[Diana in Wisconsin]

I’m glad you mentioned that Lawry’s Seasoned Salt! I’ve been on a ‘kick’ where I’ve been trying to make EVERYTHING from scratch.

A. I have the TIME - because RETIREMENT is AWESOME! I should’ve retired 20 years ago, and...

B. I’m always looking for ways to save money.

We eat a lot of wild game; bear, elk, venison, and Beau likes gravy on anything that doesn’t move! And, of course gawd-forbid you eat a mashed potato without gravy! So, instead of buying those dumb 50-cent packets of ‘Brown Gravy Mix’ to use, I whipped up a batch of Homemade Gravy Mix. No salt in it, other than what’s in the bouillon - which is plenty.

https://iamhomesteader.com/homemade-brown-gravy/#wprm-recipe-container-131750

So, for under $5, I have an entire quart jar of the stuff, well sealed in a Mason jar which is supposed to be good for a full year. I was easily spending $2 A MONTH buying those packets...so that’s $2 more a month to put into savings. ;)

Here are some other interesting sites I’ve been looking through:

https://www.thriftyfrugalmom.com/homemade-foods-to-make-from-scratch/

https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/grocery-store-foods-to-make-at-home/

We eat homemade soup and a veggie wrap on a regular basis, so I want to learn to make a decent Tortilla from scratch to use for the wraps. Store-bought tortillas are ridiculously expensive!

[Liz]

Easy Soft Flour Tortillas
Soft, pliable, perfect for wrapping. A few tricks. Dissolving salt in warm water helps season the dough especially if using coarser salt. Rolling very thin and dialing in pan heat guarantees those appetizing bubbles, and the perfect texture.

Make 10 (8-inch) tortillas 2 cups flour 1 tsp fine sea salt 2/3 cup very warm water 5 tbl light flavored oil, melted shortening, melted lard or melted butter

Direction Add salt to the warm water and stir to dissolve. In a large bowl, fork/combine flour with the oil (or other fat) til it looks crumbly. Pour in almost all of the salty water and stir until a shaggy dough forms. If the mixture seems dry, add a bit more of the water. When the dough comes together, transfer to floured work surface and knead smooth, 2-3 minutes. Cover with a clean dishcloth and leave 15 minutes (up to 2 hours). Resting the dough makes rolling it out easier. Divide into ten equal sized blobs and shape them into small disks.

Rolling pin each small disk into 8-inch rounds. The thinner, the better--don’t worry about making them perfectly round. Stack them w/ parchment between.

Cook Tortillas Heat a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet on med-high. When hot, add the first tortilla. Within 20-30 seconds, you should start to see it puffing up with bubbles.When the bottom of the tortilla has some brown spots, flip it and cook until the second side is browned in places and the tortilla looks dry at edges----will take 1-2 minutes to cook. Transfer cooked tortilla to a dishcloth and cover it, then continue, adjusting heat as needed.

Tips Substitute whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour. The dough might need a bit more water. Make ahead: Divide the dough into smaller balls (this recipe makes ten 8-inch tortillas), wrap them very well, and then place them in the refrigerator for up to three days. About thirty to forty minutes before you plan to cook the tortillas, take them out of the fridge and bring to room temp before rolling out.

Store leftover tortillas in a resealable plastic bag for a day or two or freeze if they need to be stored longer. Fresh homemade flour tortillas are at their softest when warm, so if you have room-temperature or cold tortillas, we recommend reheating them in a skillet until they are warm and pliable again. Freeze flour tortillas in a freezer-safe bag or container, stacked with a small sheet of parchment between. \

[MomwithHope]

I don't think I've ever bought a gravy packet. I like those Better than Boullion jars. Plus spices plus drippings a little soy sauce. Plus whatever. That and a little corn starch slurry ad you are all set. So All - we are in west Michigan near Grand Rapids it's been near freezing a few nights already. Hubby took this picture this morning. We have been chuckling about them for weeks. When I rinsed out my caddys holding peat pots/seedlings there must have been loose tomato seeds in them. The center of the hose is right where I dumped the water when rinsing. They got pretty big fast. But not bringing any in. Just not enough sun and warmth we tried bringing one in decades ago and it did not work. But it was a fun surprise.