenly feel like a bit of mayo on my cheese sandwich or get a craving for egg salad, it is much quicker for me to throw a few ingredients into my blender than it is to cart myself and my boys off to the grocery store. Even foods that I do eat all of the time, like bread or yogurt, are more convenient because, when we run out mid-week, I can make more immediately instead of trying to fit in an extra grocery trip or living without it until the next one.

4. It keeps our grocery bills small.
We are a single-income family of four living off of a small graduate student stipend, so we have no room to play around when it comes to our expenses. The difference of a dollar or two is quite great when the numbers with which you are starting are so small. But we cut corners and we live quite well. Making our own food is a big part of this.

Most things we make ourselves are shockingly cheap compared to their store-bought equivalents. It costs me about two dollars, for example, to make a quart of organic yogurt, and about the same to make a huge loaf of organic bread (a pound and a half).

But okay, some foods really are not cheaper when you make them yourself. Ice cream, for example. When we make our own ice cream, we try not to pay attention to the cost, because it usually costs quite a lot more than what we would pay at the store.

5. It encourages creativity.
I have discovered so many amazing ways to eat when I have made my own food, mostly just because I threw something in that looked intriguing when I was in the middle of the cooking process. Like those carrot-cumin bagels I mentioned above (so good!) or a handful of pecans thrown into the almond butter. Everything is possible when you make it yourself.

6. It cuts our ecological footprint. 
Making our own food cuts down on the amount of packaging waste that comes through our home. It also allows us to eat organic foods more often, when it might otherwise be too expensive for us, and to make better use of the foods that are available to us locally (like those pecans from above).

Look for some DIY tips in the near future on my blog. And if you have any tips of your own, I would love to hear about what you are making in your home!