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Cooking Whole Wheat Berries in a Thermos

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Cooking Whole Wheat Berries in a Thermos

Ratio: 1 part whole wheat kernels to 1 plus a little extra part water (2 cups wheat and 2 ½ cups water) Salt – a scant ½ teaspoon per cup of wheat
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Ingredients
  

  • Whole Wheat berries
  • Boiling Water
  • Salt

Instructions
 

  • Boil enough water to fill up your thermos.
  • While it’s heating, get your ingredients ready.
  • Fill up your thermos with boiling water, close the lid and set aside.
  • Measure out your cooking water.
  • Boil your measured water.
  • When you measured liquid is about ready to boil, pour the hot water out of the thermos.
  • Pour the wheat and salt into the thermos.
  • Pour the boiling water into the thermos – close to capacity.
  • Close the thermos, give it a few shakes, and lay it down, on it’s side, on the counter.
  • In the morning, pour the contents into a small mesh strainer to remove the excess water.
  • Wheat in the whole kernel state will take all night to cook. You can cook as much or as little as you like, but you need to fill the thermos close to capacity with boiling water sot that it will stay hot all night. You cannot over cook it using this method.

Notes

To Cook Cracked Wheat in a Thermos The ratio of wheat to water is 1 to 3 – 1 part wheat to 3 parts water. Salt – about ½ teaspoon per cup of wheat. Cooking method is the same, but the cooking time is 40 minutes.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Although these cookies are more dense than those made with all-purpose flour, they are soft, chewy, and delicious.
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Servings 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup butter or margarine softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  • Mix sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in a large bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the sugar/butter mixture, mixing just until combined.
  • Add the chocolate chips and mix to combine.
  • The dough will be quite stiff. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes before dropping by rounded tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
  • If the dough seems too stiff, mix in a tablespoon of water.
  • Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned (the centers will be soft)
  • Cool slightly, remove from cookie sheets and cool on a wire rack.

Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Cracked Wheat Cereal

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Apple Cinnamon Cracked Wheat Cereal

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Servings 8 1-cup servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup fine cracked wheat
  • 4 cups apple juice
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/2 cup chopped dried apples or 1chopped apple

Instructions
 

  • Put the cracked wheat in a dry skillet and toast over medium heat until you can just smell the oils heating up – about 5 minutes.
  • Combine the wheat, apple juice, honey, butter, salt, spices and dried apples in a small slow cooker.
  • Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours - any longer and it may be overdone. Stir once or twice during the cooking.
  • Stir the cereal well and scoop into bowls to serve.

Overnight Whole Wheat Tortillas

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Overnight Whole Wheat Tortillas

By adding vinegar or whey to this recipe and allowing the dough to sit overnight, the wheat breaks down and becomes easier to digest. The gluten is also made more digestible. The salt is added after the soaking process because salt inhibits the absorption. This recipe makes a fabulously light tortilla.
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup lard, tallow, coconut oil, olive oil, or butter
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar or fresh whey if you have it
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Arrowroot powder - for rolling out the tortillas

Instructions
 

  • Mix the flour with the fat/oil by cutting it in with a pastry cutter or a fork – until there are no large clumps.
  • Add the water and vinegar (or whey) and stir with a fork until all of the flour is moistened, using your hands if necessary.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and leave on the counter for 12 to 24 hours.
  • When you are ready to roll and cook the tortillas, add the salt and work it into the dough with your hands, kneading only a few times. Do not overwork the dough. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
  • Divide into 8 pieces.
  • Heat a pan over medium-high heat.
  • Dust your work surface with arrowroot powder (arrowroot will not burn on the hot skillet)
  • Roll out the tortilla.
  • Cook on an un-greased pan for 30-40 seconds per side. Slightly underdone is best.
  • Serve warm or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

These freeze well.
When rolling tortillas, I find it works best to form the dough into balls and roll it out about half as large as I want it to be.  Then, I let it rest for a few minutes before the final rolling.

Here’s what’s Happening on the Homestead

Spring.  Just the word congers up images of blossoms and bunnies, eggs and chicks. . . . and catalogs filled with tableware, linens and all the fresh spring color imaginable. . . . so when my spring edition of the Pier1 catalog arrived – I was immediately drawn to devour every page.  The dinnerware, table settings, linens were, in typical Pier1 form, a wonderful feast for the eyes. pier1-catalog-page

But, there was one thing that especially drew my attention. . .their adorable folded napkins – especially the little bunnies in the upper right corner of the page. The catalog directed readers to log on to their website for instructions  – which I immediately did.

Upon arriving at the page, I  searched for the Bunny Fold pier-one-bunny-ears-directionsand found this.   I grabbed some cloth napkins (which happened to be from Pier1) and, following their directions, began folding.  It only took me to the 4th step to figure out that there was a real problem with the directions – they were rolling from the wrong side of the napkin. . . and by the final step – it was unmistakable.

wrong-way-bunny-napkinI had created this.  I took an unfolded napkin and the directions to my husband – who, as a builder, reads instructions for a living  . . . and his response was immediate – these are not right.  They have rolled from the long side and not the point – and used directions for a granny knot.  It needs to be an ‘overhand’ knot.  (50 plus years of scouting – he should know his knots!)

After making a few simple changes – rolling from the point and using an overhand knot – the finished product looked like the one in the Pier1 picture.  Success!    folded-bunny-napkin-perfection

 And so, as much as I LOVE Pier1, no one is infallible.  I have done my own set of instructions, including pictorials, for your use should you be wanting to try these little treasures.  Such a simple way to dress up a spring  or Easter table.

Just Click Here to go to the instructions.  Happy Spring!

Enjoy,

Kathy

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