whole wheat


 

     Our first taste of Pumpkin Soup was at a tea room outside of Gatlinburg, TN.  We left hooked on the soup and on tea rooms!  We usually enjoy this soup on Friday evening and have the added bonus of leftovers for the weekend. 

     Hope you enjoy!

Warm Pumpkin Soup

1/4 cup butter
1 large onion, finely chopped 
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 quart chicken broth
4 cups pumpkin (or 2 cans)
1 quart whole milk or light cream
salt
sour cream
nutmeg
 
     In a large stock pot, melt the butter.  Add onion and garlic;  saute until tender.  Add curry powder. 
     Whisk in chicken broth, pumpkin, and milk or light cream, stirring until smooth.   Add salt to taste.  Heat thoroughly and  until soup is thickened.
     To serve, pour soup into bowls. You may garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a dash of nutmeg.

Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

 

1 head broccoli
1 head cauliflower
1/2 pound turkey bacon
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
     Cook and drain bacon.  Crumble into small pieces and set aside.
     Cut broccoli and cauliflower into bite-sized pieces.  In a large salad bowl, mix broccoli, cauliflower, bacon and grated cheddar cheese. 
     Fold dressing into salad.  Chill for 1 hour; stir well before serving.
 
Dressing
 
1 cup mayonnaise (non-hydrogenated please :-) )
1/2 cup natural cane sugar or 1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
     Whisk together the ingredients until smooth and well blended.

 

Whole Wheat Butter Crescent Rolls

 
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
3/12 – 4 cups freshly milled whole wheat flour (we like prairie gold)
1 egg, beaten (optional)
     In a small saucepan, warm milk until it bubbles.  Remove from heat.  Mix in butter, sugar, and salt; desolve.
     In your bread mixer, combine the milk mixture and yeast.  Running your mixer on low, stir in the egg. 
     Add in flour, 1 cup at a time until dough pulls together, about 5 minutes.  Cover with tea towel and let rise until doubled. 
     Knead dough 1 minute. Divide in half.  Turn out onto floured surface and let rest for 10 minutes.
     Roll each dough half into 12″ circle.  Cut each circle into 6 wedged. (A pizza cutter works well for this)  Roll each wedge up beginning at the wide end rolling to the point.  Place on baking sheet.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.  Rolls may be brushed with beaten egg.
     Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bake rolls until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

 

These rolls are a great way to break into eating whole wheat.  My niece, who would never eat anything whole wheat, loved these.  Children really enjoy making them, too. 

We usually have these for Thanksgiving dinner.  They are great with chicken salad as well.  I have also made mini versions for serving at a party.

Blessings,

Mominsc (1) 

Marcie

 Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

 

Picture from Jane's Blog

Delicious!  Picture from Jane’s blog  

   My friend, Jane, posted a wonderful recipe for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls a little while back.  WE LOVE THESE!  Here is a link.  Jane and her sweet girls are very crafty.  I think you will enjoy the visit.

http://seedstosew.blogspot.com/2009/04/if-i-had-bed-and-breakfast-id-serve.html

Pumpkin Pot Holders

 

Cute!!!Picture  from Kathy's Website

 

Cute!!!  Picture from Kathy’s Website  

       Another of my talented friends, Kathy, has a tutorial on a pumpkin pot holder along with several other pumpkin related crafts.  Kathy’s website is devoted to helping parents to teach their young people life skills.  Talking about crafty and talented, well, just visit, you’ll get the idea.  Here is the link to the tutorials

 http://teachinggoodthings.com/blog/pumpkin-tutorials-make-your-own-pumpkin-spice/

Blessings,

Mominsc (1)

Marcie

 

     Have you ever contemplated the goodness and wisdom of the Lord in the foods He gives us in season?  I guess these thoughts  came to me when home educating my first kindergartener.  (Another benefit to home educating).  

     In the summer, when we are outside working and loosing fluid, He gives us fruits such as watermelon that are mostly water.  In the fall, when our bodies are a little more stressed due to changes in weather, He gives us colorful vegetables like those in the squash family that are full of anti-oxidents to strengthen our immune systems.  His provisions for us are perfect! 

     This Pumpkin Loaf may not be perfect, but I hope your family enjoys it as much as ours does!

Harvest Pumpkin Loaves

 

P1012647

1/2 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup applesauce or 1/2 cup additional butter (softened)
2 cups natural cane sugar
4 eggs
3 3/4 – 4 cups soft wheat pastry flour  (as needed)
2  teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 1/2 cups mashed pumpkin
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or carob chips (we like the vegan ones the best)
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
 

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 2 loaf pans.

 Cream butter; gradually add sugar; mix in eggs, 1 at a time.  Set aside.

 Combine the next seven ingredients.

 Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, alternating with pumpkin, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
 
     Stir in chocolate or carob chips and pecans.  Spoon into loaf pans. Bake 55-60 minutes, until tests done.  Cool.  Drizzle with glaze.
 

 Glaze: 

1 cup natural powdered sugar
2 tablespoons half & half (or milk)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
 
     Stir until smooth.  Drizzle over the cooled loaves.  Enjoy!

Blessings,

Mominsc (1)

Marcie

One happy young man!

One happy young man!

 

Glorious Food!

      God gave us wonderful food to eat that not only satisfies our taste  but fills  us.  The sad thing is, so many foods today have been processed or altered through genetic modification.   They no longer do for us what God gave us  food to do – feed and nourish our bodies.

      Processed  foods have been stripped of their nutrients in order to have a long shelf life.  White flour, for instance, is a relatively new product.  Only in the 1900’s was this product available to the general public.  Before the technology was available to mass produce it, white flour was only available to the wealthy. 

     White flour has the vitamins and natural oils removed in order to keep it from going rancid on the shelf at room temperature over a long period of time.  When this began, they found that people developed serious health problems.  and linked it back to the removal  of vitamins from the white flour.  Flour was then “enriched” with only a handful of  the 30+removed nutrients, just enough to prevent bari-bari.  You can read about this at http://www.fullcupbread.com/history.asp  

      When that wonderful young man in the top picture  was little, he had lots of health problems.  A journey into a healthier lifestyle began.  What he Bible Says about Healthy Living changed our lives in more ways than one.  Besides introducing us to God’s science about health, it led us to have more of a biblical worldview.  This means seeing the world through what God has to say about it.  His Word really does cover every area of life.   Isn’t that great? 

suegregg

     Tired of being sick and tired?  I encourage you to make the best food choices you can for your family.  The above cookbooks  will help you begin.  Much can be gleaned from them.  Full of information about products, recipes and MENU ideas, these gems will make the transition so much easier and the recipes are delicious, too!

 

Green Meadow's Whole Wheat Desserts

Green Meadow's Whole Wheat Desserts

      Already began but still having trouble transitioning your desserts?  I humbly recommend my dessert  cookbook.  I think your family will be pleased.

 

Blessings,

Mominsc (1)

Marcie

     “Why spend money on what is not bread and labor over that which does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me and eat what is good and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.” Isaiah 55:2

    

 
 

 

  

 

     My friend, Ann, is a wonderful hostess.  So are her daughters.  One of her daughter’s  is allergic to chocolate.  Isn’t that horrible?  Well, this carob cake is an excellent compensation.  When we were served this at her house, we couldn’t believe it was carob instead of chocolate and whole wheat to boot!

     Go ahead and give it a whirl.  You’ll be glad you did.

 Ann’s Awesome Carob Cake

1 cup boiling water
4 tablespoons carob powder
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup mild olive oil
2 cups of sucanat
2  1/2 cup soft wheat pastry flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons apple cidar vinegar
1 teaspoon soda
    
Prepare 9″ x 13″ baking pan.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
     Mix first 4 ingredients and let cool.  Add next 4 ingredients to cooled mixture and blend.
 
    In a 2 cup glass meassuring cup, mix  the milk, vinegar and soda.  When it foams, add it immediately to the above mixture and mix batter completely.
     Pour batter into prepared cake pan.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until cake tests done.
  
     Allow cake to cool.  Frost with Ann’s Carob Buttercream Frosting.

 

Ann’s Awesome Carob Buttercream Frosting

4 tablespoons carob powder
1 1/2 cups sucanat
1/2 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg white, coddled (to coddle, boil whole egg in shell for 30 seconds)
 
     In medium mixing bowl, blend the above ingredients.  Beat on high for 5-7 minutes.  Frost cake.
    
     When my friend Ann’s daughters served this to the ladies, they garnished the slices with rasberries.  YUM! 
    
For Katie’s birthday yesterday, she requested this cake:
Perfect Chocolate Cake
Perfect Chocolate Cake
Perfect Chocolate Cake and Ice Cream

Perfect Chocolate Cake and Ice Cream

     If you really like chocolate, this cake is perfect.   Oh, the white layer?  Whipped cream!  This cake was made with whole wheat pastry flour, but keep it quiet.  No one would ever know! 

     This recipe and other whole wheat dessert recipes are available in my cookbook.   It is available in e-book and spiral bound form.   Just clink on the bookstore link to learn more!

    Now, if I was a really good mom, I would have made a Piano Cake like this:

Piano Cake

                     My friend, Kathy, has a tutorial for putting this cake together at                http://teachinggoodthings.com/blog/piano-cake/.

If you try it, I would love to see pictures.

(By the way, Kathy is also the author of the Learn  Cake Decorating DVD)

                                     Mominsc (1)

 Blessings,

                                                                                     Marcie

  

We are doing lots of cooking outside and having lots of salads to help keep the house from heating up (and cut down on our horrible utility bill).

Salads fit the bill!  I found this FREE salad e-book download over at the Urban Homemaker website.  Just sign up for their newsletter, and you will receive this cookbook! 

Enjoy!

summesalads cover

http://urbanhomemaker.com/productcart/pc/home.asp

      There are a couple of bread recipes in the salad book as well.   Oh, and don’t forget about the $2 off my whole wheat dessert cookbook.  You can check it out under the cookbook tab at the top of the page.  My mouth is watering!                   

Mominsc (1)

Marcie

 

     We were blessed to have 3 blueberry bushes growing in the back yard already when we moved to our home.  Last year, we were able to share a lot of blueberries.  This year, we are waiting to see.  What I can share is this wonderful recipe my daughter discovered.  If you have not tried scones, well, you are in for a treat!  You’ll be looking for more scone recipes.

     Years ago, we switched to freshly milled whole wheat flour.  This recipe uses pastry flour.  The nutritional benefits of  using freshly milled flour are numerous and very worth learning about.  Our health is so much better. 

     If you want to use white flour, get the best you can and never used bleached.  To use white flour, reduce the flour to 2 cups.  Enjoy!

Blueberry Lemon Scones with Pecans

 

Blueberry Lemon Scones with Pecans

½ cup milk                                                   

¼ cup natural cane sugar

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

2 ½ cups soft wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into

   Small pieces (or 1 ½ tablespoons butter +

   1 ½ tablespoons natural apple sauce)

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed

¼ cup chopped pecans

1 large egg white, lightly beaten (optional)

2 tablespoons natural cane sugar (optional)

 

     Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.

     In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.  Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles a course meal.  Add liquid ingredients and mix.  Gently fold in blueberries and pecan. 

     Turn dough out and pat into 8” circle.  Cut circle into 8-10 scones.  Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake on lightly greased baking sheet for 15-20 minutes or until done.

      Preheat oven milk to 375 degrees.  Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.

     In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.  Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles a course meal.  Add liquid ingredients and mix.  Gently fold in blueberries and pecan. 

     Turn dough out and pat into 8” circle.  Cut circle into 8-10 scones.  Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake on lightly greased baking sheet for 15-20 minutes or until done.

       If you are interested in whole wheat baking, here is the link to another recipe I posted:         http://hiswayhomemaking.com/blog/2009/06/friday-evening-shabbat/#more-56                                                        

                                                                        Blessings,                                      

                                                                          Marcie 

 

“every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.” J ames 1:17