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Homemade whole grain pasta

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We have been discussing what whole grains are (including gluten-free grains), why they are important to a Real Food storage plan, how to store them, why using them now is important, and of course, HOW to use them. We also talked about choosing and using various grain mills.

We continue on with this topic with some exciting guests bringing their wisdom and experience in the areas of whole grains, real foods, recipes and resources!

Come and join us in October for Get Real — Get Prepared on the PRN blog talk radio network show for an exciting month!

• October 8, 2011 – Wendy Polisi, author of “Quintessential Quinoa” and the website CookingQuinoa.net. All things quinoa!

• October 15, 2011 – Antira Kerr, author of “Whole Health Gourmet” and the website LivingSimplySmart.com. Video tutorials, recipes and more.

• October 22, 2011 Donna Spann author of “Grains of Truth” and the website GrainsofTruth.com and Today’s Family Matters Publications.

• October 29, 2011, a very special guest takes our conversation in a new and thought-provoking direction. Preparation that goes farther and deeper than the physical needs. We will discuss how to prepare your family (especially children) spiritually and emotionally for a changing world. My guest will be husband, father of 4 and youth minister, Tim Brady.

If you’ve missed any of the previous episodes, you can access them to listen live, or download to your device.

Get Real – Get Prepared (Grains and Mills) Part 1

Get Real – Get Prepared (Grains and Mills) Part 2

Get Real – Get Prepared (Grains and Mills) Part 3

Please join us in this journey of Real Life preparedness! Tune in this Saturday night at 7PM EST (6P CST) for our discussion on Quinoa, the superfood with Wendy Polisi of  CookingQuinoa.net

If you cannot make the live show, please use the link to listen to, or download the show at a later time and to your Mp3 device.

We look forward to sharing this time with you!

Tomorrow's Harvest

Dehydration has always been a form of preservation; dehydration in its simplest terms is the process of removing natural water from any given product for long-term preservation. Egyptians used the sun to dry beans, the U.S used it during World War II to send pharmaceuticals to soldiers in secluded locations, and now we use dehydration with almost every kind of food. The berries we eat in cereals are dehydrated, and certain chips are now turning to dehydration as a healthier option. Backpackers have used prepackaged dried meals since they began to be manufactured 60 years ago, and now we are using dry meals in our food storage because it just makes sense.

Many people are finding the new evolution of food storage to be confusing and complicated, which defeats the purpose of the revolution. We are in an era where food storage is changing from the traditional wheat, beans, and rice to prepackaged meals that only require the addition of hot water. This new way is so much easier because it eliminates the hassle of rotating old food with new food, keeping inventory, and having to grind wheat, soak beans, or eat bland rice in the event of a disaster. The new generation of food storage is all inclusive: well balanced meals, shelf life of 25 years, and 10- minute meal preparation. The confusion seems to be rooted in how the food is converted into its dry form. After years of food dehydration research, we think we may be able to clarify.

Dehydration is the umbrella to which all other forms of dried food preservation fall under. Let’s take a strawberry through the different processes of dehydration to illustrate. The strawberry is picked, washed, and then sent to the food processor. If that strawberry is dehydrated using a high heat dehydrator the strawberry will shrivel up, causing the enzymes to be crushed. As this happens, vitamins and taste are squeezed out of the strawberry, producing a strawberry that has less flavor and less nutritional content. Low heat dehydration is much the same as high heat but it uses a lower form of heat, thus preserving more of the enzymes and benefits of the strawberry. Puff drying is when puffs of heat hit the strawberry. This is a lower heat form of dehydration, and there is less harm done to the strawberry. These forms of dehydration often times get a bad rap, but when utilized properly they are arguably the most cost-effective and preferred method for manufacturers and consumers. It is important to understand that many manufacturers in the outdoor industry utilize all forms of dehydration when creating their meals.

Spray drying is most often preferred for drying liquids or drinks, such as real milk. The liquids are sprayed with a stream of air that removes the water from the liquid, leaving it in a concentrated powder form. Some products claim to be concentrated powder, when really they contain other ingredients. Certain powdered milk, for instance, has been found to be heavily laced with hydrogenated oil. The only way to make sure you are getting pure drinks after spray drying is to check the label, for example at Tomorrow’s Harvest Food Storage the ingredients on their milk is simply “milk.”

Freeze drying is typically praised as the best form of processing our strawberry because it does the least amount of damage to the strawberry at the molecular level. The strawberry is frozen at temperature’s below -50, and then placed into a freeze dryer. Freeze drying is the process of freezing all the natural water in the product, and then removing the ice from the product without melting the ice, leaving the strawberry somewhat porous and 90% lighter in weight. The strawberry maintains its original form, resulting in a perfect tasting and nutritious strawberry.

Food companies buy these ingredients and make them into a mixed meal package. Almost every company uses ingredients processed by a variety of these dehydration forms. Backpackers have seen the value in these dehydrated meals, as they are nutritious, light, and have a long shelf life. The food storage industry figured that if freeze dried food is compact and nutritious for backpackers, it could provide the same benefits as food storage. In most cases, the food storage companies take the exact same foods that one could buy at an outdoor store, and sell it in bulk. This ensures that consumers are getting high quality meals at low prices. The packaging used by backpackers is individual Mylar bags. Food storage companies now use one gallon cans and buckets. There are many ways to package these meals depending on what the user needs. Some companies, like Tomorrow’s Harvest, offer customized food storage packages.

No matter how you go about it, food storage is a necessity. Rich Dad, Poor Dad has told us to get guns, ammo, and food. Donald Trump has predicted that bread will be $25 come the new year. Paying for the upfront cost of food storage may seem burdensome, but it will be of use.

To pick the food storage company that is right for you, go to Food Storage Reviews or tune into the TH Insider Report on Wednesdays at 6 pm, MST on the Preparedness Radio Network.

Hugh Vail

Tomorrow’s Harvest

Host: TH Insider Report on Preparedness Radio Network

Shalom,

Today we are honoring and remembering our son Benjamin, who went to Heaven at age 3 1/2. We rejoice, not that he is gone from us, (for in that we grieve), but we rejoice that Benjamin is in the arms of Yeshua, Who loves him more than we ever could as his parents.

And we rejoice that one day (SOON we hope) we will see our Benjamin, whole and happy. We remember him as funny, quirky and just plain loveable! We celebrate his unique person and know G-d makes no mistakes.

Our Dyson vacuum died! We need your help in finding another vacuum!

Pieces

*Backstory* My husband and I both face physical challenges and cannot lift or operate a heavy vacuum. We have carpeting, stairs, 2 inside-dogs and not a lot of money. The vacuum needs to be able to be carried up and down the stairs and do a good job of picking up pet hair (as well as other “stuff”) on carpeting, throw rugs and bare floors. We have 2 daughters with asthma, so we need one that does not spit dust in the air.

The vacuum has been acting funny and finally died last night (complete with burnt circuit smell), even after my husband’s valiant CPR and surgical attempts to revive it. (And yes, we were vigilant about cleaning and washing the filters, etc.)

I started reading reviews. Have you read vacuum reviews? They are very mixed and even the so-called “Consumer experts” disagree!! What is touted and extolled in the pages of Consumer review sites and magazines do not line up with real people experience.

The comments range from “I will NEVER buy another one of _____” to “This __________ is the greatest thing since sliced bread!” They were reviewing the SAME make and model!

It appears by the reviews that one must spend a minimum of $600 and all the way to $3,000 to get a decent, well-made vacuum (bagless) that can pick up animal hair on carpet and not burn up or fall apart and can be operated by someone without a weightlifting background.

So, I reach out to you, my knowledgeable, frugal readers and listeners and ask for your honest opinions and experiences in finding a decent vacuum for pet hair and carpets (upright and bagless) that doesn’t cost the farm!!

Your input is welcomed… rather it’s desired …no it’s IMPERATIVE WE GET SOME ANSWERS!! Please help!

Thank you in advance for your feedback (from a dusty, hairy carpeted office).

Hello Friends!

I’m excited to offer someone a HUGE wholesome sweeteners giveaway this week! I’ve made it simple to win so make sure you join the fun and pass along the details to others!

First let’s talk about Wholesome Sweeteners offered at Azure Standard!

Celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, Wholesome Sweeteners is based out of Sugar Land, Texas. Wholesome Sweeteners has been committed to pioneering the certification process for the Fair Trade Certified sugar and Honey;  “today they are category leaders in Fair Trade Certified, organic and natural sugars, syrups, nectars and honeys produces from nature’s best resources.”  (taken from Wholesome Sweeteners ‘about us’ page.)

There is a huge selection of Wholesome Sweeteners items to choose from at Azure Standard. Where do we start? Powdered Sugar, Light Brown Sugar, Dark Brown Sugar, multiple flavored Organic Blue Agave from Vanilla to Maple, Cinnamon to Strawberry, the possibilities are endless! They are also offering a new (to me) product called, Zero, “an organic sweetener produced from Organic Cane Juice which is fermented and crystallized to created the first Organic Erythritol” (Statement from Wholesome Sweeteners).  There are so many more options available. I encourage you to do a Wholesome Sweeteners search at Azure Standard and see all the possibilities…all offered organically!

SO.. without any more delay let’s talk about the details of this sweet giveaway!

WHAT YOU WILL WIN:

One each of the following:

Organic Sucanat

Organic Dark Brown Sugar

Organic Zero

Raw Cane Sugar

Organic Turbinado Raw Cane Sugar

Organic Molasses

Organic Light Corn Syrup

Organic Raw Blue Agave

Organic Blue Agave Strawberry Flavored

Organic Blue Agave Cinnamon Flavored

HOW TO WIN: Each entry must include all of the following to be a valid entry. A winner will be chosen by pulling your name out of a hat by my two youngest children on Saturday April 2nd 2011. All entries must be received prior to 12:00am Saturday, April 2nd 2011. The winner of this sweet bundle will only need to leave a comment here on the blog INCLUDING ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:

• Your name with email address
• A link to their Facebook page or personal blog where they have shared about the giveaway.
• Tell me what your favorite Wholesome Sweetener is, and why. OR if you’ve never tried any of the Wholesome Sweeteners for yourself, what product do you want to try and why.

PLEASE NOTE: One comment per person for a valid entry!

Do you want to have more entries in this contest? Okay…. then let’s do it! For every entry comment that lists YOUR name, blog, or Facebook page within the comment not only will they be entered into the contests but you’ll get an extra entry as well! There is NO LIMIT to how many people can list YOUR page in their comment HERE on the Azure Almanac blog. I encourage you to have some fun and start sharing with your friends!

The winner will be posted on Saturday and must respond to me with a mailing address by Monday, April 4th or a new winner will be picked.

DON’T FORGET TO “LIKE” us on Facebook!!

www.facebook.com/azurestandard

Until our next chat…

Mrs. Joseph Wood

Catch Vickilynn on Monday nights (starting March 14, 2011) from 8-9 PM EST / 7-8 PM CST for Get Real – Get Prepared!

Vickilynn Haycraft

Each year we learn a bit more about how to garden organically and what’s best for our area and family.

This year we have 4 small raised beds (4 x 4) so that I can reach them without too much pain In them we have zucchini, eggplant, broccoli, cabbage, seedless cukes and spinach and lettuce. Some are doing well, but we are just budding as I got them in late.

Yesterday I had to hand-pollinate the first squash blossoms as our bee population is low here. The bad thing is, there was only ONE male blossom (with the pollen) to several female blossoms. I need more pollen-carrying male blossoms to be able to have a harvest.

We also have Earthboxes and they do pretty well. We have lots of strawberries growing and some herbs (basil, garlic chives, sage, mint). We also have some roma tomato plants which are flowering.

We have some fruit trees, but they are young and this year we see our first peach! The pear tree has no blossomed yet. We have some apple trees, blueberry bushes, blackberry and raspberry brambles.

We want to plant more fruit trees each year.

Oh, this year I am growing more stevia. I tried it one year and it did not do well, but I have a nice plant and we’ll see how it does.

Our mint patch is awesome!! I dried some chocolate mint and will harvest again soon. We have Chocolate Mint, Peppermint and Spearmint.

Please share what’s going on in your gardens!

I was blessed to attend the Asheville Artisan Bread Festival 2010. It is a wonderous yearly event highlighting local natural bakeries and farms who bring their best breads, jams, jellies and goat cheeses to sell.

Walking from table to table sampling the aromas and tastes, drinking in the beautifully-shaped loaves and the rustic free-forms that are truly artwork, a bread aficionado can literally spend hours in paradise.

On top of that, the world-famous /bakers/chefs/teachers/authors were on hand to give classes and demonstrations. To obtain a ticket to a class, one had to buy a loaf of bread from one of the bakeries (as if we had to be cajoled)and the difficult part was choosing from the hundreds of offerings!

As is my usual choice, I opted to attend Peter Reinhart, Master Baker / teacher and author in his class demonstrating recipes from his newest book; Artisan Breads Every Day. As usual, Chef Reinhart is warm, funny, and totally accessible in his demeanor. The best part was tasting the decadent and deliciously-rich Chocolate Cinnamon Babka warm from the oven. Oh my! That recipe alone is worth the price of the book!

I plan to re-create Peter Reinhart’s Artisian Breads Every Day recipes only using 100% whole grains. I believe the first one I will try is the….yes, you guessed it, the  Babka!

May Your Bread Always Rise (writes Peter Reinhart) and I add my my blessings!

~~In Messiah Yeshua,
Vickilynn
Micah 6:8