Are you:

• Just starting out?
• Riddled with questions?
• Confused by techniques?
• Need help troubleshooting?

One option is to come to a class.  On line or in the actual kitchen – we offer classes to help you get hands on, real time assistance with your whole grain questions and more.

Another options (while you’re waiting for the next local or online class notice) is to read through our Baking & Grains FAQs.  Here you will find questions that have been sent in by others and they may have been asking advice for  the same whole grain topic!

Hope you enJOY learning more about and using good wholesome whole grains. We’re here to help!

Whole grains are an excellent dietary vehicle for delivering health-promoting nutrients that you body needs.  These substances are found mainly in the bran and germ of the grain kernel.  Thus, milling and baking with whole grains, like wheat, rye and oats, ensures that you get all the vital nutrients that are essential for wellness.

By milling whole grains and baking your own whole grain food, you’re using all three parts of the grain: the bran, the germ and the endosperm. On the other hand, refined flour only utilizes the carbohydrate-rich endosperm.  The bran contains fiber and trace minerals such as calcium and magnesium.  The germ imparts essential fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamins B and E. Whole grains are capable of reducing cholesterol levels and Type II diabetes. Your risks of cardio-vascular diseases and colon cancer are also significantly reduced.

Tips for Milling Your Whole Wheat Grains

Here are a few critical tips to gain the most from milling your whole wheat grains:

• Use wheat berries. Hulled whole wheat kernels are referred to as wheat berries. Purchase them from grain stores by the pound, depending on how much flour you intend to mill.

• Flour measurements. A pound of wheat berries will give you approximately 4½ cups of flour. Whereas a cup of the same will produce about 1¾ cups of flour. Excess wheat berries can be stored indefinitely at room temperature.

• Current flour use. Mill only as much of the wheat berries as necessary to make flour for immediate use. The oil content in the milled whole grain flour will turn rancid within 72 hours and does not keep well in the fridge.

• Soak whole wheat grain flour overnight. Soaking the flour overnight will neutralize phytic acid, an anti-nutrient, in the grain. Phytic acid, found in the bran, will bond with minerals like magnesium, calcium and iron, preventing their absorption in the digestive system. It then passes through the gastro-intestinal tract and is expelled from the body as waste.

The numerous practical implications of milling and baking with whole grains emphasize benefits to your health and wellness. You can reduce the risks associated with major diseases by harnessing the nourishing goodness of whole grains. Follow the tips for milling perfect whole wheat grains and keep healthy!

One food group that often gets a ‘bad wrap’ (pun intended) is grains. Because grains are a carbohydrate they are one of the newest things on the chopping block to get dismissed from the ‘low carb’ diet craze. Sadly, by omitting this vital micro-nutrient, your body can be missing much needed sustenance.

On our  radio show (see the new tab above) we will be discussing how to balance healthy whole grains and even special treats into your diet (from a budgetary view point) and be able to enjoy all the goodness that is missing – while still reaching your healthy weight goals.

Grinder? Mill? Berry? Kernel?

Options abound when talking about what a whole grain is actually called. Some people call them berries, other folks call them kernels and still some of the whole grain foods are actually seeds. Not unlike the tiny jewel being called different names, what people call the apparatus that turns it in to whole grain flour also differs greatly yet means the same thing.

Terms used to describe a mill are often confusing. An electric grain mill is also called an electric grain grinder. An electric grain mill or electric grain grinder uses a steel burr rather than stone grind. A manual mill or a hand grinder is the same thing. It is one that requires no electricity but manual power to grind grain.

If you are interested in the freshest whole wheat flour (and other whole grain flours) you can get then you are likely looking in to home milling. No matter which one you call it, mill or grinder, investing in a home mill is the surest and more economical means to adding whole grain foods to your family’s diet.

For more information in comparison and grain mill reviews and finding grain mills for sale go to: http://www.comparegrainmills.com

You can also give us a call at Millers Grain House at 828.536.4988 and someone will be happy to answer your questions.

Amaranth has been used for food by humans in a number of ways. The most common usage is to grind the grain into flour for use in breads, noodles, pancakes, cereals, granola, cookies, or other flour-based products. The grain can be popped like popcorn or flaked like oatmeal.  If you are looking to add this grain variety to your diet, be ready to do some experimenting with both the flour and the seed/grain in whole form.  The addition of Amaranth can prove to add to your nutrition. It is a gluten free food which is easily digested.

Millet can be ground and used as flour as well as cooked whole in a variety of methods such as: steaming, broth, juice and roasted. It is often soaked and added to veggy burgers to make a tasty and filling vegan dish.  It can be used much like cous cous (which is not a grain at all but a miniscule pasta) with the bonus of fiber that is not offered in processed grains.

Nutrimill Grain Mill

In 2004, I bought our very first grain mill  and began a lifelong passion for freshly milled grains! Given my current state of domestic dysfunction, I was very unsure of what I was getting into and  doubted that I could even accomplish this task of home milling, but the features of the Nutrmill soon gave me the confidence to home mill our grains fresh and daily right in my kitchen. As a beginner, I chose the Nutrimill for a few very specific features.

The Nutrimill is very user friendly. It is compact in form and (thankfully) quite idiot proof. The grain hopper extender (which allows for a large quantities to be loaded without refilling) proved a step saver. The flour hopper can be removed with ease and the  indicators of YES or NO help me to avoid making a huge mess (when I read them as I should). The design of the machine keeps it from being an eye-soar if I leave it out of the cupboard.  After learning some of the particulars of the Nutrimill I learned to dust the rim inside with flour for easy lid removal and to listen for the change in motor sound to hear when the milling process was almost finished. The lifetime warranty and company support are both very impressive.

I highly recommend the Nutrimill for anyone who considers him/herself a novice in this journey in home milling.  If you’re starting to learn the skills needed for whole grain, fresh flour baking  the Nutrimill gives you the ease and convenience that is just about as easy as buying unhealthy, bags of flour. It gives you the benefits of the freshly milled whole grain in minutes. The speed and consistent outcome helps to make this a stable addition for a healthy kitchen.

It is likely that you will want to store quinoa in an airtight container and keep it refrigerated, because of its higher fat content. You will want to rinse Quinoa out very well in a fine meshed sieve or cheese cloth or rinse it at least three times in a bowl because it comes with a coating of a natural substance called saponin that can taste quite bitter if not removed by rinsing.

Quinoa cooks more quickly than most other whole grains and is ready to eat in roughly fifteen to twenty minutes. Quinoa prepared on its own makes a great side dish or it can be cooked with a little olive oil or butter and onion to make a pilaf. It’s also great in salads or as dressed up as a warm breakfast cereal. We like to add them to veggie wraps to boost the protein intake from a low fat source of whole grains.

Photo from Health Food Nation

Photo from The Quinoa Corparation

Ingredients:
3 Cups of sliced fruits (berries, apples, pit fruits are best)
**Option – 2 Cans Fruit Pie Filling of choice**
2 TBS Corn Starch **omit if using canned
2 TBS Organic Evaporated Cane Crystals **omit if canned
2 Cups Organic Whole Rolled Oats
1 Cup Freshly Milled Organic Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup Organic Evaporated Cane Crystals
1/4 Cup Sucanant (may sub. Brown Sugar)
4 TBS softened butter
2 tsp vanilla

9 X 13 baking dish

Coat baking dish with either butter or non-stick spray.

In a large bowl cut up fruit to equal 3 cups (may mix and try fruit
combinations). Add Corn Starch and 2TBS Cane Crystals, toss to
coat. Pour out into baking dish. **If using canned pie filling,
simply empty cans into the baking dish.

In a clean large bowl, mix Oats, remaining Cane Crystals, Sucanant
and Whole Wheat flour until combined, Cut in butter then add
vanilla until combined.

Pour on top of fruit mixture (but do not pat down) to cover.
Bake at 350 degrees until top is crispy and fruit is bubbly.
Top with ice cream or whipped topping.

What a great way to ge whole grains into your family’s diet.
They’ll LOVE them.
EnJOY!

Best Blessings!
Donna at Millers Grain House

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