With The Homemade Pantry cookbook you can skip buying packaged snack cakes at the grocery store and instead bake up these homemade beauties.
Reading Alana Chernila’s description of lasagna night at her house in The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying and Start Making was enough to make me add rennet (for cheese making) to my shopping list. She describes pulling her own warm mozzarella, as fresh tomato sauce bubbles on the stovetop and homemade lasagna noodles hang waiting, all while wrangling her two young daughters. When she contrasts her dinner to the idea of a convenient tin of frozen pasta, there’s no doubt which one I’d rather cozy up to.
Alana began making pantry staples at home because of a tight budget, but soon found how rewarding it could be — the food is better for you, it tastes better, it usually costs less, it eliminates packaging and it makes you think about food in a different, more connected way. With her new cookbook Alana is sharing her enthusiasm for cooking and her tried-and-true recipes. So you’ll be able to stop buying and start making one thing this week, another the next and before you know it, you’ll be having your own messy food adventures.
Here are some recipes from The Homemade Pantry to get you started:
The Snack Cake
Toaster Pastries
Hamburger Buns
You can fill these homemade toaster pastries with sweet jam or cinnamon and sugar or go savory and make pizza pockets or interesting apps.
We’re giving away one autographed copy of The Homemade Pantry to one lucky winner. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment telling us what pantry staples you make (or would like to make) at home.
So, tell us, what pantry staple do you (or would you) like to make at home?
You must include your email address in the “Email” field when submitting your comment so we can communicate back with you if you’re the winner. (But do not post your email address into the actual body of the comment.) We’re giving one copy away to one very lucky, randomly selected commenter.
You may only comment once to be considered, and you don’t have to purchase anything to win; a purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Odds depend on total number of entries. Void where prohibited. Only open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. states, D.C. or Puerto Rico, and you must be at least 18 years of age to win. All entries (comments) must be entered between 4:00 p.m. ET on April 13 and 5:00 p.m. ET on April 17. Subject to full Official Rules. By leaving a comment on the blog, you acknowledge your acceptance to the Official Rules. ARV of prize: $24.99. Sponsor: Scripps Networks, LLC, d/b/a/ Cooking Channel, 75 9th Ave., New York, NY 10011.
I have made home made noodles many times……nothing better than homemade chicken and noodles
I would love to make more homemade sauces and preserve the veggies from my garden.
Tortillas: I would love to try my hand at making them because we use them to eat many of our leftovers. Our tacos and burritos can get real creative but nothing cramps your style like a stale tortilla.
Food in general tastes better and feels so rewarding when making something from scratch. Not everything cooperates though. I love to make homemade sauce.
Marshmallows…YUM!!!
I would love to make toaster pastries
Homemade Maple Pecan Icecream…it gets made once or twice a month in gallon batches
the Snack Cakes are so yummiers!!…love trying new recipes and my family as guinea pigs on trying out new recipes!!
Homemade pasta, gnocchi, biscuits, and kids favorite, homemade hamburger helper!! Takes about the same amount of time and it is so much better tasing and better for you!
dried fruit
I always keep whole wheat, wheat germ banana bread in the freezer. No sugar, honey instread. No oil, unsweetened applesauce in its place. Comes out perfect every time. I slice it and freeze it in pairs. With a little peanut butter and all fruit jelly, a perfect way to start the morning! (for me and my boys!)
I'd love to make homemade marshmallows!
Toaster pastries, but with savory ingredients and not sweet ones. The kind that can be actually be reheated in the toaster.
homemade nutella…and once I made mozzarella
I love making homemade donuts. Blueberry/pumpkin.. Yummy
Would love to learn how to make Homemade Vanilla Wafers to go along with my Homemade Vanilla Pudding! YUM!
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
i'd love to make my own pasta
doughnuts and danishes
Fig Newtons!!!!
I would make the snack cakes which have been an all time favorite; and has been a saving to many during my PMS-like episodes. Hostess ho hos will be going out of business after 49 years of offering the ho hos. This is the closest recipe and visually appealing next kin…
My 2 yr old LOVES Pop Tarts! I would love to learn to make homemade toaster pastries!
I like making homemade marshmallows and rolls.
I would love to learn how to make homemade pasta. I LOVE pasta!
I like making grapefruit nut custard…
i love making cheese danishes. this morning i made 2 cherry cheese danishes. one using cresant rolls and one using phyll dough. they are both yummy.
I make my own homemade breads including homemade Hawaiian Sweet bread as well as homemade gooey cinnamon rolls with walnuts and/or pecans with plenty of cream cheese icing as staples and I also make scones in any flavor. My grandmother taught me how to make these and how not to be afraid to try new things. Would love to win your book and see what else your book has for me as a challenge
Crackers
YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!! AND HEALTHIER!!!!!
Homemade pasta for sure.
I have to give making pasta by scratch a try!
i love making whipped cream (it's the only kind i'll eat). i'd love to make angel cakes – i loved those and now they're discontinued.
A twinky Type Dessert would be load of fun to Make I bake everything from Scratch so homemade twinkies or pasta would be awesome!
I always make my own hot dog and hamburger buns, it's so easy with a bread maker
There's nothing like fresh homemade bread!! YUM!
I make homemade stock to use in roasts, soups, gravies… good stuff
I'd like to make cereal — maybe more than just granola.
I love to make as many foods as I can. I bake anything I can and make yogurt, vanilla extract, granola bars, and some dressings. This book is right up my alley!
I love to make pizza dough, and would love to make fresh pasta
I love to make mixes and save the money. Like taco seasoning / cocoa mix etc.
Homemade granola bars, etc. are a staple in my apartment.
I love homemade danish rolls but really I love anything homemade!
We love snack cakes frozen! Will so be trying this for the 4th of July!
I would love to be able to make the best stroganoff ever!!! Tender beef and the sauce to beat all sauces, all with the freshest ingredients! That would be absolutely fantastic! Thank you. Kathy
croissants!
love to make my own barbeque sauce with less or no sugar.
Homemade Hamburger Buns ! Yum ! Thanks for the chance to win the cookbook
I love to make homemade pasta!
Would love to make homemade Mozzerella!
Pasta!