I’ve has been experimenting with whole wheat bread [...]]]> The difference IS describable! This just in from Jim, one of our organic flour customers: “Baked my first loaf with the Unbleached Wheat on Wednesday and got raves from all taste testers to date.  They noted the “difference” and it was positive; best described as a smooth and hearty taste.”

I’ve has been experimenting with whole wheat bread recipes to replicate the homemade bread my grandmother (Anna) used to bake. I used a combination of white and whole wheat flours, local sweet clover honey, and our Roasted Wheat cereal for even more whole wheat flavor, and I think I just may have nailed it! Read on for the recipe.

Whole Wheat Bread

1 7/8 cups water
2 tsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. honey
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups GBO Unbleached Wheat Flour
1/2 cup COTW Roasted Wheat Cereal
1 Tbsp. kosher salt (or 1 1/2 tsp. table salt)

Grease 2 loaf pans with spray oil. Mix and knead dough in bread machine, heavy-duty mixer, or by hand. Cover and let rest for 1 hour or so. Dump dough onto an oiled surface and cut in half. Working with one piece at a time, gently shape into somewhat of a square or rectangle and then pull both long ends in toward center, sealing and tucking ends in. Roll over so the seam side is down and gently work into the shape of your loaf pan; place dough in pan. If you haven’t deflated the dough too much, this process should take only a few seconds. Repeat with second piece, cover pans and let rise for 1 1/2 hours. Remove cover and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Immediately turn bread out from pans and let cool on wire rack. Yield: 2 loaves.

And we’re borrowing Jim’s holiday sentiment to pass along to each of you:

Wishing You All The Best This Holiday Season. You’ve made for a Grand One here!

~Alicia and Susan

What a perfect meal – the SMOOTHIE! I’ve been experimenting with ingredients: almonds, flax seed, wheat berries, Cream of the West Roasted Wheat and Roasted Ranch Oats, yogurt, buttermilk, fruit, vegetables…and the list goes on. (I haven’t actually tried vegetables yet, but wouldn’t a sweet carrot or garden-fresh cucumber be good?)

Yesterday’s concoction included: a tablespoon of [...]]]>

What a perfect meal – the SMOOTHIE! I’ve been experimenting with ingredients: almonds, flax seed, wheat berries, Cream of the West Roasted Wheat and Roasted Ranch Oats, yogurt, buttermilk, fruit, vegetables…and the list goes on. (I haven’t actually tried vegetables yet, but wouldn’t a sweet carrot or garden-fresh cucumber be good?)

Yesterday’s concoction included: a tablespoon of brown flax seed, a small handful of whole almonds, and a spoonful of soft white wheat berries all ground together in the bottom of the blender. I added three big spoonfuls of vanilla yogurt, some frozen cherries and blueberries, buttermilk to thin, and a couple ice cubes to keep the whole thing frozen…YUM! (Did you know that buttermilk is a really great compliment to yogurt?)

So get busy creating your own favorite combinations for a quick and satisfying breakfast – or start with our basic recipe for Flaxseed and Berry Smoothie. And keep watch on our website for the introduction of our new line of organic grains and flours. You’ll find us to be a unique source for everything you need for the healthiest (and tastiest) of smoothies!

      Once upon a time there was a US airman who went into an ancient tomb and gathered a handful of precious grain from a stone box [...]]]> Today I thought I should tell you a story about one of our grains, Kamut. Hold on to your pants ‘cause this might be too crazy for you too handle.

      Once upon a time there was a US airman who went into an ancient tomb and gathered a handful of precious grain from a stone box in the ancient place of Dashare, Egypt. He took thirty-six kernels of the Kamut grain and sent it to his friend who then mailed the kernel to his father, a Montana wheat farmer. The wheat endured the ocean and the tough terrain of America to the house of the Montana wheat farmer. This farmer was overwhelmed with his great wealth of wheat and did what any Montana farmer would do: he harvested a small crop and displayed the grain as a new innovation at the local fair. Since the belief was still that this “giant” grain kernel was taken from an Egyptian tomb, they dubbed the grain, “King Tut’s Wheat”.  Not long after its brief moment of fame, the grain became forgotten.

Many years later, in 1977, Mark Quinn, another Montana wheat farmer, discovered the remaining jar of the Kamut grain. Mark’s son, Bob, was an agricultural scientist/biochemist so together they researched this “unique” grain. The Quinns discovered that kamut originated in the “fertile crescent” area which runs from Egypt to the Tigris-Euphrates valley.

THE END

Well too bad I won’t end this like a real story since it’s a blog,  in stead  I will  leave you with some food for thought…of course I mean literally! Check out the 100% organic Kamut flakes that we have for sale at Cream of the West.  They’ll be in the Green Barn section.  Kamut, plus all of our other products, are very healthy for you and might possibly inspire some thoughts!  If so, write back and tell me your blog story.

Violet Noel

On a lovely Christmas morning, Assistant Plant Manager Stacy felt the pangs of labor, alerted Tom, loaded the car with daughter Karrigan in tow, and headed out for the 90 mile trip to her mid-wife in Billings. In the vicinity of mile marker 143 [...]]]> Wow…what a busy December/January we’ve been having at Cream of the West…

Violet Noel

On a lovely Christmas morning, Assistant Plant Manager Stacy felt the pangs of labor, alerted Tom, loaded the car with daughter Karrigan in tow, and headed out for the 90 mile trip to her mid-wife in Billings. In the vicinity of mile marker 143 (not quite halfway to their destination), on the side of the road, baby Violet decided to make her entrance. With Karrigan on the phone with 911, instructing Tom how to cut the cord, a new life began! Violet’s birth certificate in fact notes Mile Marker 143 as her place of birth, and appropriately, her as yet undecided middle name became Noel. No Kidding! Welcome Violet Noel and congratulations Stacy and Tom – and sisters and brother Kareneka, Karrigan, and Kaden!

Remodel

January brings a bit of chaos to the Cream of the West facilities in the form of a slight remodel. Once finished, our newly arranged plant will allow us the necessary divisions to offer Montana organics. So stay tuned for the introduction of our new line of organic grains and flours! Plant Manager Bobby has been busy with our local contractor moving some doors and adding a wall, and he and Billy have been moving some obsolete machinery to an offsite storage facility. We’ve purchased some new equipment and look forward to our newly refurbished plant and final inspection!

Cinnamon Rolls

It’s decided to snow this morning here in the Harlowton/Two Dot area, and what better weather for fresh, homemade cinnamon rolls! I make the dough in my bread machine, let it rise in the machine for an additional half hour or so (until I’m ready), fill, roll out and slice, raise and bake, and – presto – yummy cinnamon rolls for a wintry morning! See our website for a simple sweet dough recipe.

Until next time…

Health Related Articles

Lots of stuff going on at Cream of the West. Our new Office Manager, Liane, is a total quick-study and is getting our office back into ship-shape condition. Mikey has joined Stacy the last few weeks to help make another 2,500 pounds of backpack crunch, to be distributed to students by the Montana Food Bank [...]]]> COTW Happenings

Lots of stuff going on at Cream of the West. Our new Office Manager, Liane, is a total quick-study and is getting our office back into ship-shape condition. Mikey has joined Stacy the last few weeks to help make another 2,500 pounds of backpack crunch, to be distributed to students by the Montana Food Bank Network. Bobby has been busy studying possible machine upgrades and building redesigns. And Alicia and I have been catching up!

Did you know?

As it turns out, breakfast cereal had its origins because of the vegetarian movement of the mid-1800’s. The first commercially successful cereal was manufactured in Akron, Ohio, and made from oats.

Granola got its roots from a biscuit made of ground-up wheat, oats, and cornmeal, invented in 1877 by John Harvey Kellogg. That beginning led to the founding of the Kellogg Company in 1906. Within three years the new company had sold their millionth case of the ever popular “Kellogg’s Corn Flakes”.

In the 20’s the push began to target children. With the refinement of the flour to reduce fiber and the addition of sugar to add sweetness, the new breakfast cereals looked starkly different from their original purpose.

Muesli is a breakfast cereal based on rolled oats, dried fruit, and nuts, developed in the early 1900’s by a Swiss physician for his patients. Hot cereals are cereal grains made palatable by soaking or boiling to soften, and sweetened during or after the cooking process with honey, syrup, or sugar.

Interesting that the breakfast cereal trend has come full circle – back to the desire for 100% all-natural whole grains, like Cream of the West hot cereals and Montana Crunch!