Homemade Staples and Make-Ahead Mixes

Have you ever started to make a recipe and realized you didn't have any powdered sugar or started to make cookies and found you were out of brown sugar? I have a solution for that!

You can make these pantry staples and more from scratch very easily!

Here's how.....

Powdered Sugar
Put regular granulated sugar in a food processor and grind until the consistency you want. You can use this as-is right away. If you want to store the powdered sugar, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch per 1 cup of sugar. Store in an air-tight container.

Brown Sugar
Put 1 cup of regular granulated sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Add 1 teaspoon of molasses and stir until completely mixed. There you go! Store in an air-tight container.

Baking Powder
Combine 1 part baking soda and 2 parts cream of tartar. Store in air-tight container. That's all there is to it!

Homemade “Velveeta”
Don't like the ingredients in Velveeta? Make your own.
1 cup boiling water
6 tablespoons milk powder
1 pound cheddar cheese grated
1 1/2 teaspoons gelatin
Prepare a loaf pan by lining it with plastic wrap.
Combine 1/2 cup boiling water, 3 tablespoons of milk powder, and 3/4 teaspoon of gelatin in the blender. Blend 5 seconds.
Add 1/2 of the shredded cheese and blend until smooth (about 3 minutes).
Pour into your loaf pan.
Repeat with remaining ingredients and pour on top of first layer.
Cover and refrigerate overnight before slicing.

Chicken Bouillon
2 cups nutritional yeast
1/3 cup salt
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 dried basil
1/4 cup dried oregano
1/4 cup dried rosemary
2 tablespoons black pepper

Mix and store in air-tight container.
To make broth -
Use 1 tablespoon powder per 8 ounces of hot water.

Mayonnaise
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup avocado oil

Add the egg, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and salt to a mason jar. Slowly pour the oil on top and let it settle for a minute.
Place your stick blender in the jar and press it firmly to the bottom, making sure it is covering the egg yolk. Turn if on and keep it pressed against the bottom of the jar for at least 10 to 15 seconds without moving it.
Once the mayonnaise starts to emulsify and thicken, slowly move the stick blender up and down to fully combine the ingredients.
Store in refrigerator and use within 7 days.

With the following make-ahead mixes, double or triple the recipe in order to fill whatever jar you have. Be sure to label the jars and tape instructions for mixing and baking on the outside of the jar. Most of these recipes came from theflakehomestead.

Cream of Soup Mix
Remember those Cream of.....Soups we made a couple of weeks ago? Well, you can mix up the dry ingredients and keep them in a jar in the pantry so you can make them quickly!

4 cups powdered whole milk
1 1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup chicken bouillon
4 teaspoons dried onion
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon black pepper

To make use:
1/3 cup mixture
1 cup broth
1 tablespoon butter

Mix together in a sauce pan on low heat until thickened. Use as you would a can of condensed soup.

Muffin Mix
8 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

To bake you will need:
2 1/2 cups of the muffin mix
1 cup milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 to 3/4 cup of mix-ins – fruit, nuts, cheese, spices, etc.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix together all ingredients and stir in desired mix-ins. Place in muffin tin and bake for 15-20 minutes or until done.

Brownie Mix
2 cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

To make a 9x9 pan of brownies:
Mix 2 cups of brownie mix with
1/2 cup of melted butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon water.
Spread in a 9x9 pan that has been lined with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs from testing about 1 inch from the edge of the pan. Cool before cutting.

Pancake Mix
6 cups flour
6 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons baking powder
4 – 5 teaspoons ground cinnamon (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
To make the pancakes:
1 ½ cups dry mix
1 egg
3/4 cup milk or buttermilk
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon vanilla

Cake Mix
2 3/4 cups flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

To bake:
4 1/2 cups cake mix
1/2 cups melted butter
1 1/4 cups milk
3 eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
This cake can be made into a chocolate cake with the addition of cocoa powder.

These next two are my recipes and are individual recipes. I like to store them in pint mason jars with air-tight lids. When I am ready to use, I take a jar and put it in a bowl. They are convenient on busy nights.

Cobbler
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
Add ingredients to individual jars and use air-tight lids.
When you are ready to use....
Preheat oven to 375.
Put a stick butter (don't skimp on this) in a cast iron skillet and heat until foaming.
In the meantime....
Pour ingredients of one jar into a bowl and add
3/4 cup milk
Mix and pour into hot skillet.
Put fruit of your choice on top....peaches, berries, apples, etc.
Put in preheated oven and cook until brown all over. (I like to put this on a parchment-covered sheet pan just in case it boils over.)

Cornbread

1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Add ingredients to individual jars and use air-tight lids.
When you are ready to make cornbread....
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Put about 3-4 tablespoons butter in a cast iron skillet and heat until foaming.
In the meantime....
Pour ingredients of one jar into a bowl and add
2 eggs
1 cup milk
Stir well and pour into the skillet and put in preheated oven. Cook until the center is done.