Welcome to Wholy Living. Our family is privileged to serve our community, offering a food coop of the hard to find, wholesome, bulk food items. Since 1993, we've given bread classes, teaching families to use while grains to nourish their families. However, more and more folks need gluten free grains. We are excited to connect GF families with Gluten Free Central, a brand new business here in the Matanuska Valley. Linda Slater specializes in transitioning families from the traditional American diet to the GF diet. You will love her cooking classes. She offers many of the same products we do. We both have a passion for helping families to eat with whole grains. While we recognize the convenience of mixes, we both know freshly milled is superior in nutrition and economy. I will continue to offer some GF mixes etc in large sizes, but Linda is the expert GF cooking teacher. Contact her at 373-1081 or at glutenfreecentral@yahoo.com.
1 ~ ORDERING INFORMATION~If you would like to participate in our SPRING COOP order, Please submit your order to me by MONDAY, APRIL 14TH. Lord willing, the pallets will be available for pick up my mid May. All prices include shipping to Palmer.
2 ~ GLUTEN FREE PRODUCTS are now listed in the GF section of our online store. The mixes & flours in this section as well as the Swiss Whey - our non-dairy, lactose-free, economical milk powder are packaged in a GF facility. Check through the regular grain section for grains that you could use as well. We offer Amaranth, Quinoa, Millet, Buckwheat, Corn, Brown Rice, and Oat Groats, which are not processed in a GF facility. However, several of our GF customers have used them successfully and found them to be a VERY high quality grain, superior to what they purchased anywhere locally. I highly recommend using whole grains as much as possible. When you use the prepackaged flours, they do not retain the nutrient value or the fiber content that freshly milled grain contains. If you already mill your own fresh flour, you know the difference. If you need a separate grain mill for special cooking situations, consider the one that attach to the BOSCH UNIVERSAL PLUS or the COMPACT BOSCH. They are inexpensive, store easily and provide all the advantages of freshly milled flour. For more info, contact me personally at 745-5639 or Linda at 373-1081.
In the spring, we introduced baking accessories. This fall, we are so excited to offer healthy baking alternatives — ORGANIC EVAPORATED CANE JUICE SUGAR, ORGANIC COCONUT OIL, and ORGANIC PALM FRUIT SHORTENING. (I almost feel like I’m sinning by recommending shortening.) See Lalena’s articles in the Comment Corner about our O.E.C.J. Sugar & Coconut Oil. Even though this shortening looks and feels like Crisco, it does not contain trans fatty acids which are known to increase bad cholesterol. Additionally, P.F.S. has been proven to improve the LDL/HDL ratio and it helps to lower cholesterol. My soft cookies, moist quick breads, and especially the delectable pie crusts bring smiles to all who indulge. The 30 pounds size seems like an overkill, but it has an 18 month shelf life and leaves no ‘coated throat’ feeling like Crisco. I generally use 20% less shortening than a recipe specifies, thus fewer calories.
We have two more kitchen tools that I use nearly every time I touch vegetables. Treat yourself to our no tears ALLIGATOR ONION CUTTER. With European quality tough construction and stainless steel blades, I dice up not only onions and peppers, but prepare julienne slices of zucchini, carrot, and apples for an instant salad, pizza topping or stuffing. The MINI-ALLIGATOR minces garlic or radishes. Both models feature a self-cleaning mesh. You will love them both!!
Another new item is the Belgium Flip Waffle Maker. Make a delicious whole grain breakfast fit for a king with this new compact waffle iron. With 1200 watts, it perfectly cooks every time with Belgium style nonstick plates. The adjustable temperature control allows you to choose your favorite ‘crispness.’ The indicator light signals when it’s set for batter and when it’s ready for the consumer.
1 ~ NUTRIMILL ~ The top dial on the Nutrimill controls the motor speed & the bottom one the texture of the flour. The general rule of thumb is to set the top speed control to the left (9:00) for fine to medium flour and to the right (3:00) for coarse. As usual the bottom dial should be set at noon for fine to medium flour and all the way to the right for the coarse flour or when grinding beans and corn.
2 ~ BOSCH UNIVERSAL PLUS ~ Hints for a 'healthy' Bosch - After washing your Bosch bowl, don't set the bowl right back on the base. Water will drip down from the center post into the motor. I place the round center lid over the motor mount and place the bowl on the lid. Then the water drains onto the lid instead of into the motor. An exciting feature of the PLUS, is the removable center post. BLENDER - If you combine liquids and frozen fruit or ice cubes in the blender, 'jog on the M' several times first, then go to speed 4. This will keep the drive piece in good shape.
3 ~ CALL FIRST!!! PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO FIX YOUR OWN MILL OR BOSCH, if it malfunctions. Call 800-mybosch and ask for Dave. He really likes Alaskans. The mill has a lifetime warranty, so Dave will fix it. Also, only mill grain and beans, not oily food like seeds or rolled grains.
4 ~ OATS ~ Only put oat groats through your mill, not rolled oats, quick oats, Quaker oats, or 7-grain rolled. It will stop up your mill!!!
5 ~ Blend a shriveled orange in the blender and add to bread or cookies. If the peel is moist you don’t need to remove it. Blend craisins with the orange makes delicious bread, bagels or cookies as well. See the 9-grain bread recipe.
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Hobbit Seed Cakes | ||
| Lalena received this recipe from our hospitable friend, Sandy, in Valdez. She tweaked them a bit in order to add our ever-present favorite flaxseed. A great trail mix in a cookie sort of treat. Wonderful way to use all those seeds you get from the co-op. |
I have found a number of good books for novice gluten free enthusiasts. Most of them provide recipes for basic master mixes followed by various recipes for each mix. Here is a short synopsis of each from my quick review.
COUNTRY BEANS by Rita Bingham. If you want a lifetime supply of bean recipes for everything from Soups to Seasoning Mixes, Breakfast ideas to Breads, One-Dish Casseroles to Home-Canned Beans, Salads to Side Dishes this is the book for you. Rita is very GF conscious. This is an excellent book to incorporate the wonderful protein qualities of beans into your diet.
THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO WHEAT-FREE COOKING by Phyllis Potts. When Phyllis says complete, she did it!! This well organized, readable book offers a variety of bread-machine recipe along with regular bread, main courses, & soups. About 1/2 of this book is our typical desserts revised for GF eating. Good introductory info.
THE GLUTEN-FREE GOURMET BAKES BREAD By Bette Hagman. One of 5 books in her series, this book was my introduction to gluten free looking. Sit down with a cup of tea & glean great information. If you want to bake bread, this is the book for you!!! Bette gives you lots of variation on her mixes and recipes. This is a bread bakers delight!!!
SIMPLY DELICIOUS WHEAT & GLUTEN FREE COOKING by Thordis Seager. Thordis, yes she is a lady, experimented in her kitchen learning to deal with her celiac condition. Full of photos, you can visualize your new creations before you make them!!! This is a good basic beginner book with 3 basic mixes. If you like her specialty pans, I can get those through Chicago Metallic.
WHEAT-FREE, GLUTEN-FREE REDUCED-CALORIE COOKBOOK by Connie Sarros. Connie organized her book by meals, not individual dishes. If you want more entrees, this is it….breakfasts, lunches, special dinners, buffet dinner, ethic dinner, picnic & BBQs.
I appreciate Lalena sharing the following results of research she did on alternative sugar and coconut oil for our benefit!
Most of us are aware that sugar is the culprit for a host of problems such as obesity, degenerative diseases, alcoholism, depression, behavioral problems, kidney disease, atherosclerosis, cancer, learning disabilities, heart disease and endocrine dysfunction, to name a few. As our consumption of refined carbohydrates has increased so have our diseases. In my quest to find more beneficial companions, I have struggled to understand the truth about sweet substances. Sugar is sugar is sugar—that’s what I always heard. What is the difference between honey, molasses, brown sugar, sucanat, fructose, raw sugar, etc? This is much more than I can fit into a paragraph and would be well worth you doing the research yourself. Want an interesting read? Try ‘Sugar Blues’ by William Duffy. “Nourishing Traditions” also has an enormous amount of information regarding the subject. Saying ‘sugar is sugar is sugar’ is like calling all flour the same. We know that whole wheat flour (better yet, fresh ground whole wheat flour) is a completely different product than refined white flour, even though they both can honestly be labeled as ‘wheat flour’. Yes, they both came from a wheat berry — but the process is everything. It is the same for sugar. Sugar cane and beets are both plants with vitamins, fiber, minerals and all the living stuff that all plants are made of. The process they undergo to refine them strips them of all that is alive and real. In fact, sugar is not just ‘empty’ calories; it is actually ‘negative’ calories. In order for the body to digest refined sugar it becomes depleted of its own store of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. While it is true that all sweeteners will have a similar effect on the endocrine system in large amounts, some do retain their natural composition and are a source of vitamins and minerals, thereby not draining our reserves in order to digest them. Raw honey, maple syrup, stevia powder, date sugar, molasses, sorghum syrup and evaporated cane sugar would be in this category. I recently experimented with a 25 pound bag of evaporated cane sugar juice. It is a bit darker and coarser than the fully refined white sugar and a tad bit less sweet, but it does a great job in all the places I normally use sugar. I learned to substitute honey in many recipes, but sometimes it is not the man for the job. Evaporated cane juice gives the same texture and flavor to baked goods and works great in making ice cream, jellies and jams. It still needs to be used in moderation, but I think you will find it to be a great substitute for the health robbing sugar crystal. And remember, if you are really craving something sweet — go to the Word of God.
How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103
COCONUT OIL - The immensity of modern myths concerning dietary fat has left my noggin spinning! For years I have muddled through popular research articles and books and arranged our diets for the greatest benefit. So I thought. The last few years we have turned our pantry contents 180 degrees due to vast amounts of convincing facts, a few I would like to share here. I exchanged our colossal bottles of vegetable oils for butter, olive oil and coconut oil. The harsh extraction processing of oils includes high heat (230 degrees), enormous pressures and chemical solvents. These processes render oils harmful and load them with trans fatty acids and free radicals. The saturated fat I so diligently avoided has actually proven to have many health benefits (ask the much healthier generations before us). Coconut oil is full of lauric acid (the only other large supplier is mother’s milk) and has antifungal and antimicrobial properties. Tropical oils (palm and coconut) are very stable and have a long shelf life — a good property for Alaskans. Coconut oil is two-thirds medium chain fatty acids, which are absorbed directly from the blood stream (not packed on the hips) for quick energy. It does not cause heart disease — put the blame on white sugar where it belongs! As I read and became more convinced by the obvious signs around me, I started to search for good sources. It was a discouraging process as there are few choices to be found and the prices are exorbitant. Wholy Living is very pleased to be a good quality source of coconut oil at a fraction of supermarket prices. If you are interested in more info regarding fat/health/nutrition and the benefits of coconut oil, I would, once again, recommend the book “Nourishing Traditions” or do a web search — most likely you will suddenly appreciate our amazing coconut oil prices.
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6
Do you want to know God? You will find Him revealed in His Word, the Bible. Hebrews 11:6 states, “. . . He that cometh to God must believe . . . that he is a rewarder of them that DILIGENTLY seek him.” Reading more of God’s Word and spending more time with Him in Prayer is the key. We cannot know God without spending time with Him. The Bible not only reveals the mind of God and gives us direction and answers for life and happiness both for this life and life hereafter, we must not forget that the privilege to hold it in our hands came at the sacrifice of many peoples’ lives in writing it, translating it, and printing it. The more I read, the more I cherish God’s Word. Since God created and designed us, we need to follow His instruction manual. No other volume compares to it in any way. The Bible is a supernatural book. It has power to transform lives, attitudes, and hearts because its Author lives in each born-again, blood-washed saint to guide, fill, and EMPOWER to walk “in newness of life.”
What can be said about the Bible is endless, but this little quote says a whole lot in as concise a manner as I have seen. It deserves our thoughtful meditation and praise to the Almighty.
THE BIBLE
The Bible reveals the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true and its decisions are unchangeable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, the Christian’s charter. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened in judgment, and will be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor, and condemns all who trifle with its holy contents. Read II Timothy 3:16-17: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”