Things to outsource as a homemaker, wife, mother

Most of the food we serve our kids is homemade. But as a busy mama there are still things that I need to outsource to someone else. Here are some of those things:

-        Yogurt – my mom got me a yogurt maker one Christmas. I very respectfully gave it back to her and said "there are way too many things we already make from scratch. I’m going to have to outsource our yogurt". That said, I am extremely picky about what yogurt we buy. Like, if the store doesn’t have want I want, we go without. Most yogurts have such a high sugar content it’s practically a dessert. My kids don’t need that. I don't need that. I love the siggi’s brand and just about all the flavors are fairly low in sugar. I still tend to stick to the plain or vanilla. I also love the Trader Joe’s, Straus, and Stonyfield organic plain yogurts.

-        Hummus – I know this is so easy to make homemade, but we just don’t. I’m pretty happy with the organic Trader Joe’s hummus and their eggplant and olive flavors, so we stick to those.

-        Chicken and/or vegetable stock – We will make this at home sometimes. I think it’s great to have on hand especially during cold season and homemade really is best. But for the most part we buy the organic chicken stock from Costco. I’m not thrilled with the sodium content, but most of the time I use half the amount of stock and half water.

-        Pancake / Waffle mix – Every so often we’ll make this from scratch. It really is so easy. But having the mix on hand is so quick. I really like Bob’s Red Mill Organic, 7 Grain Pancake & Waffle Whole Grain Mix. I add vanilla and a baking spice blend and protein powder when I use a mix to freshen it up a bit.

-        Granola – I know this is another super easy thing to make at home. And maybe someday I will. But every time I go to make it, I stand in the dried fruit and nut aisle and pile $60 worth of items in my cart and then decide it’s way easier to head to the bulk section. We buy it from Whole Foods in bulk or the Trader’s Joe’s Organic Coconut granola or if I’m really lucky, my mom makes it and gives us a giant jar. This is my favorite way to outsource. J

-        Bread – One day I will make my own delicious crusty sourdough bread to share with my friends and family. I have made a few attempts, but without much success. This is a goal of mine, but for now, we buy our bread from a local bakery and just have them slice it for us. It’s a huge time saver and we get fresh bread made locally and with few ingredients.

-        Meals – yes the majority of our meals are completely homemade. But we also get take-out at about once a week – this is usually sushi or Indian food – something that we can’t easily make at home. We also have used meal kit delivery services in the past, such as One Potato, Blue Apron, and Plated. Sometimes when we get in a dinner rut, we’ll get a week of these to switch things up a bit and get some new inspiration.

-        Deep house cleaning – I know not everyone can afford this. But we made the decision a few years ago to put it in our budget. We have someone come in every month or two and clean our house top to bottom. I used to feel very guilty about this and really dug in when my husband first suggested it. I now feel it's some of the best money we spend. With both of us working full-time outside the home and with 3 kids 4 and under, we have decided to let this one go. Our home isn’t as clean as we would like all the time – I would love for her to come every two weeks, or even weekly (what a dream!), but for this season of life, it’s clean enough. If cleaning your house makes you cringe and hate life, consider hiring someone to come in, even if it’s just once or twice a year.

[A few things] I refuse to outsource:

-        Cookies and muffins – Unless they are from a really good bakery, I rarely buy muffins or cookies out. There’s so much sugar (and preservatives) in the bakery and store bought ones, I’d rather eat the ones we make at home. It's a great activity to do with the kids: it teaches them motor skills, math skills, practical life skills and I know every ingredient going into them.

-        Croutons – The store bought ones don’t even taste that good, it’s almost like crunching down on dust. If we have stale bread at home, we’ll bake them with olive oil and herbs and they are so so good. They keep for a couple weeks in an airtight jar in the pantry.

I would love to know what things you outsource to make your home run smoother. Also, what things do you refuse to outsource?