Wednesday, June 22, 2011

How to Cook Brown Rice

Sometimes I have a hard time writing about such a basic cooking skill because it seems so, well, so "basic"!!  Surely everyone knows how to cook brown rice!  But there was a time when I did not know how to cook brown rice and was exasperated at my lousy attempts.  So, this is for all of you who are struggling.  I do hope it helps!

This first thing you must remember before cooking brown rice is that you need to allow yourself enough time - it will NOT be rushed!!  You need 45 minutes to cook brown rice, no less!!!   Depending on how quickly (or slowly) it takes your pan of water to come to a boil will determine the other part of the time equation.

The second VERY IMPORTANT thing to remember is YOU MUST NOT take the lid off the pan of rice - NO MATTER WHAT!!!  This was where I kept failing . . . I hate not knowing what is going on under that lid.  I kept peeking ;D !!  Now I cheat because I have pans with glass lids and I can "see" what is going on without taking the lid off.  So here is your very simple recipe . . .

Brown Rice -

4 1/2 cups water
1 - 1 1/2 teaspoon salt (this is what Sue Gregg says . . . I just salt the water!)
2 cups of brown rice

Bring your salted water to a boil.  Pour in your brown rice and stir.  Place the tight fitting lid securely on top of pan, turn down your heat to a simmer, and start your 45 minute timer.  When the timer goes off, take off the lid, fluff rice with a fork and serve immediately.

Here are a couple of  other notes:
1)  I do find that the rice cooks better if in a shallow, straight sided pan (saute pan - here is a really neat explanation of all sorts of pans.
2)  What if you don't want to cook 2 cups of rice . . . just remember this simple formula - 2 1/4 cups water to 1 cup brown rice.  I can tell you this works well for up to 4 cups of rice, beyond that I cannot tell you from experience.

What to do with leftover rice -
  • Make rice pudding - YUMMY!!
  • I will very often make scrambled eggs and rice for breakfast - it stretches the eggs :D.  Just scramble your eggs as usual and when they are almost done add a little butter and 1 cup or more of rice and stir together until warmed through.  Serve immediately!
Enjoy!!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Summertime and Chocolate Cake!

How is it that during the summer when we are not schooling and we are supposed to have so much time for other activities . . . we are soooo busy!?!  I have had several blogging ideas the last couple of weeks, and so little time to blog.

Tonight's blog is is more like a confession!!!  A couple of months ago I received an email that had the title "5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake."  Well I have to admit that I delete a lot of emails in a day . . . you know the endless forwards, etc. that come from who knows where . . . but this one said something about chocolate so I kept it ;D !!!  Anyway, it was several days later before I actually opened it to see what it was . . . MISTAKE!

I never would have believed that it was true, but this cake is fabulous!!!  And so easy!!!  Too easy, if you get my drift! 

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake ~

4 Tablespoons flour
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 Tablespoons milk
3 Tablespoons oil
3 Tablespoons chocolate chips (optional - I left these out!)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (Microwave safe)

Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well.  Add the egg and mix thoroughly.  Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.  Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract and mix again.  Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.  The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!  Allow to cool a little and tip out onto a plate if desired.  EAT!  (This can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous.)

The email also said that this is the MOST DANGEROUS cake recipe in the world!!

I have made it approximately 4 times in the last week and a half -- but not for me, of course!!!!   :D 

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Whole Wheat ButterHorns - Recipes from the Old Mill

It's Saturday evening and we are going to Nana's tomorrow for Sunday dinner . . . thought I would share the recipe I am taking.  Give them a try!

From  by Sarah Myers

2 pkgs. dry yeast (I use 4 1/2 teaspoons of my bulk yeast)
1 3/4 cups warm water
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground hard white wheat)
2-2 1/2 cups flour
6 Tbsp. soft butter
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional - I DO NOT USE THESE!)

1)  Dissolve yeast in water.
2)  Add brown sugar, oil, honey, salt, and 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour.  Mix well.
3)  Stir in remaining whole wheat flour and enough flour to make a stiff dough.
4)  Knead on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes.  Place in a greased bowl.  Cover and let rise about 1 1/2 hours.
5)  Divide into 3 equal pieces.  Shape into balls.  Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
6)  Roll each ball into a 10" circle.  Spread with 1/3 of butter.  Sprinkle with nuts if desired.  Cut each circle into 8 wedges.  To shape rolls, begin at wide end of wedge and roll toward point.  Place on greased baking sheet.  (Looks like a croissant!).
7)  Cover and let rise 20-30 minutes.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.  Brush with milk or butter while still warm.

Just a couple of personal notes:  I didn't have honey this evening so I used 1/4 cup Sucanat and omitted the brown sugar.  Again I used my Bosch mixer to do the kneading.  Lastly, I hardly ever use all the butter this recipe calls for . . . I slather generously and still can't manage to use 6 Tbsp. of butter!  Oh, one last thing, I couldn't find an opened hard white this evening so I used my whole 7 grain mix - they were still yummy!

A note of warning . . . these things are wonderful and have a tendency to disappear QUICKLY!!  Enjoy!!!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Storing in the Garage - A Question

Hi !  I read your blog the other day and learned that your neighbors had been hit pretty hard in the tornadoes, but that you are doing well.  I'm glad to hear it and hope you didn't suffer any great damages. 
I have a question for you about storage.  My garage is where I have the most room to store these grains, etc. but it is not climate-controlled.  In the summer it will get pretty warm.  Can I still keep wheat out there?  What about oats, sucanat, flax, corn?  Any advice you can give would be helpful.  Thanks!
A.S. - Cleveland, TN

It was so good to hear from you!!  We were very blessed through the storms . . . especially taking into account the terrible devastation and loss in Cleveland.  My heart just broke when I heard about the Glasgows and their family's loss.  We continue to uphold them and others in prayer!!
Now about storage . . . if the garage is where you have to store then, yes, by all means you can store there.  Even though it is not temperature controlled!  Regulated temperatures at 70 degrees and below are ideal and cause the bulk goods to last A VERY LONG TIME (see the detailed article on ideal storage in link above).  But stored in your garage at differing temps just means they may keep ten years or less ;D !!  I say that because I have my food stored upstairs where the temperature ranges from 60 in the winter to 90+ in the summer.  Some of the stuff I have gotten into lately was packed in 1999 and it is still GREAT!!!  I am not sure about the flax seed though because I have never stored flax long term.  I am pretty sure the oils in the flax seed would NOT allow it to store for long - similar to brown rice (again that depends on the temperature control - see article above).  What I have, I keep in the fridge or freezer, but I have small quantities.  Just make sure the other items are stored in air tight, food grade containers.  If you can seal them with oxygen absorbers, even better.  If you are storing items in the garage that you are in and out of on a regular basis, then you might need to make sure that you use those items up in a reasonable amount of time . . . maybe a year or less.

I hope that helps!