Why Homemade?

Homemade Marshmallows (picture taken by me)

Everyone once in awhile I step back and ask myself, “Why do I have to make everything I can possibly make?”   Today, I went grocery shopping and saw that they had pie dough, something I might need in this festive time of year but I didn’t want to buy it because it wasn’t what I wanted.  I wanted a whole wheat pie crust, and since whole wheat pie crusts are expensive (any pie crust over a dollar is expensive to me) I would much rather make it. 

In fact I would much rather make a lot of things.  Like right now, I am boiling beans for some of this week’s meals.  Why don’t I just skip a step and buy the canned version?  Because they are not what I want.  They’re too salty and “expensive” especially when you look at buying a bag of dried beans for $1.50 which makes around 6 “cans” of beans.  But why can’t I just pay a little more and reap convenience?

I ask myself that all the time and sometimes I do cave to the ease of a more expensive item, but it doesn’t happen often.  I don’t even like buying frozen pizza anymore because I can make pizza in about 40 min beginning to end, everything made from scratch.  I’m not bragging, I’m just trying to explain how far my, “I can make it” mentality has come. 

But it doesn’t stop at cooking my craze follows me through every facet of my life.  Yes, I buy food from the store but I would much rather have locally grown produce, so I have a garden (of which I am still learning to cultivate).  I like beans and so next year I’m planning on growing some black and kidney beans. 

Almost all the decorations in my home are homemade or repurposed, and there are still more to come that I haven’t had time to “make”.  I make some of my son’s toys, pillow cases, covers, and curtains because I couldn’t find anything that I like for the price I was willing to pay.  

But just like I said in the beginning, everyone once in awhile I have to ask myself, “Why do I have to make everything I can possibly make?” and I think it boils down to this:  

It’s the drive of knowing that something comes from somewhere and that it could be better if only you put your mind and hands to work. And sometimes it’s not “better” in taste, quality or style but when you look at it and share it there is a soul about your creation that no super store could duplicate.

I love that soul.  That singular character, whether in a taste, quality, or in that fact you saved .50₵ there is something to admire about a homemade creation.

And so I’m going to save this post and head back over to my stove to finish boiling my beans, and once done I’ll make some breakfast burritos for my husband’s breakfast, and an advent calendar for my son to enjoy through the month of December and maybe, if there is still time, some ornaments to put in the calendar.    

Is there something that you just have to make and can’t ever buy?