box vs. scratch...

I usually use a box mix then I don't have to keep all the ingredience here..living alone you sometimes pitch things that are only half gone but no longer fresh because you can't use them in the right time frame....so I do box alot...I bet your daughter loved doing that with you...so maybe they tasted better because they were made with a little extra love!

When I was first married and then working full time I always used stuff from cans and boxes exclusively. Now that I have been able to stay at home since my 4th child was born I have had more time to experiment with recipes and cook and be creative. I would have to say that I do about half and half with box versus from scratch. For things like brownies I always prefer to make the mixes from the box. I think they turn out better tasting, and there is definitely more consistency doing it this way. I also like the Pillsbury pre formed cookies or the tub of Pillsbury chocolate chip cookies. Again, they taste better and are more consistant. It is way more convenient too. Have a great day and happy myLotting!!!

hi bookreadermom When I was still in our apartment I often used box stuff and they came out quite well. but sometimes I started from scratch and mine was even better.lHowever lots of times the box method really saves time and energy and is as good as what I made from scratch.

Hello, bookreadermom...Usually I make my meals from scratch. I really don't think it takes all that much more time as I ordinarily have everything needed already in my kitchen. And the more familiar you become with a recipe the faster it goes. About 6 months ago I did make some brownies from a boxed mix and they turned out quite well which surprised me as it was a store brand mix. I don't make the fancy highbrow gourmet recipes that call for all those expensive ingredients as I like the down home country cooking. Some of the time you can use a boxed mix and tweak it by adding and/or substituting your preferred seasonings and ingredients. But for the most part, good ole' soul food can be put together with everyday ingredients and a few seasoning staples.

Making things already measured and prepared in a box is quick and convenient. It is more time consuming to make things from scratch. i think more love and commitment to cooking and baking comes when you take the time to make it from scratch.

I think it depends on what you are making, I am a good cook but terrible at baking. I will make as much food as I can from scratch but if tastes better from box then yes I will use that. The problem with making things from scratch is that it is so time consuming and quite ofter more expensive and if it doesn't work out then you have wasted time, money and energy but when it does work, boy does it taste good!

I make things from the box all the time. Very rarely do I make from scratch. I use to make brownies from a mix, but in Canada the price is getting so high. I found an easy recipe for brownies and it makes twice the size of a brownie mix. It tastes great too. Besides brownies and chocolate chip cookies, everything else is made from a mix.

Certain things are just better from scratch, in my opinion. Mashed potatoes, for example, are much better from scratch than out of a box. There is a distinct taste difference. The box potatoes taste a bit staler, I guess. Maybe it's just me, though. I enjoy making brownies, cakes, and cookies from scratch, but the boxes are quicker.

There is a big difference in ingredients. I used to make everything from a box until I took a good look at the ingredient list. Everything has HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) which is a filler for a lot of products. They (the corn growers) claim it's the same as regular sugar, but please, a lot of foods don't even need it and would have a lot less sugar if regular sugar was used. It's also a lot cheaper to cook from scratch. If you're worried about time then cook everything on a Sunday then freeze it or make cooking kits on Sunday where you can make it fresh the rest of the week. On some days my crockpot is my best friend :)

I can bake from scratch but sometimes I'll bake froma box and modify it to add the personal touch. For example I add raisons and oat meal to the choclate cookes you can get from the freezer.

I have not baked from scratch in twenty some years. I used to love to make cookies from scratch, but cakes never came out right. They were usually flat, and I do not remember how they tasted. I did pretty good with brownies and fudge too. Now I make cakes and brownies from the box. When I bake a birthday cake I make my own frosting from scratch. I cannot stand the canned stuff! It tastes like puke to me. Once I bought some refrigerated cookie dough to make cookies and though they turned out ok, I thought there was too much salt in them. They were ok, not terrific. Next time I feel like making cookies I will do them from scratch and hope I still have the magic touch! With the box mixes, you may have got a bad one. Careful with the brands you use. Store brands may not be as tasty as a national brand. I do like Aldi cake mix, but when they have Betty Crocker on sale for a dollar I stock up. Those cakes come out a bit fluffier and have more substance, though the flavors are pretty good no matter which of the two brands I use. Take note of the brands you are using. Perhaps you may see a pattern.