Debbie’s Homemade Granola
(I triple this recipe and it makes 3-4 #10 cans.)
4 c. rolled oats
1 c. each of the following (use whatever you have on hand. You don’t have to make up for something you do not have! But, the more you add, the greater the nutritional benefits!): sliced almonds, raw sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, craisins, coconut, sesame seeds, any kind of raw nuts that you like, etc.
½ c. wheat germ (optional)
½ c. whole grain flour (any grain or combination of grains)
2 T. cinnamon
2 tsp. nutmeg
In coffee grinder, grind up the following and add: (optional)
1/3 c. flax seed
1/3 c. chia seed
1/ 3 c. quinoa
1/3 c. amaranth
Melt 1 c. honey OR 2/3 c. honey and 1/3 c. Grandma Sycamore’s molasses (my preference! I triple this recipe and use 2 c. honey and 1 c. molasses.)
Add 2 tsp. vanilla and ½ c. olive oil to honey/molasses. Pour over grains, seeds, and nuts.
Stir all together until all grain is equally coated. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 20-25 min. until turning golden brown on top. Take out and let cool on the counter and place in an airtight container(s).
Flax Pudding
1/3 c. flax seed (golden or brown)
1 c. water
Mix in blender, Vita Mix, or Blendtec, starting off on low speed and quickly moving to high speed until mixture forms a pudding and sound changes. Use this quantity as a replacement for 2-3 eggs in any baking recipe or in your pancake/waffle recipes. OR, add dates, figs, raisins, fresh or frozen fruit, bananas, molasses, honey, or agave syrup for sweetener and eat as a pudding as much as desired. This has Omega 3, 6, and 9 oils in it and is fabulous for hormonal/endocrine support, nervous system, constipation, congestion, and so much more.
Honey Butter Popcorn
9 c. popped popcorn
1/2-2/3 c. honey, melted in the microwave for about 3 min. on high or until starts to darken or carmelize in color. Use a large bowl (at least 6 c. bowl, as the honey will bubble up and over).
1/4-1/3 c. butter
Stir in half as much butter as you use honey, until butter is completely melted and mixture becomes creamy. Add your favorite flavoring/extract or essential oil into the honey butter mixture and stir throughly. Then pour over popped corn, stirring well, and enjoy!
Suggested flavorings/extracts or essential oils: vanilla, almond, cinnamon, peppermint, wild orange, etc. You’ll know whether you want to add more honey/butter mixture or more popcorn for next time! Very yummy, sticky treat!
Whole Grain Double Dip Chocolate Mint Cookies
(My son, Jonathan, just said, “No, don’t give that recipe away! They are the best cookies ever!”)
1 c. butter OR 1 c. virgin olive oil
3 squares baker’s chocolate OR 9 T. powdered cocoa
1 c. honey
3/4 c. molasses OR 3/4 c. honey (I use Grandma Sycamore’s molasses whenever the recipe calls for brown sugar)
1 t. real salt/sea salt
1-1/2 t. baking soda
2 t. vanilla OR 1 drop peppermint oil
3 eggs OR flax pudding egg substitute
4-5 c. whole grain flour (I use Chef Brad’s recommended “wonder flour”–equal parts hard white wheat, brown rice, barley–and occasionally I add buckwheat as well, since these cookies never last long at my home with 5 boys! They will get very crumbly if you add more non-gluten grains to the wheat flour, so I will often add 1/8-1/4 t. guar gum powder OR Xanthum gum as a “glue” to hold them together.) Using oil, honey, molasses…will give a little different texture than white sugar and brown sugar and butter. Your body will thank you, though! And there’s no guilt having cookies for dinner! (instead of just dessert!)
1-12 oz. pkg bittersweet chocolate chips (if adding the peppermint oil) OR 1-12 oz. pkg. mint chips (if adding vanilla extract). OR, if you buy in bulk, 2 c. chocolate/mint chips.
Melt butter with unsweetened baker’s chocolate (I put the butter on the bottom of the microwaveable bowl with the baker’s chocolate squares on top and microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring with a wooden spoon until completely melted/mixed together.) Cream together butter/choc. mixture, honey, molasses. Add soda, salt, vanilla/peppermint oil, eggs, flour, guar gum powder. Mix well. Then add the chocolate/mint chips. OR, just throw all the ingredients in your Bosch mixer from the start and spoon onto the pan. If the honey is very soft, I won’t melt it! If dough is too moist let sponge for 15 min. OR refrigerate overnight and spoon onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 10-12 min.
Note: At Christmas time, I will crush candy canes in place of the mint chips. To increase the protein and omega oil content, I will add ground quinoa, amaranth, sesame seeds, ground flax seed, etc. But, when you do that, don’t forget the guar gum or Xanthum powder! Enjoy!
Whole Grain Bread
4 c. warm water
6 1/2 c. grains, freshly ground (basic 6 grain mix: equal parts of hard white wheat, hulled barley, brown rice, oat groats, millet, and rye)
Put warm water and 1/2 flour in Universal Bosch mixer, mix up, and let sponge (sit) for 10 min.
Add:
1/3 c. virgin olive oil
1/2 c. honey or Grandma Sycamore’s molasses
1 T. liquid lecithin
1 1/2 T. real salt
3 T. dough enhancer
3/4 c. vital wheat gluten
2 T. Saf yeast
1/2 of remaining flour
Mix well, adding remaining flour a little at a time until dough starts to pull away from sides of mixing bowl, leaving the sides of the bowl clean. Then let mixer need dough for an additional 8-10 min. until dough is soft and elastic. Separate dough into 4 small loaves and put in greased bread pans and allow to rise until 2-3 times in bulk. Put bread pans in the middle of a 350° oven and bake for 20-22 min. until golden brown on top.
Note: During the colder months when my kitchen is cold, while the dough is sponging, I turn on the oven and warm to 150-200° and then turn the oven back off, keeping oven door closed. Then after I knead the dough and place in the bread pans, I put the filled bread pans in the warmed oven to rise. When the loaves have risen 2-3 times in bulk, I turn on the oven to 350° and let the oven preheat with the dough loaves remaining in the oven and it gives another little boost in the rise. Still bake 20-22 min. I find that at least 21 min. is needed to ensure the center of the loaf is not doughy, sometimes 22 min. though the crust is usually darker than I would prefer. If you have a convection oven, bake at 325° for 22-25 min. There is some experimentation with the individual oven times. If, when I cut into the loaf, the middle is doughy, I use to make french toast!
Enjoy!
Debbie’s Homemade Wheat/Rye Bread
6 c. HOT water in mixer bowl
3 c. rye berries ground into flour (approx.)
6 c. hard white wheat berries ground into flour (approx.)
Add about ½ to 2/3 of the ground flour into the 6 c. hot water. Mix thoroughly and turn off mixer and let sit/sponge 10 min. (Set your timer! Sponging makes a great deal of difference in the bread’s consistency.) While sponging, add the following additional ingredients:
2/3 c. olive oil
2/3 c. Grandma Sycamore’s Molasses OR honey
3 T dough enhancer
1-2 T liquid lecithin
2 T. salt
1/3-1/2 c. vital wheat gluten
2 slightly heaping T. Saf yeast
½ of remaining flour
Mix thoroughly and continue adding remaining flour a little at a time until the sides of the mixing bowl begin to be wiped clean with the dough. Then, let knead in mixer bowl for 8-10 min. Dough should be elastic and spongy and slightly wet/sticky. Separate into 5-6 loaves and let rise until at least 2X bigger in bulk. (I let it rise until it’s 2-3 times bigger in bulk.)
Bake at 350 F for 20-22 min. until golden brown on top.