WonderMill (aka WhisperMill) vs NutriMill . . . and maybe some others!

This post has probably been a long time coming.  Obviously, it is impossible to use whole grains unless you have a grinder - well not impossible, but that is another post in itself!  ;)  This is a subject given to much opinion, and I too have mine!

For the last 20+ years I have used a WhisperMill (now being sold as the WonderMill).  I LOVE MINE!!!  I am not planning on changing any time soon, and when this one dies I will probably buy one just like it (old habits die hard).  But this machine has at least ONE major drawback . . . you have to turn it on BEFORE you pour in the grain OR you can tear it up.  Thankfully, this has only happened to me one time and I immediately turned it off and dumped it over to get everything out . . . I was blessed!!!  The only other possible drawback is the loudness, but I remember when my sister-in-law had a mill that we literally had to wear ear plugs with because it sounded like a jet engine . . . this mill is NOT that loud, but WhisperMill?? -- naw, that's probably why they changed the name.  ;D  The WonderMill has fine to coarse adjustments, is easy to clean, just an all around awesome machine.

The other machine worth mentioning is the NutriMill.  When we were in business a few years back I did carry this one.  I like the fact that the NutriMill has a hopper that you can fill and turn on and off at will.  That is a wonderful feature -- need two cups today, grind the wheat you need, need two cups tomorrow of the same thing, turn it on, grind a couple of cups, turn it off . . . AWESOME!  I have not owned one of these personally but I have a friend that has one and loves hers.  She has been through two WhisperMills and one other NutriMill.  My friend has a larger family than mine and she grinds corn with hers - which I NEVER do - not because it can't grind corn, but because it scares me to do it!  Crazy, huh?

I have also known women who own a KitchenAid with the grinder attachment.  You know the important thing is to find something to get started with.  When I first got started grinding wheat, my husband found a $10 wooden grain mill in our local trader and purchased it for me.  I was tickled pink to have something to start with.  We used it for years before we invested in a modern one and I gave that one to a friend.  Little did I know what it would be worth now - hee hee!!

Find something that works for you - and get started!!!
                                                                                                                                 

If at First you don't Succeed . . .

Added 10/8/2014 ~ For those of you who don't want to read my ramblings or the extensive journey of the Pecan Tea Biscuit, feel free to click here for the cut and dried "revised" recipe! :D

Busy day at the Hootenanny today!  I've been scrounging around for days looking for a blog post that isn't just ho-hum!  So I found a recipe from a Better Homes & Garden 1973 Homemade Bread Cookbook for Pecan Tea Biscuits and thought I would try them out for breakfast this morning.

Pecan Tea Biscuits ~
     In mixing bowl stir to combine thoroughly 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Cut in 1/4 shortening till mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Combine 1 beaten egg and 3/4 cup milk;  add all at once to dry mixture, stirring just till dough clings together.  Stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans.  Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheet.  Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon;  sprinkle over biscuits.  Bake at 425 for 8 to 10 minutes.  Makes 36 biscuits.

Of course I had to manipulate the recipe to make them whole wheat, so here's my take . . .

Whole Wheat Pecan Tea Biscuits ~
     1 3/4 cups soft white wheat flour, freshly ground (started with a little less than a cup of berries)
     3 tablespoons unbleached, all-purpose flour

     1/4 cup sugar (probably should have used sucanat, but I didn't)
     2 teaspoons baking powder
     1/2 teaspoon sea salt
     1/4 cup coconut oil
     1 beaten egg
     3/4 cup milk
     1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
     2 tablespoons sugar
     1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
     I mixed it according to the directions above.  I made these bigger drops than the teaspoon drop they recommended - more like biscuit size.  About 14.

Well the batter seemed REALLY wet (not exactly "drop" consistency) and thus I added the extra flour.  It seemed better . . . but as soon as I popped these in the oven they became like pancakes!  (Left side of photo)  They tasted good, but were kind of hard on the eyes!  ;-)  Oh well,  I decided maybe I wouldn't blog about them after all.

So, school as usual . . . ran my son to his Nana's to mow . . . cleaning, dishes, laundry . . . and I realized I was out of dishwasher detergent AND laundry powder.  For the past three months I have been using Doterra Essential Oils and have been replacing store bought cleaners/soaps with homemade . . . see a post on this soon!!!  So I threw together a couple of batches . . .

By dinnertime, that Pecan Tea Biscuit recipe was STILL nagging at me.  So after dinner I was going to try them again.  When I started I was truly just going to make the same recipe, but with more flour adjustment.  I had good intentions, truly I did, I'm not sure what came over me, but what came out was more like . . . DESSERT!  Introducing

Double Chocolate Pecan Tea "Cakes" (I'm sorry but these things are NOT biscuits)
     1 3/4 cups soft white wheat flour
     1/4 cup sugar
     1/4 cup unbleached flour
     1/4 cup cocoa
     2 teaspoons baking powder
     1/2 teaspoons sea salt
     1/4 cup coconut oil
     1 beaten egg
     3/4 cup milk
     1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
     1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
     2 tablespoons sugar
     1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
     I mixed these the same as the directions above and dropped them about biscuit size again.

Now I know that we are usually our own worst enemy . . . I STILL was not happy with how flat they were, or how they spread out on the pan.  Nor was I happy with the overall consistency.  If these are supposed to be biscuits then I felt they needed to be drier - denser maybe.  They were so flat they could have been cookies, but again the consistency wasn't right for a cookie either.  They were truly the consistency of cake.  Again they tasted GREAT!!  Oh well . . . I don't dare try these again today!  :D

Know Your Wheat - Hard or Soft / Red or White!

When I started buying whole wheat flour from the grocery store some 25 years ago, the only choices on the grocery shelf were "whole wheat" flour - whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, stone ground whole wheat flour.  There was no distinction between hard or soft, red or white.

Nowadays, you CAN find flour with a hard or soft/red or white distinction.  There are still a lot of just "whole wheat" flours out there though.  And I can tell you from experience that making bread with the whole wheat flour that you buy from the store DOES NOT make the same kind of bread that grinding your own can yield.  Obviously you have to start somewhere if you don't have a grinder yet and so I suggest that you put forth a little more effort and purchase specialty flours from Amazon or a whole food store nearby.

Once you start purchasing whole grain wheat, a basic knowledge of varieties is beneficial.

1)  Soft White Wheat Berries - Soft white is the type of wheat you would use for ALL your quick bread or pastry needs, such as, pancakes, muffins, brownies, biscuits, tortillas, or cookies -- anything that you might make with baking powder or soda.  Due to the low protein content of this wheat it doesn't work well with yeast breads.

2)  Soft Red Wheat Berries - Soft wheat also comes in a red variety.  Interestingly enough, this soft red wheat is grown in the TN valley.  I regret to say that I have NEVER used this one.  Perhaps it is because most of the sources I purchase from are out west.  Anyway, this variety would be used in the same capacity as the soft white.  Due to it being a red variety, it will yield darker results in cookies, cakes, etc.

3)  Hard White Wheat Berries - This is a variety used in yeast breads or any kind of recipe calling for yeast.  Because it is white in color - almost a golden - it will yield lighter in color breads than its red counterpart.  I most frequently use this variety when making my french bread recipe.  I have tried it in other bread recipes and actually know several others who use it solely in their bread recipes, but I am a creature of habit, and I simply love my bread made with a hard red variety or spelt especially.

4)  Hard Red Spring Berries - This variety distinguishes itself from the other red wheat because it is planted in the spring and harvested late summer or early fall.  The hard varieties of wheat are higher in protein content which produces more gluten making these ideal for yeast breads.  For more details you can click here, but basically the hard red spring is supposed to be the highest protein content wheat there is.

5)  Hard Red Winter Berries - Very similar to the hard red spring, the main distinction of this variety is that it is planted in the fall.  There are many sources that say the protein content of the hard red winter wheat is just slightly lower than than of the spring red.

So to recap in simplicity!
     *Soft wheat for baking needs where you use baking powder or soda for leavening.

     *Hard wheat for baking needs using yeast.

Hopefully this will give you a good overview of the differences between the basic wheat.  Perhaps someday I will touch on the many other varieties.  ;-)

NOTE:  I may be shooting myself in the foot here, but after placing my Amazon links on this post I will say again -- in order to get the most bang for your buck, the best way to buy bulk grains is going together with a group of friends and ordering from a co-op such as Cloverdale.   

Seven Grain Pancakes

Well I'm back!!  With a new look and a commitment to myself to post regularly!

Thought I would start back with a house favorite!

Several years ago when we had our grain business, I was introduced to Wheat Montana's Whole Seven Grain mix.  This mix includes hard red wheat, soft white wheat, triticale, eye, oat groats, pearled barley, and spelt.  It is a wonderful blend that adds a unique twist to any of your whole grain recipes.  I am particularly partial to using this mix in my pancake recipe.  I am hoping to start experimenting with it more and sharing my results with you.  In the meantime I hope you enjoy this recipe.

I'm going to give you the original pancake recipe from my 1981 Better Homes & Garden NEW(;-D) Cookbook and my version in parentheses . . .

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour  (I grind 3/4 c. Seven grain mix which yields 1 1/2 c flour - actually for my crew     I usually double this recipe)
2 T. sugar (I ALWAYS omit this - with syrup there is no need!)
2 teas. baking powder (Rumford's aluminum free)
1/2 teas. salt (sea salt)
1 beaten egg
1 T. vegetable oil (I use Nutiva coconut oil - oh my!  It makes them especially yummy!!!)
1 c. milk ( I use 1/2 milk and 1/2 water - I just prefer a thinner batter)

Just for a smile, this morning when I doubled the recipe I accidently put too much salt in the batch.  I thought I had, so luckily I tested the batter before cooking - YUCK! - so I had to triple the batch!!!  Well, the good news is that I will NOT have to cook breakfast on Saturday morning - there will be PLENTY of pancakes.  ;-)

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!!!

Being Prepared . . .

What a week!  For many in the Southeast, it will not be forgotten any time soon.  For our small neighborhood the devastation was great, BUT so were the blessings.  There were several families down our main road who suffered much material ruin, but I have heard of NO deaths in our community.  Homes can be repaired, lost lives are so much harder to bear!  It was such a blessing to me to see how our community responded to the needs around us.  I am ashamed to admit that there are families here that we have waved to for over ten years, but have not taken the time to meet until this last week.  And what precious families they are!!  I aspire to be a better neighbor in the future!

Thankfully our family was without power for only two days!  It was a good test for us.  We had gathered much water before the storms began, and so when the power went out and the water pump no longer worked we had the water we needed . . . water for flushing the commode, for washing, for cooking and drinking.  Even without power, we have a propane stove and so we are able to continue cooking (my friend in Chattanooga has been using her camping stove for almost six days!)  So, we did not go hungry!  But we did find some interesting discrepancies in our "preparedness" supplies . . . we had two crank style radios that we have had for some time that we realized were both broken.  One of them we finally were able to get working with some AA batteries.  The other larger issue was our generator.  We have also had it stored for some time and when we tried to hook it up, we found that it would not work properly.  That was a great disappointment!

I guess the moral to the story for us, is to check your stashes more frequently to make sure everything is still in working order.  Some of these items we have "counted" on.  The other thing I realized during the power outage was that I had to rely on my flour stores.  Without a generator to power my grain mill - and I am very unhappy to say that I do not have a hand mill :( - I had to just use flour.  Not the end of the world, but something I need to consider if I intend to be grinding wheat in some future, perhaps "longer" power outage.

"The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble"

A Vision for the Future . . .

Okay, so I have been writing all these posts about getting started storing bulk foods, but I thought it might be nice to see where you want to be headed . . .

I have had the question asked, "What do you have stored in buckets in your kitchen?"  I am blessed with a fairly large kitchen and a small pantry.  I have a six foot table in my kitchen under which I store approximately 12 buckets.  Those buckets contain evaporated cane juice, sucanat, unbleached flour, popcorn, grits, elbow macaroni, veggie rotini, hard red wheat berries, spelt berries, powdered milk, brown rice, whole 7 grain mix, soft white wheat berries, and chocolate chips.  In the pantry I have hard white wheat berries, black beans, millet, and oh - I found an empty!

So what does a typical day look like at my house?  Really . . . is there such a thing as typical?  ;D  Well, let's see . . . this morning I made grits with eggs for breakfast.  That is my hubby's "usual!"  Then I made bread this morning, getting into the spelt, flour, and sucanat.  I do that at least twice a week.  For lunch we had chili and I made elbow macaroni to go with that.  This afternoon I found some overripe bananas in my fruit basket - which hardly ever happens at my house - so I made banana muffins.  With that recipe I ground my own soft white wheat berries and also got into the sucanat and flour buckets.  Plus, I had mixed a batch of powdered milk this morning and used it in the bread and muffins.

That, I suppose, is a typical day for me in and out of the buckets, grinding my own wheat, using the bulk foods I store and saving money.  Hope this helps!!