Why Do We Say "From Scratch"?
This morning I built a brand new landing page for Scatter Joyfulness Greetings from scratch.
Not long after that, I created a brand new QR code to go with it.
Now I’m heading to my kitchen with butter on the counter, oats, chocolate chips, dried cherries, and a recipe waiting to become cookies... from scratch.
Apparently, today had a theme.
A landing page from scratch.
A new QR code from scratch.
And now cookies from scratch.
This seems to be a never ending way of life for me, and I’m good with it.
Totally fun.
What Does “From Scratch” Mean?
Today, when we say we made something from scratch, we usually mean we started with the basic ingredients or raw materials instead of using something already prepared.
In the kitchen, that might mean flour, butter, eggs, oats, and chocolate chips instead of a boxed mix.
Outside the kitchen, it can mean building a website, creating a business, learning a new skill, or beginning any project without a ready made starting point.
Where Did “From Scratch” Come From?
Believe it or not, this phrase didn’t begin with baking.
Long ago, a scratch could be a line marked on the ground to show where a race or competition would begin. Starting from scratch meant beginning at that original line without a head start or another advantage.
As the years passed, people carried that idea into everyday life.
Instead of talking only about races and sporting competitions, “from scratch” became a way to describe beginning something at its true starting point.
Eventually, the kitchen borrowed the phrase too.
So when I say I’m making cookies from scratch, I’m really talking about beginning with the ingredients themselves.
I enjoy imagining that an old line scratched into the dirt somehow found its way into my mixing bowl, which is also a tad scratched, with love.
Historical Reference
Merriam-Webster, “From Scratch: Where Does the Phrase Come From?”
Today’s From Scratch Experiment
As I write this, the ingredients are waiting for me on my kitchen counter.
I have a recipe, but whether I’ll follow it exactly remains to be seen.
The cookies are supposed to include oatmeal, dried cherries, and chocolate chips, which already sounds like a promising combination.
I’m also wondering whether oatmeal gives me permission to call them breakfast cookies.
Probably not.
Still, a cookie containing oats and fruit must be trying to make a respectable contribution.
I’ll update this story after the baking is finished.
One Final Thought
Today really did arrive with a theme, although I certainly didn’t plan it.
A landing page from scratch.
A new QR code from scratch.
Cookies from scratch.
And now an entire Curious Phrase post from scratch.
I didn’t choose this phrase from a list or plan it as the next addition to the Food Phrases collection.
It simply appeared while I was living the day.
That seems to happen around here quite often.
My hubby can testify.
Curiosity notices what I’m already doing, taps me on the shoulder, and gives me one more question to follow.
Totally fun.
Update: The Cookies Are Baked
The cookies are officially out of the oven, and I’m happy to report they were worth making from scratch.
I used oatmeal, tart dried cherries, and dark chocolate chips. The tart cherries subtly balanced the sweetness without trying to steal the show.
The raw dough was delicious too... not that I’m recommending eating half a cookie’s worth before baking. I’m simply reporting the facts.
I baked large cookies, around four inches across, because I wanted some to share. A few went into fancy cookie bags for gifts, and several others were cut into quarters before heading to the freezer. That’s my way of slowing myself down... at least in theory.
I have a feeling those cookies will be calling my name for quite a while.
One More Cookie Update: July 22, 2026
I stopped by the local co-op again and discovered that the take-and-bake cookies are no longer there.
The display where I could choose individually shaped cookies in a variety of flavors to bring home and bake was gone, along with the cookies themselves. I was sad to see them disappear. I loved being able to choose just the ones I wanted and enjoy them warm from my own oven. One of the many benefits was that I could bring home just one, two, or three cookies without having a dozen or more staring me down after I baked them.
Apparently, my timing was better than I realized when I decided to make oatmeal cookies with tart dried cherries and dark chocolate chips from scratch. That particular combination wasn’t one of the co-op’s take-and-bake options, so it was already becoming a cookie creation of my own.
It seems I’m the smart cookie now, and baking from scratch may become a more frequent route to warm, freshly baked cookies around here.
Some cookies are smarter than others.
I guess that’s just how the cookie crumbles.
Wander a Little Further
Some cookies begin at the co-op. Others begin with oats, cherries, chocolate chips, and a willingness to see what happens.
You'll find more curious food expressions and their surprising stories in the Food Phrases collection.
Where will you Scatter Joyfulness today?
