Flavor.

One thing that I have noticed, since my cooking kick started, is how good food tastes when it's home made. I'm not talking about a burger or a steak, I'm talking about all the way down to the main ingredients. Today I really tore up the kitchen getting ready for our camping trip. I made some coleslaw, guacamole, peanut butter, mayonnaise and fresh burgers out of top sirloin.

I mean, I'm sure most people have made guac before, so that's not a huge deal. But have you made your own mayonnaise? It's really good and you can select what kind of mayo you want. Want a herb infused blend? Easy. Want some wasabi mayo? Easy. Does it allow for a long shelf life? Heck no. Why? Because you're taking out all the preservatives and other crap that keeps it good for long periods of time.

The peanut butter I made today is pretty good, although I have some room for improvement on the recipe. I added some locally produced honey that was made with bees who fed off local avocado trees, which added a nice flavor to it.

Have you ever had a freshly ground burger? I mean, I never know what is in the raw hamburger when I buy it. But by doing it this way, you can control what cuts you use and how much fat you allow to be in it. A NY Strip burger is especially tasty. The KitchenAid meat grinder works very well for this. I'm sure I could use my Cuisinart, like I do on a lot of other things, but this is one of those instances where I like the consistency that the KitchenAid produces.

Anyway, I challenge YOU to make a fresh meal out of nothing processed. Like my fettuccine from a post ago. Is it going to take you longer? Yup, sure is. But you add so much more pride, not to mention flavor, when you do it this way. Good luck!