The other day I was talking with Kelsey about how much better we feel when we make something and know what is actually in it, as opposed to buying it at the store. While there are many, many more things I could probably make at home instead of buy, I wanted to put together a list of what I currently make and why. Hint: the why is mostly money driven.
1. Peanut Butter – It is no secret that I am a nut butter freak. Cashew, almond, peanut — give me all the nut butters. What I’m not a fan of is how insanely expensive it can be to buy this sweet nectar sent from above. After I got my Vitamix, I got to work on making my own and have pretty much mastered my recipes. I buy my nuts in bulk (and unsalted) from We Got Nuts on Amazon (they are Prime eligible!) and it cuts down on the price big time. A full list of recipes I make in my Vitamix can be found here. Buying their Mac nuts in bulk also makes the most amazing mac nut pesto, recipe courtesy of my friend Caroline!
2. Shaving Cream – I’ll admit, I used to buy shaving cream in bulk. When you live in Hawaii, shaving is an essential and there’s no such thing as winter months where you can grow it out long enough to braid, wear pants and call it good. In my mind that is never good…something about leg hair rubbing against material makes my skin crawl, but anyway. If you don’t know it by now, shaving cream is expensive and I eventually got sick of paying for it. What I use now actually makes my post-shave legs feel like BUTTER, so I would highly recommend this quick little mash-up for anyone! Melt together 1/2 cup shea butter and 1/2 cup coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When it is fully liquid, remove from heat and drop in 6 drops of lemon essential oil (or whatever essential oil you like best!), transfer to a glass bowl put into your refrigerator. When the mixture has hardened, remove it from the refrigerator and fluff it up using an immersion blender. I store mine in a plastic container, which makes it quick & easy to access in the shower. I’ve seen it in pretty glass jars on Pinterest, though but something about glass in the shower makes me nervous.
3. Salad Dressing & Dips – I stopped buying these pretty recently in favor of mixing up my own blends and truthfully? There’s no going back to store bought! I feel like what I make is packed with so much more flavor and I really like that the ingredients are fresh and the mix hasn’t been sitting on a shelf for who knows how long. I love this collection of salad dressing recipes and taking the basic recipe for Whole30 mayo and adding in spices, avocado, etc. makes a great dip for almost any occasion!
4. Spice Mixes -Admittedly, I didn’t start doing this until I wanted to make tacos one night and I didn’t have a pack of taco seasoning. After mixing up my very own from a recipe I found on Pinterest, I realized how simple it was and started making it in bulk to always have on hand. I haven’t made any other mixes, but I really want to start!
5. Floor Cleaner – I mentioned this one before, but making my own floor cleaner came out of necessity when I wanted something that was pet friendly. The recipe is super simple and lemon juice can be subbed for lemon essential oil (or a scent that you like!).
What do you make instead of buy?
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