Do-It-Yourself...?

It hit me yesterday. I have become a do-it-yourselfer.

Good grief, when did that happen?

I assure you, I've never been that kind of girl. Yes, I've always enjoyed baking cookies and things, and I have made homemade bread for years...but I really only began making it because it was a "No Knead" recipe. And with my KitchenAid mixer, the recipe was so easy.

My point is that I have been perfectly content, for years, to do things the easy way. I bought large quantities of canned and prepackaged food. I was happy to let the food companies do things for me. And I would never have dreamed of making my own pasta. What was the point?

Now, of course, I know what the point is. Homemade can and should mean more nourishing food, prepared in the optimal way, and infinitely higher in quality. Making food at home means you can control what goes into it, as well as how it's made. I truly believe that it's worth it.

So in less than a year I've gone from the girl who bought everything pre-made, to...to what? To a girl who weekly makes butter and yogurt. A girl who bakes crackers as often as I can spare the butter, and whose family rejoices greatly when they learn that it's (homemade) Noodle Night.

I read an article recently. It was about moms who simply...make stuff. To sell, but also for their families to use. One mother mentioned something called the "I can make that" syndrome. You can get to the point where you have a need, you get an idea, and you decide to give it a whirl, yourself. Need a memory blanket? No problem. A pretty tray to serve drinks on? It can be done. A certain kind of toy for your child? Absolutely.

Now, I am not a crafty person. Not at all. In fact, the ideas that I just mentioned make my stomach clench in anxiety. I failed miserably during the sewing unit of my Home Ec. class. And I was really impressed with myself when I measured and cut rectangles of fleece to use as wicking diaper liners.

I think it's safe to say that I am fairly inept in the craft department.

But something in that article really resonated with me. I'm beginning to see the value in doing things - creating things in the kitchen - myself. Largely because so much of what is marketed on the grocery store shelves is horribly bad for us, even a lot of the "healthy" stuff. But also...I'm finding a satisfaction in learning how to make different kinds of food myself. I've become fascinated by attempting "lost" arts.

Every time I make butter, I think it's like a miracle. To agitate cream long enough, and have this beautiful, delicious, nourishing yellow stuff? It amazes me. And wonder of wonders...I made it happen. God created the nature of milk, and I was able to tap into that, and end up with butter.

Not each and every experiment has been a success, of course. My attempt to make enchildada sauce without a food mill was a disaster. And I was less than thrilled with the whipped cream I made for fruit pizza a few weeks ago. But, I'm learning: trial and error. And I'm excited to continue trying, and learning as I go.

Who knows what it may be able possible to accomplish next?