Grinding your own flour and flaking your grains with the Family Grain Mill is easy, quick and fun. In this book you will see how you can incorporate whole grains into all of your meals. When grinding your flour it is important NOT to pulverize the bran and germ, so that you will receive the maximum fiber in your diet. The fiber is what you need to down the sugar intake to your system. The Family Grain Mill will give you a true grind.

The best way to guarantee that you and your family get the best food is to prepare it yourself. As Americans, we are not eating as healthy as we should. Other countries have lower incidences of certain cancers and heart disease, not to mention other ailments. The health benefits of a high-fiber diet are amazing.

When you consume a high-fiber, high-complex carbohydrate, low fat diet, you will suffer from constipation less often. You will find it easier to LOSE AND MAINTAIN weight and your blood cholesterol will lower, all important elements of total fitness. Americans have the most complaints of constipation of all the countries in the world. The reason is clearly that we do not have enough fiber in our diet to properly process our food through our bodies.

WHY ARE WHOLE GRAINS GOOD FOR YOU?

Some fibers help reduce blood cholesterol, especially LDL (BAD CHOLESTEROL) levels, while other fibers clean the digestive tract and keep it operating efficiently and effectively. Lower blood cholesterol helps prevent atherosclerosis, the primary symptom of cardiovascular diseases, and it keeps blood sugars in balance. Some studies support theories that high-fiber, high- complex carbohydrate, low fat diets help prevent colon, prostate, rectal, intestinal, and breast cancers.

Once you start replacing your diet with freshly ground whole grains, you will be surprised with the improvement in the feel of your body.

WHY GRIND GRAINS AT HOME?

The flour you buy in the grocery store is not only empty of fiber, but the germ is also removed. Natural vitamins and minerals are bleached out and only partially replaced with artificial vitamins.

All grains contain a rich supply of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and oils, but whole wheat alone has enough gluten to make light, flavorful loaves of leavened bread.

HOW NUTRITIOUS IS YOUR BREAD, PACKAGED PANCAKE, COOKIE OR BROWNIE MIXES?

Why are we constantly told to eat more whole grains? The answer to this question lies in the fact that most prepared foods in the grains category on the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Food Pyramid are made from white flour, which does not contain the whole grain. In fact, only about one of our daily grain servings comes from whole-grain products. The others come from items like white bread, corn and tortilla chips, and other over processed products that use ingredients extracted from the whole grain.

To make white flour as well as corn and rye flours, commercial millers start by breaking kernels into the following three parts:

          - the bran, which contains most of the grain's fiber and minerals
          - the germ, which contains most of the vitamins and unsaturated fats and
          - the endosperm, which contains most of the grain's protein.

Only one part of the grain, the endosperm, is ground up to make white flour. The nutritious bran and germ are discarded with most of the fiber and minerals. Any vitamins not purposely discarded are destroyed by the long, destructive flour-milling process.

Of course, some of the nutritious elements that disappear in processing are added back through the mandatory enrichment program. But not all. The mast significant loss is the insoluble fiber in the bran. This fiber is important because it has been found to help prevent and treat modern disorders, ranging from constipation to cardiovascular disease. The best way to restore this valuable fiber to the diet is to begin eating the whole grain again. The quickest, mast practical and delicious way to eat more whole grains is to grind flour and make bread, snacks, cereals, granola and incorporating it into your diet through entrees, salads and side dishes at home.

But is it really necessary to mill flour at home? Couldn't you buy commercial whole wheat bread instead of white? Couldn't you make whole wheat bread at home using store-bought whole wheat flour? There's at least one problem with all of this: most commercial whole wheat flour has faced just as much processing as white flour. Many commercial whole wheat products are made primarily from white flour, with just enough bran peppered in to give them a healthful-looking brown coloring. In the past some have used saw dust as the fiber.

The above text from Cooking & Baking with Fresh Ground Flour is Copyright © by Christine Downs 2004. Used with permission.

INDEX

BREAKFAST

Cream of Wheat or Oatmeal 15
Spiced Hot Cereal 15
Orange 'N Raisin Hot Cereal 15
Hot Muesli 16
Homemade Cold Cereal 16
Cheese grits 16
Sesame Garlic or Plain Bagels 17
Onion and Poppy Seed Bagels 17
English Muffins 18
Simple Whole Wheat Waffles 18
Wheat & Oat Waffles 18
Honey Butter 19
Blueberry Pancakes 19
Cereal Pancakes with Strawberry Butter 19
French Pancakes 20
Buckwheat Pancakes 20
Whole wheat Blueberry Muffins 21
Blueberry Yogurt Muffins 21
Walnut Spelt Muffins 22
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins 22
Whole Wheat Zucchini Muffins 22
Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastries 23
Wheat 'N Oats Fruit Coffee Cake 23
Cinnamon Rolls 24

GRANOLA

Multi Grain Granola 27
Fruit & Spice Granola 27
Fruit & Nut Granola 28
Nutty Garlic Granola 28
Maple Date Granola Bars 29
Coconut & Nut Granola 29
Banana Oat Bars 30
High Energy Bars 30
Trail Bars 31

BREADS

Honey Whole Wheat Loaf 35
Apricot Nut Bread 35
Old Fashioned Zucchini Bread 36
Banana Nut Wheat Bread 37
Pumpkin Bread 37
Lemon Tea Bread 37
Christine's Whole Wheat Bread 38
Light Moist Whole Wheat Bread 38
Country French Bread 39
Wheat Egg Rope Bread 40
Rye Bread 41
Pumpernickel 41
Russian Black Bread 42
Oatmeal Bread 42
Whole Wheat & Oat Spice Bread 43
Whole Wheat Basil Bread 44
Old Fashioned Corn Bread 44
Corn Bread Stuffing 45
Mexican Cornbread 45
Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Rolls Ups 46
Turkey or Ham Roll Ups 47
Pizza Roll Ups 47
Turkey Sausage Roll Ups 47

ROLLS

Wonderfully Soft Brown Rolls 51
Butter Rolls 52
Whole Wheat Herb Rolls 52
Hard Rolls 53
Burger Rolls or Hot Dog Buns 53
Sandwich Buns 54
Buttermilk Biscuits 54
Cheese Water Biscuits 55
Hush Puppies 55

SOURDOUGH

Sourdough Starter 59
Sourdough Honey Whole Wheat Bread 59
Roasted Onion Sourdough Bread 60
Oatmeal & Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread 60
Sourdough English Muffins 61

MAIN DISH ENTREES

Manicotti Florentine 65
Italian Eggplant 65
Ground Beef Casserole 66
Sloppy Wheat Joes 66
Mushroom-Wheat-Broccoli Stroganoff 66
Pancake Filled Spiced Ground Beef 67
Meat Loaf 67
Mushroom Quiche 68
Quiche Lorraine 69
Spinach Cheese Crepes 69
Sausage, Mushroom and Cheese Polenta 70
Beef Polenta Casserole 70
Grilled Vegetable Polenta 70

CHICKEN ENTREES

Smoked Chicken Sun Dried Tomatoes 72
Sautéed Chicken Breast with Sage and Thyme 72
Lemon Herbed Baked Chicken 73
Spicy Tomato Chicken 73
Zucchini with Chicken-Wheat Stuffing 74
Baked Chicken Breast with Garlic-Lemon Marinade 74
Spicy Sautéed Chicken 75
Chili Spiced Baked Chicken 75
Easy Sautéed Chicken over Wheat 76

SEAFOOD

Crispy Lemon Fish Filet 76
Broiled Fish Roll-Ups 76
Mushroom Baked Fish Fillet with Wine 77
Crab Meat Casserole 78
Oven Fried Scallops 78
Fried Shrimp Tempura 78

SALADS & SIDE DISHES

Vegetable Beef Soup 81
Herbed Zucchini Bake 81
Cracked Wheat & Vegetables 82
Mushroom-Spring Onion Cracked Wheat Stuffing 82
Wheat-Nut Pilaf 83
Tangy Wheat Side Dish 83
Chinese Fried Wheat 83

Traditional Bulgur 84
Bulgur shortcut 84
Tabouli Salad 84
Bulgur Salad 85
Tossed Bulgur Salad 85
Greek Mixed Whole Grain Salad 86
Vinaigrette Dressing 86
Bulgur Casserole 86
Spicy Mexican Bulgur 87
Polenta - Italian Corn Casserole 86
Whole Wheat Noodles 87
Spicy Southwestern Zucchini Spears 87
Salsa Sauce 87
Broiled Tomatoes 88
Crispy New Potatoes 88

SNACKS

Whole Wheat Crackers 91
Whole Grain Crackers 91
Graham Crackers 91
Blue Cheese Walnut Crackers 92
Sesame Whole Wheat Wafers 92
Rosemary & Walnut Scones 92
Cheese Straws 93
Cheese Shortbread 93
Whole Wheat Pretzels 94
Italian Bread Sticks 95
Whole Wheat Zucchini Pizza 95

DESSERTS

Lime-Melt-A-Ways 99
Zesty Lemon Cookies 99
Flaky Raisin 'N Nut Cookies 100
Oatmeal Lace Cookies 100
Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies 101
Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies 101
Benne Seed Wafers 102
Walnut Maple Drops 102
Black Walnut Brownies 102
Cookie Crust Bars 103
Maple Pecan Filling 103
Lemon Bar Filling 103
Classic Biscotti 104
Apple Crisp 105
Apple Pie 105
Pound Cake 106
Pina Colada Upside-Down Cake 106
Apple Crumb Cake 107
Vanilla Almond Roll 108
Christine's Whole Wheat Sponge Cake 108

GLUTEN FREE RECIPES

Breakfast Millet Bread 111
Sandwich Millet Bread 111
Gluten Free Lemon & Poppy Seed Tea Bread 112
Blinis 112
Orange Millet Muffins 112
Carrot Spice Cookie 113
Chocolate Chip Cookies 113
Almond Butter Cookies 113
Sugar Cookies 114
Buckwheat Pancakes 114
Pie Crust 114