11 grocery store items you could be making at home

(Image credit: (FOOD52.com))

last updated 10 January 2015

Unless you've just survived the Trader Joe's checkout line at 8:30 PM on a Sunday, do not expect to be congratulated on your trip to the grocery store. Unlike your parents and your parents' parents — those brave souls who harnessed the dinosaurs and rode them to the spice bazaar — it's easy for you to zip to the supermarket and pick up everything you need.

But if you're in that mid-summer slump and looking for a reason to self-congratulate, try making a few of the items that normally end up on your ever-growing grocery list from scratch. Not only will the homemade versions save you money, but they'll taste better and be better for you, too.

We know that at this time of year, you'd rather be in the pool than the kitchen, so we've gathered our most hands-off DIY recipes. You'll still feel the thrill of having accomplished something, and you can even add your own fancy labels.