Bread Prices on the Rise

I can't complain about gas prices since I commute 3 miles to work.  If traffic lights are working in my favor, I can leave 10 minutes before works starts and stroll into the office with plenty of time. However, it looks like gas prices are really beginning to effect food prices, so, the Whipple household is taking action one step at a time!  Several weeks ago, I told Ben that bread making will now be on the weekend chore list....well, my chore list! I think his list may be a bit longer than mine already, so I'm OK with adding one.  It's been 3 weeks now and there is no going back!

This week, I encourage you to bust out your bread machine and put it to work.  Back in 2001, during my college years, my mom thought it would be a genius idea to buy me a bread maker.  It sat on the shelf.  I then moved to Salt Lake City and the bread maker moved to a shelf in my parents basement.  FINALLY, one year over Christmas, I had the idea that the bread maker should be taken on the airplane as a carry on and moved to Salt Lake.  Why not, I could save $10 in shipping costs.  I convinced Ben, "Mr. I always think ahead," that people take large items all of the time as a carry on and I could do the same.  Well our ride drops us off at the airport and the lady behind the ticket counter would not allow me to proceed, saying it will cost me $50!  Ben gave me the "I told you so eyes," but knew it was a smart idea to keep all comments to himself.  Well, the bread maker made the journey and plopped out of luggage return and then sat once again in my Salt Lake pantry for another two years.  In fact, four weeks ago when I started using it, fumes from burnt plastic streamed out of the vents!  Ben swore he could taste plastic infused bread but I think he was just trying to get me going. :)

Trust me, it's a weird shift that first week. The loaf sat in fridge until at least Wednesday before one of us attempted to cut it. Before making the change, Ben even ate both end pieces of the last loaf of store bought bread, which NEVER happens. I remember gasping when Ben told me that he sliced two pieces of homemade bread for his sandwich. In fact he said he liked it.  It looks like it will be smooth sailing on our way to eating only homemade bread.

Measure out 2 bowls of dry ingredients so when the first loaf is done, you can toss in the second. Keep one in the fridge and freeze the second loaf for mid-week.  -amy w.

Honey Wheat Bread -  Modified from Toastmaster Recipe Book
1 egg, room temp plus enough warm water to equal 1 cup
2 TBL oil
3 TBL honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup whole wheat flour...Oooh yes, I grind mine!
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp Quick Rise Yeast
1 TBL Vital Wheat Gluten 

The Whipple in Me

I feel like everyone should visit the Whipple household (Ben's Mom's house).  It's like stepping into Willy Wonka's house.  Three kinds of Kool Aid in the fridge, two flavors of ice cream, and candy dishes around the house filled with chocolate.  I can't control myself in this type of enviroment.  You think with a name like "Grain Girls", I could help myself.

The holiday is just around the corner and I have to make sure Ben and I don't resort back to old habits.  One of my resolutions is to "healthify" old recipes.  My husband has come a long way and everyone knows this hasn't been an easy task! He's eating kamut, spinach salad, and homemade soy/yogurt ice cream. I feed him so many different types of squash that he's now a fan.  Last time I checked, he could name 9 grains!  Impressive. 

Today, I felt it necessary to post one of my not so heathy recipes, however it still contains grains. Lorna would never approve this recipe but as I stated in the above paragraph, my plan is to revamp it in 2011.  When I make this recipe, I can't believe I add a full stick of butter and 1 can of sweetened condensed milk.  Who puts this in a recipe?  GUILTY...right here! Apparenlty, I still have a little Whipple in me!    

Fudgy Bars - Modified from Meals for Month, by Linda Larsen
2 cups chocolate chips
3 tablespoons butter
1 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups oats
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350.  In a microwavable bowl, combine chocolate, 3 tablespoons butter, and sweetened condensed milk.  Heat for 2-3 minutes until melted.

2. In a bowl combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt.  Pour melted butter over and mix until crumbs form.  Stir in walnuts. Press 1/2 of the crumb mixture in a 13"x9" pan.  Pour chocolate mixture over crust.  Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over chocolate.

3. Bake at 350 for 25-25 minutes.  Let cool, cut bars, and enjoy!  I like to individually wrap and freeze.

Stay tuned  for the 2012 fudgy bar healthy remix recipe.  -amy w.

Raspberry (Peach) Jam Cookies, pg. 284

I won't even try to beat Amy's thumbprint cookies with Homemade Jam!!...they look amazing!  It is ironic that we both picked this recipe in the same week without even knowing it. Great minds think alike ;)

Raspberry Jam was my flavor of choice for me...I have a hard time straying from suggestion?!  The ingredients as a whole are very nutritious, they're like the ultimate fiber cookie.  The kids I cook for thought they were just OK, so perhaps they're not for everyone. But, Britt, an "official tester" gave them a delicious and ate 2 or 3...that's a win for me :) 

Now, I just spent 30 minutes trying to figure out how to upload more than 1 picture and how to keep the photo and next paragraph from running into one another and I can't do it.  Help?! So here the cookies are in raw form. Cookie Parade!

-Vicki ;)

My husband asked for seconds!  Yup, and the cookie didn't contain chocolate.  Lorna made these soft cookies using raspberry jam. I decided to switch the flavor and use my homemade peach preserves that I canned with the hybiscus peaches a few weeks ago.  Click on the highlighted link to view the recipe that I used: Recipe for Peach Preserves

This cookie tasted like I was eating a soft graham cracker with jam spread on top.  The dry ingredients were very unique; rolled oats + walnuts + cinnamon food processed with whole-wheat flour.   The dry ingredients combined with honey to sweeten gives this recipe a 5 grain rating!
Get excited, Vicki just got back from Spain!  I can't wait for her to post a blog or two about her travels.  -amy w.

Preserving Fresh Fruit/ Upside-Down Peach-Berry Cobbler, Pg. 291

Aren't they beautiful! The pink colored sauce is due to adding dried hibiscus. This is the second weekend in a row I've canned peaches.  Last Saturday, I decided to do a trial run to make sure everything turned out.  This past weekend, a good friend Tom from the yoga studio joined the fun. I strongly advise 2  people when canning. We canned preserves and peach halves in 3 hours.  Click on the following link to view the canning recipe -  Hybiscus Peaches

I baked Lorna's upside-down peach-berry cobbler. I had almost everything on hand except buttermilk and anise.  I made the buttermilk by adding a bit of vinegar to regular milk and I left out the anise. 

For the fruit mixture, peaches, mixed berries, peacns, brown sugar, cornstarch and freshly squeezed lemon juice were mixed together. 

The cake layer was a bit more interesting.  Whole wheat flour and cornmeal were the base mixed with the regulars.  This was a definately a new combination.  I liked the grainy stone-ground taste.  Peach season has arrived! 

-amy w.

Raspberry Muffins, pg. 268

Ahh yes, the time of year when grocery shopping becomes fun! The Farmer's Market has fruits and veggies galore, I can barely wait until Saturday.  After buying fresh raspberries, I couldn't resist Lorna's recipe where the muffin meets fresh fruit. 

Lorna uses only 1/2 cup of brown sugar trying not to defeat the purpose of a healthy muffin. Ohh, and make your own brown sugar it's simple, fast, and cheap! (sugar + molasses + a whisk to mix = fabulous brown sugar)

After making a double batch of sugarLESS banana bread by accident last week, I've really been rethinking the cup(s) of sugar mixed into baked goods. I'm on week two of cutting the sugar in all baked goods by half - Ben has no idea!

Do I like frozen rasberries in my morning smoothie? YES!  How about on my ice cream? Ohh yeah!  However, I do not like raspberries in my muffins.  Too mushy!  I don't think I did anything wrong it's just what happens. I'll be sure to use the several options Lorna suggests in her book.

Check out the following website: http://www.gardenguides.com/416-freezing-vegetables.html. This is a wonderful tool to save money and time.  My freezer is empty and it's about time to stock up.  This past weekend I pitted and froze 2 large bags of cherries, blanched 7 small bags of green beans, and froze a batch of oat zuchinni muffins for breakfast on the run.  This coming weekend, I hope to stock up and prep onions, carrots, zuchinni, and potatoes.  How great would that be, I'll chop for a day but have items prepped for weeks to come.   -amy w.

Whole Wheat and Cranberry Scones

Wow, it's been a crazy busy couple of weeks! I started a new job (yes, a cooking job!!!) and have finished my 3rd week of summer classes. I'm exhausted, but feeling happy and satisfied. I am cooking for a wonderful family of four, 2 to 3 nights/week to take the load off the busy, working parents.  So far I love it! I'm reading countless blogs, magazines and cookbooks, now with a focused goal: 3 healthy, varied meals per week that adults and kids alike will love. It's been a blast so far, and I'll be keeping you updated.

I'm trying to work in the grains here and there so I baked these scones for them this past week with whole wheat pastry flour as directed in the recipe. The pastry flour has a lower protein content than say cake or all purpose flour and will absorb less moisture (right?!).  Having never baked a scone before, or worked to much with a kneaded dough, these types of recipes always intimidate me. For no good reason either, because it's was super simple and you get better every time. Working with doughs, you'll learn how they should feel and how to do it better the next time.

I think my end product was a little dry, but scones are supposed to be a little dry? yes/no? Not sure? I always here the States or at least Seattle, is not a great place for good scones, so I'm not sure I've ever had what the French would call a good one.   Anyway, it was tasty and I did the real milk and butter recipe, no substitutions this time. The family doesn't have a wheat or dairy issue, so I plan to do some gluten free and dairy free stuff, but not all. I'd give this recipe a 4 1/2 out of 5. I think the dryish texture was my fault, but other than that they were great and according to what I've read, this recipe is perfect ;)

Fun and random...I was volunteering at a cooking class called Fast Food for Busy Families at PCC the the other night and the instructor told everyone to save time, you should get a pressure cooker, then recommended a book by none other than, Lorna Sass, "Cooking Under Pressure". In a small class of 15, she got a great review from the instructor and 2 students who have and love the book. Yeah, go Lorna, you've got Sass! Cheers ya'll...now go bake some scones ;)  -Vicki

Chocolate Chip-Hazelnut Cookies, pg. 280

Yesterday I was feeling an extreme need to cook all day!  I picked up groceries on my lunch and after work and could hardly wait to start chopping, braising and baking.  Sometimes I really need these food filled nights to remind me why I quit my job and dove into cooking school...and I definitely rejuvenated that feeling amidst shredded pork tacos and these delicious Spelt flour cookies.

The cookies are awesome, and wonderful when eaten warm, melting right from the oven.  For this reason, I earned the coveted, "You're the best roommate ever" comment when delivering warm baked goodies to Brittany as she watched Jane Austin's Persuasion on Masterpiece Classics Theater...yes, this is how wholesome girls spend their weekends...cooking and classic movies (and maybe NKOTB greatest hits CD)!  I realized after the fact, that I hadn't toasted the hazelnuts long enough, so don't skimp on that note, especially if you buy raw hazelnuts.  They're much better with a roasted flavor in baked goods.  Also, when baking, don't reach for the kosher salt on the counter you cook with daily...you'll definitely bite into an occasional salty spot in the cookies if you do that (oops, lesson learned!).  Take the extra minute to find the finely ground salt for baking in your cupboard!  I substituted Earth Balance "butter" for the real stuff, so other than the 1 egg, my cookies are almost vegan and still deliciously tasty.

On this beautiful Monday morning, I'm sitting in my room as the sun streams through the window while I put together my daily plans for this week at school.  Today will reach nearly 60 F and I am so excited to have this day off to enjoy the sunshine! -Vicki ;)

P.S.  If you would like to make delicious shredded pork tacos check out this recipe from Tyler Florence.  They're super delicious!


I must say these cookies hit the spot after skiing.  Diana, Elizabeth, Jackie, and I decided it would be fun to ski at Alta.  After the first run, I knew I was in for a workout. Groomers are not an option when Diana is leading on home turf!  At one point I resorted to hugging large boulders and using the butt scoot method because I was not about to jump my skiis off of a 3 ft. cliff.  Cheers to cookies after skiing and a delicious way to end a sunny Saturday!    

Ok, back to the cookies. I agree with Vicki to make sure the hazelnuts are toasted long enough.  I bought whole hazelnuts and pounded them with a meat mallet. This worked well and I enjoyed the flavor and texture of these nuts. 

One thing that really saved time with these cookies was that the butter needed to be melted....AMEN for not needing to let a stick of butter sit on the counter for 2 + hours.  Lastly, I love soft cookies.  I put 2 pieces of bread in the container which kept the chocolate chip - hazelnut cookies soft for several days. 

Husband Rating: 4.5/5 Grains     -amy

Date-Nut Muffins, Pg. 266

I think when Lorna said, the best eaten warm, she meant wait more than 30 seconds before prying them out of the pan because they smelled so good! One thing I hated when I was little, but fully appreciate as an adult is crunchy things in my baked goods. There are dates, walnuts and tiny pieces of crystallized ginger & I love all the flavors and fillings in these muffins! I just devoured it!

I did make a few small changes…well a big one. I used Rice Milk instead of buttermilk and added about a teaspoon of vinegar to make up for the missing acid. I don’t notice any lacking in texture or flavor lacking, so it appears that my substitution worked. The other fat in the recipe comes from Canola oil instead of butter so I didn’t have to swap it out. I chopped my ginger into very small pieces to help spread out the flavor more because it is a flavor I don’t like in the raw form, but it works in this recipe very well. I used very fresh spices and ground my allspice from the full seed which helped the intensity of flavor come through in the muffin. I also used whole grain spelt flour, so the texture was hearty and healthy…but totally delicious J

These muffins are definitely a crowd pleaser! Everyone that tried them, thoroughly enjoyed the spicy and sweet flavors throughout. Definitely a new favorite! -Vicki

2-1-10

What girl takes back a beautiful pair of earrings and matching necklace for a Nutrimill grinder?  Apparently a gal that loves to cook, buys 50 pounds of wheat, and grinds whole grains in her spare time.  I was secretly waiting for Vicki to pick a baked good recipe so I could use the Nutrimill.

 

Loved the muffins!  I would ommit the crystallized ginger. I've come to terms that I'm just not a fan. Husband Rating: 3.5/5 grains.    

 -amy