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To Your Health Sprouted Flour Co. - January 2012 Newsletter

A MESSAGE FROM PEGGY

Jeff with Axel, our 9 year old bulldog, and Reese, our 15 year old Chihuahua.

Jeff with Axel, our 9 year old bulldog, and Reese, our 15 year old Chihuahua.

There was no need for purchased Valentine’s Day flowers at our house this year. I simply walked out back and harvested handfuls of daffodils! We haven’t had much of a winter this year which thrills me because I’m not a cold weather friend. Several tree species and many of the bulb flowers in the southeast have already bloomed. My only concern is that we will get a hard freeze and the new growth will die. It is still officially winter after all.

Jeff wasn’t home on VD anyway. He was attending Biofach (Europe’s big organics expo) in Nuremberg, Germany. He was present in the USA Pavilion when the OTA (Organic Trade Association) announced a historic agreement on the organic equivalency standards between the European Union and the USA. This agreement means that the USA and Europe are partnering to establish an organic standard between the continents so healthy foods will be more readily available to everyone.

At least deer season is over. We can enjoy our woods out back again without having to suit up in neon orange. Jeff and I enjoy venison although we only put about 40 pounds in the freezer this year which is one third of what we usually dress. Glad I’ve got a new cow coming soon for my beef freezer! I’ve included an improved pizza crust recipe this month that we enjoy loaded with lots of ground venison, onions, mushrooms, olives and tons of fresh cheese.

For all you dog lovers I’ve also included some of my doggie treat recipes. Our dogs are all elderly now and we like to treat them to a little something extra now and then. These treats are sure to please your pooches, too. I’ve received several requests for English muffins and I think you’ll enjoy my recipe. They're easy to make and fun to cook in your stovetop skillet. Even though I’ve included my sprouted granola recipe in a previous newsletter I’ve included it again since our sprouted oats are now available rolled and ready for a fresh, crunchy batch.

If you’d like a great weekend in Asheville, NC, the 8th Annual Asheville Bread Festival happens on March 24th. A bread fest – doesn’t that sound great! Can’t wait to “bread out”! This is the first year that we'll be participating. I’m planning to take lots of sprouted baked goods for sampling and, of course, have several of our sprouted grains and flours for sale. Peter Reinhart, chef "extraordinaire" (The Bread Baker’s Apprentice), Emily Buehler (Bread Science), and several other bakers will be conducting baking workshops throughout the weekend. Peter will be using our black bean, lentil, and garbanzo bean flours in his gluten–and grain–free workshop.

After our January newsletter released I noticed that my Hearty Bean and Barley Soup recipe didn't make it in, so here it is. A great soup to keep you warm, fill you up, and freezes well. I keep in in the freezer for quick, no hassle dinners with lots of heavily buttered sprouted bread or crackers.

Hearty Bean and Barley Soup

Hearty Bean and Barley Soup

  • 2 lbs. sprouted Great Northern or Black Beans
  • 1 cup hulled barley (not pearl or quick)
  • 2 cups coarsely chopped ham (nitrite/nitrate–free)
  • 2 quarts filtered water
  • 1 ham hock
  • 1 lb. grass–fed ground beef, cooked & drained
  • 1 large chemical–free onion, chopped
  • 8 cloves chemical–free garlic, chopped
  • 6–8 chemical–free carrots, sliced
  • 5 ½ cups beef stock
  • 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup natural Worcestershire sauce
  • Tabasco sauce or sliced jalapenos to taste

Because most hulled barley will not sprout you’ll need to soak the barley overnight in filtered water with 1 teaspoon lemon juice or whey (If you’re not going to have a lot of simmer time to get this delicious, filling soup on the table you can also reconstitute your sprouted beans overnight in filtered water). Drain and rinse your soaked barley and beans well.

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot place your beans and cover with 2 quarts of filtered water. Add ham hock, cover and let come to a boil. Lower heat and simmer about 1 hour. Add remaining ingredients and simmer an additional 2 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. Serve with your favorite bread and lots of raw butter.

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When I get honest, I admit I am a bundle of paradoxes. I believe and I doubt, I hope and I get discouraged, I love and I hate, I feel bad about feeling good, I feel guilty about not feeling guilty. I am trusting and suspicious. I am honest and I still play games. Aristotle said I am a rational animal; I say I am an angel with an incredible capacity for beer. - Brennan Manning from Reflections For Ragamuffins

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Sourdough English Muffins

This recipe works well even if your starter is kind of old and not very active.

Preferment:

  • ¾ to 1 cup of sourdough starter
  • 1 teaspoon maple sugar
  • 1 ¼ cups filtered water
  • 2 cups sprouted wheat flour

Dough:

  • 2 cups sprouted wheat or spelt flour
  • ½ teaspoon aluminum–free baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • All of preferment
  1. Make the preferment 14–18 hours before mixing the dough. Leave out on counter.
  2. Mix the dough: Mix baking soda and salt into preferment. Knead in 1 to 2 cups of flour; stop adding flour as soon as dough is workable.
  3. Do a quick knead for 5 minutes. Do not add too much flour! This can be sloppy.
  4. Flour your work surface and roll out dough with a rolling pin until about ½ to ¾ inch thick.
  5. Cut out muffins with a cookie cutter or inverted glass; place on cornmeal-sprinkled parchment.
  6. Cover and keep somewhere warm; let rise for 1 hour – longer if they are not warm.
  7. Preheat frying pan on medium low. When you add butter it should sizzle.
  8. Butter your pan MINIMALLY.
  9. Cook muffins 4 minutes – down side should get brown.
  10. Flip muffins and depress SLIGHTLY if needed to flatten down side.
  11. Cook 4 minutes on other side.
  12. Adjust stove heat if muffins cook too fast/slow.

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Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Dogs do love peanut butter!

  • 3 cups sprouted flour (your choice)
  • ½ cup organic peanut butter
  • 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oil, peanut butter, and water. Add flour, one cup at a time, forming a dough. Knead dough about 3 minutes. Flour a flat surface and roll dough out to ¼ inch thickness. Cut treats into squares of the size that will suit your dog (I use a pizza wheel, but you could also use a bone-shaped cookie cutter). Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool completely. Watch that tail wag!

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Peggy's Picks

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Reese's Carrot Cheese Puffs

My Chihuahua loves these treats!

  • ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 jar organic baby food carrots
  • 1 cup sprouted flour (your choice)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix baby food, flour, and garlic powder. Stir until well blended. Should be moist. Add additional water, one tablespoon at a time, until you get a moist, but not sticky dough. Chill for one hour. Roll dough onto a lightly floured flat surface to ¼ inch thickness. Cut into the shapes you want. Place on a greased, parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely. Will last at room temperature up to a week. Refrigerate for longer lasting treats.

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To Your Health's Grand Granola
  • 3 cups organic sprouted rolled oats
  • 1 cup organic shredded coconut
  • 1 cup organic raisins (or naturally
    sweetened cranberries)
  • 1 cup organic almonds, preferably
    soaked and dried
  • ½ cup each: sprouted pumpkin seeds,
    sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds
  • ½ cup organic sprouted wheat, spelt,
    or barley flour.
  • Place all ingredients in a large bowl and
    stir well to blend.
  • 3 tablespoons filtered water
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
    (or 3 tablespoons coconut oil)
  • ½ cup maple sugar or rapadura
  • ½ cup raw honey
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

Place these ingredients in a small bowl and stir until well blended. Pour this mixture into the large bowl of dry ingredients and stir until all is thoroughly coated. Divide granola in half and spread evenly onto 2 parchment–lined baking sheets. Bake at 200 degrees for 2 ½ to 3 hours (oven temps will vary). Cool completely. Break granola into large chunks. Place in air tight container. Enjoy!

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