Tofu was surprisingly hard to find in our stores in Ohio, so sometimes I made it out of exasperation, but it wasn’t that easy to get soybeans, either!
But the taste is shockingly different from commercial tofu.
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If you have a pasta machine, it’s not really all that hard. The labor intensive part for me is rolling it out and folding it and rolling it out and folding it, and it’s super easy with a hand cranked machine.
It’s probably not cheaper than buying dried noodles but it tastes great. I make it once or twice a summer when my pesto harvest is in full swing.
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I used to get my tofu from the back of a chinese restaurant in Ohio 
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Oh, and we make refried beans from scratch, from dried pintos.
I tried the canned ones one time and never again.
We do them in the crockpot, so it’s really easy.
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I forgot pancakes and waffles! we always do those from scratch, not mix. And I too make my own tzatziki (didn’t even think of that as a thing you buy, lol).
I sometimes do corn tortillas, but only if I have the time and know that we’ll eat a bunch at once (I find that homemade fresh ones don’t hold well). Also make our own hummus occasionally, depending on my schedule.
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That’s what I’m finding crazy about this thread . So many things I think the default is to make. But maybe I sometimes do it the other way. And without the responses above I wouldn’t know what an answer might be.
I think I can more easily list things I buy that aren’t ingredients.
Always
- breads
- Lunch meat
- Yogurt (unless milk/yogurt price flips)
- Cheese
- Tofu
- Paneer
- Fake meat
- Hot chocolate
- Extruded cereals
- Stock concentrate
- Pasta
- Baked beans
- Annies kraft dinner
- Some spice blends
- Jam
- Peanut butter
- Ramen
- Chips
- Crackers
- Gluten cookies
- Fruit cups
- Canned pineapple
- Crushed tomatoes
- Salsa
- Tomato paste
- Canned tuna
-frozen fish fingers, nuggets, ikea balls
-plant milks
-olives
-hot sauces
Sometimes
-pasta sauce (like 1/4 of the time)
-frozen pizza
-instant porridge
-dips, spreads, salad dressings
-granola bars and other snacks
-gluten free cookies/cake
-baking mixes
-pickles
-other sauces?
My mother is beyond horrified at how much processed food we eat. So am I when I think about it 
. So I guess everything else we eat I make or a restaurant makes.
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I’m curious, do you have one of those countertop makers where you don’t need to buy ice? The one I had required ice AND a pre frozen cylinder - it was just enough extra effort to keep me from doing it.
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I also buy ice cream.
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I just read this, and I wish ice cream made sense in my life these days You Do, In Fact, Have To Hand It To The Ninja Creami
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I have a cinnamon ice cream recipe that I love, but I never make it because it’s a faff to freeze. Also a Thai tea recipe I like.
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This is a fascinating post
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Yeah, no ice needed, just a frozen cylinder. I’ve had it a long time, maybe 20 years? It is a cuisenart. It’s just a small machine, makes a little less than 3 pints. But it works well and is easy. 
I also have made earl grey ice cream and it is so good. Thai tea sounds good too 
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I just took one of these to Goodwill. As easy as it was, I never used it. And the price of cream was high enough that it didn’t seem cheaper. That may have switched now, but I still had decided it wasn’t worth the space it takes up. I hope someone enjoys it.
It was a work anniversary gift, so I got it for free.
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Oh I definitely don’t think it is cheaper than any of the big brands, especially if you can find them on sale. Maybe specialty/pricy brands? Also I use custard base for ice cream (so, eggs), which makes it even more expensive 
though I do usually just use half and half, which works because of the eggs, so maybe a wash. I just really like my own mocha recipe.
That reminded me of a cucumber mint sorbet I have also made that was also fantastic.
(I definitely buy ice cream also, I don’t only make it from scratch. Only when I want something special. I’ll gladly eat Friendly’s or Tillamook or Talenti any day of the week, if I can find them on sale.)
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I really want to make my own garam masala but tbh I’ve looked at dozens of awesome recipes and the concept still feels intimidating for some reason. Need to just go for it and get through my burner batches till I’m happy with it.
True Inspirations:
Fallow & Kenji have been primary inspirations for me making more things myself. Also cookbookwise (my want-to-get list is like 40 books long but presently my go-to’s at home are):
- Grains for Every Sesason//Six Seasons - Josh McFadden
- Dishoom
- Maangchi’s Big Book Of Korean Cooking
Things I feel I make well from scratch presently:
- Hummus
- Beans
- Tamales
- Ghee (easily the most YES thing to make myself rather than buy compared to store bought from a taste/cost perspective)
- Pickled green beans
- Salads/dressings (on a midwest buttermilk ranch kick presently)
- Kimchee
- Chicken/Beef/Veg stocks
- Sauces (most)
- Enchiladas
- Smoothies
- Salsa
- Guac
- Grated cheese (I keep forgetting how many people buy pre-grated)
- Waffles
Things I am working towards:
- Pizza dough
- Pasta
- Tahini
- Naan
- Bread. Just… Bread. In general. The cook must now become also the baker for a happy elevation of both.
- Did I mention bread?
Generally speaking, before I buy it - I at least try to check if it will be a total pain to make from scratch first, some things get buried in the dish and it just doesn’t make as much sense to make from scratch (tomato paste being a good example, personally speaking). I have learned to be nicer to myself when I have to buy when low on energy, allowing me to make and enjoy when high on energy.
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No knead bread may be a fast avenue to homemade bread for you.
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