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Monday, March 8, 2010

Bread Baking


I LOVE to bake bread! I LOVE to eat it when it's fresh out of the oven with a pat of butter melting on it. mmmmm
There are many benefits to eating homemade bread. There are not a lot of ingredients needed. You certainly don't need high fructose corn syrup or maltodextrin something or other. The absolute best way to get all the nutrition you can is to mill your own grain. I know some of you are thinking..."You've got to be kidding!" To some this sounds archaic or even hippy-ish, but it isn't. Nothing could be easier than plugging in my WonderMill, turning it on and adding the grain. Within a minute or two you have fresh ground grain. Fresh flour contains all the vitamins and minerals missing in commercial flours. It includes the bran which is vital for a healthy colon and weight control. It is economical. Within 24 hours up to 40% of the nutrients have oxidized. In three days up to 80% of nutrients have oxidized, so using freshly grained flours preserves all the wonderful nutrients. Read more benefits here.

It's lost art, really, but it shouldn't be! Whenever I need to provide a meal for someone, I usually include a loaf of homemade bread. Most of the time, people comment on the bread!
The very first book I ever had on bread making was a free booklet from Fleishmann's yeast. I only had to pay shipping for this little gem. It was full of color illustrations and wonderful recipes. I wish I still had it. Now, I recommend the cookbooks by Sue Gregg. They are so very helpful! So - I encourage you to give it a try!

A boy's version of "Sweet 16"








A paintball party on our property with good friends and lots of woods was how Caleb chose to celebrate his 16th birthday. The weather was rainy, but no matter, the boys all had a great time on the prowl in all their gear. More than once, by each boy, it was said to me, "We should do this once a month." After the boys left late that afternoon, we enjoyed his birthday dinner request of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and salad with pecan pie instead of cake. My first boy is growing up to be a thoughtful, Godly young man, who likes to have fun!





Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Health Food

Friends often ask me for advice on health food. I never really thought of myself as a "health nut", but after thinking about it, I guess I am. I figure if we eat healthily 95% of the time, then when those special occasions come along we can enjoy the treats - and REALLY enjoy them.
Here's a little list of things you can do to be more healthy.
Avoid
- high fructose corn syrup
- partially hydrogenated oils
- soy
- aspartame
- nitrates and nitrites
- foods that are affected by GMO (genetically modified organism)
*This will be a separte post!

Add
- organic extra virgin coconut oil
- olive oil
- use honey, pure maple syrup, or organic sugar for your sweeteners
- use whole grains and rotate them.

You have to be a label reader, but it will pay off with good health! In all the reading I have done, it seems that a majority of the health issues of our day stem from what we eat. Most of it is a cumulative effect. Unless we have a serious allergy to a food, we don't notice the harmful effects that slowly creep up. Sort of like putting the lobster in a pot of cold water and then turning on the heat. It doesn't even notice the temperature rising.

Sue Gregg's Eating Better Cookbooks have taught me so much. I think they qualify as a home economics class! They are packed with helpful information and great recipes.