Videos

With the rise in so many people being diagnosed as “Gluten Intolerant” or having a “Gluten Sensitive” it’s no wonder that this naturally occurring protein has gotten an undeserved bad name.  Unless the diagnosis is actually “Celiac’s Disease” – you may just be one of the numerous people who are affected by our highly processed flour and diet and may not actually suffer from a true intolerance or sensitivity to gluten.  I truly believe, and can attest to  it personally for myself, that it is not gluten that is the problem for most people.  It is the processing of flour to make it so-called “shelf worthy” that is a big problem.

The truth is that gluten is present in many grains, mostly however, wheat is the most widely used and recognized.  Gluten was not ever meant to be consumed without the benefits of the entire grain – which you cannot get in a bag of dead store bough flour…even ‘whole’ wheat flour.  Mostly because it isn’t the whole wheat kernel…although it may be allowed to labeled that way.

The wheat grain was created to work like all whole foods – with a synergistic relationship one part to another, with each part in tact.  When a wheat grain is stripped down to make white flour all but the endosperm is discarded and we are left with the white flour that can hold together a paper mache’ creations – of course then gluten becomes an issue – where are the parts that help us to digest this ‘glue’?  They are missing.  Even in ‘whole wheat’ flour the wheat germ oil mostly is removed to prolong shelf life. Traces of it are left and the rancidity of the traces of oil is what cause the bitter taste in bagged ‘whole wheat’ flour.  No wonder no one seems to think they can like whole wheat – they taste the rancid oil left in the bagged dead flour.

So there are two problems – just to name a a few that help to feed (no pun intended) this frenzy of gluten being a problem.  It in fact is a fraction of a whole that was meant to work together in our digestive system.

Now let us just take a quick look at what is missing nutritionally when we consume only the white dead bagged flour.

It’s called ‘enriched’ flour for a reason.  It has been ‘enriched’ with synthetic (yes, think – fake) vitamins and minerals to attempt to replace what has been removed when the other parts of the kernel have been omitted from your flour. 

This small diagram to the right (if you click it – it enlarges) shows what is missing when only the white flour is consumed.  The lack of vital nutrients in the wheat flour that we consume is creating gluten sensitivities and intolerance – not the gluten itself.  Gluten itself may not be the problem.

The bran contains more protein than the endosperm, trace oils (good oils too – natural vitamin E ) a very high percentage of one’s daily allowance of fiber and iron.  Not to mention the B vitamins vital for energy in our bodies.

The germ is the powerhouse for the kernel that helps it grown into a live plant – and our commercialized process strips it from us. Highest in protein, it also contains the vital oils with their vitamin E and lipids and omega oils that we seem content to pay extra for in supplements. Iron and B vitamins are also very high in the wheat germ.

We are a people who are satiated, yet extremely malnourished.

Below are some personal stories about my journey to discover the real problem for me and I suspect for many who may be under the assumption they have a gluten problem.  Please listen and watch to gain more information than is not included in this post.

You can listen to my story below and see the path that I personally took to prove that gluten was not the problem for me:

New Family Internet Radio with Millers Grain House on BlogTalkRadio

This video was one of my first on our YouTube Channel.

80+ videos later it still is one of my favorites for educating people about the benefits of home-milling.

I hope you enjoy…

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Ingredients:

•  1/2 Cup Coconut Oil (Canola or butter)
•  1/2 Cup Local Honey
•  1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
•  1/4 tsp salt
•  1/4 tsp vanilla
•  6-8 Cups Popped Popcorn

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325

Make sure rack is centered in oven.

Combine first four (4) ingredients and heat slowly over a medium to medium-high heat until it comes to a low boil. (see in video)

Let boil for 1.5 min (1 minute 30 seconds) while stirring.

Remove from heat source and add vanilla and stir.

Move over to bowl of popped corn and pour slowly (careful it is HOT) to mix and coat all.

Grease a cookie sheet that has edges.

Pour coated popcorn out in a single layer on cookie sheet.

Bake on center rack for 10 minutes at 325 degrees (set that timer).

Remove from oven and stir/toss then TURN OFF OVEN and replace in oven for 5 minutes.

Let this completely cool to the touch (but not long enough to get stale or moist) then store it in a zip lock bag with some powdered milk to keep from sticking. (see the video)

~~~~~ VARIETY ~ THE SPICE OF LIFE ~~~~~

Go Nuts: Add about 1/2 Cup of your favorite nut to the popcorn before it’s coated. No need to change the baking, just keep an eye on the roasting of the nuts.  And Tah-dah…you’ve made your own home-made ‘cracker jack’.

Mix-in Options: After it’s cooled, mix in any ‘trail mix’ type goodies such as M&Ms, coconut, dried fruits, or chocolate chips.

Have a ball: Make popcorn balls while the baked popcorn is still a little warm. Grease your hands and form into balls to cool on wax paper or aluminum foil.

Added variety: Put a candy kiss in the center of the ball before it cools….yummy surprise.

 ~~~~~  AN “OUT OF THE BOX” IDEA  ~~~~~

 I for one was addicted to the cereal “POPS” up until the early 90’s. I’m not sure if they are still called that – but the sweet, big, corn popped yellow PUFF?  Well, I was so enamored with them because of the child-hood taste attachment, that is, until I read the ingredients list.  Oh it was a sad day for me to say the least. But, I have a fix!

Not too many people may think of this but, you can use this wholesome, basic ingredient Caramel Popcorn as a breakfast cereal. Just put it in the bowl, pour milk and enjoy. No additives, a great deal of fiber and all natural. EnJOY.

So…does this give you any ideas?

Do you have a great popcorn idea to share?

Maybe I’ll try yours out and do a YouTube Shout-Out to you on the Our Channel

If you’ve got something to share – please leave a reply. I’d love to hear from you!

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Have you ever faced the end of a holiday season and had an overflow of foods that are usually not eaten through out the year?  We face this after almost each holiday and ti forces me to become creative to avoid wasting food.

Usually, I clean out the refrigerator a little each week, but after a holiday – this required some serious attention.  Weekly refrigerator cleaning is key to stretching the grocery dollars.

Although usually my focus is on whole wheat , the truth is that although whole grains are a great base for a healthy and frugal grocery budget, they are not alone on the menu.  Learning to make the most of each ingredient, fresh, frozen, or otherwise will help make the most of your groceries and help them to stretch giving you more life for your dollar.

We hope you enjoy the video and subscribe.  There are more ideas to prolong the life of your food in the remainder of the series.