Box Mix or From Scratch?

[barbszy]

Do you generally prefer to use a mix, or make things from scratch?

I enjoy cooking from scratch, but one thing I don't bother making from scratch is brownies. My family likes the regular box mix kind, baked for the minimum time (without preheating) and with an extra shot of chocolate syrup in the batter. Plus homemade brownies are way more costly to make.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I prefer making things from scratch but I don't always have time. Things seem to taste better after that extra TLC was put into them. However, since I started college, I don't have time to make as much from scratch.

[Sammi1961]

I make most meals from scratch. Once in a great while I will use a rice mix or boxed mac n cheese (Annie's is my favorite) but everything else is homemade. I do use brownie mixes and sometimes muffin mixes. If I bake cookies or pies I do everything from scratch. I even use long cooking basamati rice instead of minute rice as long grain rice tastes so much better!

[cat lover]

I do both, but it depends on how good I can make the box mix into something DH can eat. So sometimes it is just as simplier to start from scratch for me!

[cheri2057]

I do both depending on time also

[Barb]

not tried the choc syrup in my brownies so will hve to try it

I like box mixes due to time, but what I do alot of time is to start with a box mix and then add things to it to stretch it. Like if I'm going to do make something with noddles I will add more noodles to it to stretch it out.
saves time and money that way.

[cat lover]

I don't remember which brand it was, but years ago there was a brownie mix that actually came with a little can of Hershey syrup to add to the mix, not sure it that is still so or not. It did make them taste like homemade!

[barbszy]

cat lover, that's where we got the idea! LOL! The mix with the can was pricey, and we figured we already had the syrup for making chocolate milk, so we started adding it to the store-brand brownie mix and it worked great!

I have discovered, though, that all store brand mixes are not the same. Normally I get Shop Rite mix, which we like, but once I got mix at Wegmans which is a more upscale-type store. It had a very different taste, and a strong flavor of vanilla. We didn't care for it as much.

[mamab]

We've added chocolate syrup to our brownie mixes, as well as other things, to make them seem more like homemade. I really like how the syrup makes them moist. :D

[Amayesing]

I make almost everything from scratch. I did a lot more when I had children at home but even now I still have to have homemade mac and cheese

[ajrsmom]

It depends for me, too.

My family loves Aldi's boxed brownies and cake mixes, so that is what I buy.

My DD loves boxed mac n cheese. :rolleyes:

I used instant rice and boxed pasta. Canned gravy too. :cool:

[RobertaD]

I add the juice from the jar of cherries to our brownies instead of plain water. As we all love chocolate covered cherries and this adds a hint of cherry flavor to the brownie. Sometimes I will chop up cherries and add to the mix as well.

I keep the bagged cookie mixes ($1 after sale and coupons) makes 24-30 cookies, brownie mixes ($1.33 after sale and coupons) on hand for a quick dessert or school snacks.

I do have the bagged flavored rice and noodles on hand bought on sale with coupons to make a quick skillet dinner on rushed nights. Just add meat and veggies.

Roberta

[barbszy]

MMM, Roberta, that cherry brownie idea sounds REALLY good!

[pattydrpr]

Add a handful of mini-marshmellows, about 1/2 or less cup of milk chocolate chips and a few white chocolate chips to the mix! Wonderful!

[Bilby]

I use both box and scratch mixes, depends on how much time I have and if I'm in a cooking mess making mood.
Most times for the fancier cakes it's cheaper to buy them already made from the bakery than to buy the mixes and add all the extras.
It really just depends. Most times I buy store brands and doctor them myself that in itself comes halfway between the home made prices and the bought fancy.

[megray]

Mostly I cook from scratch for cookies, cakes etc. The big exception is orange and poppyseed cake. I just use the packet and have never tried one from scratch!
I do use packets for pasta and sauce, mac and cheese (yuk!) and curry pastes.
I have never used dried potato mix.

[cat lover]

I wish I could find a poppyseed box mix, but have never seen any here. I do have several recipes for different ones from scratch; poppyseed anything is one of my favorites!

[mamab]

With my health issues, IF I get to cook, I have to do so quickly, so unfortunately, we use many more boxed mixes than I would like. But, we do what we have to do, don't we?