Local Mill

How many times have you said I wish there was a local mill close to me? OK so everyone has a different dream.

For those interested there is a "working water powered grist mill" in Rogers, Arkansas by the name of War Eagle Mill, https://wareaglemill.com/. I would love to get away one weekend and visit this place, hint hint Daniel. It even has an attached restaurant called The Bean Palace. Bags of stone ground flour and hot bean soup what more could you want?
So this mill grinds their own stone ground flours that they sell at the mill or online. The flours that I have tried have been fresh and I've had good results baking with them. This place even bags their flour in cloth sacks! How cool is that? They're sturdy and colorful. You can reuse them maybe for giftwrap. Additionally their shipping costs are affordable. So if you're looking for a local, affordable source for stone ground flours try War Eagle Mill.

Use what you're paying for!

Yeah Uncle Sam is a little intense I know. I want to let my friends know about the wonderful tool we have available from the government. This is the USDA database at: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/.

This is a great tool that I use all the time. You can put in a food (ex. oatmeal) and choose from the list given. Then you select the portion and you get a very complete list of what's in the food (vitamin, fat, fiber...). No every food you can buy isn't listed but many foods are. I use this to help me decide what ingredients I want to use (ex. is there a big difference between stone rolled organic oats and old fashioned steel rolled oats).

And you can use it to search for foods rich in a certain nutrient (iron, calcium...). Did you know that clams are the food most nutrient dense in iron? This is a great resource, most nutrition analysis programs use this database. Your tax dollars pay for it might as well use it!

Daily soapbox: Meat Thermometer

OK so when I check my daily nutrition news this is what I see: food poisoning, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/22/AR2008012200349_2.html. This article is pretty scary, it is about long term affects of food poisoning. Arthritis, kidney failure, and paralysis are very serious.

I knew about many of them b/c of my lab background. After seeing the picture from the clinical laboratory and then food prep side I know that food poisoning is nothing to play with. Most chicken in the grocery store has Campylobacter that is a fact. I don't remember the percentage of Salmonella contamination but it is "normal flora" in chickens. After processing sometimes some nasty Salmonella will be shrink wrapped with the chicken you take home from the store. And we all hear about the ground beef recalls due to E.coli.


Believe me I'm not saying to avoid buying meat. The easiest way to check if something is done is to get a reliable meat thermometer and cook your meat to the recommended temperatures. Once I got ours I wished I had bought one a long time ago. If you don't get a thermometer you will either undercook your meat and risk possible infection or overcook it and eat dry meat like we used to do. And little holes from the probe of the thermometer are far preferable to slashing the meat to see if it's done (also like we did pre-thermometer days). We use the CDN DTQ450 ProAccurate Quick Tip Thermometer, it is digital- 10 seconds to give a temp & is accurate. It runs about $20. If you want to spend more there is the $95 thermapen, it gives a 3 second readout and is also accurate (I reserve this one for my bread, but it would work for meat). I know you're thinking I don't want to fool with that, but it really is easier and will give you piece of mind about serving that hamburger or chicken.

Here's a link to a government site about recommended cooking temps: meat http://www.fsis.usda.gov/is_it_done_yet/. Use your common sense: wash hands after handling meat, use separate cutting boards for meat, and wash contaminated surfaces with hot soapy water.

Coffee & Miscarriages

I know my female friends out there probably already know what I'm talking about. Certainly we have all heard that when you're pregnant you should avoid caffeine or at least limit it. Why is this? Well when I was in nutrition school they told us that high caffeine consumption is linked to increased miscarriage risk. The recommendation given is to limit caffeine to 2 cups of coffee or less per day. And I kinda thought, big deal everyone should be able to cut their caffeine that much.

Well today I read that there is a study that correlates moderate caffeine consumption with miscarriages. Here the article: caffeine http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22718279/. Like every other study, this one study is not confirmative and they need to do more research. But it does cast some doubt to the old ≤ 2 cup rule. Moms to be that I know will do anything for their baby, so I imagine with a possibility of danger most would cut caffeine all together. I probably would too.

Snow Barley

OK so Saturday morning we had a little bit of snow. The fact that it wasn't cold enough for it to stick and it turned into slush didn't stop us from introducing our puppy to the snow. Our friends and family know what a scaredy doggy Barley is so I wasn't sure what he would do. He liked it so much he ate it, not surprising to anyone that has a dog I'm sure. Eating foreign matter (deadly or not) seems instinctive to dogs:)

Chocolate good for you?

Some scientist somewhere is always trying to spoil our fun. According to an article I read today chocolate consumption may have a negative affect on bone strength. Chocolate is a link to the article: http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=82549-osteoporosis-flavonols.

My personal take on this is:
- they need to do more studies
- eat a balanced diet with plenty of sources of calcium (especially dairy)
- don't eat too much chocolate (duh- not a balanced diet)

As for me, I eat plenty of calcium rich food and enjoy my chocolate. Those who know me well could tell you how unlikely it is that I will give up my chocolate!

Chocolate good for you?

Some scientist somewhere is always trying to spoil our fun. According to an article I read today chocolate consumption may have a negative affect on bone strength. Chocolate is a link to the article: http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=82549-osteoporosis-flavonols.

My personal take on this is:
- they need to do more studies
- eat a balanced diet with plenty of sources of calcium (especially dairy)
- don't eat too much chocolate (duh- not a balanced diet)

I eat plenty of calcium rich food and enjoy my chocolate. Those who know me well could tell you how unlikely it is that I will give up my chocolate!

Carrot allergies....

So when my husband tells me he's "allergic" to vegetables maybe he is telling the truth. According to this article anyway: allergies http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/2007/12/11/a-pesky-allergy-to-fruit-and-vegetables.html

I have never heard of this allergy. Apparently fruit & vegetable proteins mimic the pollen proteins (ragweed, birch...) that people are allergic to & cause them to have a mild but uncomfortable reaction like hives. Although the article mentions that if too much of the offending fruit or vegetable is eaten at once a serious reaction can occur. The article also gives some great tips for being able to eat the vegetable or fruit: peeling them or microwaving them for a short amount of time.

Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, lettuce) berries, and tropical fruits usually don't cause this problem. So allergies to cauliflower or cabbage are convenient, but not likely. Since Daniel doesn't have pollen allergies I'm not sure he can use this excuse.

Playing With Yer Food

http://bentobjects.blogspot.com/

Some are food related, some are not. All are clever.

What's a wheat berry? And what about farro?

My loyal customers would say, "Elizabeth's whole wheat bread with the nutty little grains in it".

Now I like this basic picture provided by our friends at Mypyramid.gov. I may add your tax dollars are paying for this site so might as well make use of it. There is a more detailed illustration at this website: www.mainebread.com for those food nerds like me who want to know more.

So the wheat berry is the fruit of the wheat grass that we use to make bread, cookies, pilafs, ect... And if you use the entire grain without removing the germ and the bran then you have "a whole grain" product.

So my Wheatberry bread is 100% wholegrain just like all of my breads, but it is unique in that it has roasted farro berries added to the dough. Farro is variety of the ancient grain spelt. I have written about spelt in my post Crisp mornings, pumpkins & cranberries . For more information about spelt check out this page from one of my suppliers: www.ansonmills.com/farro.htm. So I should call this bread farro berry, but being most people don't know what farro is I think Wheatberry is ok. My wheatberry is an excellent everyday bread. It rises very well (for a whole grain bread), has a lightly sweetened whole grain flavor. The roasted farro berries are sweet (less bitter than our modern wheat), slightly smoky, and nutty. It is a popular bread and one I always try to have on hand.

Ingredients: Ingredients: organic stone-ground whole wheat flour, water, roasted farro (spelt) berries, buttermilk powder, orange juice, Mississippi honey, molasses, canola oil, butter, egg white, salt, yeast

Is butter really bad for you?

So I check some food blogs daily and I am just blown away with how proficient the authors are at updating their sites! I do good to put one entry per week. One of my New Year's resolutions was to be better at blogging.

So I often check the nutrition news, and if I run across something interesting I think I may post it here:)

BUTTER http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22116724/



So this article is one of the best I've run across in awhile. It makes many good points. I'm not shocked b/c in "nutrition school" we were taught to look at research and be ready to change the advice we give people. Our knowledge of the world around us is not static. Personally being a Christian I have had a hard time believing that butter, cheese, and meat are to be totally avoided. We say that God's creation is good, so why would he give us food that is "bad". Now I'm not saying to eat only saturated fat laden foods, but they can fit into a well balanced diet between fruit, veggies, and of course WHOLE GRAINS! If you want to comment after reading it go ahead!

Christmas Gifts

I hope all of my friends and customers have had a wonderful holiday season. The holidays are a fun and busy time. I always feel like I'm in a whirlwind.

I like many people ate too many rich foods, but I guess that's kind of what happens this time of year. Now it's time to get back on the track of healthy eating. I have been inspired to return to my friends fruits and especially neglected vegetables by my new cookbook Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld.



I have in the past been skeptical about "sneaky pea" cookbooks. That is hiding vegetables in cakes to get people to eat them. I mean there is something to be said about eating a food in it's natural form, texture intact. And vegetables cooked correctly are really delicious. BUT, after almost 2 years of marriage I can really understand the value of this cookbook. I love vegetables and fruits, but my dear husband does not. No he doesn't hate them, but it is rare that he eats his daily recommended servings of veggies and fruits. So I would recommend this book highly for those of you out there that like to cook.

Pros of this book:
1. The recipes look delicious (we have tried the zucchini & shiitake burgers- our friends liked them too)
2. Vegetables go down better for non-vegetable lovers as part of mac n' cheese, muffins, ect.
3. The purees Jessica recommends can be frozen- great for times that you don't have fresh produce in the fridge

Cons of this book:
1. The purees will take some time to prepare & some planning to have vegetable on hand

Winter Break

Well I know I'm a bit early for this post, but I wanted to catch any new customers that may receive a Christmas gift from Hearth Leaven Loaves. The last Belhaven Market of 2007 is Dec 22nd. The market will reopen in April. I know some of the vendors will be glad to have a little break. I will too, in fact I already have some home projects lined up for my "off time". And I have many things I could do for HLL (spruce the website up, work on a new display....) Oh and my very devoted husband would love to have some time away on Saturday for a change!

If anyone wants to order from me you can email me from this website, there is a link on the left side of the page. I will be glad to bake bread, cookies, cakes, biscotti, etc. for you while the Market is off.

We have 2 markets left so come and see me.

The Holidays are Here!!!!

Ok, so where is the gingerbread mans foot? Everyone knows that food pictures are supposed to be perfect- you've heard the lengths the industry goes to (glue for milk to look thick...) Well I am a baker not a professional photographer, and my dear husband just doesn't always have time to help me.

Well this time of year like everyone else I've been shopping, wrapping presents, getting our Christmas card together. And I have been very busy baking. I didn't take the time to take a pic of my cute gingerbread men & St. Nicholas's until after the market was over and my poor leftover guys had been ridden around in the truck, and exposed to 80˚ Mississippi December weather. So his foot fell off and who could blame him.

I promise if you come to see me at the market I will sell you an intact gingerbread man or St. Nicholas. And I'll try to get some pictures of St. Nicholas up too! They are very cute, for more information about fun St. Nicholas activities I found this website: www.thestnicholascenter.org.

My yummy & cute gingerbread men are made from whole wheat & whole oat flour, without refined sweeteners except for the icing. They are as healthy as I could get gingerbread men and are kid tested & approved (adults like them too!).

Ingredients: dough (whole wheat flour, cage free organic eggs, succanat, organic blackstrap molasses, organic raw cane sugar, butter, whole oat flour, canola oil, fresh ginger, lemon & orange zest, spices, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar), icing (powdered sugar, pasteurized egg whites, organic vegetable dyes), dark chocolate decorative pearls

For all the Health Nuts: Kauai Sunshine Mix

Ok I'll let you in on a secret. I am really a health nut, and the greatest proof of this is my homemade yogurt. Fresh plain yogurt maybe with some fruit or granola on top is one of my favorite snacks. Hmmm backup, granola- full of healthy grains, nuts and maybe some dried fruit.

Well I had been kicking around making granola and I decided to go for it when some customers requested it. I love my bread, but granola goes better with yogurt. The ingredients: lime, coconut, honey, mango, and banana chips remind me of the fresh foods I saw at a Kauai farmers market! The other ingredients make for a wholesome snack. Come and try some and if you want I'll tell you how to make yogurt:)

Ingredients: rolled oat flakes, rolled barley flakes, MS honey, unsulfured banana chips, organic dried unsulfured mango, unhulled sesame seeds, pecans, wheat germ, organic cocoa nibs, flax seed, coconut flakes, canola oil, nonfat dried milk powder, powdered lime, salt

Let me help you out this Thanksgiving!

That's right it's almost Thanksgiving, in fact 2 weeks from today most of us will be quite stuffed by this time:)

There's alot that goes into preparing a big meal like Thankgiving dinner, and I know most of us are busy people. If you don't have time to bake your own rolls this year and want a step up from the grocery store variety (in taste & nutrition) come & see me. I will be at the Belhaven Market selling frozen brown & serve Wheatberry rolls this weekend and next weekend. These rolls are based on my popular Wheatberry bread, with a few additions to make them tastier and more tender for a holiday occasion!

Here are the ingredients: organic stone-ground whole wheat flour, water, roasted spelt berries, buttermilk powder, Mississippi honey, eggs, orange juice, molasses, canola oil, butter, egg white, salt, yeast

Email me if you would like me to reserve a pan for you!

Italian Sun Dried Tomato Bread

This bread isn't brand new, I'm just getting around to writing about it. Isn't that picture gorgeous? Of course I have my dear husband to thank for it.

The bread is really that nice. It is a very moist dough, so it makes a nice springy flat bread. The flavor is great, rich thanks to the olive oil and sun-dried tomatoes but also smooth due to the white whole wheat flour that gives it a nice golden hue.

Ingredients: Organic stone-ground white whole wheat flour, water, sun dried tomatoes, olive oil, nonfat dry milk, salt, yeast

Daniel & I have really enjoyed this bread; it makes a delicious sandwich, a great pizza, and it delicious by itself as a dinner bread.

Come by the market Saturday and try it for yourself.

New Dairy & Egg Free Cake & A Favorite Bread

Some of you are asking why take out the good stuff. And being a baker I know what dairy & eggs contribute to baked goods. However I have some customers with allergies and those that just try to avoid those ingredients for other reasons. Even though I am not baking these products with dairy & eggs I do use them in my kitchen so for someone with a serious allergy don't chance it. So my egg & dairy free products are Vegan Chocolate Mint Cake & Mississippi sourdough.

Vegan Chocolate Mint Baby Cake
Some of you may have heard of a wacky cake, it is a cake some of our grandmothers, mothers, or maybe you baked during the depression when rationing was common. I took a wacky cake recipe switched the white flour for spelt flour, and added a dark chocolate mint glaze.

Ingredients: organic stone-ground whole spelt flour, organic raw cane sugar, water, vinegar, canola oil, cocoa powder, baking soda, powdered vanilla, salt




Mississippi Sourdough
This bread has such of a simple ingredient list, but don't underestimate it! Beneath the crisps crusts of this hearth loaf this bread is full of tangy sourdough flavor. For those watching calories, this whole bread has no sugar or fat but tons of taste.

Ingredients: organic stone-ground whole wheat flour, water, sourdough (organic stone-ground whole rye flour, water, yeast), salt, yeast

MS state fair & Breadcrumbs

So what does the MS state fair have to do with breadcrumbs? Well I'm sure lots of people had fun at the fair last weekend, at any rate they did not come to the Belhaven market. I'm blaming the fair for the small crowds at the market Saturday. So I was blessed with an overflow of delicious homemade whole grain bread and more than my family could eat in a week!

My friend Paul, New Orleans Restaurant veteran & vendor of fabulous stuffed breads, suggested I make breadcrumbs. Well who would buy breadcrumbs from me when they could just go to the grocery store & buy a huge can for $1.50 or whatever the price is? I will tell you why you should come to the Belhaven market & buy my breadcrumbs.

1. They are delicious- the old idea of good ingredients make yummy meals- hearty delicious whole grain bread crumbs lightly seasoned with italian herbs are a great start to oven baked chicken, crab cakes, etc.

2. My breadcrumbs are fresh & superior to that can of breadcrumbs at the grocery store that has been on that shelf for months!

3. They are better for you- you are what you eat, why not get a serving of whole grains from that oven fried chicken?

So come by my stand & see me Saturday and get some breadcrumbs or a loaf of bread! And if you buy some breadcrumbs I'll give you my favorite recipes that use my yummy breadcrumbs.

Crisp mornings, pumpkins & cranberries

I hope that all of you out there have been enjoying the cooler weather we have had lately. I personally love it! My husband and I walk our spoiled rotten westie every morning; amazing how motivating a puppy can be (walk the dog or have him wreak havoc in the house hmm...) So we have all been enjoying the pleasant morning temperatures, especially the very furry puppy!

So the cooler temps have me thinking about autumn meals. What is more autumnish than pumpkins & cranberries? I love pumpkin anyway, ask my husband about how I sneak a can in mac & cheese, chili, etc. It is so mild flavored no one will ever know, and you're adding vegetables!



Ok enough of the sneaky vegetable discussion. I'm adding a new item to my line up. Pumpkin cranberry spelt baby cakes Let me break that down, I started with a pumpkin bread and swapped whole spelt flour for wheat flour and the baby cakes refers to the mini bundt cake pan I bake them in. Now even though I'm calling this a "cake" it is much healthier than the standard cake. There is more pumpkin in this recipe than most other pumpkin breads, as a result the texture is moist & creamy. I cut down the amount of sugar to have a lightly sweetened cake, but not a toothache. The fat is primarily canola oil with a little bit of butter. There are yummy spices to lightly flavor but not overpower the mild taste of the pumpkin. Oh yeah other healthy stuff like cranberries & flax seeds (a great source of omega 3's that doesn't taste fishy!) What about the spelt? Well I have had several customers request spelt yeast breads & I have stayed away because of the difficulty of making a yeast bread with entirely spelt flour- it doesn't rise as well. Whole spelt flour is great in quickbreads (cakes, muffins...), it is more tender than whole wheat & has a milder flavor. Although it has gluten, people with gluten intolerance may be able to handle spelt. This is a good list of facts about spelt, there is plenty of information out there.

My reason for wanting to include spelt in my lineup of goods is to increase the diversity of ingredients I bake with. With any diet it is best to have variety (of good nutritious choices of course). Spelt has advantages over oatmeal and vice versa depending upon the nutrient.

Ingredients: organic stone-ground whole spelt flour, pumpkin, sucanat, organic raw cane sugar, cage free eggs, water, canola oil, flax seed, egg whites, butter, dried buttermilk powder, cake spice, baking soda, salt, powdered vanilla


Most importantly my Pumpkin cranberry spelt baby cakes are yummy! So please come try some, I'll be at the market Sat, October 6th.