The Daily Grind - Part I

When it comes to learning the ins and outs of frugal food and food storage in general, I have to say that I'm glad I've got my best friend with me on the journey. He is far more patient and persistent than I am. He is my handsome, handy husband and he inspired me to figure this process out with him. Here's how it happened.

A couple of years ago, our good friend and neighbor, Mike, brought us a lovely loaf of whole wheat bread just before he and his family moved to another state. I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. I’d made whole wheat bread many times before and had never had such simple and satisfying results. All of my previous wheat bread recipes produced loaves that were heavy and hardy, with an overwhelming flavor of yeasty wheatiness. But, this bread was fair in color, light in weight and texture, and unassuming in its ability to please the palate. After receiving assurance that it truly was a 100% whole wheat bread recipe, observing our kids quickly consume it and ask for more, and contemplating our previous attempts, Don resolved to acquire the recipe, learn to make it, and add it to our repertoire of every day food storage recipes.

Don was bit by the food storage bug just before we received that blessed loaf of bread, and it made him a ready student when the teacher arrived. We had several hundred pounds of wheat in our food storage; more than we ever thought we'd need or use, and he was determined to learn to use it. So, he pulled out the wheat grinder (see below) my grandparents had used decades ago and given us as a wedding gift, dusted it off and figured out how to use it. It was a trial and error attempt, based on my misty childhood memories and his ingenuity, and it was messy at first. Remember the powdered milk pics, it was like that only with wheat flour dust, and it covered a much larger area. But, he’s persisted and perfected the process and we eat delicios bread and pastas every week as a result of his efforts. Here he is grinding wheat with Hannah and before and after pics of the process.

Begin with an empty bucket, lined with a plastic bag

Set the antique grinder on the bucket and DON'T bump it.

Pull the plastic up around the grinder. This saves ALOT of cleanup time.

Sit down in your jammies and let the grinding begin. Here's the miller and his daughter.

40 minutes later.

How do you grind your grains and what do you make with them? Do you use whole wheat in your cooking? If not, what do you use to add nutrients and substance to your food storage plan? Do you want or need a review of grinders and/or grains? Leave a comment, let me know, your wish is my command. Look for Mike’s Whole Wheat Bread recipe in the next post.