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Grinding Wheat into Flour: Getting Ahead

January 19, 2022 by Laura 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Using my time and energy for grinding wheat into flour has felt a little bit difficult lately. Here’s an idea I decided to try!

I love using freshly ground wheat in our baked goods. In fact, I haven’t bought flour at the store in a good long while. Years and years. Instead, I’ve bought hard wheat and soft wheat from Azure Standard. Then I grind the wheat into flour to use in baking.

There’s no comparison! Freshly ground flour is incredible and delicious! Here’s how I do it —>

How to Grind Flour in a Grain Mill! #grainmill #grindflour #wholewheatflour

Meanwhile, God has added a wagonful of littles to our home.

These sweethearts keep me from baking much at all, much less grinding my wheat into flour for baking. Often, I would think about baking something if I had a spare 10-15 minutes, only to nix the idea simply because I didn’t want to have to first grind flour for the task.

Maybe this is a season for me to buy flour instead of wheat? Maybe. But I already had several pounds of wheat in storage. I didn’t want it taking up space or going to waste. So here’s what I did one morning when I had a friend over to help with all the kids!

Grinding Flour Into Wheat: Getting Ahead

I had a marathon wheat grinding morning.

I don’t keep my Nutrimill on the countertop, so digging it out and cleaning up after myself never sounds fun during this crazy season of life. But getting my Nutrimill out to grind a bunch of flour all at once? Making ONE BIG MESS instead of many small messes? Let’s do this.

I labeled freezer bags with “Soft Wheat” and “Hard Wheat” (read more about this below), then I kept running batch after batch of wheat through the mill to grind into flour. I transferred the fresh flour to gallon-sized freezer bags, then put the bags into the freezer.

All said and done, I ended up with about 10 gallons of flour in my freezer! (And a big mess, but whatever. Better one mess than ten, right?)

So, now the flour isn’t fresh anymore?

Well, true. But since I’m keeping it in the freezer, it’ll stay good for a long time, and it will still taste great! Considering the fact I was going to buy flour from the store to get me by until I am able to grind flour again, I feel like this is still a better option: to grind my wheat into flour ahead of time and freeze it until I need it!

After this runs out, I’ll see how I’m doing. I may still feel the need to buy my flour already ground for a while. But as for now, I sure do love that I don’t have to pull out my mill for a while. When I need to bake something or make pancakes, I can just pull out the already-ground flour from my freezer!

Hard Wheat vs. Soft Wheat

Both grains grind into whole wheat flour. I like having both on hand and here’s why:

  1. Use hard wheat to make yeast bread recipes.
  2. Use soft wheat to make non-yeast recipes like muffins and pancakes.

It is possible to use hard wheat for ALL recipes. But I like soft wheat because it makes such a nice pastry flour for fluffy muffins and such. Here are some of our favorite wheat recipes:

Favorite Hard Wheat Recipes

  • Stir-n-Pour Bread
  • Whole Wheat Butterhorns
  • Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls
  • One Hour Whole Wheat Yeast Rolls
  • Homemade Soft Pretzels
  • Homemade Pizza Crust
  • Overnight Waffle Batter

Favorite Soft Wheat Recipes

  • Any of these 40+ Muffin Recipes
  • Raspberry Oatmeal Bars
  • Giant Breakfast Cookies
  • Peanut Butter Pancakes
  • Poptarts
  • Quick Baking Mix
  • Whole Wheat Waffles
  • Simple Whole Wheat Pancakes
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Is it Worth the Money to Buy a Nutrimill?

August 15, 2019 by Laura 1 Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

I’ve had my Nutrimill for 14 years now. Have I used it much during those 14 years? Saved any dough (ha, see what I did there)? Have I found that it is worth the money to buy a Nutrimill?

Is it Worth the Money to Buy a Nutrimill?

Nutrimills cost around $249 $219 right now. That’s the cost of around 73 loaves of high quality 100% Whole Grain Bread from the store. So is it worth the money to buy a Nutrimill so we can make our bread instead of buying it?

Well, considering that our family can go through at least all 73 of those loaves of bread in just a few months, I’d say yes. Especially when I consider these reasons:

  • My Homemade Whole Grain Bread only costs around $1.50/loaf.
  • There are only 5 simple ingredients in my homemade bread, and I have those ingredients on hand all the time for ease.
  • I can make this Homemade Bread recipe with about 5 minutes of time and effort.
  • Bread made from freshly ground flour is the most amazing bread on the planet.

So grinding fresh flour in a Nutrimill actually makes our bread healthier, more delicious, and half the price of store-bought.

Is a Nutrimill a Must-Have?

Could I live without my Nutrimill? I guess. Does it save me time in the kitchen? Not really. But do I love having such a great appliance to help me grind fresh grain for our baked goods? Oh my goodness, YES!

I frequently grind hard and soft white wheat in my Nutrimill, which turns out the most delicious flour, which then turns out the most delicious breads, muffins, cakes, cookies, pancakes, and waffles. Now that I’m so used to baking with freshly ground flour, I’d have a hard time turning back. We’re pretty spoiled! ;)

Want more details about using flour ground in a Nutrimill:

    • The Difference Between Red and White Wheats
    • How to Grind Flour in a Nutrimill
    • What Kind of Flour is Best if You Don’t Grind Your Own?
    • What is Pastry Flour, Where Do I Get it, How Do I Use It?
    • All of Our Bread and Muffin Recipes
    • Whole Grain Recipes

Where do I get grain for my Nutrimill?

I order all of mine in bulk from Azure Standard. I keep a supply of Hard White Wheat (for yeast bread) and a supply of Soft White Wheat (for muffins, cookies, and cakes) on hand at all times. Then I grind it ahead and store it in an ice cream bucket in the freezer to pull out and use as needed.

I highly recommend checking to see if Azure Standard is an option near you. I’ve ordered from them for years and would have a hard time getting by without their monthly deliveries!

So is it worth the money to buy a Nutrimill? I say yes! What do you think?

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

The Secret to Fluffy and Delicious Whole Wheat Baked Goods

March 13, 2016 by Laura 32 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Dear Gluten Free Friends: This post is very whole wheaty and not at all helpful to your gluten free life. I’ve got your back though because as you know, many of the recipes here on my site are naturally gluten free. After all, while I do love freshly ground whole wheat flour, I also love variety and breadless recipes. So just for you: 100+ Gluten Free Recipes. Click on over and have at it. Love ya much!

wheat_fields_2

See the difference in grains?
We took this picture while traveling through Kansas a few years ago. 

As a newly-wed I remember visiting someone’s house where they served homemade rolls made exclusively with whole wheat flour. I tried to like the rolls, but I was used to white rolls made with all-purpose flour, and these rolls just weren’t the same. I decided that I simply didn’t like whole wheat flour, and really, I didn’t like anything considered to be a “health food.” (I thought eating healthy meant I had to eat rice cakes and bean sprouts for every meal.) I continued on my merry way where I ate very few fruits and veggies, drank about a liter of Pepsi every day, and made oodles of delicious cookies and cakes with white flour.

Many years (and way too many gallons of Pepsi) later, one of my friends started selling her homemade bread at our local Farmer’s Market. She had some leftover one night, so she sent a loaf home with me. We ate it for breakfast the next day, and we loved it down to the last crumb. I complimented her up and down next time I saw her, asking what kind it was. “It’s just my regular whole wheat bread recipe.” What?! That bread was whole wheat? Like, whole wheat and white flour mixed, right?! “Nope. 100% whole grain. I grind it myself.”

That is the moment I learned about the different varieties of wheat and the deliciousness of grinding grain into flour. (I never actually knew people did that. Grind your own flour? Seriously?!) I was intrigued. I researched. I asked questions. I saved up for a Nutrimill, stocked up on hard white wheat, and the rest is history.

white_wheat_flour

Red Wheat, White Wheat, Hard Wheat, Soft Wheat

Oh how many wheat you meet. Look at me. I’m Dr. Seuss. 

There is a big difference between red wheat and white wheat. Both produce whole wheat flour -but they bake up differently, creating different textures and flavors. I’ve covered this in detail in several other posts, which I’ll point you to now:

  • The Difference Between Red and White Wheats
  • How to Grind Flour in a Nutrimill
  • What Kind of Flour is Best if You Don’t Grind Your Own?
  • What is Pastry Flour, Where Do I Get it, How Do I Use It?

hard wheat soft wheat

It’s hard to see the difference in the picture.
Hard is more pointy. Soft is more round. There. Does that help?

The Secret to Fluffy and Delicious Whole Grain Baked Goods

Let’s talk about how you can make the most amazing whole grain cookies, cakes, muffins, pancakes, waffles, and pastries.

When I first started grinding flour to make all of our baked goods healthier and tastier, I used hard white wheat for everything. It did this because:

  • Hard white wheat flour works for any recipe, whether it is a yeast bread or a non-yeast product. (Soft wheat only works for non-yeast products.)
  • Grinding just one kind of flour made life easier.

Finally, after the recommendation from many of you, I gave soft white wheat a try. This is the variety of wheat that, when ground, produces whole grain pastry flour. I used it first for pancakes, then I used it for muffins, then I decided that I had waited way too long to try this. Pastry flour makes a huge difference in the density of baked goods!

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (ground from soft white grain) is almost like using white all-purpose flour. It is light and fluffy and baked goods I make with it turn out really delicious.

muffins

Simple as that, freshly ground Soft White Wheat is the secret to turning out amazing baked goods.

Remember though, if you’re making a yeast bread, you still have to use Hard White (or red) Wheat. I now love both hard and soft white varieties and keep them both on hand at all times for all our baking needs.

no-knead bread 3

If you’re afraid of baking yeast bread, or simply want to make life much easier –
you have to try this easy Stir-and-Pour Bread. Because of this recipe, I will never knead bread again.
(This bread requires hard wheat, not soft, because it is a yeast bread.)

So let’s review:

  1. Use hard wheat for yeast breads.
  2. Use soft wheat for everything else.
  3. Or use hard wheat for everything – but I’m telling you, soft wheat (which produces whole wheat pastry flour) is wonderful to work with!

The SECRET to Fluffy and Delicious Whole Wheat Baked Goods! You have to read this! #bakedgoods #wholewheat

Some of our favorite recipes which use Whole Grain Pastry Flour:

Most don’t even realize they are eating whole grains when they eat any of these goodies! For that matter, the recipes that are low in sugar don’t seem to phase people either. Who knew eating healthier could taste so good?!

  • Homemade Donuts
  • Easy Pancake Muffins
  • Low-Sugar Sunshine Cake
  • Low-Sugar Super Moist Chocolate Cake
  • Low-Sugar Peanut Butter Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Frosting
  • Low-Sugar Carrot Cake With Maple Cream Frosting
  • Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies
  • Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Blueberry Streusel Muffins
  • Breakfast Cake
  • Flaky Cream Cheese Pastry
  • Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Peanut Butter Pancakes
  • Zucchini Carrot Bread
  • Banana Bread and Muffins
  • Bacon Cheese Muffins

Let me hear from you!

  • Do you grind your own flour?
  • What is your flour preference?
  • Have you tried soft wheat (pastry flour) or do you stick with hard wheat for every recipe?

Looking for a great Grain Mill?

I have and highly recommend a Nutrimill!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Switching to Whole Wheat Flour – making the transitions easier

July 16, 2015 by Laura 111 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

This post was originally published in February, 2011.

simplesteps

I want to take some time to address some of the many whole wheat flour questions I receive from those of you making the switch from white to brown. So many of you email me to say “I wish we liked whole wheat flour…we just don’t. What ideas do you have?” or “When I bake with whole wheat flour, my food often feels and tastes heavy and grainy. My kids won’t eat it.” or “Laura, you look really good with flour in your hair, what’s your secret for getting it right there on your bangs?” Just kidding about that last statement. Thankfully.

My suggestion (and hear me out on this, because I think I know all of your arguments) is…okay actually I have two suggestions.

Switch to Whole Wheat Flour

  1. Use a Grain Mill to grind fresh flour.
  2. Use Hard WHITE Wheat.

Here’s the deal:  I have NEVER liked store-bought whole wheat flour. Still don’t like it very much. The idea of switching to whole wheat flour to me was NOT appealing and I DIDN’T want to.

Until I had a piece of my friend’s bread made with freshly ground hard white wheat flour. That was all the evidence I needed.

I really didn’t believe her when she said that the bread was 100% whole wheat. It didn’t taste whole wheat. It didn’t look whole wheat. It didn’t feel whole wheat. Oh, but did it ever smell and taste good.

It was at that moment (after she answered more of my questions and after I talked it over with Matt of course) that I decided that I would save any extra money we had toward getting my own grain mill. The problem was…we had NO extra money to save toward a grain mill.

What I Did:

I started buying Hard White Wheat and letting my friend grind it for me. She was so sweet to do this, and it worked, but it certainly wasn’t convenient. I then began making these soft pretzels to sell at our local farmer’s market to save for my Nutrimill. It took just a few weeks before I had enough money saved. I ordered my Nutrimill right away! That was five years ago, and I’ve gotta say that saving up for and buying my Nutrimill was SUCH a great investment. My whole family thinks so.

Why Freshly Ground Flour Made from Hard White Wheat is Different (and tastes so good):

Well, fresh flour is…fresh. It’s amazing the difference in taste you’ll notice when you eat bread and other goodies made from flour that has been freshly ground. The whole wheat flour from the store is a little on the old side and is likely even to be rancid. It is usually often made from RED wheat.

Which leads me to my second point about why freshly ground flour from hard white wheat is different and tastes so good:  White wheat is lighter in texture and color than red wheat. Whole wheat flour made from Hard White Wheat produces lovely bread, tortillas, pizza crust, muffins…everything you need flour for.

The Question of the Hour:

But Laura, doesn’t white wheat turn into white flour?

Ah, I didn’t get that at first either. But NO, it absolutely doesn’t. Hard White Winter Wheat is simply a different variety of grain.  Hard Spring Red Wheat has the same nutritional value as Hard White Winter Wheat…but white wheat makes (in  my opinion) a nicer and more palatable whole wheat flour.

I think you’ll notice a big difference.

(White flour that you buy at the store, by the way, is flour made by sifting out the bran and germ after the grain has been ground. This was originally done to give it a longer shelf life. Now, unless otherwise noted, the white flour is bleached to make it whiter. Yum.)

What Do I Suggest?

See if you can find someone who has a grain mill and will let you try out freshly ground flour made from hard white wheat. Hey, if you come over to my place, I’ll let you try some of mine! (I may even share my secret of getting flour in my hair.)

If you like it (the freshly ground flour…not the flour in my hair), I recommend doing a little something to save up for a grain mill. I love my Nutrimill!!! Here’s a video of me showing how to use the Nutrimill. I love Paula’s Bread as your go-to source for purchasing a Nutrimill. She offers great prices and offers wonderful customer service.

And…you may want to look into this online Bread Class offered by Lori. She teaches you to use freshly ground flour to make a perfect loaf of bread…and other great baked goods too! It’s a very helpful class!

Lastly…I will recommend that if you just aren’t able to grind fresh flour right now, try to find store bought whole wheat flour made from white wheat, labeled, White Whole Wheat. King Arthur has a nice variety. It’s not quite the same (because it isn’t fresh), but it’s the best store-bought flour I’ve used.

Those of you who’ve been grinding your own flour…share what you love about it! How were you able to make the investment to get a grain mill? Which is your favorite grain mill and wheat to grind?

(You’ll find more posts I’ve written about grinding grain, where I recommend getting grain, which grain I recommend and ALL kinds of grainy questions answered in this section!)

Disclaimer:  No one here is going to force you to grind your own flour, eat white wheat or get flour in your hair. If you like flour make with red wheat, enjoy! If you can’t afford a grain mill, this is not a guilt trip. I’m just answering many readers’ questions. Hopefully you all found it helpful. And hopefully you are much cleaner bakers than I am. Not only is there flour in my hair, it is also on my kitchen floor and counter tops.  I need to go clean my kitchen. 

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

What is Whole Wheat Pastry Flour? Where Do I Get It? How Do I Use It?

June 23, 2015 by Laura 26 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

There’s this stuff called “whole wheat pastry flour” I keep talking about in my Low Sugar Treat baked goods. What in the world??

Never fear. I shall explain. You need to know this so that you can make this Low Sugar Super Moist Chocolate Cake. And probably for other reasons too.

All About Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

What is Pastry Flour?

First let me explain a little bit about different varieties of wheat so you can understand what makes pastry flour. There are other grains worth mentioning, but to keep things simple (I like simple), let’s just stick to what is most commonly used and what I like best. (Not that it’s all about me and my preferences, but I am the one writing this so…)

Hard Red Wheat

This is most commonly used in store-bought breads. It has a high protein content and a heavier texture and flavor. When you purchase “Whole Wheat Flour” at the store, you are most likely getting flour ground from red wheat. This is all good, however, it is my least favorite flour to bake with and eat. My experience is that breads turn out too heavy and dense when made with red wheat.

Hard White Wheat

I prefer the hard white variety of grain over red wheat a million times over. It is slightly lower in protein, but still offers all the goodness and nutrition of whole grain with a lighter taste and texture. Don’t let the word “white” throw you off here. It’s not white flour – it is a white wheat grain used which makes a delicious whole wheat flour. I use this almost exclusively in my kitchen. Or at least I did…

Soft White Wheat

This is my new love. Soft wheat has a low protein content, making it light and fluffy and absolutely wonderful to work with. It is this soft wheat that becomes Whole Wheat Pastry Flour when ground. Aha! Now we know what pastry flour is.

Take a look at the following picture, although it’s a little bit tough to see the difference in the grains of wheat. On the right are “soft wheat berries” and on the left are “hard wheat berries.”

hard wheat soft wheat

The soft wheat berries are a bit more rounded whereas the hard wheat berries are more flat and pokey. (I excel in the use of adjectives.)

How to Use Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

This is very important! While soft wheat produces a pastry flour that looks and acts like all-purpose flour in many ways, we cannot use soft wheat in any recipes that include yeast because it does not contain enough gluten. Ground soft wheat (pastry flour) can only be used in non-yeast recipes like muffins, quick breads, pancakes, waffles, cakes, and cookies.

But let me tell you what I’m learning! Grinding soft wheat into whole wheat pastry flour for use in non-yeast goodies is fantastic! Hard wheat can be used in any recipe – yeast or no. But soft wheat (pastry flour) helps cakes and muffins bake up softer and lighter.

Lookie. Here’s my freshly ground whole wheat pastry flour.
Doesn’t it make you want to bake a cake?
(Scroll through these recipes for low sugar cake recipes.)

Pastry Flour 3

Where Can You Get Whole Wheat Pastry Flour?

Well, you can buy some Soft White Wheat Berries and grind your own if you have a grain mill. (I have a Nutrimill.)

Or, you can purchase ready-made whole wheat pastry flour from Amazon, or through a health food co-op like Azure Standard or another one you are a part of. And while I haven’t looked and don’t have one close-by, I would imagine that stores like Whole Foods and Natural Grocers carries it.

So Let’s Review

Hard wheat makes regular whole wheat flour which can be used in ANY whole wheat flour recipe.

Soft wheat makes whole wheat pastry flour which can only be used in non-yeast recipes like muffins, quick breads, pancakes, waffles, cakes, and cookies.

You can keep it simple and use regular whole wheat flour for all of your baking needs. Or you can use pastry flour for your non-yeast baking for a lighter, fluffier baked good, then use regular whole wheat flour for yeast breads.

For more information about flour, grain, and varieties of wheat, you may want to look through all of my posts on Grains and Grain Mills.

What is your favorite flour to use in baking? Do you use a variety or stick to one kind?

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Why Are There So Many People Now Who Can’t Tolerate Wheat?

February 20, 2015 by Laura 47 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

After reading my Do We Need to Be Eating So Much Bread post, a friend of mine sent me a link to this article called The Real Reason Wheat is Toxic. I found it to be a great read, especially because this is a question I’ve asked many times the past few years as more and more people are having to cut wheat out of their diets. Why?  Why is wheat, which has been consumed forever, suddenly giving so many people digestive trouble?

Read this and come back here to share your thoughts.

Wheat

If you can eat wheat and reading that article made you want to avoid conventionally grown grain forever and always, here are links to my favorite sources for chemical-free grain:

  • Azure Standard (If you have access to this co-op, you will love the savings and quality products.)
  • Amazon – I was glad to find this 37 pound box of chemical free hard white wheat (my fav).
  • If you live in a city, check stores specialty stores like Whole Foods or Natural Grocers.
  • If you live in a rural community, check with farmers around you to see if they grow chemical free wheat for you to purchase.

Grinding chemical-free wheat is easier than you think and incredibly tasty! Ever since we got a Nutrimill and began grinding our own wheat (and corn) – our whole grain breads and other baked goods are more delicious than ever. Here are all my posts on wheat and grain mills for your reading pleasure. :)

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I also wanted to be sure you saw that it’s a free shipping weekend at Tropical Traditions! Use the code 15223 at check-out. You might check out their Einkorn Grain as it is fantastic quality. Also worth noting is their Natural Soaps and their Coconut Creams are buy-one-get-one-free, which is great since you can also get free shipping. (These links are my referral links.)

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Are Paleo, Gluten Free, Grain Free Diets a Fad? Healthy or Not Healthy? My Thoughts…

September 11, 2014 by Laura 31 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

I decided it would make perfect sense for me to post about My Favorite Whole Wheat Recipes, and then follow it up the next day with a post about avoiding wheat and/or grains altogether. I like keeping you on your toes.

Coconut_Flour_Muffin

Seeing as the Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle includes an entire section on Special Diets, I thought this might be a good time to address my thoughts on eating a gluten free, grain free, or paleo diet. Let’s chat, shall we?

A few weeks ago, I got this email from Deb:

I am just wondering what you think about all the gluten free, etc. rage? Some of my friends truly have celiac, but most just seem to be trying this as more of a fad, way to lose weight, etc. Don’t you think that the reason that they feel better is because they give up processed junk and sugar, not so much because of the actual gluten?

We just had a missionary stay with us from Australia, she is originally from Taiwan and has lived in Kenya as well. She says that Americans are the only ones who take supplements and vitamins and have all these food allergies. She thinks it is ridiculous to eat at McDonalds, then buy vitamins. She stayed with us 2 weeks and it was very interesting, even if she was out and about, she would NOT get fast food, she would go to the grocery and buy fresh meat and vegetables and come home and cook it, even though it costs more and was more time consuming. Also, a lot of my friends that are on these EXTREME diets cheat half the time anyway, so what is the point?

Ah yes. I too have watched people go from eating a basic diet of donuts, chips, fast food, and skittles – to eating a low fat or low-carb diet. They lose weight, feel better, and swear that the key is to cut out carbs, grains, gluten, eggs, beef, or butter.

Hey, hey, hey. Them’s fightin’ words to this girl. Nobody better be blaming my butter or beef on their poor health! Especially when we’re talking about the kind that comes from cows who are raised in a healthy environment. But enough about my beloved bovines. What is the healthiest way for all of us to eat?

annesfarm21

I hate to disappoint you, but I do not believe that there is a one-size-fits-all diet.  I believe real food, in balance, based on what your body can tolerate and thrive on is the right diet for you. Learn to listen to your body, and nourish it.

I love my beef, and in fact, I believe I personally need quite a bit of (grass fed, if possible) red meat in my diet in order to maintain a healthy level of iron in my body. You might not need much or any beef. You may not need much of any variety of meat. Okay by me – that means more cow for this girl. Learn to listen to your body, and nourish it.

While some can’t tolerate grains or gluten, I can. I can’t eat them in large amounts, and in fact, I believe most of us should cut back on the grains just to make more room in our diet for fruits and vegetables.  Learn to listen to your body, and nourish it.

Here are my Paleo, Gluten Free, and Grain Free thoughts in a nutshell:

  • When you give up processed foods and instead eat more wholesome, nourishing foods, you will feel better and look better. This has very little to do with the fact that the food might be gluten free, paleo, or grain free.
  • If you truly are allergic to a certain food or if a food makes you sick, by all means, you should not eat it.  You might want to check into NAET though. It is possible to re-program our bodies so that they no longer reject certain foods as allergens. My boys and I have experienced this, and it works. Where we used to have food allergies, we no longer do, praise God!
  • A Gluten Free label does not automatically make a food healthy.
  • Cutting down on grains is beneficial, especially if the majority of what you eat is grainy. Our bodies need a better balance, and grains can be difficult to digest. Bready foods should not be our main nourishment focus.
  • If we’re cutting down our grains, we should not replace them with loads of almond flour and coconut flour. I believe these flours are fantastic additions to our diets, and wonderful to use in baking – especially if your body can not tolerate grains. But to eat them by the pound every day? Well, what happened to balance?

Paleo, Gluten Free, and Grain Free diets can be healthy and beneficial. But if you’re focused on cutting out foods for the wrong reasons, and not focused on overall body nourishment – you’re right back where you started.

Share with me what you have found is best for you and your family when it comes to eating gluten and grains. Do you eat them? What grains are your favorites?

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

How to Grind Flour in a Grain Mill

July 6, 2014 by Laura 56 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Wanna see how easy it is to
grind wheat into flour in a Nutrimill?
——————————————-

I’ve talked about how I love freshly ground flour and about how I love my nutrimill. You’ve all helped me share about great sources for organic or chemical free grains. I’ve even written a letter to your husbands trying to convince them that getting you a grain mill is a fabulous idea.

But I’ve never taken the time to show you how a grain mill works. Is it hard to run? Does it take a lot of time? Do you work up a sweat using it?

The answer to all three questions is a definite no!

So many people have mentioned to me things like “I don’t know how you have time to grind your own flour. I barely have time to cook, much less make the flour for my baked goods.”

You’re welcome to continue to think that because I grind my own flour, I am a modern day wonder woman. Or, you can watch this video clip and learn the truth…

Did you see that? I put in the wheat, turned on the machine…and then I walked away and made lunch and did some dishes. Then I came back and had freshly ground flour. It doesn’t get any easier than that. And wow, this flour tastes more delicious than any you’ve ever had (in my opinion)!

How to Grind Flour in a Grain Mill! #grainmill #grindflour #wholewheatflour

Check out the wonderful Nutrimill here!

This post was originally published June 1, 2010.

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What Kind of Flour is Best If You Don’t Grind Your Own

April 8, 2014 by Laura 41 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Did you know some people grind their own flour?  When I first heard that from a friend about 14 years ago, I thought the very idea was crazy. Really? People do that? Why? How? Who has the time? Only crazy healthy-nutty people would go to the trouble of grinding their own flour. And their food probably always tastes nasty, because whole wheat flour is really heavy and strong flavored. Bleh.

That was back in “my poptart and pepsi days” as I now lovingly call the time I didn’t understand much about nutrition. Obviously, I also didn’t understand that real food tastes really delicious. I was just doing the best I could with what I knew, and we can’t help what we don’t know, right? My eyes were opened to a better way after our youngest son was born with chronic eczema. I’m so thankful for the world of healthy eating God has opened up to us since then. We all feel so much better now. Food has never tasted better! I mean, I didn’t even know how good butter was back then. Sheesh.  I was missing out.

Who is now among the crazy health-nutty people who grind their own flour? That would be me. Yep, we’ve had a Nutrimill now for eight years, and it is still going strong. Who knew grinding flour was as easy as pouring wheat into a machine, turning a knob, and walking away? And the end result? Oh my goodness. I never knew whole wheat flour could taste so good. Freshly ground flour is amazing.

I do recommend making the investment to grind your own grain, as the health benefits and deliciousness to baking with freshly ground flour can’t be beat. But what if you aren’t ready, don’t want to, or aren’t interested? No prob. Let’s talk about other great options…

First, let’s discuss the different options you’ll likely come across at the store. Most whole wheat flour that is pre-packaged at the store has been made from red wheat. This is a darker and heavier flour – not my favorite, but still an okay option. If this is the kind you use, you may need to use a bit less than is called for in some recipes as it tends to be dryer and produce a more dense baked good.

I love and always recommend flour made from white wheat as it is lighter in color, lighter in flavor, and typically more enjoyable to eat. At the store, this is labeled White Whole Wheat Flour.

Is white wheat healthy? Yes. Don’t let the word “white” throw you off. White wheat is simply a variety of wheat that, when ground, makes white whole wheat flour. Both red and white wheat have the same nutritional value, but they taste just a bit different. I prefer the flavor of flour made from white wheat – as do many people.

Below is a picture I took last year when we were in Kansas. You’ll see two fields, side by side, one growing white wheat, the other growing red wheat. See? Both are grains of wheat, but when ground, they turn out a different color and texture of flour.

Next you see a picture of the two different kinds of grain, or wheat berries as we call them. Red wheat berries are on the left, and white wheat berries are on the right:

I almost always grind hard white wheat at my house since we prefer it. I also sometimes grind soft white wheat, which produces a whole wheat pastry flour. Pastry flour can be used in any recipe that does NOT call for yeast. For yeast bread recipes, you must use a hard wheat variety. Read more about red wheat and white wheat here.

Now let’s talk about which wheat flour I recommend.

My favorite brand of wheat berries and wheat flour is Wheat Montana. They use chemical free, non-GMO grains. They are a very high quality grain, which makes wonderful tasting flour. Look for 100% White Whole Wheat Flour, which they call Prairie Gold.

prairie gold

I was impressed to find a 40 pound package through Amazon (with Amazon Prime/Mom and subscribe and save). That makes it just 68¢ per pound for very high quality flour. (Be sure to click over to the Prairie Gold option if you want the white whole wheat.)

I also like the Azure Standard White Wheat Flour, which is as low as 92¢ per pound. If you are a part of an Azure Standard co-op, you may want to look into this.

What kind of flour is best if I don't grind my own? Read this post to find out! #grindingflour #wholewheatflour #nutrimill

Beyond those options, I have seen white wheat flour at Traders Joes, Whole Foods, and other health food stores. I don’t know the prices because I don’t have easy access to any of those stores.

Share what you know about these options. Do you grind flour, or purchase it already ground? What is your favorite variety?

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Is Wheat Making Us All Fat and Unhealthy?

March 26, 2013 by Laura 135 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

I have been asked many, many times, “Have you read Wheat Belly? What do you think of it?” I decided to answer that question here, and open it up for a friendly discussion so that I can hear your thoughts too!

First let me say this:  No, I haven’t read Wheat Belly. I’ve chosen not to read it because I already feel overloaded with all the information out there about what is healthy, what is not, and how I should be raising my children. (Oh wait, that last bit about being a parent has nothing to do with food or nutrition. Mostly.)  From the description and the reviews of the book, however, I can tell that Wheat Belly contains some helpful information that will benefit many people – especially people who are frequently eating many processed foods. 

Some people really can not handle eating wheat. If that’s you, then by all means, don’t eat it, and hooray for you that you found a solution for your body’s good health! But do I feel like we should all throw out the wheat? Well, since my wheat grinder is humming in the background in preparation for making bread as I write this post, I guess you probably know my answer.

Why does eating wheat sometimes make a person gain weight? Anytime you’re eating too many carbs (which is what wheat is) – you are likely to put on some extra pounds. But hey, anytime you eat too much of anything – you are likely to put on some extra pounds. The key words in those sentences, in my opinion is not “wheat” or “carbs.”  It is “too much.” Any time you are eating too much of any food (or food group), you are going to lack balance, which can cause weight gain and/or health issues.

The word balance is becoming one of my favorites:  BALANCE. Bal-ance. Balanicimo! Balanciencioso! 

Folks – maybe we do need to stop eating so much food with wheat in it, simply so that we can fill our bodies with more vegetables in an effort to achieve balance. Maybe we should go easier on the bread – so that we can be sure we are getting enough protein food like healthy meat, nuts, eggs, and beans. It’s all a part of eating in balance.

I may be taking too much of a simplistic view of nutrition and health, but I don’t agree that one part of our diet – in this case, wheat – is the cause of all health concerns. (Isn’t it a fact that wheat and sugar almost always go together? I believe that is something we need to consider when we call wheat the “bad guy.” Maybe I’ll write another book to follow Wheat Belly called Sugar Gut.)

What I do agree with:  Many of us (my family included) eat a lot of grains – too many perhaps. Whole grains contain good nutrients, but we really must all be intentional about making sure our diets also include plenty of fruits and vegetables, plus healthy meats, dairy, nuts, eggs, and healthy fats. 

So if you are starting your day with donuts (and nothing else), having two rolls with lunch (with a side of jelly), eating a muffin for a snack, and then a burger with a bun for dinner, with three cookies for dessert – stop it! That’s not balanced, it’s really heavy on the wheat, and really light on…well, everything else, especially fruits and vegetables. 

What about the argument that our wheat today is not the same as it was 50 years ago? It’s true. There have been modifications made to wheat through the years. Bleh. Unfortunately, and I hate to break it to you, almost all of our foods (fruits and vegetables included) have been modified through the years. It’s frustrating, but don’t overthink it. If you do, you’ll be afraid to eat anything at all, and that’s not a fun place to be. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: God is bigger than the food we eat. (And Jesus is the Bread of Life.)

Do the best you can. Be intentional about eating a wide variety of nutrients found in real, whole food. And when/if you eat wheat, make sure you are also eating a peach, some green beans, and a hunk of chicken. Sound like a plan?

Hopefully that helps answer your questions about my thoughts on eating wheat. I certainly don’t claim to know it all. This is simply where I’ve landed after much research and prayer. I’d love to know your thoughts about eating wheat…

 

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