Homemade Whole Wheat Bread - What you need to get started

About a year ago, I began grinding my own wheat and making my own bread. Never, in my wildest dreams, would I have thought I'd be the "hippie-healthy" type, if I may call it that. But, nonetheless, I am loving eating healthier, naturally, and organically. I purchase my wheat in large buckets through a local co-op, then I grind it to make flour for breads, muffins, and any baked good. I have almost completely eliminated white flour from my pantry. I use it only for guests... who may not be as excited about wheat flour as our family is.

If you've ever been interested in being super homemade and grinding your own wheat, then this is the post for you! First of all, you'll need a grinder. When I was shopping for a grinder, I talked to all of my "hippie-healthy" friends (you know who you are) to find out what they had learned in their experience with grinding. And after talking to them, I looked into several options for a grinder and came to the decision to purchase a WonderMill Whisper Mill. This was NOT the least-expensive option and there are other non-electric grinders as well. However, I was in this for the long-haul and decided to get a long-lasting grinder. And hey, maybe my kids will inherit it someday!I cannot agree with the name that this machine whispers because actually it sounds like a plane taking off when it starts. However, after a year or more of using it pretty regularly, it works just like the first day I got it. I love that it has a separate container for storing your wheat flour and very little clean-up is necessary. You pour your wheat berries in the top and your flour comes out the side and into the canister. It only takes a minute to grind my wheat and the health benefits to it are wonderful!

Now, for my electric mixer, I have a Cuisinart Mixer. I will not recommend what I ended up getting as I don't know how long it will hold up. It was a Christmas gift and free to me, so I use it, and so far it does the job. I know there are better options on the market for regular bread-making machines, though the old-fashioned kneading method works as well! (and it's free)

To add to my bread-making en devour, I purchased the book, "Healthy Bread In Five Minutes A Day" by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. I'm making my way through the book slowly, and have incorporated their 100% Whole Wheat Bread into my weekly bread-making routine now.

On a side note... I'm pleased to say that after much persuasion, my husband is even on board with our healthier lifestyle. If you've been with me for long, you'll know how for years, my husband was addicted to Pop-Tarts. Can you believe he doesn't buy them anymore?! And instead, he has replaced his sweet carbohydrate with a healthy banana each morning for breakfast. Granted, I'm still working on him with vegetables, but this is totally a step in the right direction! Woohoo!!

Easy Morning Breakfast! (CrockPot Make-Ahead)

I love finding recipes that make breakfast and mornings easy. ThisLunchRox.com is a website I've been diggin' lately. Jamie has a healthy breakfast to get you and your kids started in the morning without any morning fuss. Who doesn't love that?!

Place your ingredients in your crockpot before you go to bed, and you'll wake up to homemade and healthy oatmeal perfect for a Fall morning! I love this idea and will definitely be adding it to our breakfast menus.

Click HERE for Jamie's full post and recipe.

Here's another great CrockPot Oatmeal recipe if steel-cut oats is not your style...

Deluxe CrockPot Oatmeal

Ingredients:

2 cups milk
1/4 cup brown sugar (or Sucanat)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup finely chopped apple
1/2 cup raisins and/or dates
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or almonds

Directions:

Grease the inside of your crockpot. Put ingredients in and mix well. Cover and turn on low heat. Cook overnight or 8-9 hours. Stir before serving.

Yields 4 cups.

This recipe was found over at ThatsMyHome.com.

My Change To A Healthy Lifestyle!

Throughout my "Mom Years," I have struggled to find a balance in eating healthy, staying active, and keeping tabs on all of the activities that make my life crazy. I've gained weight, lost weight, and gained again. ...Did I mention it's a struggle?! And it may even be a lifetime struggle, but I plan on taking steps to keep it under control.

I'm now on a path to a healthier lifestyle, starting first with eating healthier and making better food choices for me and my family. They're not as on board with it as I am, but I'm determined to find foods and recipes they'll love. Plus, they're just going to have to get used to it. Period.

In the coming weeks, I will be talking about products I love since I've started a journey to a new me. These are not products that pay me to love them, but rather items I've found and truly do enjoy. I'm hoping to post more recipes and meal ideas/planning as well.

Truly, I figure all of this is a money-saving mindset still. Think about it - if I'm eating healthier and being more active, my health cost bills will not soar through the sky some day, right?! Still, for right now I feel it necessary to start making changes.

Now, I realize this website is dedicated to coupon savings, and I've thought about starting a whole different site for this topic, but I just can't keep up with that many websites, so if you're not interested in healthy living, please just disregard these posts.