As a frugal person I often wonder whether it’s more economical to make something or to buy it. And being a busy, working mom of two, is the most economical way, the most sensible way? Should I be making my own bagels or buying them? Is it really practical to make my own cheese or cure my own meats? Well Jennifer Reese had these same questions – so she tested, tasted and crunched the costs for us in the book Make the Bread, Buy the Butter.
Amazon “personally” recommended this book to me based on my browsing history. I was intrigued and I took the bait, ordering the book even though I can’t remember the last time I actually read a whole book. It’s currently 50% off – only $13.98 for the hardcover. This last weekend we drove over to Post Falls, Idaho to see my grandma and extended family – which means I had six hours in the car (each way) without internet access (gasp!) and one of the ways I passed the time was reading this book front to back.
With 120 recipes in it – you’d think it would read like a cookbook, but Reese’s sense of humor and real-life stories made it a joy to read and I actually learned a lot. For everything from tortillas to croissants to bacon – she compares homemade vs. store bought and she carefully weighs = costs, taste and quality, and the time/hassle involved in making it yourself. If she recommends making it, she gives you her favorite recipe.
She shares her experience raising chickens, growing a garden and even keeping bees in an effort to test the theory of homegrown vs. store bought.
I’m totally inspired to try some of her homemade recipes and I hope to share them here on the blog. I’m not sure if I’m up for cheese making or meat curing just yet, but I think I can easily tackle her recipes for peanut butter, hummus, yogurt, breads and more. And even though we can often buy things for less (or for FREE) with coupons, I like the idea of homemade, wholesome food (without the additives) if the work required is minimal and the final product worth it.
If you get excited about these kinds of details and would like this kind of “research” on what’s better to buy vs. what you should make, I definitely recommend you pick up the book at your local library or on Amazon for only $13.98, ships FREE with Amazon Prime or a minimum qualifying purchase of $25.
Are there certain things you have found are better homemade than store bought? Both frugally and practically? Have you read a book lately that you thought was particularly insightful or helpful?
Jenny says
The hummus recipe in the book is terrific. I cooked the beans in the crock pot first.
Heather says
Jenny – Thanks for the tip! I’ve been wanting to make hummus. I’ll have to give it a try. 🙂
Heather says
How do you do that Jenny? Do you put them on warm overnight?
Kimberly N says
Thanks for the recommendation — that looks great. I am fascinated by the experimental approach in this book. It kinda reminds of The Best Recipe. That has long stories of the many variations they tried and how the recipe works etc. It is interesting, but I often find that I’m not convinced their final recipe is worth the trouble.
Washington Mom says
Can’t wait to read this…thanks for the suggestion! I’ve been making our own peanut butter, almond butter and sandwich bread for about a year, but I’m always looking for new ideas to save money and feed my family better!!
Desma says
I bought this book last week and am excited to try the peanut butter. I can’t wait to feed my family some real food.
Heather says
Me too!
Vonita says
Butter is super easy to make in a food processor. Thanks for the book rec!
J.J. Ordway says
I just started making my own cottage cheese and ricotta. The ricotta is AWE-mazing and couldn’t be easier. The cottage cheese is a rough road that I think would be best bought. I just wait for those random $2 catalinas and buy a gallon of whole milk with it. Makes enough Ricotta for 3 lasagnas and couldn’t be beat by anything in the store!!
Heather says
J.J. – Ricotta is actually one of the things she recommends making homemade. Her recipe is insanely easy. And the cost much cheaper than store bought. I can’t wait to try it!
She has a whole section on cheese!
Patrice says
Growing up on a small family farm, we made both the bread and the butter. I used to hate finding thick slices of homemade bread slathered with butter in my school lunch box while my friends had Wonder Bread, but now I know the value of homemade.
Heather says
I don’t think I’ll ever buy store bought rolls again after mastering my grandma’s roll recipe. And I just ordered some loaf pans so I can try making the loaves. As for butter – I’d like to try to make it at least once!