Did you know???

Whole-grain diets help you feel satisfied longer than diets that do not include whole grains?

Why?

I always believed it was because of the huge amount of protein in whole grains...but the answer actually involves more than just protein. It is also because whole grain diets are high in fiber and complex carbohydrates.

Fiber stays in your stomach longer than other foods and helps slow down digestion. However, the amazing thing about fiber is that it helps us feel full quicker and longer than other foods, but passes right through your body. This is why high-fiber foods help weight-loss!!!

Complex carbohydrates are important because they take a long time for our bodies to break down, which means, once again, that you will feel fuller for a longer period of time.

The Mayo clinic actually recommends whole grains as one of the four best healthy snack options because of the energy they provide, the fiber, and the complex carbohydrates. Pretty cool, huh!!! I always thought it was the protein that helped with whole grain foods...turns out, there is a lot more to it!!!

Oh...FYI...I made a wonderful Fresh from the Garden Pizza last night for dinner. It is vegetarian and fabulous! Everyone thought it was so good! So, if you have extra zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, etc., hang on to them for a great garden fresh recipe!!! Also, Costco has some of the most fabulous cheese ever...it is called Dubliner cheese...it is sharp, but has a very nice sharpness to it. It is fabulous and it is wonderful mixed with other cheeses on this pizza. I'll probably be giving out the recipe for the toppings, but not the dough because it is in my cookbook and there has to be some advantage to having the cookbook!!! So stay tuned!!!

Shaped Bread!

So, the kids are back in school and if your kids are anything like mine...everything matters... clothes, backpacks, even lunches. Here is a cute idea that my kids loved and it doesn't take any extra time (if you already make your own bread that is). These are bread tubes and you bake your bread in them and your bread comes out in cute shapes. The ones I have found are flowers, hearts and stars. You can find them online. There are some available on ebay, just type in bread tubes in google and go from there. You can also find them on Amazon (the link is below). You have to follow the instructions carefully so they don't stick. This means greasing AND flouring the tubes and be sure you don't overstuff the tubes with bread dough...as I said before follow the instructions carefully. Anyway, they make the cutest sandwiches in the world and my kids LOVE them!

http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=289678

I just ordered the star and the heart. How cute are these for holidays???

Pampered Chef no longer sells them, but as I said, you can get them on ebay and on Amazon...while you're at it...buy my book!!! Norpro has the set of three...the heart, star and flower. They are just so fun!!!

SUCCESS!!!!

Summer is ending and I had 2 pounds of strawberries that were going to go bad. What better way is there to use up some strawberries quickly while enjoying a last taste of summer than home-made strawberry shortcake? I tried out a strawberry shortcake recipe tonight and it was a SUCCESS!!! My family LOVED it. My husband said it was AWESOME! This recipe uses a biscuit mix recipe made from scratch that is whole wheat. The biscuits are light and delicious and the strawberry shortcakes are wonderful!

Recipe for Biscuit mix

4 C sifted whole wheat flour
2 T + 2 tsp sugar
2 T baking powder
1 C shortening (I use butter-flavored crisco)
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 C powdered milk
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, powdered milk, cream of tartar and baking soda. Add shortening and cut with two knives until crumbly, similar to cornmeal. You can also use your hands to combine shortening evenly...that is my favorite way to do it. Store in refrigerator and use to make biscuits quickly...or to make strawberry shortcake.

Strawberry Shortcake recipe

2 C Biscuit mix
2/3 C milk
2 T butter
2 T sugar

Mix above ingredients together. Form into 12 mounds on a greased cookie sheet. (They will flatten as they bake...if you want them taller...add a little more flour...they are great either way) Bake for 8-10 minutes at 450 degrees.

I used two biscuits per person and topped them with sliced strawberries mixed with sugar. I use 2-4 T sugar for 1 lb. strawberries...you can just add sugar to taste. Let it sit for about 20 minutes or so to let the strawberry juice form. Then top with home-made whipped cream. To make whipping cream, simply whip cream until it begins to thicken and add sugar to taste. Continue whipping until cream is stiff and sugar is dissolved. You can also use store-bought whipped cream...but home-made is always better!!!

hmmmmm...very interesting...

I was just reading something very interesting. What I was originally looking for was a conversion between sifted and unsifted flour. I am making cornbread and strawberry shortcake tonight and I have TONS of flour already ground. Since neither of these are very sensitive recipes (by sensitive I mean they work almost all the time with slight variations of the recipe), I was hoping to use my previously ground wheat rather than grinding fresh. Is it as healthy, no, but is it better than white flour...YES!!! Okay, so the conversion, apparently is 1 C minus 2 T for unsifted flour compared to sifted. I'm going to try this tonight. I'll let you know how it works!!!

Okay, now for the interesting tidbit I picked up. Remember how I said my spelt bread was sticky after kneading...I found out that the gluten in spelt develops much quicker. So...you don't have to knead it as long. I'm assuming this is also why people with wheat allergies can often eat spelt...because the gluten breaks down easier. Anyway, just thought I would share!!! I've since changed the recipe to account for the shorter kneading time.

Back again!!!

Thanks to all of you who have ordered my cookbook and thanks to all of you who have given me such positive feedback on the recipes!!! The cookbook was temporarily out of stock, but is now back in stock and ready to order again!!! Oh, and I am teaching another class on September 30...if you are interested email me at suziessweetwheat@hotmail.com. Thanks again for all of the compliments and orders!!!

mmmmmm.....Hot, Delicious, Spelt Bread

This bread was moist and delicious! I simply replaced the whole wheat flour from my other Honey Whole Wheat Bread recipe with Spelt Wheat. It was fabulous! Oh, I used the half-batch recipe. I did find, however, that my dough was a little sticky...I think I over-kneaded with my stand mixer...but the final product was great!!!!!!!!!

Spelt Bread

3 C lukewarm water

1/2 C honey

2 T oil

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 T dough enhancer

1 1/2 T gluten

7-9 1/2 C spelt flour
1 T yeast

Add first six ingredients in order. Add 7 cups of flour. Sprinkle yeast over flour. Add enough remaining flour until dough is no longer sticky. Knead for 6-8 minutes or until dough can be stretched easily (don't let it get too sticky). Form into 2 large loaves. Place in greased bread pans and let rise for about 45 minutes. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

What is spelt?

Spelt is an ancient grain that is making a name for itself in North America. It was used in Iran many, many years ago and has been in Europe for hundreds of years and is just starting to make its debut into the average American diet. It resembles wheat, because it is an ancient form of wheat, but has some very distinct characteristics that put it in a class of its own. It is very high in manganese...which we have discussed before. Manganese is great for your nerves, bones, and for controlling blood sugar levels. It also has a considerable amount of protein. Supposedly, the protein in spelt is easier to digest than the protein in red and white wheat, so some people who hae wheat allergies have an easier time tolerating spelt. However, spelt is not gluten-free, so those with gluten allergies will have to abstain from using spelt.

So, speaking of using spelt...how do you use it? It is interchangeable with other hard wheat. I will be making spelt bread in the next few days and I'll give you my report.

Oh...FYI...my class went well. We ate chocolate cake, smoothies and fresh bread. Yum!

Sorry for the slow posting...

Sorry for the slow posting...we are waiting for a router to come and the computer that currently has the internet, is NOT the one with all of my recipes and pictures. Also, I am teaching another class tomorrow night that I am trying to get ready for. I am going to experiment with spelt very soon and also amaranth and chia seed...so these are coming up. I also have MANY more whole wheat recipes...so keep checking!!! Sorry about the slow posting recently!!!

Rich, Delicious, and Somewhat Healthy!

Okay guys, this dessert is DELICIOUS! I made it for my family yesterday and they LOVED it!!! The kids, adults and the company we had over devoured it and managed to eat the entire 13X9 pan of it!!!

Here it is:

Rich Diced Apple Cake

2 C sugar
¾ C oil
¼ C applesauce
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2¼ C whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp nutmeg
4 C diced apples

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients together in the order above. Grease 9X13 pan. Pour batter in and bake for about 35-45 minutes, or when toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 stick softened butter
2½–3 C powdered sugar (to taste)
1 tsp vanilla

About an hour before making frosting, get cream cheese and butter out of the refrigerator and set on the counter to soften at room temperature. Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat for several minutes until mixture is light and fluffy. This is great for banana bread, zucchini bread, yellow cake or any other baked dessert you would like to use it on.

Note: If you have a cookbook, make sure you add the eggs and check the new baking times...as there were a couple of typos in the book which are now being corrected.

Teff Pancakes...yummmmm!!!

Teff Pancakes

1 ¼ C milk
¼ C teff
1 ¼ C water
1 ½ C whole wheat flour
3 T honey (I used the raw honey)
2 eggs
1 T baking powder
1 T oil

Mix ¼ C teff and 1 ¼ C water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix whole wheat flour and baking powder. In another bowl, mix 2 eggs (beaten), milk, honey and oil. Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Stir in the cooked teff until thoroughly combined. Pour by ¼ C measures (or whatever size you desire) onto a hot greased griddle. Makes 16 pancakes.

Cookbook Note:

In the breads section of my cookbook, please remember that all breads, unless otherwise noted, use GREASED pans. This is not indicated in each individual recipe because I thought most people would know...but if you were uncertain whether the pans are greased or ungreased...unless otherwise noted...GREASE THEM!!!

Cake in a Cup...

Its been a while since I have done a family fun post...so I thought it was about time. I decided to experiment with a cake-in-a-cup recipe and convert it to whole wheat. This was inspired by my friend Tifani's blog...she did this about ayear ago and my kids thought it was SOOO cool! Okay, is it the best cake...heavens no, its a microwave cake...how good could it be, but will your kids think its cool...YES! I have found a way to make it more appetizing, too, enough that my kids did end up loving it. The caramel ice cream topping made all the difference. Oh, and the second picture is just a fun way to make it look like hot chocolate...my kids love those cookie sticks and they are available at the Dollar Store!!!

Okay, so here it is:


Cake in a Cup

4 T whole wheat flour
4 T sugar
2 T cocoa
1 egg
3 T milk
3 T oil
3 T semi-sweet chocolate chips
Caramel ice cream topping

In a mixing bowl, mix together flour, sugar and cocoa. Add egg, milk and oil and stir until thoroughly combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into a mug. Microwave for three minutes. The cake will get really tall, but shouldn’t go over the side of the mug. After three minutes, take cake out of the microwave…it will sink while it sits and cools. Poke holes all over the cake with a straw or chopstick. Slightly warm some caramel topping until it is drizzling consistency. Pour caramel all over the cake. Let cool slightly. You can then top with bits of chocolate covered toffee, if desired.


FYI: to make it look like hot chocolate, just squirt whipped cream and put one of the cookie sticks in...my kids LOVE this activity!!!

Stay tuned...I haven't forgotten the Teff pancake recipe!!!

Cooking Class!

Sorry for the late notice...but I just wanted to tell you that I am teaching a cooking class tonight. I'll be featuring chocolate chip cookies and honey whole wheat bread. If you are interested, email me at suziessweetwheat@hotmail.com.

FYI...the bread picture is a cinnamon-swirl variation of the honey whole wheat bread.

I promise there will be samples!!!!!!!!!!

Teff???

So, what is teff...never heard of it??? Neither had I. My mom was reading a book about Ethiopia and she knew of it because they eat teff in Ethiopia. Actually, they eat teff in Ethiopia, India and Australia. I found my teff in a health-food store. Teff is SO TINY! I have shown you a comparison of the teeny tiny grains of teff compared to a grain of wheat...pretty small, huh??? However, this minute little grain is mainly composed of the bran and the germ...wait a minute...what do we know about the bran and the germ. I covered this a long time ago...this is where almost ALL the nutrients are!!! Oh...and teff is another gluten-free grain. We now have teff, quinoa, millet, and buckwheat. So, for your gluten-intolerant friends...these are good things to share.

Okay, so how about the nutritional information for teff...it is AWESOME! It is high in protein and fiber. In just one ounce of uncooked teff, there are 4 grams of protein and 2 grans of fiber. Teff is very high in calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, aluminum, barium, thiamin, and lysine.

So, how do you use it? You can cook it in water and put it in recipe. Grind it into flour and replace some of the flour in a recipe with teff flour. You can also use it to replace seeds, like sesame seeds, however, because they are so tiny, you would need to use double the amount of sesame seeds.

Teff is really cool and I just made some WONDERFUL pancakes out of it. I'll give you that recipe soon.

What is "raw" honey?

Most of the honey we buy from the stores, the honey that most of us eat, is heated at high temperatures. Raw honey, which has a milkier appearance with big chunks of white, looks much different. Although the appearance of raw honey is less appealing than highly processed honey...it is MUCH better for you! Why??? That chunky white stuff is bee pollen! Okay, so what is bee pollen and why is it so good for you? Bee pollen is the mixture of the male seed of the plants and the digestive enzymes of the bee. It is full of amino acids, protein, vitamins, minerals, is anti-viral, and anti-bacterial. There is also something called propolis in raw honey. This is what the bees use to seal cracks in the hive. The propolis has many phytonutrients, some of which may have cancer-preventing qualities!!! You can only imagine what happens when you heat these phytonutrients...they are mostly destroyed.

Some of you out there may have raw honey and you may believe that it is honey that has "gone bad". That is what I thought when I saw mine...this thick white layer on the top and the honey was rock hard. So, I called the lady I purchased it from and she told me how to make my raw honey usable. First of all, she told me that the top layer that was so completely grotesque to me was the bee pollen...then she gave me directions for making my honey usable. Turn your oven to medium-low and bring water to that temperature…you should just barely be able to stand putting your finger in the water. Put the entire container of honey in the water. The heated water should come up to about ¾ of the container of the honey. Let it sit until the water cools. Repeat until honey is liquid and stir in the bee pollen. YUMMY!

FYI: For my breads, I use normal, store-bought honey because my bread is baked and most of the qualities of the honey are destroyed by heat. Raw honey is a bit more expensive, so I save that for when I can use it without heating...sandwiches, toast, etc.

Here is where I got my honey and it is FABULOUS!!!

Bryant Honey, Inc.
Don Bryant and Bob Bryant, 111 Ta Bi Drive, Worland, WY 82401
307-347-2526, 347-8805 fax, e-mail dbryant@trib.com

Here's a Millet recipe you don't need a wheat grinder for!!!

Millet is GREAT just boiled and served in appetizing dishes. It is great in salads and side items. I have a few dishes that use millet. Sometime, I'll give you a recipe for a great quinoa/millet salad...for now, here is a good side item using millet. This is not in my cookbook, because there is no wheat in it. I do have to warn you, this is more of an adult-flavored dish...my kids will eat it...but they weren't jumping up and down for it. Adults, however, love this one.

Baked Cauliflower with Millet Casserole


Add 1 C uncooked millet to 3 C water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Set a timer for 20 minutes. While the millet is cooking prepare the following:

6 mushrooms, chopped (I like to chop them finely)
½ onion, chopped

Saute above in 2 T olive oil for about 3-5 minutes

Add:

1 head of cauliflower (remove all stems and chop into small cauliflower pieces)
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. basil
½ tsp pepper
¾ - 1 tsp salt

Saute all above ingredients (except the millet, which is still cooking) until cauliflower is soft. Remove from heat and stir in 2 ¾ C cheddar cheese. Reserve ¼ C cheese for later.

When 20 minutes is up, remove lid from cooked millet, fluff with a fork and add 1 T butter and ½-1 tsp. salt. Stir until butter is melted. Stir cooked millet into cauliflower mixture. Top with reserved cheese. Cover with foil and bake for at least 30 minutes. If you find that your cauliflower is still slightly crunchy, put back in the oven, covered again, for another 15-20 minutes or until it is very soft.

FYI: We have had a busy few weeks and the family fun posts have been lacking...I'm going to try to do one later today...so stay tuned!!!

Multi-Grain Flax Bran Muffins

1 ½ C whole wheat flour
1 C barley flour
½ C millet flour
¼ C ground flaxseed
4 ½ C bran cereal
½ C honey
1 C brown sugar
2 T oil
¼ C applesauce
2 C buttermilk
2 eggs
2 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined. Let sit about 5-10 minutes so it thickens a bit. Grease muffin tins. (I use medium-sized muffin tins…they are between small and regular sized) Bake for about 15-18 minutes. Increase baking time by about 3-5 minutes for regular-sized muffins. Decrease baking time by about 5 minutes for mini-muffins. Makes about 40-45 medium-sized muffins.

For regular-sized muffins, bake 15-20 minutes. Makes about 24 regular-sized muffins.

Millet...a tiny, relatively unknown, really cool grain

How many of you have actually heard of millet? It is one of the grains in nine-grain cereal, but beyond that...how many of you eat it? I do try to use millet because I love mixing grains. The health benefit of grains is much greater when you compound the effects of each grain by consuming a variety of different grains. So...once again...what is millet?

Millet is a grain that looks, in my opinion, a lot like quinoa. It is a tiny grain that has very significant amounts of Manganese, Magnesium (which is good for your heart because it has been shown to lower blood pressure), Niacin (which helps increase your HDL cholesterol...a very good thing!!!), B6 (which aids in the metabolism of your food) and Folic acid (which has many functions, one of which helps to prevent birth defects).

So, how do you actually eat millet? Well, it doesn't rise well, so making a solid millet yeast bread wouldn't work. However, you can mix millet with wheat and it rises extremely well, so sneaking it in your bread is one way to eat it. However...there are lots of other ways to eat it!!! You can substitute it for rice...but it is a GREAT substitute for couscous. In fact, some couscous is made of cracked millet...most is made of semolina (a type of wheat). Millet is a great grain for flatbreads. It can also be used in porridge. So, far, I mostly use it to sneak it into breads, but I am going to attempt to make some flatbread from it soon...we'll see how that goes! Tomorrow I'll give you a recipe for bran muffins that use millet flour. I'm going to try out some other recipes that use boiled millet...we'll see how it goes!!!