Hello Dear Reader!
The first thing you should know about me, is that I will never tell you I know everything there is about cooking, baking, and keeping a home. Why? Simply put, I simply don't! I have made mistakes, fortunately none to costly and I have fails in the kitchen on a regular bases. But I love to learn something new everyday and up my game, if you will! So thanks for dropping by, I appreciate it, and if you have any questions, shoot them my way, and we can work it out together. And now...
Hello and Welcome to
Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household.
At Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household every recipe, kitchen tip, and other possible bits of magic are presented just for you. Because without you, this collection of shared recipes, tips, and the occasional funny story of a kitchen disaster in the making would be nothing more than notes on a yellowing pad of paper, in a drawer somewhere...
In life we all get hungry. And the truth is, we are all busy, with jobs, families, friends, sports, and hopefully a bit of time off for fun and relaxation. With that in mind, we will be offering recipes that not only fit your busy schedule but keep you supplied with delicious food to enjoy. Healthy food, food you will want to eat.
Recipes with easy-to-manage preparation times. Made from whole foods, and made from scratch. Food that actually tastes good, and is good for you. Along with recipes that can be made and enjoyed when you have a helper in the kitchen, whether that helper is experienced or just starting out. Many are perfect recipes to use when teaching your little ones how to cook.
Recipes that you will want to make again...
We are a Mother-Daughter team headquartered in the state of Montana Wyoming in the Big Horn Basin East Texas. We are a bread baking, jam making, garden growing, RV Traveling family. We often menu plan for dinner time convenience when sharing meals, have a spot for long-term storage of food stocks, and like so many of you, we have hungry husbands to feed! Our family descriptions might not match, but there are no doubt a couple areas where we do!
Just like you, we are hungry and we are busy! I think we are definitely going to be friends! And you know what they say, friends don't let friends eat boring food...
Personal food philosophies are the driving force behind what we buy at the grocery store and what goes onto our tables, at mealtime. You will never read about our way of doing things as being the only way, because the truth is, they're not! My way in the kitchen is for me, and your way is for you. Both are right! You may not want to bake your own bread, and that's OK. But if you do and have a question regarding bread baking, just bring it up and drop us an email!
We prefer delicious, easy-to-prepare scratch-made food with little or no kitchen waste. You will only be offered our best-tasting recipes, perfected for ease of preparation, to share on your own table.
In the kitchen, we grind wheat into flour, for baking and cooking with whole grains. At our table, for mealtime, we eat a variety of meat, fish, and dairy. And the truth is, we need to eat more vegetables than we actually do. And yes, we also get sick of cooking! And sometimes we do eat out because honestly, cooking just one more meal just might send us over the edge!
But when dinner is served, we dish up, talk to one another, and solve the world's problems. Then it is time to wash some dishes. For our family, it is a routine looked forward to, a quiet moment in a busy day of work, commuting, child caring and real life.
We would also like to encourage you to sign up for our recipes, kitchen tips, and other assorted quips by dropping your email into the SUBSCRIBE TAB located right here on the blog. You won't regret it, but remember, you may always cancel at a later date...We would love to answer any questions you may have regarding ingredients, cooking techniques, or just a friendly hello. Inquiries may be sent to the following email address:
momssundaycafe@gmail.com.
Thank you for stopping by! And let the cooking continue. And now, all about us!
I am Melynda E. Brown the cook, recipe developer and writer behind Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household. Here at home, I keep a well-stocked pantry (most of the time!), practice frugality, and cook with what I have on hand (again, most of the time.). In fact, I have been cooking and keeping a home for more years than I care to say, having started in my own childhood family home as one of the oldest, looking out after most of the youngest!
The decision was made to move a couple states away, and we now live in
You may (or may not...) be wondering why the many moves. It is simple really, comfort. When you have comfort in your home, including the land, the investment of time and energy to bring it to fruition is not work as much as it is a labor of love. When there is a lot of work to be done, you absolutely need to be, where you want to be! So many moves along with a winter of National Parks System of volunteering that included our daughter and son-in-law, was a very special learning experience.
We had time to think about our shared future, decide about where we really wanted to be, and journey forward to make it all happen. And of course our precious grandson was also along for the ride. That young man did more travel and explorations in his first two years of life, than many do in an entire lifetime! And we are just getting started here in East Texas, with so much more to do, see and enjoy!
I appreciate your visits here, very much! We have some delicious recipes, all of which are family favorites. As well as a growing list of pantry staples you can make yourself, saving a trip to the store. Along with household ideas and more than anything else, an abundance of hope to apply to all the things we wish to complete. My goal is that you will find something here to inspire you or better yet, answer a question you might have. Such as how to cook something or make your own home just a little more comfortable. We are hard core do it yourself-ers and speaking from my heart, it is how I was raised and hope to continue doing for as long as I am able.
Here recently I put together a blog post showing a tour of our comfortable 5thwheel home, you may view our little caravan here.
From our Montana Root Cellar.
A little bit more about me, I love kitchens! Especially big kitchens filled with every appliance and cook's toy available. But you might be surprised to find that I actually had a tiny kitchen in Montana. Tiny enough, that I had no stove and needed to share the oven in my daughter's kitchen when I baked bread or made granola. And I would be remiss if I did not confess that I will forever miss the Montana root cellar! But no matter the size of my kitchen or the state I live in, my kitchen forevermore will be a busy one! Because in my opinion life revolves around the kitchen, it is the heart of the home. And the food that comes from there, is what keeps the family healthy, happy and together!
Love this Wonder Mill for grinding my own flour.
Just as we did in Montana and Wyoming we share this land with our Daughter and Son in Law and young Grandson. The four of us have shared this dream of a sustainable life for a many years. And along the way, we were gifted with the joy of another grandchild. Life is just brighter when rediscovering the world all over again through the eyes of a child.
We cook and bake from scratch, eating most of our meals at home. I still grind my own flour and bake our bread. We share not only the property (and the work!) but also the dream of a more self-sufficient lifestyle. My kitchen here in Texas is in our 40ft fifth wheel that we have turned into our very comfortable Tiny Home. The kitchen is quite large giving me more kitchen than I had in Montana, but less than what was all mine in Wyoming! We recently put the finishing touches on a rebuilt metal shop building that now holds my washer and dryer along with a propane stove for canning.
Whole Wheat and Honey Bread, our daily bread.
I have always been a lifelong learner. I enjoy learning new ways to improve or make easier, just about each and every task that needs to be done. And I have taken on the responsibility to learn and succeed in tasks I have previously avoided, out of fear. Such as pressure canning. During our time in Montana I took a seasonal job as a Food Preservation Specialist. My tasks included canning the harvest from the farm for the family and production canning for the small farm store. And, it was a match made in heaven!
I was given the opportunity to learn and succeed in some of those skills not attempted before, such as using multiple canners processing at the same time, on the commercial gas range. How to convert cup and spoon measurements into kilogram and gram weights for consistency in the finished product, as well as (please don’t laugh!) using a candy thermometer. In addition I was tasked with recipe development for new products for the farm store. Many of which were instant successes!
It was gratifying to find new ways to do old things and to be more efficient in the kitchen. But there was also a fun part…
My employer, ABC Acres had partnered with the production company (Fire and Ice Productions) for Yellowstone, the television show to create a hot sauce modeled after one of the characters in the show. I made that hot sauce, and I made a lot if it! In addition a couple of my created/developed food products for the Farm Store were enjoyed by the production staff. Which was a very nice complement, because all of the crew love good food!
And while I did not get to meet Mr. Costner or any of the acting staff, I did get to meet some of the support staff along with the catering crew for the show. And yes I cooked gallons and gallons of RIP’S HUCKLEBERRY HEAT, hot sauce! You can view the photo layout from ABC Acres Facebook page here. Yes, that is me, hair in a bun, cooking up another batch of RIP’S HUCKLEBERRY HEAT, hot sauce! Funny it wasn't until we moved away from Montana that I started watching the show, and all in all, I would say that RIP'S HUCKLEBERRY HEAT, does in fact match the character it is named after. #yellowstonetvshow
In past years my husband and I have enjoy volunteering in our own community and for the National Parks System. We have held long-term camp hosting positions in many parks. We do enjoy being of service while staying in the parks to explore, relax and meet new friends. We have had the privilege of volunteering at Fort Vancouver National Historic Reserve in Vancouver WA, Organ Pipe Cactus Nation Monument outside of Ajo, AZ, on the International border with Mexico, and Three Frogs Campground at Lake Como in Darby Montana. And The Lost Dutchman in Arizona. Once we get a bit more settled here in Texas, we plan on exploring our new state as well as a few train trips across the USA.
Here on the blog you will find a variety of delicious whole food recipes to enjoy. All of the recipes shared on Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household, have been made and enjoyed in our home. Many are routine favorites, and we look forward to enjoying them time and time again. I invite you to look through the files and enjoy what we offer, adding variety and something new to your own meals. If you have a question or a request, please feel free to drop me a line. Because…
At Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household we have a simple philosophy, which is, offer creative, practical recipes for delicious yet easy to prepare meals using whole food ingredients from a well-stocked pantry. While providing enthusiasm and suggestions for you the reader to have fun and become comfortable with your own creative skills. After all, it’s your kitchen, and you should feel right at home there! My goal is to help you do just that.
Just a few notes on our whole food pantry. We use organic food whenever possible. Including organic cane sugar crystals, coconut oil, butter, olive oil, and avocado oil. We cook and eat whole grain foods most of the time along with lots of fresh vegetables, and fruits from our own garden, local growers, and through a CSA share whenever possible. Because absolutely is true, we all need to eat more vegetables!
Thank you for visiting! And again, welcome to Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade household. We are glad you stopped for a visit.
