Ingredients:
1 1/8 c . warm water
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
3 T. corn syrup
3 c. bread flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 quarts water
1/2 cup baking soda
garlic salt

Directions:
Mix 1 1/8 cup water with yeast and allow to sit. Put in mixing bowl and add corn syrup. Mix in flour and salt. Knead for about 5 minutes in mixer. Now place in a large greased bowl and let it rise until double (about one hour). Punch dough down and divide dough into eight balls. Roll each ball into a 20 inch rope; form into pretzel shape and place on cookie sheet. Let rise about 5 minutes. In a saucepan, bring the 2 quarts of water and baking soda to a boil. Drop pretzels into boiling water, two at a time; boil for 10-15 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon or spatula and place on a clean towel. Place pretzels on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake at 415 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Spritz or lightly brush with water or reconstituted powdered butter. Sprinkle with garlic salt and serve warm. Makes 8 pretzels. Try other flavors like cinnamon sugar, coarse salt, parmesan, etc.

Special Notes:
These are a family food storage favorite. I make up extra dough and keep it in the freezer so I can make them anytime. Best served fresh.

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So this Thanksgiving we concocted a sneaky plan …

Two Innocent-Looking Pumpkin Cake Batters

One is made with 100% fresh ground whole wheat flour, the other is made with store-bought white flour. (Hint, white flour is on the left)

Can You Tell the Difference?

The whole wheat cake (right) was a little darker. The white flour cake (left) rose a little higher. We are thinking we could probably add a little more leavening to the recipe to get the whole wheat to rise equally.

The Finished Products!

Our beautiful cakes were a hit at our Thanksgiving party at our Aunt Irene’s house, even though we somehow ended up with about 8 different desserts there. Gotta love Thanksgiving!

The Results???

Jodi made sure to serve up a slice of the WHOLE WHEAT CAKE to her dad. He commented that the cake was really delicious. We asked him if it tasted different and he said no. He wasn’t too happy when we gleefully told him it was made with whole wheat flour. Everyone else in the family raved over it too. This is a family favorite recipe so they would have known if something was off. We both tested a small piece of each of the cakes and felt like we could MAYBE taste a slight difference but if we weren’t eating them side by side you would NEVER know. Yay!

The Pumpkin Cake Recipe

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 2/3 c. sugar
1 c. cooking oil
1 large can pumpkin
2 c. flour (whole wheat works GREAT)
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp. soda

Frosting:
6 oz. cream cheese
3/4 c. butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Beat eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin. Stir in dry ingredients. Mix well. Bake for 30-35 minutes in a 9×13 ungreased pan. Mix together frosting ingredients and pour on top. EAT AND ENJOY!

p.s. Just for fun, check out the disaster that occurred at Jodi’s house during the event. Gotta love little “helpers”!

   

Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe:

Ingredients:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk (1/2 T. vinegar + 1/2 c. milk* and let sit for about 1 min.)

*You may also substitute this for powdered milk

Directions:

Combine all dry ingredients. Cut in butter. Stir in the buttermilk until the dough is moist. Knead 6-8 times on a floured surface. Pat out to about 1 inch in thickness. Cut with a biscuit cutter or glass rim. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 375 F for 17-18 minutes or until lightly browned.

Recipe adapted from one found on allrecipes.com

Homemade Mac ‘N’ Cheese (w/ grains and powdered milk)

Ingredients:
1 lb macaroni noodles (BabyStep 5 : Grains)
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour (BabyStep 5 : Grains)
1 c. milk (or 1 c. water, 3 T. powdered milk)
1 tsp. seasoned salt
cheese cubes (optional)
ham cubes (optional)

Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Melt butter in large saucepan. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Slowly stir in milk until well mixed in. Add seasoned salt. Let cook for a little while until it starts to thicken. Add in the macaroni noodles. Add in a little more milk if it seems too thick. Can add more seasoned salt according to your family’s tastes. Add ham and cheese cubes right before serving.

Homemade Mac ‘N’ Cheese (w/ legumes and powdered milk)

Ingredients:
3 c. of macaroni noodles
5 T. of lima or other white bean flour (BabyStep 6 : Legumes)
1 c. of water
3/4 c. milk (or 3/4 c. water 2 T. powdered milk)
2 tsp. seasoned salt
cheese cubes (optional)
ham cubes (optional)

Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Grind 1/4 c. of white beans in your wheat grinder to make about 5 T. of bean flour. Put 1 c. of water in large saucepan. Slowly whisk in ground bean flour. Continue to whisk frequently until starts to thicken and bubble. Slowly stir in milk until it’s a nice thickish liquid consistency. Add seasoned salt (the bean version tends to need more than the flour/butter version). Add in the macaroni noodles. Add in a little more milk if it seems too thick. Add ham and cheese cubes right before serving.

Confession time … While the bean flour version is still good (and my kids snarfed it up just like usual), I could actually tell a difference in this recipe. I prefer the fattening version, surprise surprise. hehe. But the bean flour version is a very good substitute and can save a TON of calories and fat!