If you only make one thing from my blog, please make this. Please? I’m begging and pleading and groveling and I’m not ashamed to admit it.

Because these chicken skewers are amazing. Like, knock-it-out-of-the-park amazing. I was a little worried about the spice level because I’ve used chipotle chiles in the past and while I love the flavor, the heat is a bit much for the kids (and sometimes me, to be honest). But in this recipe? It works. Really, really, really works.

The grilled chicken skewers pack a bit of spice (which you can dumb down even more by scraping the seeds first) but dipped in the cool, creamy sauce and it is like an instant cooling pool party on your palate.

A perfect light, healthy dinner for the warm months ahead, I am not exaggerating when I say I could eat this every night for a week and still be craving it come the next Monday. The tender chicken is a perfect marriage of sweet and heat and is so refreshing and tasty with the dipping sauce that it nearly left me speechless. Except my one real talent on this earth is that I’m never speechless. Close call only.

To say this was well-received amongst the family is an understatement. I had to cut my two oldest boys off after four skewers apiece. I mean, a mom needs her protein too, right? Oh, and by the way, I served these with the golden skillet potatoes of yesterweek which made the already fabulous meal absolutely exceptional.

One Year Ago: Blueberry Coconut Cake with Lemon Sauce
Two Years Ago: Mexican Rice
Three Years Ago: Giant Cookie!

While I know many of you have been in the new school year for weeks now (crazy!), my three oldest charges started today. It’s a big day. Not only is it the 1st day of school, but it’s the 1st day of school in a new school and in a new town. They were so nervous, bless their hearts, which made me nervous, which made their dad give me the stink eye silently saying: “if you start crying, it’s only going to make it worse for the boys so for all that is functional and therapeutic, paste a happy smile on your face and keep it together, for goodness’ sake!” I kept it together. But just barely. And let me tell you, these new kids at this new school better be nice to my little precious boys. If there is any, and I mean any, lunch-stealing going on (or is that like, so, Anne of Green Gable-esque, perhaps kids don’t steal lunches anymore), you better believe the wrath of this mother bear knows no bounds (although I do have to admit, the kids have a pretty killer cold lunch packed for the first day today and I can’t blame someone for wanting to swipe it).

If we weren’t living out of a hotel right now, I’d have these healthy and delicious muffins waiting for them as an after-school snack (we’ll have to settle for string cheese and crackers this go-round!). There are some recipes I seem to go back to and make over and over no matter that I have a zillion recipes waiting in the wings to try. These banana blueberry muffins are one of them. After snagging them from cute Janssen’s blog, I have made them no less than a dozen times.

They are healthy and so simple and even though they use 100% whole wheat, they are as moist as can be. They really are some of the most perfectly delicious muffins around. Definitely a staple around our house (they keep great in the freezer!) and although I hate to make such blatant statements, I think if you pinned me down on it, these would be one of my all-time favorite muffins.

One Year Ago: Andes Mint Cupcakes
Two Years Ago: Lasagna Primavera
Three Years Ago: Chocolate Toffee Cookies

*TWO more favorite recipes updated with new pictures and details:
Sweet and Sour Chicken (no exaggeration, this is Brian’s favorite meal of all stinkin’ time)
Creamy Skillet Macaroni and Cheese

I figured after the last post, I kind of owe you something on the higher end of the healthy-Richter-scale.

Enter these lovely little muffins. Healthy and hearty, the bran flakes make a sturdy yet moist base for a banana muffin that has a light hint of sweetness brought in by a smattering of chocolate chips.

I’ve made batch after batch of these and now keep them in the freezer to pull out one-by-one for a quick snack. When school was in session, they were the perfect addition to a school lunch but now that the kids are home, I’m throwing these little wonders at them all day long in order to fill the bottomless pits that seem to be their feeding style these days. Wonderful for breakfast or for snacking or for whatever you please, really, it’s nice to know that healthy and nutritious can truly be delicious, also.

One Year Ago: Chicken Cordon Bleu {The Easy Way!}
Two Years Ago: The Ultimate Stuffed Zucchini
Three Years Ago: Chocolate Cream Cheese Truffles

I did some swift calculations and determined that in a given week, between school and home, my charges are eating a combined total of 40 snacks, give or take a few (like when mom forgets to pack her 2nd grader a snack that day – oops!). That’s some serious snacking. And one can only feed their children the same snacks without needing a little snack pick-me-up, if you know what I mean.

Enter these healthy banana oat snack bars. Sometimes homemade granola bars and the like are anything but healthy but these little bars are truly nutritious with a fine dose of whole wheat flour, rolled oats, minimal sugars, several bananas and other glorious ingredients (like chocolate chips…you could definitely leave these out but I figure a little dark chocolate never hurt anyone).

I made these fully expecting my kids to turn up their noses. As if they could sniff out the absolute healthiness of the bars. Shockingly they devoured the bars, asking for seconds, and I can’t blame them because for all their wholesome goodness, the banana oat bars are quite tasty. Jackson, my 7-year old summed it up when he said they tasted like a banana bread cookie! I baked mine on the very, very soft end; however, my sister-in-law, Kylie, who sent me the recipe, bakes hers the full 30 minutes until they are golden and probably slightly crisp.

Either way, they make for a delicious, nutritious snack, and I’m happy to supplement our stockpile of yogurt, applesauce, crackers and cheese (among other things) with a little snacking variety.

Welcome to the second installment of the Wheat/Wheat Grinding 101 series!

The first installment is here and talks about the types of wheat, where to buy wheat and what to do with it.

Today, I want to delve into a specific part of wheat grinding: The Wheat Grinder. There’s some good stuff here today including, but not limited to, the compiled list of wheat grinder reviews that many of you submitted!

But first, let me address a question I received several times after the first post a few weeks ago.

Why do I grind my own wheat instead of just buying wheat flour at the store?

1) I Stay In Control: I can control the type of wheat I use (many wheat flours at the store are derived from red wheat berries and I prefer a mix of red and white wheat or white wheat on its own), I can control the fineness and/or coarseness of the flour and with my wheat grinder, I can grind it much finer than the wheat flour from the store, I can control when I grind it which means by grinding and using immediately (or freezing), the wheat hasn’t lost any nutritional value (once the wheat berry is ground it is subject to oxidation which causes it to gradually lose nutritional value so freshly ground wheat is more nutritious than wheat flour that’s been on the shelves for a month).
2) It’s Cheaper: because I can buy wheat berries in bulk (see here for sources), I can grind my own wheat flour much more cost-effectively than buying already ground wheat flour.
3) It’s Not Just About Flour: Using wheat berries and a grinder, I can not only grind flour, but I can also make cracked wheat and grind a variety of other grains/seeds (I’ll talk about that in more detail below).
4) It Keeps Me Safe: Despite what natural disaster and emergency may occur (I’m talking even the loss of a job or financial difficulty), I know that I have 100 pounds of wheat ready to grind for a variety of foods that could help sustain our family. We’ve gone through “lean” months/years before and our wheat and other food storage has been a huge blessing and sometimes nothing short of a miracle.
5) It’s Healthy: Because I have a wheat grinder sitting on my kitchen counter and a bunch of wheat berries ready to be ground, I naturally use whole grains in most of my baking, making our bread and throwing it into cookies and other baked goods and breakfast foods willy nilly. Because I can. And eating a whole wheat chocolate chip cookie somehow feels a little healthier. Don’t burst my bubble, please.

Grinding flour and other grains is an investment, there is no doubt about it. Wheat grinders are not cheap; but for me (and I can only speak for myself here), the above factors more than make up for any of the downsides. However, wheat grinders and grinding wheat are not for everyone! This series isn’t supposed to put pressure on anyone – it’s simply a resource for those who already use/grind wheat or who are looking to start. If you know me well enough you know I’m the last person that wants to make you feel badly for something you aren’t doing. Trust me, I may grind my own wheat, but you definitely don’t want to see the state of my laundry room and/or toilets. We all have our strengths.

Okie doke. Ready to get started on wheat grinders?

First, I’m going to show you the wheat grinder I have. I’m in love with it. I’ve had it for almost 4 years now and I use it at least 4-5 times a week because I grind my wheat fresh for everything I make. I keep this baby on the counter tucked into a little corner and there it stays day in and day out.

My grinder (grain mill if you want to get technical) is a European model that has gained popularity in the United States just in the last few years. It is called a KoMo Fidibus or Wolfgang mill. I have the Classic model. In addition to wheat, it can also grind: oats, rice, triticale, kamut, spelt, buckwheat, barley, rye, millet, teff, quinoa, amaranth, sorghum and dent (field) corn. It will also grind spices, lentils and dry beans (pinto, red, garbanzo, kidney, etc.). Considering I don’t know what many of those foods even are, I use it for wheat 99% of the time, but you better believe I’m ultra-proud it can grind the other foods, too.

Let’s walk through how it operates and then I’ll talk about the pros and cons.

Just like most wheat grinders on the market today, it has a large “hopper” or bowl-type apparatus on top of the grinder. Hello, hopper!

The hopper is loaded up with wheat berries. The hopper on my grain mill fits about 6 cups of wheat berries. This amount will vary depending on the type of wheat grinder you have.

Once filled (and you don’t have to fill it all the way to grind), I turn on the small power button on the side and it starts doing its thing.

I set my large Pyrex bowl underneath and the ground flour spills into the bowl.

I find I can get about 12 cups flour for every 6 cups of wheat berries I grind. Keep in mind, though, that freshly ground flour has more air to it and so if you want a really accurate measurement, let it settle before you measure. I never bother with that; I just pack it slightly  more into the cups if it just came out of the grinder.

Again, along with most other wheat grinders, my beloved mill, has a setting that lets me adjust the texture of the flour from fine to coarse. I simply twist the hopper bowl to get finer or coarser flour.

When it’s all said and done, I’m left with beautiful, fluffy flour. Amazing!

The thing with wheat grinders is that each of them differ slightly – in price, capacity, noise, fineness of flour, etc. So the best advice I can give if you are in the market for a wheat grinder is to do your research. I had a Nutrimill for 5 or so years before buying the KoMo mill. The Nutrimill is great and a very heavy-duty mill but the one I had eventually started having some major issues (including but not limited to spewing flour in a 5-foot radius).

As for the KoMo, the main pros are:

-I can keep it on my counter at all times because it takes up very little space which means I can grind wheat on demand (no more pulling out the wheat grinder from storage to grind flour).
-It’s fast and can grind flour as finely as any other mill I’ve used. It also can make fantastic cracked wheat because the coarse settings are easy to adjust.
-It can grind far more than just wheat (see the list at the top of the post).
-It doesn’t heat up the flour like other wheat grinders can which helps retain the most nutrition.
-It doesn’t spew flour anywhere. Occasionally I’ll wipe up a bit of flour dust after a week or so of using (you’ll notice from the pictures above that my baby looks a bit dusty but that’s because it’s been a while since I’ve wiped her down) but it is very clean when grinding.
-Speaking of cleaning, it doesn’t need it. No parts and rings and equipment to take apart and clean which means a very low risk of those pesky weevils taking over. Run a handful of rice through it every month and you are good to go.

The cons are:

-It’s pricey; one of the most expensive mills on the market. I saved my pennies for a year or so before buying but it was worth every single one.
-It’s noisy. Akin to the volume of my vacuum.
-The capacity of the hopper is smaller than other heavy-duty mills. This isn’t a problem for me because I grind wheat on demand but if you like to grind, say, 20 pounds of wheat at a time, you would need to fill the hopper more frequently than mills with a larger capacity.

Because you shouldn’t just take my opinion on what kind of wheat grinder to purchase/use, I asked for input on what kinds of wheat grinders all of you use and what you love/don’t love about them. Over 50 of you responded (bless you, everyone!). The results have been compiled in an easy-access document so you can read what others have to say about the mill they use. I read it like a novel. It’s good stuff, people. Click on the image to access the full document.

Here’s an at-a-glance view of how many of you own what type of grain mill:

And just for fun (seriously, I need to get more hobbies), I did a cost comparison on all of the wheat grinders listed in the above graph. These are using average prices since actual price can vary based on sales and where you buy.

The best way to figure out where to buy a wheat grinder is to check your local retailers (unless you are me and live in the sticks; wheat grinders are not necessarily widely available in my  neck of the woods) and also look online. I’ve listed a few places that have sold wheat grinders to my friends/family (I bought mine from a company that no longer sells them):

Pleasant Hill Grain
Emergency Preparedness
Amazon

Now, a word about manual wheat grinders. If you are into preparedness and food storage, it might be worth looking into a manual or electricity-free wheat grinder. These beautiful heavy-duty wheat grinders won’t do a lick of good if the electricity is out. However, you could argue that you won’t be making bread if the electricity is out, either, although, as discussed in this post, there are many other ways you could use wheat berries to provide nutrition for you and/or your family during an emergency (i.e. if you have a propane stove or other heat source you could make cracked wheat, pancakes, etc.). Anyway, just a little bit of food for thought. I do not have an electricity-free wheat grinder, so I can’t recommend a brand, but googling “electricity free wheat grinder” or “hand wheat grinder” will pull up some good resources.

Ok, that’s it! Did you make it through? Let me know if you have any questions. Ah, I just love talking about wheat!

Before we even get started, let me just say that I know many of you (don’t look away, I’m talking to YOU!) are going to dismiss this recipe because of the ingredient list. And while I admit, it’s on the long side, I have to implore you to dig deep within your cooking soul and trust me when I say that it looks worse than it really is. Promise.

With absolutely no exaggeration in my words, this Mexican-inspired meal is hands down the best Mexican/Tex-Mex style recipe I have ever posted. I’m not kidding. I make a decent amount of Mexican food but am usually left a bit underwhelmed and 90% of the recipes never get posted because I really, really only want to put the best of the best out here for you to try.

This enchilada casserole is truly the best of the best. It is mild in spiciness (you could definitely heat it up more if you like) but has tremendous flavor from the classic cumin/chili powder/coriander trio and the myriad of peppers, onion and garlic. Quickly browning the corn tortillas before assembling is brilliant because while they soften a bit during baking, they keep a tasty amount of tenderness and bite which keeps the casserole from becoming a soggy, mushy mess. And I don’t know about you but I firmly believe that soggy, mushy casseroles do not belong on the planet.

I have my share of food cravings; Mexican-inspired dishes are rarely, rarely among them. Until now. I literally have wanted to make this casserole every day since we first had it. The leftovers are fantastical and I already have the real deal on our menu plan for next week because it is just that good. I mean, just look at it. Doesn’t it scream “eat me up” with all that cheesy, saucy, black bean goodness? In the words of others far more eloquent than I: Holy Yum.

P.S. Winners were chosen for the Panini griddle giveaway. Kind of freaky that all three random winners have last names starting with P. Or is it just me? Congrats to the winners!

One Year Ago: Brown Sugar Crackle Cookies
Two Years Ago: Healthy Chicken Nuggets {Baked}
Three Years Ago: Lemon Berry Trifle

Or should I say “healthier.” I mean, I don’t know if I can really say these cookies are healthy, but they definitely have less butter and sugar than other cookie recipes I’ve made in the past. The wonderful news is they are tremendously good.

Case in point: my brother is one of those. You know. Those people that turn up their noses at “light” or “healthy” versions of classic recipes, especially cookies or desserts. He was at my house when I first made these and he refused to eat one. Seriously! He refused. Not worth his time, he said. Fast forward a few weeks later when he graciously offers to watch my boys for me. I come home and ask if he is hungry and he sheepishly confesses he found some cookies hidden in the depths of the freezer and snuck a few. The confession is followed with: “By the way, have you posted those cookies yet? They are amazing…some of the best I’ve had.”

Imagine his countenance when I tell him that those yummilicious cookies were the lowfat, heart-smart cookies I had made weeks earlier. The ones he refused to try, the little stinker. To his credit, he didn’t back down from his assertion that they were delicious. But I’m 100% sure I won’t let him live this down.

Make these cookies! I was so pleasantly surprised by the deliciously chewy, nutty texture and wonderful sweetness. I didn’t miss even a tablespoon of the lacking butter. And that’s saying a lot, because I really think butter is divine. The one caveat to the healthy claim on this recipe is that it makes less cookies than some of my favorite traditional cookie recipes. So maybe if you consider that factor, they might not be much lower in fat and calories, but don’t let me know. I like to imagine myself making healthy cookies so I can eat four or ten without feeling guilty.

One Year Ago: Unbelievable Chocolate Cake
Two Years Ago: Southwest Rice and Bean Salad
Three Years Ago: Easiest Brownies in the World

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2010

Basically, to reiterate the compliments flying around the dinner table the night I served these, I would simply have to state:

Mom rules! McDonald’s drools!
{Insert fist pump}

A light, crunchy, flavorful breading envelopes tender, juicy pieces of chicken, which are baked not fried. Dipped in this beloved BBQ sauce, even I was swooning over this humble meal.

From the children who aspire to live beneath the golden arches (despite their mother’s attempts to brainwash them otherwise), these chicken nuggets were so well-received that I nearly got contracts signed in blood that they will never ask to eat at you-know-where again. Nearly.

One Year Ago: Lemon Berry Trifle
Two Years Ago: Slow Cooker Maple Brown Sugar Ham
Three Years Ago: Honey Mustard Chicken

Recipe Source: inspired by a recipe at Skinny Taste

This cookie recipe showed up in my life and I had a sudden realization that all this time (we’re talking 35 years here, people), I thought my life my life was fulfilled and complete and happy but really, without even knowing it, I was missing something essential. There was a hole in my soul, if you will. And it could only be filled by Chocolate Sugar Cookies.

I have a deep and abiding love for sugar cookies. They are my favorite cookie of all-time. But when you adapt the beloved sugar cookie to be 100% full of chocolate splendor and eliminate the need to refrigerate, roll and cut; well, I’m undone.

I had to give these away approximately 3 seconds after baking them. Don’t worry, I ate more than would be deemed appropriate before unloading them on friends but keeping the other half of the cookies within the four walls of my small home would not be a healthy choice at this point in my life. However, even after pawning them off on unsuspecting friends, I can truly say that now more than ever, my life really is complete. Thank goodness it only took something as simple as cookies (and not, say, a new Ferrari or set of All-Clad pots and pans). These cookies are rich and really unbelievable.

One Year Ago: Crepes, Crepes, Crepes
Two Years Ago: Homemade Maple Syrup
Three Years Ago: Homemade Taco Tortilla Bowls

You know how much I love the Oatmeal Pancake Mix, right? I am never without that magical mix in my pantry. And pancakes appear at our breakfast table at least three or four mornings a week because of it. Healthy, delicious, FAST.

Well, enter a new recipe that has nudged and nestled it’s way into my fridge and found a permanent place in our bellies. Healthy? Yep. Perfect for a crazy morning? Uh-huh. Mightily delicious? Yes sirree.

This recipe is the culmination of months of experimenting. My sister and I wanted the perfect bran muffin. We loved the idea of keeping the batter in the fridge and scooping it into muffin tins quickly on a busy morning, but we wanted the muffins to be healthy. Really healthy…but still palatable. Thanks to our mom’s recipe and a few tweaks here and there, I can honestly say, these are the perfect bran muffins.

The shocking thing is that while they are packed with whole grains and are low-fat, they taste amazing. I never miss the excessive oil, sugar or white flour. Served warm with a drizzle of honey and let me tell you, I’ve instantly become a morning person. And if you know me, you’ll recognize that is nothing short of a miracle.

One Year Ago: Southwest Rice and Bean Salad
Two Years Ago: Chicken Tikka Masala

Recipe Source: My Kitchen Cafe Original (with the help of my amazing mom and sister, Em!)

I know of no better way to start off the week then to spend 24 minutes or so staring at pictures of layered peanut butter and chocolate pudding. What about you? My cousin Tami (who has bequeathed me this recipe and this recipe and this recipe among others) sent me this recipe after her awesome, teen daughter, Faith (hi, Faith!), made it for their family. Words like “amazing” and “life-changing” and “best dessert ever” graced the email. I mean, really, what’s a pudding-loving girl to do when faced with temptation like that?

Simple in concept and brilliant in presentation, these delectable pudding cups are creamy and decadent and have the perfect contrast of rich chocolate pudding and lighter peanut butter pudding. Oh and don’t forget the healthy dollop of sweetened whipped cream. Yes, please.

Cute as can be in cups, Tami informed me that she has since ditched the cup presentation and gone straight for the pie. I’ve included details in the notes of the recipe so do whatever floats your boat but keep in mind that you really can’t go wrong with this stellar combination. The only thing that could make these puddings any better is if I had my own teenage daughter to make them for me. Give me about 14 years and I’ll have my wee one trained…

One Year Ago: Strawberries and Cream Scones
Two Years Ago: New Momma Take-In Tray
Three Years Ago: Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Admittedly, I’m a big time tilapia lover. However I’m telling you, even if I didn’t love the fish, this flavor pairing and cooking method would convince me otherwise.

This honey lime tilapia is unbelievably delicious. I’m no stranger to the honey lime flavor combo. It’s trending presence in recipes is justified because honey and lime basically belong to each other forever and ever.

Even though this delectable, tender fish looks as if it’s been battered and fried, it’s actually a fairly healthful dish. The fish, which has been marinated and infused with honey lime deliciousness, gets a quick dredge in seasoned flour – whole wheat in my case – before cooking {quickly} to golden perfection.

The flavor, oh the flavor!, is so fresh and light and fantastic that I had a really hard time not stealing my kid’s portions. Too bad they loved it as much as I did. There wasn’t any excuse to vie for dinner clean-up because there weren’t any leftovers to “put away,” if you know what I mean.

Incidentally, I served this with steamed broccoli and brown rice with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Simple, fast, healthy and tasty. Can’t ask for much more than that.

One Year Ago: Garlic and Herb Butter Spread
Two Years Ago: Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
Three Years Ago: Tomato Bisque Soup

These wraps. Oh, these wraps! How do I adequately convey their deliciousness?

Should I tell you that when my sis-in-law, Kylie, told me about them, she confessed they had eaten them twice in one week? Or should I alert you that after I made them, they haunted my dreams until I made them again (er, two days later)? Exaggeration = off. Promise.

They are so delicious, I’ve already made a specific note to Brian that these will be my birthday meal request this year. That’s saying a lot, because I love me a good birthday meal request and have been known to think (read: obsess) all year long about what I want to eat that day (come on, it only happens once a year!).

Will it further convince you of their tastiness if I add that if you put your game face on, you can have these ready to serve in 20 minutes. Do you hear angels singing? Do you?

The flavors are astounding. The crisp lettuce is the perfect vehicle for the refreshingly light chicken mixture and the rice is just a little bit of decadence in a very healthy meal. I have made these, oh, I don’t know, probably 10 times in the last few months. And I’m still looking forward to them on my birthday next month. Major love. (And Major Smugness for providing you with such a healthy, actually-delicious meal this soon in the new year. Don’t worry, true diet failure coming next week. I am who I am, what can I say.)

One Year Ago: Coconut Shrimp Curry
Two Years Ago: Pineapple Salsa Chicken {Slow Cooker}
Three Years Ago: Tortellini Spinach Salad with Balsamic-Tomato Vinaigrette
Four Years Ago: Quick and Delicious Clam Chowder

As a point of clarification, I want to emphasize that my definition of healthy may not be someone else’s definition of healthy. You may look at a recipe in this category and think to yourself, “She CANNOT really consider that healthy, right?” or conversely, you may be wondering why my Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are not listed under Healthy, they do include oatmeal afterall.

Healthy can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Sometimes healthy choices can be more about the amount we are eating versus what we are eating (read: small portion sizes). The recipes I have included in my Healthy category are those that are not loaded with creams, cheeses and other fattening, calorie-laden ingredients (although there are plenty of those elsewhere on this site). Light, nutritious, healthy. That’s what this category is all about. Good choices for those days when you want a health-conscious meal.

More than a fun or fancy Valentine’s dinner, I love a delicious Valentine’s breakfast. And let me tell you a little secret, if you opt out of the heart-shaped bread, you could serve this stuffed french toast anytime. And that is a really lovely thing, because if you are anything like me, you could eat golden french toast smothered in nutella and strawberries every day of the week.

As I was playing around with this recipe, my 4-year old got all the benefits in a serious way. I think he ate nutella and strawberry stuffed french toast for lunch three days in a row as I tweaked it a bit here and there. Funny enough, the only complaint I heard was when he had to go back to eating the ol’ standby: PB&J.

Thankfully my other boys don’t read my blog because I’m making this for our V-day breakfast and I want it to be a surprise. I bribed my taste-tester to not say a word by promising a quadruple-decker version instead of the boring so-last-summer triple decker. Listen, it’s programmed into their DNA to be able to put away a serious amount of anything smothered in nutella. I am their mother after all.

One Year Ago: Healthy Banana Oat Snack Bars
Two Years Ago: The Best Vanilla and Chocolate Pudding
Three Years Ago: Balsamic Black Bean Salsa

I’ve alluded to this post/series for a while now but I’m more excited than should be deemed rational to finally be bringing you the first installment of the official Wheat and Wheat Grinding 101 series. Perhaps I’m the only one that gets giddy when talking about wheat (Huh? Weird? Me?) but alas, I do and I hope some of this information will be beneficial to those of you interested in wheat and wheat grinding.

I make no effort to hide my deep and abiding love for my wheat grinder and all the benefits it affords me and our family; namely assisting in making our own 100% whole wheat bread for the last three years. However, it took me a while to figure out the ins and outs of wheat and wheat grinding in general. So over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting two or three more installments for Wheat 101 (including different types of wheat grinders and reviews of those, ways to use wheat and other whole grains, and a whole lot of resources).

Today, let’s talk about the main types of wheat to use in whole grain baking and cooking, the differences between them, where you can buy them and how you can use them in baking/cooking. Whether you make your own bread or not, whole wheat berries/flour can be used in many ways. Disclaimer: I’m hitting on the wheat varieties that are common, easy to find, and that I’ve used for many years with great success. They are my preferred varieties of wheat but I have friends/family who use other types (like kamut, in particular) so feel free to do your own research on some of those wheat outliers.

Okie doke. Ready? First off, in case you didn’t know, wheat that has been hulled but unmilled (like you see below) is called wheat berries. I’ll refer to “berries” often throughout this post and didn’t want you to be looking for pictures of fresh fruit if you are new to wheat terminology.

You can tell immediately from these pictures that each type of wheat looks a bit different, both in color and shape. Notice also that for every 1/4 cup of wheat berries, hard red wheat has slightly more protein while hard white and soft white are the same.

First up, let’s take a closer look at soft white wheat. The berries themselves are rounder in shape and they are lighter and more yellow in color than the other two types of wheat. Soft white wheat, finely ground, is perfect for tender, light baked goods. Bread, rolls, and even pie crusts, pastries and cookies.

Next, we have hard red wheat. It is noticeably darker than the other two white wheat varieties. Because of it’s slightly higher protein content, it is better used for heartier, heavier breads. It isn’t going to yield the same light color and texture in a baked good that a variety of white wheat will. Many people who try whole wheat bread with red wheat first are sometimes disappointed because it tends to produce heavy, dark loaves. I always recommend using hard white wheat to start; for some reason, it seems easier to develop the gluten and get a lighter, more tender bread. I’m not anti-red wheat (you’ll find out more below); but it is the type of wheat that sometimes gives wheat bread in general a bad rep.

Finally, hard white wheat. Light color, just like soft white wheat, but it has a slightly longer, thinner berry shape. This is the type of wheat I use the most. It is a great all-purpose wheat flour to use as it works great in yeasted breads/rolls and also in cookies and other baked goods.

When ground, the wheat berries produce flour at any level of coarseness or fineness, depending on your grain mill or wheat grinder. My rule of thumb, unless I’m going for a cracked wheat cereal, is to grind as finely as my grain mill allows because I like to be able to sub the wheat flour in for all-purpose flour and the more finely ground it is, the more easily I can substitute one-for-one with all-purpose flour.

I’ll be talking more in-depth about wheat grinders in a week or so, but a good rule of thumb is that one cup of wheat berries produces about 2 cups flour. Keep in mind, though, that freshly ground wheat flour is full of air from shooting out of the grinder so measuring freshly ground wheat can be a bit tricky (and is also the reason I use approximate amounts of flour for whole wheat bread recipes instead of exact measurements). I either let the flour settle for 30 minutes or so, or if I’m going to use it right away, I forget my standard flour measuring rule, and pack it in the cup a bit more to account for the airiness of just being ground.

You can see from the picture below that the ground wheat flour varies slightly in color, too, depending on the variety of wheat.

It’s hard to see it in this picture below, but the hard red wheat flour (far right) has a bit more texture and a darker color than the soft white wheat flour to the right.

I mentioned above that I prefer using hard white wheat flour. It is definitely what I use 90% of the time; however, I have about 100 pounds of hard red wheat hanging out in storage that I bought 10 years ago that I’m trying to use up, so for the last year, I’ve mixed hard red wheat and hard white wheat (grinding it together) when making bread. And after shooting pictures for this tutorial, I made bread with all three varieties and what do you know? I think it was the best bread I’ve ever made. So, basically, experiment with the type of wheat you prefer – it will vary widely among every person.

Currently, I am buying it from a local, organic mill near my home (I know, can you believe I moved to the middle of nowhere with an organic grain mill within 40 minutes? Awesome). They do provide shipping if you are interested in checking out their site, but I have to imagine shipping costs are pretty steep since wheat isn’t exactly feather light.

Before I had a mill at my beck and call, of all places, I found hard white wheat berries at my local Walmart (on the very bottom shelves under the flour). I was living in Wisconsin at the time and when I alerted my friends/family in other areas, sure enough, many of them from Montana to Connecticut found it also. I don’t have a Walmart anywhere near where I live now so I haven’t checked recently, but it’s worth taking a look. At the time, the price was right around $25 for 25 pounds.

There are many, many online sources for wheat, but be aware that shipping costs can run high, so it might be best to check your local resources first. Here are a few online resources (I am not affiliated with any of these but have bought various products from all of them in the past with great results):
Pleasant Hill Grain (probably one of the more reasonable places to buy online)
Emergency Essentials (again, as I looked at their sales/prices, pleasantly surprised)
Shelf Reliance (more expensive but has convenient scheduled shipments, if that floats your boat, and their wheat is non-GMO)

Another resource is the LDS (Mormon) Home Storage Centers. I’m pretty sure you do not need to be a member of the LDS church to can dry goods at the Home Storage Centers (and based on several comments; that’s correct!). Here is a list of Home Storage Center locations; call for details. Their prices are extremely low, in part because you have to/get to pack it and seal it yourself either in cans or mylar bags. Alternately, if you don’t live near a Home Storage Center, you can order #10 cans of wheat online at store.lds.org. It runs about $33 for 30 pounds of wheat (they only offer hard white or hard red wheat) and shipping is free, although you do have to live in the continental United States to order online (thanks for your comments clarifying that!).

Feel free to share any other resources you’ve found for buying wheat in the comments!

A quick note on storing wheat berries: as with most dry goods, they should be stored in a dry, cool place. My sealed cans and buckets are kept in our basement storage (wheat, if stored properly, can be kept for up to 20 years or longer!) but I keep a large 50 pound bucket in my kitchen that I fill up with the #10 cans or bags of wheat that I buy or bring up from my personal storage. This bucket is not sealed, meaning, it won’t keep out bugs or little hands that like to let the wheat run through their chubby fingers, but I use this wheat up quickly and regularly, so as long as I keep the lid closed, I’ve never had problems with bugs (although those pesky little hands still find their way in!).

The lid is a nifty two-piece plastic ring with a lid that screws on and off. It is brilliant and saves me from prying off the original lid that came with the bucket. These two-piece lids (sometimes called Gamma Seal Lids), meant to be used with food-grade 50# buckets, can be found online at any of the wheat resource links above (here is a link from Pleasant Hill Grain).

Now on to the good stuff.

The obvious answer is clearly to use it in breads and rolls (but scroll down for some ideas that are a bit outside of the bread box). I have dozens of yeast recipes on my site and while I haven’t specified in each and every one, it’s a given that any time I make rolls or bread, I use whole wheat flour in place of all-purpose flour. For bread, I always use my trusted 100% whole wheat recipes. For rolls and other breads, I generally use at least half whole wheat flour, sometimes more and sometimes less (with the exception of this ciabatta bread,  this rustic crusty bread and a small handful of others which I always splurge and make 100% white flour).

However, you can think outside of the box and use wheat berries in many other ways besides bread. Here are some good ones:

• Homemade Cream of Wheat Cereal: Toast the wheat berries in the oven until lightly golden, let them cool, then grind them  in a grain mill or wheat grinder to the texture of hot cereal, not fine like flour but not as coarse as cracked wheat. You could probably even do that in a blender. Cook or microwave 1 cup of the toasted ground wheat berries in 3 cups water for a delicious, hot cream of wheat breakfast (this is honestly one of my boys’ favorite breakfast choices with blueberries and a touch of brown sugar and milk).
• Pancake Mix: I use 100% whole wheat flour for our favorite oatmeal pancake mix. It’s hearty, healthy and totally delish.
• Traditional Cracked Wheat: If your wheat grinder can hack it, grind the wheat berries for cracked wheat cereal.
• Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes/Waffles: This unique recipe doesn’t use flour at all; it starts with whole wheat berries that are blended with buttermilk and other ingredients. It’s another breakfast staple at our house. You can use any type of wheat berry for these.
• Wheat as a Meat Extender: You can get all wild and crazy and use wheat as a meat extender. It’s amazing! My friend Jenna told me about this years ago after she served me stroganoff that was so tasty, I asked for the recipe and she shyly admitted that the “meat” in the recipe was at least 1/2 wheat berries. WHAT? I couldn’t even tell. It’s been years since I’ve employed this method myself (I need to start again!) but I can vouch that it works. The wheat takes on the taste and texture of the meat plus it adds a whole lot of extra protein and fiber. Basically you use cooked wheat berrries (cracked wheat) and simmer it with your meat (for tacos, stroganoff and other ground beef/turkey meals that simmer or cook for a bit). Google “wheat meat extender” and you’ll get some good ideas.

Well, I think that does it for today! Next up will be a thorough look at wheat grinders. Yahoo! (Seriously, stay in your seats, people.)

Please feel free to leave any questions in the comments and I’ll get to them as soon as I can; alternatively, I’d love any suggestions about the discussion today. I have a feeling I can learn a lot from all of your experiences with wheat, too!

I’m in love with quinoa lately, making these lovely patties over and over again and revisiting some of our favorite quinoa salads.

But these ham, cheese and broccoli bites? Um, I kind of, sort of ate them for five days in a row and forgot any other quinoa recipe existed. In fact, I hid them in the back of the refrigerator behind the blue cheese (which my husband abhors) so I could sneak them at my leisure. I didn’t even feel bad about it either. Every taste was divine.

They are tasty. And completely addictive. And I don’t know about you, but there’s worse things to be craving than quinoa (don’t worry, my dark chocolate addiction is severely intact still). My kids’ grubby and adorable little fingers snatched these up as quick as can be and they all requested them in their school lunch the next day. Most of the time that would be a major win…children requesting healthy lunch fare. But in this case, I was hard pressed not to convince them to go with the ol’ standby (PB&J) so I could, well, you know, eat them myself. I know. Mothers are supposed to be selfless. Work in progress when it comes to cheesy quinoa bites. Go ahead. Make them and you’ll see what I mean.

One Year Ago: Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies {Egg-Free}
Two Years Ago: Hearty Beef Stew {Slow Cooker}
Three Years Ago: The Best Chicken Fajitas

I happen to really, really love fish (do you?). But sometimes it’s a struggle to figure out what to do with it. Since it’s usually more expensive than other meats, it’s risky, man, risky! I don’t want to ruin it with a bad recipe and then end up crying over the loss of good fish and spent money. That’s why I fall back on the few tried-and-true fish recipes I have and rarely branch out.

A MKC reader-friend of mine (that’s the official term for all of you who have become email buddies with me through the years!), Danielle, alerted me to this tilapia recipe that was roaming through Pinterest. With all the rave reviews, I felt the risk was low, and let me tell you, it is a winner. I was dying over it’s tastiness when I made it the first time last summer. The flavors are crazy good: fresh cilantro, kickin’ jalapeno, toasty sesame oil and several others. We eat this about once a month and it continues to be a family favorite. Tilapia is a great fish to cook with if you aren’t a huge fish fan (and even if you are!). It has a mild taste and takes on a myriad of flavors delightfully well.

Literally taking 15 minutes from start to finish, this just might be the quickest meal in my repertoire, and trust me, I’m not complaining about that. Our favorite way to serve it is with baked brown rice (which takes the quick points down a bit), fresh fruit and steamed broccoli or asparagus.

Healthy, tasty and fast as can be…who can argue with that?

One Year Ago: Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake
Two Years Ago: Chicken Cordon Bleu Bread Bowls
Three Years Ago: Teriyaki Meatballs
Four Years Ago: Quick and Delicious Clam Chowder

I have a zillion recipes that call for buttermilk (see below for a partial list of favorites). I love the stuff. It adds a delicious flavor to food and because of the acidity, when it is combined with baking soda, little bubbles are released during baking that give a wonderful lightness to baked goods. I almost always have the real deal on hand but it’s been known to happen that I have run out. The horror! What’s a girl to do when she’s longing to make her favorite Buttermilk Banana Bread and there’s no buttermilk? Well, never fear because buttermilk substitutions are some of the easiest to whip together and chances are you have all the needed ingredients (count: two) to make a great substitution.

Let’s break it down, shall we? You basically have four options:

For the first three, you need a cup of milk. Choose ONE of the following to stir into the cup of milk: 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon white vinegar or 1/2 tablespoon cream of tartar. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes before using.

For the fourth option, whisk together 3/4 cup plain yogurt with 1/4 cup milk. Easy peasy!

For the printable:
Click HERE to access a .jpg image – simply right click and select “copy image” and then paste it into a Word document (or other similar document type) and resize it larger or smaller depending on how big you want it to be when printed. For a simpler option, click HERE for a .pdf version (there are two printables on the page so find a friend and give one away or keep the extra in your scrapbook or something heartwarming like that).

Leftover homemade buttermilk can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or so, or better yet, freeze it in small 1/4 or 1/2 cup increments (storebought buttermilk freezes great, too). Now what are you waiting for? Go make some buttermilk…

Here is a list of my favorite recipes that call for buttermilk:
Buttermilk Lime Shortbread Bars
Buttermilk Banana Bread
Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze
Gourmet Buttermilk Cookies
Classic Buttermilk Waffles
Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes
The Best Drop Biscuits
Refrigerator Bran Muffins
Sweet Orange Rolls
Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes
Red Velvet Sheet Cake
Whole Wheat Dinner Muffins
Chocolate Orange Swirl Muffins
Cheddar Herb Biscuits
Healthy Banana Bran Muffins
Rhubarb Streusel Cake
Oatmeal Pancake Mix
Heath Bar Cake
The Best Blueberry Muffins

I love this soup. What began as a make-it-because-I-have-all-the-ingredients-meal has quickly become one of our favorite family soups. Full of flavor and vegetables and all things good and soupy, we could eat this every week and never tire of it (but thanks to the million other soup recipes I want to try, we don’t eat it that often).

Healthy and hearty, this is a great one to keep in mind as you are frantically cooking bigger, time-taxing meals for the holiday season. It’s super easy to put together and offers a warm, wonderful meal on busy nights (and is a delightful contrast to the heavier, decadent fare of the holiday season).

It’s a fun one to serve in our family because each person has their favorite “thing” to try for when scooping out a ladle for their bowl. It might surprise you (not!) that the carrots and zucchini aren’t the first things sought after by the boys but thanks to their small size (the veggies, not the boys), they end up in their bowls anyway and get gobbled up as the boys search for the sausage and tortellini.

Have a great Thanksgiving! If you are in need of turkey leftover ideas, check out this post (or if you are like me, hoard all the turkey to eat on leftover rolls smothered in mustard). Otherwise, I’ll see you next week!