Grinder and Mill

Here is my grinder/mill that connects to the kitchen aid mixer that grinds the wheat berries into wheat flour, barley into barley flour, and spelt into spelt flour in the house that jack built. Okay that last part is not true but it was catching that tune. My step-dad Cliff and my beloved John (and family and friends!) built the house we live in. BLESSED. Hello! Back to grinding...

Simply pour your clean grain (check for small black pieces of stone that will ruin your grinder in a hurry)into the top of the device.

Then, your spelt flour comes out and if you funnel it properly - (ahem! it's not always as easy as it looks) it goes nicely into your canning jars (multipurpose jars they are!).

If you are rolling your groats they will come out nice and flat oats like the picture below.

Why on God's green earth would anyone do this when you can buy flours and oat already processed at the store? Insanity. No really, did you know that nutrients start to break down 48 hours after the grains/groats are processed. So let's say that a warehouse somewhere in North Dakota (totally made up location here and the ones to follow as well) is processing your wheat berries into 100%whole wheat flour. They bag it and store it. Then they ship it to South Dakota where it sits for months and months and then finally gets shipped to Maine where it sits at another storage place before finally being picked up sent to your local grocer who stores it until it makes it to front of their shelves. Nutrients are seriously compromised.

Vegan Cooking: Kale & Leek Chowder

I am trying my hand at Vegan blogging today with my Kale and Leek Chowder. Well, "my" is strong word when I didn't invent it I just make it multiple times a month typically forgetting some ingredients and adding others... you'll see..... The Rave Diet and Lifestyle by Mike Anderson list this recipe on page 101.

• 1 14oz can seasoned, diced stewed tomatoes


• 2 cups vegetable broth 2 cups chopped kale


• 1 cup cooked brown rice


• 1 cup drained canned garbanzo beans


• 1 cup chopped onion


• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper


• 1 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup chopped leeks


• 1/3 cup sliced almonds


• 1 tablespoon paprika


• 2 tsp. vegetable broth for sauteing


• 2 bay leaves

Heat broth over medium-high heat. Add the onion, pepper, leeks, and almonds. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the almonds, paprika, bay leaves, water tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil. Add the kale, rice and garbanzo beans. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Here we go...

Dice onion... thanks to my friend Darcy I can do this quickly now!

Prepare leeks - cut off green tops. I mostly use the bottom white parts.

Chop like so...

Dice red pepper and add all three ingredients to the pot. Like so... saute for a few minutes...

Now add the veggie broth (I use a powder from whole foods that reconstitutes into broth when you add water), 2 bay leaves, and 1 tablespoon Paprika to the pot.

Like so... Now add canned tomatoes...homemade or otherwise...

Add a bunch of Kale. I usually cut the center thick stem out and use the leaves on either side.

I just love that color green when the steam hits the kale...ummm.. Now add the cooked rice.... Like so... Simmer 10 more minutes and serve it up hot! Fresh bread and/or crackers are the perfect finishing touch. Oh right, the recipe did call for sliced almonds which are fabulous but I was out of 'em. Still a tasty dish. AND I didn't have a garbanzo beans prepared. I decided to buy 25 pounds of these dry little buggers so I would stop buying cans and make my own! I don't know if my theory is working. Don't forget to dig out those bay leaves before scarfing down this soup! Finally, this a picture of my sweet Abi who kept smiling every time I took a picture of the food. One time she even told the kale to "smile pretty now!" Love, love, love this girl.