What comes first? The wheat or the wheat grinder? When money is in short supply but you have a little bit to spend and need to choose how to use it to build your food storage this may become a real question for you like it did for me and my husband. If we have wheat and no grinder then how can we use the wheat? But if we spent all our money on a grinder but have nothing to put through it, it is a waste of money. Both arguments are valid especially when you can't purchase both wheat and grinder at the same time! But in the end we made the decision to purchase wheat first and not just because we hoped to know someone with a grinder nearby if desperate times came upon us!
And by the way, we did eventually purchase that heavy duty manual wheat grinder as a romantic anniversary gift to ourselves one year. I think that was the year we knew we'd been married a while. (Smile)
WHY WHEAT? So many reasons to store wheat. While whole wheat flour goes rancid before bleached white flour will, un-ground whole wheat has a long shelf life of 20 to 30 years if stored properly. And what got us to finally make up our minds to purchase the wheat first was this; you can still eat it cooked as cereal so it would sustain life even if we did not have the grinder. I'll include the recipe below. Wheat has so many versatile, healthy and filling ways to be included in your everyday diet once it is ground as flour too. And talk about fiber, this is fiber for breakfast at its finest. It is much less expensive than those cereal boxes of air at the store. As for flour, making your own anything tastes SO much better and a loaf of bread costs about .25 per loaf to make. Now there's some everyday savings.
EVERYDAY USES include wheat made into flour and used in recipes that your family already knows and likes. The taste is not totally unfamiliar and you know it is a good recipe. Muffins, pancakes, waffles, breads, cookies, brownies... the list of possibilities really is endless! Like beans, don't feel you must use 100% whole wheat, especially if your systems are not already familiar with that much fiber. Using half wheat and half white flour in your recipes gives excellent results. If you are using all whole wheat in your recipe that calls for leavening then do one of two things. Either use a recipe that was meant for whole wheat or make some allowances by letting it rise a little bit longer or using just a little more yeast. If baking powder is the leavening agent then increase baking powder by 1 tsp per 3 cups whole wheat flour. If baking soda is the leaving agent then no adjustments are necessary.
Wheat/Flour RECIPES:
Whole Wheat Crock Pot Breakfast Cereal (Serves 4-6)
1 c. whole wheat
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups water
*Optional honey, raisins maple syrup or brown sugar for sweetening
Cook together in crock pot 6-8 hours (overnight) on low. Serve with milk and choice of sweetener.
*** May be tightly covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Pantry Half and Half Bread (2 loaves, this recipe easily doubles)
1 pkg. dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tps. instant dry yeast purchased in bulk)
2 1/2 c. warm water
2 1/2 tsp. salt
5 1/2 - 6 c. flour (mix white and wheat, if desired)
*opt. 1 Tbs. sugar (helps yeast bubble and rise)
Add yeast to water and sugar if desired in a large mixing bowl and let stand a few minutes until bubbly. Add salt and flour and beat with dough hook until well mixed. Add flour if needed to make a dough that is not too sticky and you can knead easily. Use dough hook to knead or turn dough out onto floured surface and knead a minute or two until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in large greased bowl (or leave in mixer bowl removed from stand mixer) and cover with a towel in a warm spot until dough has doubled in bulk. This usually takes about an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the warmth.
Punch dough down and divide in half to form two loaves. Place in greased loaf pans covered lightly with towel in a warm spot and let double again. They should look like loaves of bread at the time they go into the oven. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until the crust is browned. Cool a few minutes and then remove from pans to cool on racks. Slice and store in sealed bag/container. Stores well both in and out of the fridge.
***Freezes well***
My Favorite Pizza Crust (makes 2 large crusts, can easily be halved to make just 1 crust)
2 pkgs. active dry yeast (or 4 1/2 tsp. instant dry yeast purchased in bulk)
2 c. warm water
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. olive oil or vegetable oil
6 cups flour
1 Tbsp. cornmeal (per pie, approximately)
Dissolve yeast in warm water in mixer bowl. Add salt, oil and 2 1/2 c. flour. Use dough hook to mix ingredients. Add remaining flour using dough hook to knead until dough clings to hook and cleans the sides of bowl. Divide dough in half, sprinkle surface with cornmeal and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a circular or rectangular shape, depending on your pan. Place dough on your greased/sprayed pan forming a ridge along the edge to hold your toppings. Cover with a light towel to let rise for up to an hour if you have something else to do or brush with olive oil and top immediately with desired sauce and toppings.
Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes.
(See "Cooking with Tomatoes" for my favorite food storage pizza sauce)
Whole Wheat Pumpkin-Apple Oat Muffins (Makes 12 dozen)
1 1/2 c. pumpkin puree
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 c. peeled diced apples or 1 quart jar home canned sliced apples
2/3 c. olive oil
3 eggs
3 c. wheat flour (or half wheat/half white flour)
1/2 to 1 cup oats, depending on how moist your apples are
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. each cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg
1 tsp. allspice, 1 tsp. salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tins (or use paper liners). Mix all ingredients until well blended. Pour into tins and bake 20 -25 minutes. Refrigerate or freeze what are not immediately used.
*** These Freeze Well***
FLOUR TORTILLAS (makes 12) From Our Best Bites - Mormon Moms in the Kitchen
I had to include this recipe. They will save you dollars, are delicious and very versatile. They take a few extra minutes cook on the stove top but they will surprise you. By the way, I HIGHLY recommend this cook book.
2 1/2 cups of flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. shortening
3/4-1 c. hot water
In a mixing bowl with a dough hook combine flour and salt. Add shortening and combine until crumbly.
With the mixer running, slowly add 3/4 c. hot water. Mix until the dough starts tomcome together, adding more water if necessary; the dough should be about the consistency of Play-Doh.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over med. heat. While the pan is heating, divide the dough evenly into 8-10 balls. Roll balls as thinly as possible into circles.
Spray skillet with non-stick spray with each tortilla. Place raw tortilla onto the hot skillet and cook until large bubbles appear on the surface. Flip and cook the other side lightly. Do not brown or burn. Keep cooked tortilla on a large flat plate under a clean, light towel. Repeat cooking instructions until all tortillas are cooked. Serve/Use immediately. If storing, seal in plastic bag and try reheating in microwave briefly.
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Find recipe for Graham Crackers at www.food52.com
Find recipe for saltine crackers and more at www.theprudenthomemaker.com
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