You can grind your own grains at home using a $30-$60 blender at home. I can't even begin to explain all the benefits of using whole grains. This book does a good job of breaking it down. My favorite way that I have been using to make many of family's dishes is just this method. Sue Gregg explains it all here in an excerpt of her cookbook: http://www.suegregg.com/cookbooks/WholeGrainBaking.pdf. I use her method, blend up the grains I am using, soak overnight with a little apple cider vinegar to make the nutrients more readily available for the body to absorb and use, add a couple of ingredients, reblend and bake! This method makes the fluffiest breads/muffins I have ever had. And it is so versatile, I will use some wheat, millet, oats, and whatever I have on hand to blend together. Sue has lots of gluten-free ideas too. To purchase grains in bulk you can check out www.breadbeckers.com, they even have a pick-up in Buford every couple of months. You can also get many of these from the bulk section at Whole Foods, Dekalb Farmer's Market, and even at Amazon.
Here are some things I have made lately using this book.:
gluten-free pancakes
muffins
Almond Coffee Cake
Cornbread
A delicious cupcake recipe:
**One note: I used organic, unrefined coconut oil instead of butter for the cupcake and it came out great!
**I also ground my own soft white wheat flour in the blender, but of course not necessary
**Staying away from unrefined sugar is best, try Sucanat in place of the coconut sugar, as this is more difficult to find
**For the frosting, I used half the butter, and it still came out great. I put it in a plastic baggie, cut off the tip and decorated. Then refrigerate or it will melt and slide down.
Bright red strawberries bake right into the batter to create these moist little cakes bursting with flavor, and more berries are added to the frosting for a perfect celebration of the season.
2 pints ripe organic strawberries
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour or cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
4 ounces softened unsalted butter
1 cup unrefined white sugar
1/2 cup blonde coconut sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Wash and cap the berries. Chop about 6 berries into small dice and set aside. Puree the rest of the berries in a food processor or blender and measure out about 1 1/4 cups for the cake batter. Save the leftover puree for the frosting.
Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl.
With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars together. Beat in the eggs and then beat in the milk, vanilla and strawberry puree. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture. You may now fold in the chopped strawberries or press them on top of the batter before baking.
Spoon the batter into lined cupcake tins, filling them to a generous 3/4 full. Press the chopped strawberries into the batter if you chose this option.
Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let them cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
4 ounces softened unsalted butter
3 to 4 tablespoons pureed strawberries
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 1/2 cups powdered sugar (1 1/2 pounds) (See Notes)
2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice
In an electric mixer, blend the butter, strawberry puree and salt. Add the powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons of the lemon juice. Beat to a smooth consistency, adding a little more lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, as needed.
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour or cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
4 ounces softened unsalted butter
1 cup unrefined white sugar
1/2 cup blonde coconut sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Wash and cap the berries. Chop about 6 berries into small dice and set aside. Puree the rest of the berries in a food processor or blender and measure out about 1 1/4 cups for the cake batter. Save the leftover puree for the frosting.
Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl.
With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars together. Beat in the eggs and then beat in the milk, vanilla and strawberry puree. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture. You may now fold in the chopped strawberries or press them on top of the batter before baking.
Spoon the batter into lined cupcake tins, filling them to a generous 3/4 full. Press the chopped strawberries into the batter if you chose this option.
Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let them cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
4 ounces softened unsalted butter
3 to 4 tablespoons pureed strawberries
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 1/2 cups powdered sugar (1 1/2 pounds) (See Notes)
2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice
In an electric mixer, blend the butter, strawberry puree and salt. Add the powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons of the lemon juice. Beat to a smooth consistency, adding a little more lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, as needed.
