Eat Grains

Archive for the ‘organic wheat’ Category

If you are stocking up your long term pantry, the two biggest items (both in amount and weight) will likely be the dry goods of grains and beans. We are getting a new shipment of these long term commodities on Friday, October 24th.

Be sure to visit our store site at: http://www.millersgrainhouse.com/store.
Also, if you sign up for the newsletter on this page, you will get updates on sales and inventory along with the complimentary monthly recipe and occasional video tutorial!

Best Blessings!
Donna Miller
http://www.youtube.com/user/thewheatguy

The other night, on a whim, I decided to make a 'Blueberry Tea Ring' for a get-together.
Well, it was WAY too small for the number of people who showed up so I hid it in the corner of the kitchen.

Much to my surprise, it was 'found' and the word spread fast!

This dessert or even breakfast was made with whole wheat, organic oats, organic (home grown) blueberries and very little sugar (what sugar was used was organic and sucanant). But it was a sweet tooth hit!

Usually I don't like to serve my 'first attempt out of the gate' recipes that I make up, I'm more of a 'tried and true' kind of host…but this one was a winner!

For that reason – it is going to be my NEXT one as the FREE recipe of the month! I will make it again and take some pictures so you can SEE the instructions!

So if you haven't signed up for our newsletter – please go do that now and you won't miss Augusts’ 'Blueberry Tea Ring'!

Best Blessings!
Donna

The NUMBER ONE TIP to making healthy, inexpensive and tasty bread is FRESH FLOUR. Store bought flour is what we refer to as 'dead' flour or what makes a 'dead bread' because it has been stripped of all it's natural nutrients, then 'enriched' (because it was stripped) with synthetic vitamins?and left to sit on a shelf for who knows how long.

The blest FLAVOR and complete nutrients come from milling grains at home and using them immediately. It takes NO EXTRA TIME to mill while gathering all other ingredients and the pay off is WELL worth the one tiny step to mill the grain because of the taste and health benefits.

ALL recipes below can be made with Freshly Milled Flours – simply mill the grain suggested. We offer milling ***suggestions*** within the asterisks at the beginning of each recipe. They are just suggestions – you can and should use the grain you prefer to mill for most traditional breads.

When milling grains for your flour – you will want to measure knowing you will get approximately half again as much flour for the grain. For example: 1 Cup of grain = approximately 1.5 Cups of fresh flour OR 1.5 Cups of grain = approximately 2.25 Cups of flour. This amount is approximate and relies on the texture you are milling (fine or course).

When it is moist or rainy outside – your freshly milled grain will be more absorbent and may not rise as well – or may fall easier if left too long.

Also when using home milled flour – no need to add any Wheat Bran or Germ when called for – simply measure that amount of your additional freshly milled flour.

If you are not currently milling at home – try your hand at using a combination of white bread flour and store bought whole wheat, about 50/50 until you get the hang of baking. If you ARE currently milling at home – you know that you have the most nutritious flour for your family, but if you are
intimidated with a potential 'heavy' loaf – you can replace about 1/4 cup of the flour with a bread or artisan flour to lighten the whole grain effect.

Spelt, Rye, Rice, Oat, Millet are some of the flours that are very low in gluten and will not rise like Hard Wheat flours. Most Bread machine recipes should be used with Hard flours.

Soft Wheat flours are best used for pastries and biscuits because they also lack the gluten to raise a good loaf of bread to crown.

Make sure your flour is as fresh as possible. Check dates and keep in a cool dry place.

Even if you are not Jewish, or understand the celebration of Passover (Pesach) the food is so differnt during this Biblical Feast that it deserves some special attention. Lamb, horoset, horseradish, wine, all of these may or may not be 'normal' foods for some, but are pivital players in the Feast of Passover.

Aside from the lamb, the one food that Passover offers is the chance to get creative with Matzo (mahtzah). Matzo is a flat bread that is made with out leavening or any leaven within the dough. While some beliefs are that all flour is not to be used during the Feast of Unleaven Bread, others believe that flour is fine as long as no leavening is in it (baking soda/powder or yeast). To someone who bakes whole grain breads and muffins all the time – matzo may seem to be a challenge, or even limiting, but it is a wonderful treat that is only focused on during the Passover time of year.

This is my favorite recipe for Whole Grain Matzo:
~ 4 Cups of freshly milled flour (Hard Red or Hard White Wheat work well as does Spelt)
~ 2 tsp salt
~ 4 large eggs
~ 6 Tbl spoons Honey
~ 4 tsp Olive Oil
~ 8 Tbl spoons water

Before Mixing – preheat oven to 400 degrees farienghit and grease cookie sheet(s).

If doing two cooking sheets rotate top to bottom half way during cooking for even baking.

Mix the two dry ingredients together with a fork or whisk.

Mix all wet ingredients together untill well blended.

Combine wet mixture into dry mixture – mixing until able to 'knead' by hand.

Form into 12-14 eaqual size dough balls.

Roll out, place on cookie sheet(s), then prick with fork.

Bake approximately 10 minutes.
If using two cookie sheets bake 5 minutes, switch top and bottom sheets and bake 4 more minutes.