IDITAROD ADVENTURE IN UNALAKLEET - John & I flew out to Unalakleet, the largest village on the trail, to make up hearty soups, whole grain fresh bread, and cinnamon rolls. Thankfully, the Mc Coys at the Lighthouse Baptist Church in Unalakleet opened their heart, home, and kitchen to us. Just a short walk to the checkpoint, we carried our goodies over for the mushers and support folks. Those mushers looked very trail weary. Some of those dogs needed a little coaxing to hit the trail once again. We even snuck in a bread class for the locals before the mushers arrived.
Announcements
1 ~ ORDERING INFORMATION ~ The time is upon us to begin our twice yearly coop order cycle. Place your order by WEDNESDAY, April 7th for the 10% savings on consumables. Expect a call or email when it all arrives, Lord willing in mid May. Pick up your items as soon as possible. Most of the grain prices decreased from fall. The nut & coconut oil increased the most.
2—Welcome to our two new grain depots!!! Kristy Taylor in SEWARD and Joan Phillips in HOMER are both very excited about servicing their respective areas with grain. They want to hold a bunch of classes and help their friends with this wonderful way of eating!!! I’ll be in Seward on Tuesday, March 23rd and in Homer on Thursday the 25th for their initial classes.
3 ~ PALMER BREAD CLASSES for the beginner or seasoned baker, come join the fun. More than just bread, we whip up hot cereal with the Roller/Flaker, feast on pzza, and introduce the BRK Pressure Cooking System as well. Join us Saturday, March 27th at 10 AM or Monday, March 29 at 2 pm. You will come away saying, NOTHING MAKES BREAD LIKE A BOSCH, maybe with your own Bosch in the trunk!!! Let’s try something new, a WAFFLE and MAKE A MIX CLASS on Monday, April 5th at 2 pm. Lalena gave me a ginger waffle recipe for our taste buds. Then we’ll make up several kinds of mixes ~ hot cereal, brownie, gravy, muffin, & soup mixes. Please reserve a spot in each class with a call or email. Each class is $5/family.
4 ~ We also enclosed our 6 month ’grocery’ list as a great resource for planning your spring order. Several used it for their fall order. It provides a well rounded variety of consumables. I estimated the ingredients necessary for baked goods, 5 loaves of bread/week, 1/2 gallon of milk/day, grains for hot cereal, dried fruit and nuts for variety, coconut oil for all fats, agave syrup instead of honey, and a bag of 11 bean soup mix. Of course, the 10% savings on consumables applies by placing the order by April 7th. For consumable orders with a final total of $1200 or more, choose 2 free bags of beans, as a thank you from us. (Yes, you can also order beans as part of the consumable order.) Feel free to devise your own order. These were just my suggestions of what I order for ourselves. The items with an * should be used up and NOT stored longer than 6 months. Please don’t stash your grains for future use. EAT them daily. Grains are economical and will keep you healthy in the long run. Pray and ask the Lord for wisdom to prepare for your family’s future needs. The back side is a suggested list of equipment for the beginner. By placing a $1000 equipment/book order, take home a BRK Pressure Cooker set for just $125. We can also divide these large orders (consumables &/or equipment) into 4 monthly payments (A-M-J-J) to make it easier on the budget. Either CC or postdated checks work for me. The outlying depots accept checks or PayPal. We are willing to work with you!
5 ~ GIFT REGISTRY ~ Fill our an order form as a gift registry or consult with the coop leader in your area. Brides receive a Wholy Living $50 gift card just for registering with us. Perfect for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, or even Christmas! We can also hold a cooking class as a bridal shower.
6~ CARE & FEEDING OF OUR BOSCH & MILL ~ For repairs and machine problems, contact Dave at 1-877-BOSCH FIX. He loves Alaskans and will do his best to fix problems. After washing your Bosch bowl, place the inner lid over the motor mount so water drips onto the lid instead of into your motor. Does your Nutrimill blow flour? Be sure to completely insert the drawer, ‘bump’ out flour from the filter & empty the cup attached to the lid. If you blend up frozen fruit or ice, ‘pulse’ the blender first a couple of times, then run on high speed. I rarely remove my blender blades, just clean it immediately after use. However, the blender lid was designed as a wrench to remove the blades.
7 ~ COFFEE MILL—Expect the popular coffee/seed mill back on board soon. Perfect for flax meal, sesame paste, or cream of ’any grain’ hot cereal. We all missed our faithful friend!
8 ~ SEE YOU AT THE FAIRS!!! Mark your April calendar first for the APHEA (Alaska Private and Home Educator Association) Convention, Friday and Saturday the 16th & 17th. Note the NEW LOCATION for this annual event!!! Go to the Chugiak United Methodist on the Old Glenn Highway between the South & North Birchwood Exits. Be inspired and revived by two great featured speakers, excellent workshops, and quality vendors. Go to ~ Monday & Tuesday in Fairbanks, Thursday the 22nd in Soldotna, Friday & Saturday in Anchorage, and Monday the 26th in Juneau. We will be in Anchorage & Soldotna. Stop by for a Howdy & a Hug!!
What’s New
1 ~ Our motto, THE BEST FAST FOOD IS MADE AT HOME, becomes reality with the debut of the FAMILY SIZE BRK PRESSURE COOKING SYSTEM. So sturdy, you will pass this wonderful 18/10 Stainless Steel set onto your grandchildren. Versatile enough for any stove top, you will reach for these easy care, quick cooking pots every time. Serve bean soup or a roast in 45 minutes, chicken breasts in 10 minutes. How about a meatloaf, potatoes & carrot in 30 minutes? See Wholy Recipes for ideas. If you pondered purchasing the original set, check out the family size set which includes two pots, a 7 quart & a 5.5 quart with two glass lids & one pressure lid, a vegetable steamer basket, extra gasket, and a recipe book. A steal at $260. We still carry the original smaller set for $220. To complete either set, add on the oversize pasta-blanching basket, the vacuum lid, and/or the double boiler.
2 ~ Another flavor favorite of mine is our Ranch Dressing Mix. I like to add it to casseroles as well as the standard salad dressing.
3 ~ FUN KITCHEN TOOLS ~ Check out our Silicone Baking Mat. I use it mainly for rolling out cinnamon rolls & pie crust. Cookie scoops are so handy for meatballs, too. Double sided pie crust rollers work great for crackers, too. The Atlas Pasta Maker makes three kinds of pasta. Add on a pasta drying rack for a complete set.
4~ STRAWBERRY SWISS WHEY We like it in our hot cereal water. Wonderful creamy strawberry hot cereal. Add some cranberries, chopped nuts, and coconut oil for a long lasting delicious breakfast.
Wholy Hints
1 ~ Love those old favorite recipes? Here’s how to change them into delicious healthy treats!! First, change the flour to freshly milled whole grain. I use 7 grain mixed with spelt, pastry, or kamut. Oat groats make soft baked goods as well. If it is a cookie recipe, add a little extra flour so they don’t flatten out in the oven. Just bake a test cookie first and adjust as necessary. Instead of eggs, try 1 T flax meal with 3 T water. Let set up a bit. Of course this only works in some recipes. I would not try it in an angel food cake. Now the sweetener. We have options – try a reduced portion of either evaporated cane juice sugar or agave syrup. Instead of 1 cup, use 2/3 to 3/4 cup. For brown sugar, put 4 or 5 C of ECJ Sugar in the Bosch with the wire whips. Drizzle molasses over the ECJ Sugar. Store in an airtight container. It won’t harden, but stays fresh and delicious. For powdered sugar, again use the ECJ sugar processed in a coffee mill. It turns white and fluffy! Now use either coconut oil or olive oil or palm fruit shortening for your fat. Those are the healthiest oil available. Both the coconut oil and our shortening actually lower cholesterol, are organic, heart healthy, and tasty. They do not coat the throat, but just melt in the mouth. Throw out your rancid vegetable or canola oil. If they smell bad, they are!!! Open up a pail of our organic coconut oil, or the extra virgin coconut oil and savor the difference. We offer the organic and extra virgin in the 1 gallon pail and the extra virgin in the 5 gallon pail.
2 ~ AGAVE SYRUP ~ Lowering the glycemic index of our foods is one key factor in avoiding cancer. Agave syrup is one of those more healthy sweeteners. Do not be fooled, it is not a perfect sugar substitute, so use it sparingly, but compared to refined sugar, this is a ‘sweety.’ Add 1/4 t of maple extract to 12 oz of agave for a delicious pancake syrup.
3 ~ HEALTHY FATS ~ The only healthy fats I recommend are olive oil, palm fruit shortening, coconut oil, and butter. Unless you decorate cakes and needs shortening, just stick with olive oil, coconut oil and butter. Coconut oil, pastry flour and oat flour makes the softest, most pliable pie dough I have made in a long time!! Try coconut oil for biscuits as well. Remember all the great health benefits of coconut oil? Pick up a copy of our c. oil book or cd. Maybe you’ll be like Larry who purchased 8 copies to share with his friends.
4 ~ Gluten Free needs? Contact Linda Slater at 373-1081. She carries a wide variety of mixes, ingredients and expertise for those with dietary challenges. Email works, too— glutenfreecentral@yahoo.com.
Wholy Recipes
Full of Fiber Bean Salad I like to make this in the morning as a great dinner salad. The flavors mingle all day in the frig. Very refreshing for a summer salad.
Garbanzo Bean Soup Garbanzo beans are very good in soups or hummus.
More Bountiful Beans Cook a big batch of your favorite beans and freeze in small portions for future meals.
Margaret’s Biased Opinions
In this life, you only get one body. Feeling strong and energized is a priceless commodity. Why not care for your body in such a way to maximize the vitality you were designed to achieve? If you owned a thoroughbred horse, would you stuff it full of donuts and coffee in the morning, a Big Mac at noon, a Giant Size Reeses and Cherry Coke in the afternoon, Papa Murphy Pizza for dinner, followed up by a supersize bowl of rocky road before bed? OF COURSE NOT! You paid big bucks for that horse! Are YOU not infinitely more precious than some old horse? For the Christian, the body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, God indwelling this ‘shell.’ How should we care for this vessel of God’s Spirit? God created us. He also created the foods to fuel us. After reading and studying a number of different sources, several conclusions repeatedly surfaced. To get healthy, stay healthy, energized, and ready for a vivacious life, to avoid western diseases, these are my recommendations:
1 ~ Substitute homemade freshly milled whole grain baked goods for processed, prepackaged expensive white flour store bought stuff. Full of fiber, nutrients, and flavor, this is simple and inexpensive. Would you peel an apple and let it sit on the counter for a month before eating it? Why eat baked goods made from flour that was ‘peeled ‘ ages ago? YUCK!!! That flour spoils just like the apple.
2 ~ Substitute coconut oil, palm fruit shortening, butter, or olive oil for all fats. For frying, baking, dressings, and anything with fat, these are the healthiest. If your oil smells rancid, it probably is. Throw it out and replace it with healthy oils! Medium chain fatty acids keep the heart healthy, cholesterol in check. Study the culture where these plants grow. Very few health problems exist amongst their population.
3 ~ Substitute healthy sweeteners for refined, processed white sugar. Evaporated cane juice sugar and agave syrup are not the answer to all your sweet tooth desires, but they are a much healthier choice. These, too, should be limited to a small portion of your diet.
4 ~ Substitute hearty, healthy beans for most of your protein. Think of meat as a side dish or a small portion of your meal, especially if you do not have a source for grass fed beef or free range poultry. Beans provide much protein and necessary fiber. They are so versatile ~ salads, soups, dips, sides, even milled and added to baked goods. I have used garbanzo beans instead of flour in chocolate cake. Our website has a recipe for pinto bean fudge. It also seriously reduces the food bill!
5 ~ Substitute fresh raw fruits and vegetables for canned, processed, heavily salted and sugared fruits and veggies. As with grains, fresh is the best. Again, the fiber content is so much higher as well as the nutritional value. A fresh salad every day stimulates the brain and the belly. I purchase fresh salad fixings at Costco and make up a bunch of individual salads for a quick meal on the go. A blob of cottage cheese on top makes a wonderful dressing! That is another source of fast food.
6 ~ Add freshly ground flax meal to baked goods, salads, casserole toppings, smoothies, or any way to get it down the hatch! A tablespoon or two each day adds the necessary omegas to your diet to lower cholesterol and stave off cancer, heart problems, and constipation.
7 ~ Substitute water and herb tea for soda, coffee, and cheap energy drinks. Our bodies naturally crave liquids. Give it the pure water it needs. Soda and coffee leach away the vital nutrients and calcium from our bones. The fake sugar in soda really messes with the memory, not to mention so many other unhealthy side effects. I try to drink a quart of warm pure water tea every morning before eating anything. It keeps my system flushed and hydrated. Many headaches subside after a quart of good water!
8 ~ Substitute the natural yogurt for the splenda laden yogurt. Add your own flavoring to the plain yogurt from the natural section!
9 ~ Seek out a source for raw dairy products. Cow share opportunities abound out here in the valley. I just don’t trust the milk cartons anymore!
10 ~ Periodically, cleanse your body of the toxins built up in the liver and blood stream. My yearly goal is to cleanse 10 days every three months using the lemonade diet. I feel good and it is a great self discipline. I highly recommend our Organic Grade B maple syrup (better flavor and more nutrients), the Celtic sea salt (mild flavor for the morning drink), and the Bosch Citrus Juicer for the cleanse.
11 ~ Substitute our BRK Pressure Cooker meals for the impulsive fast food chain poison. The best fast food is made at home. Whip up a bean soup in 30 minutes, split pea soup in 15 minutes, 4 chicken breasts in 10 minutes, or a complete meat loaf dinner in 30 minutes. The 18/10 gauge stainless steel BRK set is the perfect family investment. So many ladies struggle with inferior pans for years. Please check into our sets that will last indefinitely. My set is 4 years old and still looks brand new. Several family trips to the local junk food chain will pay for your own set of pots.
12 ~ Substitute 15 to 30 minutes a day getting some exercise for 15 to 30 minutes staring at the computer. Fresh air and large muscle activity renews the mind as well as the body. Try a walk, some stretching moves, parking a block away from your destination. This is my downfall.
13 ~ I eat 90% as healthy as possible and 10% healthy desserts and I will die happy. I am not a total health food fanatic! My theory is the fiber full diet will eliminate the junk I do consume.
14 ~ Avoid fad foods, prepackaged drinks, energy bars, and soy based foods. I personally consume very little soy and corn based products. Most soy is from genetically modified sources, not a good thing! Make up a batch of goodies at home from your own storehouse!
15 ~ Last, but most importantly, spend the first few minutes of the day praying and meditating of God’s Word. Our motto from the beginning of our 35 year marriage remains, “But seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33 Then do something thoughtful for someone everyday! Let me know about the blessings!!!
Wholy Thoughts
The Mayonnaise Jar
When things in your life seem, almost too much to handle, When 24 Hours in a day is not enough, Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of tea.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students, if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’
The professor then produced two cups of tea from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
‘Now,’ said the professor, as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things – family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else –The small stuff.’
‘If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, You will never have room for the things that are important to you.
So…. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. ‘Take care of the golf balls first -
The things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.’
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the tea represented. The professor smiled. ‘I’m glad you asked’. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of tea with a friend.
