Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with homemade

What non-food consumables can I make for holiday gifts?

mr. remy — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:07:08 -0800

I want to make lots of neat little gifts to give friends for Christmas. I'd like these gifts to be useable, elegant, consumable, and grown-up (not decorative, artsy-fartsy crafty crap). My recipients are Pragmatic New Englanders, and would be irked receiving potpourri, eye pillows, embroidered towels, door-hangings, pine-cone-bird feeders, or anything of that ilk. Hence: consumables. In the past I've had past successes making figgy pudding with brandy butter and a collection of homemade ketchups, relishes, mustards, and chutneys, but this year I want to move out of the kitchen. Blow me away with millions of amazing little home-made gift suggestions. Trio of caveats:

1) Soap initially seemed like a good idea, but now feels expensive to start, if I want to do anything but melt-&-pour.

2) Not into making fabric/textile art. I'm okay doing crafts, but I'm not – 29 year old male – gonna learn to embroider/knit/needlepoint. Also not consumable.

3) I have no access to a woodshop, specialty tools, nor lots of $ to spend on these projects. My kitchen, however, is loaded to the gills with specialty equipment I could commandeer in the name of the holidays.

Summertime and the livin' is easy but damn that weather is changeable.

Mutant — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 02:49:08 -0800

Since London's fickle summer is in full swing, I need recipes for dishes that can be eaten either hot or cold. I do all the cooking at home and have a few stock recipes which adapt well to changeable weather; in other words, dishes that can be eaten either directly out of the oven or chilled then consumed, as ambient dictates.

At times its too damn hot to eat warm food, but then its not uncommon for the evenings to get so chill we need to get warmed up a little (it went down to 9C at night a couple times last week). Trouble is, I tend to plan out the meals a week in advance and would rather not have diet and my kitchen time dictated by London's changeable weather.

So I'm looking for dishes we can eat as we like. Today, for example, I'm making baked beans for dinner which is very suitable - bake for four hours, then since its a little humid and gross, chill for later. I've also got a couple of macaroni casseroles in my repertoire but am looking for other dishes.

Veggie preferred, but if they contain meat we'd rather this was a fractional additive like the ham in baked beans.

Help me fancy up my homemade corn tortillas!

ORthey — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:54:52 -0800

Help me fancy up my homemade corn tortillas! I've read some previous questions about perfecting homemade tortillas, but I'm not interested in technique/tips (that's well covered here) so much as adding ingredients. At my local farmers' market (Berkeley, CA) there's a place that sells these amazing tortillas that have beans and cheese cooked right in - this is the type of thing I'm looking for. Is it as simple as just adding whatever sounds delicious to the dough, or does it depend on the ingredients? What can I add? I have a tortilla press, and lots of time on my hands (the perfect combo for experimenting!).

Anyone know the scents used to create the Kiehls "Ultimate Man" Body Scrub Soap?

Mesach — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:20:12 -0800

Calling all sniffers, Does anyone know the different smells that go into getting Kiehls wonderful scent for their "Ultimate Man" Body Scrub Soap? I know that I can definitely detect Grapefruit, and some mint, but I know its more complex that.

I am making up some of my own shampoo for my girlfriend and she loves the scent, and I would like to approximate it as much as possible, so has anyone else also pondered this, or came across it somewhere?

How much would you pay for a Homemade Scrunchie?

royalsong — Sat, 02 May 2009 10:52:38 -0800

Poll-Filter: How much would you pay for this? (Example 2) I hope to sell these homemade crocheted scrunchies/hair ties at an upcoming fair (I don't have to pay anything for the table). I'm having difficulties deciding on a final price though.

Cost of Materials (estimated):

25 (Ouchless) Elastic Hair Ties: $6.00
1 Ball of Yarn: $3.00

I can probably get 6 scrunchies out of each ball. If my math is right, that means each scrunchie takes about 75 cents to make.

But I'm also interested in how much is "too much" - If you seen a bunch of these in different colors laid out before you - What is the number that is too high for you to consider reasonable?

How do I make BBQ flavoring for potato chips?

Caviar — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:14:50 -0800

How do I make BBQ flavoring for potato chips? I love BBQ flavor potato chips. I've recently acquired a deep fryer, and would like to take a stab at making my own. I realize that every brand will have a slightly different formulation, yet there's something instantly recognizable as "BBQ chip seasoning".

The "Dirty" brand chips are pretty good, though not perfect. They all seem to be some variation on onion powder, paprika, salt, smoke flavoring and the like, but many of them also contain "spices", which is not helpful.

I think I tend to lean towards liking mesquite varieties better than other flavors.

I would like to do this without some of the more common processed ingredients, like maltodextrin.

Anyone have an actual recipe I can start from?

How can I use flavored liqueurs?

monkeymadness — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:33:28 -0800

Does anyone know the difference between, and good instructions for, flavored and infused liqueurs? I like to cook using interesting and uncommon ingredients. I like using my own infused oils (annatto, mostly) and homemade extracts (lavender and rose). I don't drink much other than the occasional beer so know very little about alcohol, besides using white wine in sauces. I've also added schnapps to ice cream to keep it soft. That's about it.

Seeing this instructable has made me want to try to make some liqueur, either for cooking or drinking. Specifically I like the ideas of coffee and cocoa liqueurs but am open to anything. What are the advantages to this over just an infused vodka? What are some obvious or not-so-obvious things I could do with this stuff? Does anyone have any good instructions other than the one I linked?

I know a lot of this stuff is easily google-able, but I'd prefer to hear from the great cooks and chefs here on the green.

Shelf stable homemade condiments

sharksandwich — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:40:58 -0800

Homemade condiment preservation without canning. I've made ketchup, hot sauce, and worcestershire sauce in the past. All the recipes say to store the finished product in the refrigerator and use within a relatively short time. Worcestershire seems to be the longest lasting at about 8 months. I understand since there are no preservatives the condiments keep best refrigerated. My question is: Is there any simple way to make hot sauces or worcestershire shelf stable (not needing refrigeration) without adding a pharmacy of chemicals or without canning the condiments? I'd like to give them as gifts and not kill my few friends.

Home Brewing Help!!!

Mastercheddaar — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:06:56 -0800

To all home brewers out there: Need help with a recipe. I know the basics when it comes to home brewing, however, I am trying to make a Cherry Wheat Ale. (Kind of like Sam Adams version.) My first batch I made turned out ok. It had a mild cherry flavor and a sweet wheat flavor. Not bad but it really didn't taste anything like a Cherry Wheat. After about a week when everything was said and done (after the 1st and 2nd fermentation) the cherry flavor that was there disappeared. It was like it was never there to begin with. All the bottles were capped and sealed. When you opened the bottle the beer was still bubbly and foamy. I am not sure what I did wrong? I used a cherry extract and I brewed 6 bags of cherry green tea for the cherry flavor. Anyone have any experience making this type of ale before? Any hints on making fruit flavored wheat ales in general? Should I have used actual cherries in the brewing? All help will be appreciated.

Yuletide Christmas bagels

Mutant — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:05:54 -0800

Home made bagels. Christmas bagels actually. Mrs Mutant loves the bagels I've made using a variation of this recipe, and the price is certainly right (plain, about three pence each direct cost). Before baking I've dusted my bagels with confectionary sugar or chocolate chips, both of which have been received as well as good old plain (I always make mixed batches).

We're hosting kin for Christmas and as I'm doing the cooking I'd like suggestions on how to dress up the bagels into a food suitable for breakfast on the day itself, or Boxing day or pretty much anytime during the holiday period.

The jar is all empty.

Breav — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:09:58 -0800

What gift item can I make in or from jars without lids? I purchased a food product that came in a jar that looked like a mason jar, thinking I could recycle the empties with new mason lids for the holidays. I saved. I washed. I scrubbed off labels. I tossed out the original lids. Then, lo and behold, I learned that although they look like mason jars, they are imposters. My replacement lids don't fit!

Now that I have more than a dozen of these suckers, what can I make out of them or what can I gift in them that does not require a lid? They are pint size, but shaped like the larger quart size. I've thought of candles, but was hoping for better inspiration.

Baby Food Recipes

swift — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:33:31 -0800

Share your baby food recipes! In a month or so our baby daughter will be making the jump to solid foods, and we plan on making our own. Any advice on preparing, storing, and using homemade mush?

I'm too lazy to go to the store, and have a bag of rice in my kitchen.

motdiem2 — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 05:40:28 -0800

What would I need to do to bake homemade rice krispies ? This Cereal Timeline triggered this question, and I can't get this out of my head now.
I want to make my own rice krispies, frosted flakes, honey bunches, ...
I've googled a bit and found this, but I'm a little afraid to try it.
Have any of you already tried it ? Can you share your best tips, recipes ?

Made-in-advance cracker-like pizza crust recipes?

sdis — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 03:08:17 -0800

Quick Pizza: What is the fastest way that I can have a pizza-resembling thing in my mouth without buying anything premade? Rules allow for pre-making things at home, as long as those things keep and don't take up too much space. Last passover time, I had a box of matzo in the house and realized that if I dumped tomato sauce and cheese on top of a matzo, and stuck that in the toaster for 5 minutes, suddenly I had a pizza-resembling thing in my mouth that tasted awesome and took care of lunch. Unfortunately, matzo is *really* *expensive* out here.

So, basically, I could use some pre-made crust/large cracker recipes that are good and don't get stale rapidly (I.e., where I could spend a sunday and make enough crusts for 2 weeks, and at the end of the 2nd week, they're still actually usable). Bonus points for not requiring refrigeration/freezing (our fridge/freezer is 4 feet tall, total).

Thanks!

Yes, I cook for my dog. How can I do it better?

taz — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 09:39:17 -0800

I'd like nutritional advice for homemade dog food and maybe treats, using easy-to-find ingredients. I haven't been able to find high quality commercial dog food where I live, so I make most of her food myself, but I would like to make her homemade food as healthy as I possibly can with the resources I have, which are somewhat limited. Current routine, and many(!) more details inside. Our dog is a rescue that we've had for five months, and she's a completely different animal than we got - in the best way, so I know we are doing pretty good now, but I'd like to know more and do better.

We don't have access to most fancy health food ingredients, so I want to use ordinary ingredients as much as possible.

I currently feed her one of: turkey, chicken, fish, or liver, + brown rice or crumbled whole wheat bread, + vegetables (shredded carrot and zucchini with a bit of cooked spinach, or cooked and lightly mashed frozen veggie combo - peas, green beans, carrots, potato, lima beans). I portion these (protein, carb, veg) as roughly 1/3 each. At one point I upped the protein, but she began straining to poo and her poop was very hard. Normally her poop is very good/solid - never soft or runny, but not too hard, either. That may have just been an adjustment thing, so I'm not averse to increasing the meat to veggie/carb ratio if it's a better diet. I once tried cooked oatmeal instead of rice, and she seemed to really dislike it, but it was probably just because it wasn't what she expected, and we can give that another shot - if it's better for her. (She's really not picky or spoiled - she'll eat what we give her to eat, though I might have to feed her from my hand a bit at first to get her going...)

To this I add a spoonful of nutritional yeast, a small bit of chopped or dried garlic, a half a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, a small splash of olive oil. About once a week I give her a scrambled egg or two instead of meat/fish, and a couple of times a week I give her a few spoonfuls of low(er)-fat yogurt as a treat.

Her regular treats are slices of banana, frozen peas (which she is inexplicably crazy for), or a small bit of feta cheese. She'll eat a couple of bites of pear and apple as well, though not her favorite stuff. She's not crazy about fruit, generally. We don't feed her our leftovers (we eat 'em ourselves!)

I worry, expecially, that she's not getting enough calcium. I don't really find the proper sorts of raw bones for her here (we once asked our butcher for a dog bone, and he gave us something that looked like it came from a dinosaur... really, there was no way that was happening). And she could probably benefit from other additives, but I can't find a lot of health food ingredients here. The nutritional yeast, which should be available as a powder, I have to buy from the one place I can find it in pill form (and expensive), which I then grind up. There just isn't a lot of health food stuff available here yet.

I got the very nice book Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats, but I can't find most of the holistic ingredients in the diet section. I ordered a book of dog food recipes that are supposed to be "Veterinarian approved" and the recipes were totally silly, plus even from my little knowledge, not really that healthy. So I'm up for a good book on this, but it has to be something that relies on regular ordinary ingredients that you could find anywhere, and of course it should actually have some canine nutrition science or background. I'm really, really not looking for something like "Bow-wow Brownies" with "Bow-wow Brownie Frosting" (actual, real recipes from the second stupid book I got).

Filler up!

np312 — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:34:34 -0800

What kind of filler should I use in the home-made microwaveable heat packs I'm making for holiday presents this year? I've been browsing sites like Craftster for hours, but can't get a straight answer on what to put inside my heat/cold packs (which will be microwaved 2-3 mins, within a cotton or flannel covering.)

I want the filler to retain heat for a long time, which flax seed and cherry pits are good for, but those fillers are expensive. Plus, cherry pits are poisonous to animals who might bite into them, and flax seed apparently can explode in the microwave. Not good.

Rice is what a lot of people seem to use, but many people complain that it doesn't stay hot as long as flaxseed/cherry pits, and that the rice starts to smell funky after a while. Same complaint with corn.

Dried lentils, millet or bird seed all sound like good ideas to me (cheap, easy to find, good texture) but does anyone know if these ingredients will hold heat for a long time? Or if they'll smell funky?

Buckwheat hulls are also intriguing, but I'm worried that their sharp texture wouldn't feel good through flannel.

Any advice, personal experiences, on which filler beats all?

Quality goods made by real people

dance — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:36:19 -0800

Talented people making high quality goods (belts, wooden objects, pens, misc leather items , clothes, manuscript books, etc) at reasonable prices. A recent askme thread whetted my appetite for lovingly crafted objects created by real people who have a talent and a passion for their work, and are maybe selling on eBay...or via a personal website.
These things are perhaps made simply but effectively, or in a traditional way - and the seller's aim is usually not massive profit but just to see their quality goods used by happy customers.

Or maybe people who refurbish antiques, get them working again and sell them on?

A real world example is a man called David Naish who sells his high quality leather wallets, belts, pouches etc from a bridge in Jesmond Dene, Newcastle, England for very small amounts of money.

Feeding My Cats Homemade Raw Meat Diet - Good Idea?

billysumday — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:50:59 -0800

I want to make my own homemade, raw meat (chicken and rabbit) cat food. My girlfriend thinks it's a bad idea. Almost everything I can find on the interwebs suggest that feeding a cat a BARF (biologically appropriate raw food) diet is healthy for the cat. This wiki suggests that there is no scientific evidence pointing to a clear resolution - in the references section there are some vets arguing one way or the other, but nothing concrete. Has anyone been there, done that, or have any other advice? Following the advice and instructions of this vet, I'd like to grind up whole pieces of chicken, add the necessary supplements, and feed that mixture to my cats as a supplement to their dry food.

Girlfriend is pragmatic and a Ph.D. student in the sciences and is demanding solid research to support this idea. There is no solid research, so far as I can tell, but there are a lot of supplemental anecdotes by random people on the internet that swear by this diet. Also, online companies selling people raw food to feed to their cats.

I would love any suggestions people have of other, better recipes; advice on how to make homemade cat food; and ideas to convince the g/f to feed the kitties my super awesome Billysumday's special all-natural feline delite raw food diet.

Come on Indian MeFites, spill the lentils, divulge your most tasty family recipes.

ageispolis — Sun, 25 May 2008 22:19:02 -0800

To the Indian MeFites - and the non-indian chefs as well - what are your favorite family Indian recipes and what are some tricks in the preparation to give the food that authentic Indian taste. You know, rich, delicious, mouth-watering, and savoury to the point that eating becomes a spiritual experiece in itself. Perhaps I should have worded this question after I ate, but now that I'm returning to the Western diet after a few months of pure Indian goodness I already begin to feel the withdrawal symptoms taking hold, "Where's the spice in these potatoes? This bread needs some buttery sauce! Why is this food so depressingly bland and dry?!" I've already promised myself I'd start practicing and preparing my own Indian food, and with a large Sikh population nearby I have access to an Indian market specializing in ingredients from the Punjabi region, which is good because I do love my dal makhani. But I'd appreciate learning of recipes that run in the family as well as some tricks to the art of Indian cooking. For example, what's a good method of emulating a tandoor?

Any online resources are also much appreciated. Time to go eat lunch.

Dog Treats

about_time — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 17:28:23 -0800

My dog loves dried sweet potato chews. They go for $20 a bag in the pet store even though the only ingredients are potatoes. It must be that I can make them at home for the cost of a potato. Do I need a fancy food dehydrator or can I just cut the potatoes up into thick pieces and put my oven on 200F for a many hours? Anyone have a specific recipe or experience making them? I didn't find any recipes on line. Thanks for your help.

My homemade ice cream gives homemade a bad name.

Mutant — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:56:02 -0800

A big problem and a small problem with my home made ice cream ... I need some tips and pointers on home made ice cream. Specifically, I've had inconsistent results across two dimensions - clumping, or the creaminess (more properly lack of) of my ice cream, and layering of fruit.

After much trial and error, I've settled into this basic recipe:

6 egg yolks
3 cups single cream
1 cup sugar (granulated)
3 tablespoons vanilla extract
Juice from a small lemon (fresh squeezed)

As we can get reasonably priced Spanish strawberries this time of year, my most recent attempts have me using 400g (maybe one half a quart) of the fruit. I puree about half, and split the remaining strawberries down the middle, but will cut again if necessary to render all pieces no larger than 1/2".

Over low heat, I whisk the egg yolks, ten tablespoons of the cream together than add sugar, vanilla and lemon juice. I continue whisking until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, all the while careful to keep the heat in check (i.e., avoid boiling). I try to let this cook for about ten minutes or so.

At this point I then add the remaining cream and strawberry puree, and continue whisking until the mixture thickens significantly. Then I add the remaining strawberry slices.

I freeze in a stainless steel bowl for between two to three hours (this part of the recipe is still changing) and we then consume immediately.

Here are my problems:

Big problem - The ice cream is very inconsistent in terms of thickness; sometimes almost soupy, other times it thickens up too much. Is this normal for homemade ice cream? The variance in batches is frustrating me somewhat (Mrs Mutant is a champ, and never complains!) as I'd like to at least have a repeatable process.

Small problem - Fruit - it all seems to end up on the bottom, at least the pieces. Is this just the nature of the product? I can't seem, for the life of me, to get uniform distribution. I've tried freezing the mix for a period of time then adding the heavier pieces, but still I end up with most - if not all - of the fruit chunks on the bottom of the ice cream. What are you folks doing to get a uniform distribution? I've tried mixing after freezing but before serving, but sometimes its difficult to even spoon out, let alone mix (see 'Big Problem' above).

I'm using this recipe each time as I'm trying to get a standard product. I'm eager to add flavours to my repertoire, but seems I'm having difficulties with the basics.

Any tips or suggestions welcomed. Willing to change recipes as well.

Thanks for your help!

Top my homemade pizza

nitsuj — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:19:56 -0800

What are some good, unique pizza toppings? I make homemade pizza about once a week. I've got the dough/crust down, but I'm getting bored with the standard selection of toppings. What are some interesting, del.icio.us combinations I can experiment with?

Homemade Ableton Live Packs?

MNDZ — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:36:40 -0800

Can I make an Ableton Live sound pack with my own samples? I have .aiff drum sounds that I want to make into a kit.

How do I make professional-looking homemade lip balm labels?

starsnstars — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 07:39:11 -0800

How do I make semi-professional, waterproof labels for handmade lip balm tubes? I am looking for a way to make labels that will fit on .15oz (4.25g) lip balm tubes. The labels need to be approximately 2 X 2 inches, have permanent adhesive to stay on the plastic well, need to be water resistant so the ink does not rub off, and have the ability to print on an ink jet printer. I have tried Avery 6572 Permanent labels, however the ink smeared and rubbed off the label. I then tried Avery 6578 Durable I.D. labels that are water-resistant, then I realized they were for laser printers only and will not work on my ink jet printer. I am seeking the most effective, best-looking way to create a durable label for the lip balm I make or an attracive, professional way to water proof permanent labels. I appreciate any suggestions.

I want my home-made microwave foods to be crisp, but how?

vytae — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 11:50:51 -0800

I want relatively crisp reheated food from the microwave. Can can I buy or make something to do this for me, like that silvery-coated paperboard that comes with frozen foods? Many bread-related frozen foods come with microwave crisping devices - frozen personal pizzas have round trays, hot pockets have wrap-around sleeves, and Lean Cuisine paninis come with the "revolutionary grilling tray". I know I can put together a healthier, cheaper melt sandwich or mini pizza if I make it myself, but the only source of heat in my office kitchen is a microwave. Without the magic crisper thing, I get soggy, unappetizing food.

Using google I've discovered that these coated paperboard things are called "susceptors" and I've found a couple companies that manufacture them for the food industry, but so far nobody seems to sell them directly to the consumer. Do you know where I could buy them? Or, can I make something at home to help crisp up my microwaved foods? I would experiment with aluminum foil, but I'm nervous about setting my kitchen on fire.

I've seen the Waveware Microwave Crisping Dish, but the reviews don't inspire much confidence. If you know anything more about this or similar products, I'd love to hear it.