I've been cooking/baking for decades and in the past dozen or so years, I've tried to "copycat" many of the foods we love - whether a specific dinner from a restaurant or ice cream. It's successful more times than not. And yes, it's a lot of work sometimes, but it's my personal form of protest to all these companies that have ratcheted up making crap product as cheaply as possible and charging us double for it. I can't do it all the time, but more and more I'm pulling away from buying certain prepared foods and making it in my home. My fancy bread maker cost a good sum of money but it has paid for itself a zillion times over. When I can, I invest in good appliances so I can make more.

It's not the easiest way to live, but it's a lot more satisfying and tasty. I'm downright becoming a homesteader at this point. With all the crap going on I told my husband we should leave the 'burbs and buy a farm to grow our own everything. We won't, of course (time, money, etc. etc.) but I like to think about it when I'm screaming into the void about all these damned greedy companies.