SOURDOUGH BREAD & The Power in the Sourdough

100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

I've got a new-to-me whole wheat sourdough bread recipe that unlike

the recipe I've sold at Farmer's Markets all over east Tennessee  doesn't use any white flour. I'm still amazed at its simplicity, as I worked months to master my old recipe! The hogs REALLY enjoyed the flawed dough, and my men folk go to great lengths at times to describe the scene! (Though now I know the problem was immature starter!)

After almost 40 years of making whole wheat bread with yeast, I stand amazed each time I stir in my lil' bubbly sourdough starter and it begins to work.

The 5 hour resting period pre-digests the portion of the wheat that makes it difficult for some people to enjoy eating bread. In so doing it lowers the carb count of this bread! Low carb bread! (Plus a "zillioin" other benefits!)

This morning as I was reading and praying over Zechariah 4, when verse 6 rested in my heart to think about.

 "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith Jehovah of hosts."

The Spirit's sweet voice assured me of His prescence and power to complete that which He had begun in me. Like the sourdough starter supports the dough and grows it, His prescence in my life does the same! It's no great feat on my part...it's the power of God within!

When our weary self feels the sting of disappointment, striving daily to overcome our latest "challenges" we need to run to the Savior and allow the Spirit by faith to empower us. Only when we're still in His prescence, holding out all our wasted efforts to Him can we truly rest and be empowered to go on in His strength!

"Utterly abandoned!

O the rest is sweet,

As I tarry waiting,

At His blessed feet."

Unknown

12 of my 13 children!

We're nearing our "finish line" with the last 3 of our children at home.

So what does this look like for me, a Momma to 13 children and soon to be 12 grandchildren? My days, like yours are full ..being a helpmate to my husband as he renovates our home and moves the equipment off our old farm to our smaller one, home schooling 3 middle and high school children, planting spring crops, planting & maintaining over 50 plug flats of tiny seedlings, and MORE. 

It also takes in my attitudes in each of these things...my thoughts towards resistant sons, finishing our school year WELL, bare studded walls in my home and a makeshift sink...it's all about my attitude. When I hand it ALL to Jesus, He permeates me, empowers me, and lifts me up above my circumstances! I'm finding that's when I can ENJOY life...when my emotions don't rule, but the Spirit does! He makes each little advancement on the house a GIFT! (This morning I could rejoice over two sets of dangling wires being cut out of my kitchen! Did I have pretty counters yet or a baking center today? No, but the wires gone was a JOY!)

These wires have been dangling from the ceiling ever since we moved in in January. I had to "remove my emotions" from them with the Spirit's help.

Steve and Charity painted and put flooring down in her new room here on the lil' farm.

My kitchen is fully functional, but not renovated yet. My sink's "counter" though is made of packing materials from shipping my new sink! A frugal choice on the Farmer's part, but I pray it holds up till the new cabinets get made. 

When I was a young mother with 3 children, 3 and under, I hadn't learned many lessons about how my attitude/emotions could be under the control of the Holy Spirit. It was increasingly difficult to daily hold things together on my own. The Lord sent an older Titus 2 woman to pray with me on my front porch. She showed me the strength of praying the Psalms and of giving each moment of my day to the Lord. 

As the years passed and the Lord blessed us with more children (and teenagers) I often have to pray that the Lord will cover my emotions with His hand so I can continue to serve Him in my home.

 Things WILL NOT go as you and I plan in our day...in our week...in our school year...in our lives, BUT they will go in the direction God needs them to go to build our faith and make us more like His Son Jesus Christ. 

As He blessed me with more and more children He increasingly showed me that I could ENJOY the journey with Him if I would just let Him take over every aspect of my day.

2000 with the addition of my 10th child

So like the sourdough's power over the rest of the ingredients in my bread, the Holy Spirit's power and control over our life needs to be all encompassing. We can make it through this rough day and week! We can give Him our wishes, dreams, and expectations and see what He'll do with them...they won't be ours anymore! We can look at every problem or frustration in our lives as a lesson He's created for us to grow in. It's an exciting life! 

You'll be pleasant to be with (like the aroma of fresh bread baking!) to your family and friends. 

Give your life to the Lord and watch Him permeate every corner of it! You'll rise and give nourishment in your home, "just like" a fresh, warm loaf of sourdough bread!

Baking sourdough bread doesn't have to be complicated! 

This new recipe came from the Around the Family Table Cook Book by Glenda Groff, sourdough and low glycemic recipes for your whole family. Visit her website and try her even easier no-knead loaves!  They don't require hand kneading (perfect for busy Mommas!) or a heavy duty mixer. 

I have all the Trim Healty Mamma cook books, but it took Glenda's website and cookbook to help me make the THM "fit" us. Now we can eat just about anything I've always made (within reason) and fit them into a new low glycemic lifestyle. The Farmer bought Glenda's cook book for me Valentine's Day, and we've been exploring it ever since. 

HOME SCHOOL MOMENT FOR OLDER CHILDREN:

* If your family has a vision for healthier eating, order her cookbook, which comes with a free mature sour dough starter. Then let everyone pick a recipe to make that week. We did this and everyone had fun tyring out something new...from fried pickles (14 year old son) to pretzel dogs (12 year old daughter) to my baking of sourdough brownies! (Her sourdough recipes are great, but she also shares recipes for scrumptious sugar free cakes, satisfying main dishes, and even canning and freezing recipes. 

*Go to Glenda's website and follow her recipe for starting your own sourdough starter. This chemistry experiment is an ongoing exciting learning experience with ingredients in your pantry.

*Now I did say, "older children", but the best way for littles to learn is to jump in with the family! Allow them to watch, stir, count scoops of flour out loud, knead a small piece of dough to make their own loaf or even "cookies" like my little ones did. Guess what? They grew up to love baking and can make anything they put their minds to from about 10 years on up! 

 

This bread does take a heavy duty mixer, or about 10 minutes of hand kneading....a great lesson for home schoolers too! BUT if you are a newbie with sourdough, start with her no knead recipes! (I'll try and get permisson to share one with you soon!)

BASIC BREAD DOUGH

2 cups active sourdough starter

1 3/4 cups water

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon leithin, optional

1/4 cup dough enhancer OR 3 tablespoons vital wheat gluten

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

In mixer bowl, combine starter, water, butter, honey, lecithin, dough enhancer, and 2 cups flour. Mix until smooth. Add remaining flour in 1/4 cup increments until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Allow the dough to rest for about 20 minutes. Add salt and knead for 8-9 minutes. If dough is too sticky, add slightly more flour but dough should be soft and slightly tacky, not dry and stiff. Place in greased bowl turning dough to coat top. Cover and allow dough to proof for 5-6 hours or until nearly doubled in size. (She uses a large Tupperware bowl with lid, I use plastic wrap on a large bread bowl.)

Divide dough into two pieces. Shape into loaves and place in two well greased bread pans. If a round loaf is preferred, place on greased pie pan. Cover bread pans with greased plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2 hours. When dough has risen 1 1/2 inches above the pan, wet the blade of a sharp knife and slash each loave. Bake at 350 degrees for 28-30 minutes. 

   

This dough is very versatile! I've made pizza crusts, braided loaves, boulles, rolls and so much more from it. Give it a try!

Pizza Rolls for Movie Night!

Artisan Seeded Twisted Loaves

Unbaked & Rising Meal-in-a-Loaf

Cranberry Boulle

Sun Dried Tomato Twists

Sourdough Sesame Seed Rolls

Artisan French Loaves

Braided Loaves

Boulles

 Sticky Buns!

Pizza!

You can do this! Give it a try! If you have any questions, just comment below and I'll try and help you. I hear this phrase often as of late, "We're all in this together!" and we are! Stick around by subscribing, and we'll learn together! 

Are you interested in learning anything in particular about being a helpmeet, mother, or homemaker? Just drop me a note! 

Abundant Blessings,

The Farmer's Wife,

Val

CIVIL WAR PANCAKES & 10 Steps to "Packing and Preparing" When God Delays

Today I'm revisiting my personal journal and revising an entry I wrote on New Year's Day of this year. I like to journal the lessons God teaches me so I can go back and revisit them. Sometimes I see encouraging growth in my life, and sadly sometimes I see I've not surrendered to a lesson God is trying to teach me. I challenge you to try this! Later in our "Home School Moment" I'll share an old Civil War recipe with you that I'm excited about!  So here we go...back to non-virus days.

Have you ever felt God's hand of leadership, heard His voice in your spirit, or seen events all lined up in accordance to a whispered prayer? Then, as the months pass; maybe even years pass before God's plan in your life is fulfilled? I know the lessons of waiting...I'm learning them...

In Exodus 4, Moses stood barefoot before the burning bush where "the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush". Then God Himself spoke audibly to Moses. There was no way Moses could have missed God's will...the directions were clear, reassurance was given, and even proof was on his (Aaron) way out into the dessert to meet him! Moses KNEW God's will without a doubt!

Over the years when faced with a decison I've almost envied Moses at

this point in his life. God made His will plain without any room for

doubt. Have you been there with me? Desiring to know God's will we cry out in prayer seeking to know God's direction for our lives...When He does show us and we begin to act on His leadership,  we somehow expect things to line up so we can act on His direction then and there like Moses did. 

Moses came down from the mountain with the direction of God burning in his heart. He went straight to his authority, his father-in-law Jethro, and headed out as quickly as possible with his family to return to Egypt.

Back in Egypt God was giving clear direction to another man, Moses' older brother Aaron. He was directed to head out into the dessert to meet Moses, the answer to many generations of heartfelt prayers.  Can you picture that joyful reunion? The hope of deliverance overflowing in that kiss he gave his brother? I picture lots of hearty backslapping as they embraced! They both had heard God and KNEW His will. God's promise of deliverance was at hand!

Their first stop when arriving back in Egypt was a meeting with the elders. These men had heard former generations crying out in prayer and had taken up their cries themself as they felt the sting of bondage.  ...they were EXCITED to hear that God's time of liberation was at hand!

I've been there, and you probably have too. Our situations are FAR less dramatic, but intensely personal circumstances. One such time was when our family farm was in dire circumstances. We needed God's deliverance or live in financial bondage the rest of our lives. When God reassured us and gave us His direction I naively expected the timing would be much quicker than it was.

Part of our "deliverance" entailed selling our home farm. I even heard a

whisper of who needed the farm for 'their new beginning". When there was confirmation that we'd be moving SOON I began to plan and prepare. In fact I may not have planned step two and three but I was working on it before I knew it! 

For our famiy, release from our "bondage" held many lessons and God's timing in retrospect reflects that. God gave this warning to Moses too in Exodus 4:21...God was going to harden Pharoah's heat and delay their release.

What should we do when God delays?





1. Obey & Keep working
I don't know if it had sunk in when God said it, but Moses was warned..but when Pharoah (his old "palace playmate") said, "..get you unto your burdens." (In southern terms that means, You guys better get back to work!) Exodus 5:4b and even deminished the amount of raw materials they'd need for their work in verse 18,19 it led to the next lesson.  

2. Don't grumble at the hardships, as things will often get harder in the times of delay. Exodus 5:6-16 This is difficult, especially when others around us are grumbling. It's catchy! Center yourself in Christ by keeping in the Word daily!... AND OBEY & KEEP WORKING!

3. Don't point fingers of blame, accept your responsibility and look to God for strength. Exodus 5:15 The Isrealites got mad at the Pharaoh, and we can be tempted to get mad at God for the hardships in our delay ...AND OBEY & KEEP WORKING!

4. Keep seeking God. In Exodus 5:22 & 23  Moses cried out to God in frustration. God is ever so patient with my cries of "You said..!" I have found He often keeps hardships in my life to keep me seeking Him! When I recognize my inability and seek Him as time drags on He comforts and enables me!... AND OBEY & KEEP WORKING!

5. Watch for God's deliverance. Exodus 6:1  Time doesn't drag as much when you follow these lessons I'm learning. You are learning new skills, spending time in the Bible daily, seeking the Lord in prayer often as you go about your day, and preparing yourself for what He has called you to do...one day. So keep your eyes open! His deliverance will come, and the solution to your long whispered prayer may happen overnight like it did for the Isrealites when Pharaoh finally let them go! If you've OBEYED & KEPT WORKING you'll be ready to obey His directions immediately!

6. Don't get mad at God. In Exodus 5:22 it sounds like Moses is mad because of God delayed. This is an easy temptation to fall into when you grumble, point fingers of blame, and day dream about what could be. Guard your thought-life! Learn to enjoy the delay by pinning ideas on Pintrest, but don't let your wants feed your emotions...AND OBEY & KEEP WORKING!

7. Remeber God Almighty is in charge and REST in His leadership.  "And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord:" Exodus 6:2 Learnig to rest in the Lord and His timing for our lives has been a major lesson in my life! I'm a type A type of person that loves to plan and implement those plans. I'm motivated to check off each task that leads to those goals daily...but when there aren't any boxes to check because circumstances are blocked I find it difficult in my flesh to rest. 

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:29,30

God used this verse to show me that I often take on a burden that is not from Him, for if it was from Him it would be "easy & light"...it would bring rest to my soul not another burden. He's used this again and again to help me evaluate what I think is a great idea!....AND OBEY & KEEP WORKING!

8. Be "packed and prepared" for His deliverance may come overnight when you were wondering if His timing was even in your lifetime! This sounds a lot like #5 "Watching for God's Deliverance" but there is a difference...This is the culmination of the actions taken each day of OBEYING & KEEP WORKING. 

When God whispered to my heart last winter that there was a new start ahead, we had just finished our last farmer's market. I began paring down on all the "stuff" a 15 member family accumulates over a 20 year period. Now I'm an organizer, so things were in their place as best as possible...but I found I spent a lot of time just organizing "stuff" for "one day". It grew more and more fruitless over the past few years. 

So I began to pare down. We have always called it purging in our family. We'd take a day off from school periodically and purge our bedrooms of clutter, the bookshelves of books and videos that had crept in that we didn't want influencing our children, and tackled the kitchen clutter that naturally builds up. We put canning jars back in the root cellar, hauled a few bags of unwanteds to the thrift store, and burnt lots of trash. BUT, this was different! Load after van load of really nice things went to the thrift store or to an adult child's home. My husband didn't join in, but watched with wonder as another load was needed hauled off! (He found out after our move that we/he had too much "stuff", and began the process too!)

When we finally signed the papers on the sale of our farm on December 30, 2019, and had 30 days to move I was pared down and partially packed! It's not because I'm a type A person, but because God had taught me a few lessons during that year! 

9. Praise God with every breath/footstep as you step out to accomplish His will. Thankfully remember each lesson He taught you in the waiting, for we need to praise Him daily. His deliverance opens our eyes to His POWER and PLANS for our lives!


10. Don't forget what the Lord did for you and your family. In times of blessing we're not as driven in need to Jesus' feet. When everything in our lives is running smoothly and we're doing what He whispered to us, we'll likely grow content and forget. (Read Deuteronomy 6.)

 I like to write my prayer requests, lessons, blessings, and answers to my prayers in a journal and prayer journal so I will have that testimony of God's faithfulness in my next time of trial. So, grab a simple notebook and write down your prayer requests, leaving room to enter your personal miracles. You might even want to list the lessons He is teaching you while you wait for your personal "Red Sea" to part.

HOME SCHOOLING MOMENT: 
On my menu for Thursday morning this week was Civil War Pancakes. I found this recipe back in the late '80's when we were studying this time period for the first time with my children. We had a fireplace in our log home, so we really played it up, cooking over the hot coals! I used to think our fireplace was an intrical part of our classroom as we wrote with a charred stick as Abraham Lincoln used to do his "figurin'" with,  made "journey cakes" or "hoe cakes" over hot coals like the slaves did before running away to freedom, or just throwing some potatoes in the coals before school to have as a quick lunch with when we were done for the morning. Many a day I'd hang a pot of soup or stew to simmer all day while reading a historical book aloud to the children. 

Last night when I was prepping the oats an idea came to me on how to make this recipe low in carbs. More importantly, soaking can help neutralize the phytic acid, removing barriers to proper absorption of minerals in the grains. The soaking also helps break down certain har-to-digest proteins such as gluten. 

So this home schooling Momma conducted an experiment! In the end, the pancakes were better than ever! 

This recipe is a two step process. The night before you plan to make it, soak the grains in a soured milk or buttermilk.  To help me remember I put, "soak oats" on my menu or phone reminder the night before. At first you'll think this is just one more thing to add to your day, but it really helps at one of the busiest times of your morning....Breakfast.  I like to teach one of my older children to do this with me. Thereafter, they could either do it for me, or could make the whole recipe themselves on their cooking day. The next morning it's like having a fast food breakfast as the ingredients are all sitting out waiting for me!

These hardy pancakes don't leave you hungry mid-morning!

CIVIL WAR PANCAKES

2 1/2 C. Buttermilk or Soured Milk

1 1/2 C. Rolled Oats

1 C. Whole Wheat Flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/4 C. unsweetened applesauce or oil

2 T. Honey or your choice of sweetner

Pour Buttermilk or soured milk into a medium mixing bowl. 

(For soured milk measure a shy 2 1/2 C. milk/almond milk and then top it off with apple cider vinegar)

Add:  Rolled Oats (any tipe of oatmeal works) and Whole Wheat Flour (I use Hard White Wheat)

Please excuse our makeshift kitchen.
We are in the middle of a complete
renovation!

Stir all the ingredients together; cover with a tea towel and let it sit overnight.

For convenience sake measure salt, baking powder, and baking soda

 into a small bowl, cover; set aside. 

In a third and seperate bowl or measuring cup crack eggs, lightly whipping them with a fork. Pour honey and applesauce/oil on top. 

Get a good night's sleep!

The next morning: Sprinkle your leavening agents over the soaked grains, then add your eggs with honey and applesauce. Give the whole thing A GOOD STIR. (I didn't pull out the mixer.)

Proceed as usual with making the pancakes using a hot griddle. I keep each batch warm in                                            an oven at 250 degrees. 

ENJOY!

Even amidst life's delays we can find joy in the wait...

if you obey & keep working, 

don't grumble, 

don't point fingers of blame,

 seek God,

 be watchful for His deliverance,

 REST in His leadership, 

and PRAISE HIS NAME as you step out REJOICING

 knowing He has made your path straight and dry!

Abundant Blessings,
The Farmer's Wife
Val

Life on our lil' farm this week:

When my homemade yogurt didn't thicken, I made frozen yogurt cubes out of it for adding to our smoothies!

DIY SPOUTED WHEAT FLOUR & Centering in a Storm

 Greetings from our lil' farm!

A little business first before I dive into today's blog...Even after 9 years of blogging on Blogspot I can't say I understand the formatting. So to get things to format smoother I've moved the "gadgets" around.  I'd love for you to subscribe and follow the blog. I promise not to contact you about a new blog more than once a week. And when life gets busier this may go to bi-monthly.  There's a spot to subscribe through an email announcement. You'll be able to search for recipes and other topics and at the end of the blog there as there is a listing of some of my older posts from when we were farming full time with our family of 15. 

Back on topic...Centering in a Storm...as I'm writing this blog it is litterally blowing a 

gale outside our "new" farmhouse!  Our 35' tall trees are bending in the wind by my window. I'm not used to the eeiry sounds yet as we've only been here a couple of months. Inside my newly renovated library I'm safe from the torment outside.

There's a different kind of storm raging world wide that no one has escaped. Even with our lil' farm's life going on "as usual" there is a storm in my mind as I read the daily headlines...shortages of food is likened to a nagging storm in my mind, "Do you have enough wheat? You know, your supply of salt is low.  And as I'm planting flats of herbs, flowers and vegetables I hear the scream (you've heard the wind "scream" right?) of the wind encouraging me to plant MORE for those who may need it if our food supply dwindles. 

At the end of each calander year the Lord gives me a word to focus on in the new year...it's like a year long word study in the Scriptures. It seems His choice of words is always timely. So when he gave me the word, "TRUST" the end of December of this year I questioned Him. Life for us looked encouraging and even exciting compared to the rollar coaster of the past few years! He had just sold our farm in bits and pieces, relieving us from a business debt that had been overwhelming for two years. We finally had signed the papers to sell our home on the last seventeen acres...a new start was ahead! Trust??

I accepted His choice of course as I packed and moved. The the winds of the coming storm weren't detected immediately. You've been there I know. It's been a beautiful day, and suddenly the wind chages direction and there is a slight detection of a change in the air that smells of rain. That was in February...my new house didn't feel like home yet when I heard the whisper in my spirit, "TRUST". "...I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Hebews 13:5

March was here before I turned around twice with the promise of an early spring. I felt blessed that winter had passed quickly while I was distracted with moving and all the ongoing projects of renovating. I was settled enough now in my makeshift home to pull out the seed catalogs one cozy evening in front of the fireplace. Since we had grown to a small commercial farm I had only looked at the catalogs wistfully for the past ten years or so...so I was thrilled at the names of "old friends" in  Baker Creek Seed catalog...Forellenschuss and May Queen lettuce, Pineapple tomato, Marino's Roma tomatoes,Tennessee Red Peanuts for the children's gardens, and of course all the herbs and flowers that were established on our old farm. I eagerly ordered my "old friends", picturing a perfect garden in my mind! I remember being thankful the 50 lb. bags of bean seeds were a thing of the past so we could return to the world of heritage seeds...but out in the world, news brought to light the gathering winds heading our way. Again and again the Spirit of God whispered, "TRUST".  I copied "Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I put my trust: cause me to know thy way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee." Psalm 143:8 in my bullet journal and listened for His wisdom. 

I found peace when my mind stayed focused on Him. Staying at home when ordered to me was a joy. This is where I was called to serve Christ thirty-nine years ago as a young bride. But the storm brought occasional winds with questions of preparedness for the days and months ahead, and thoughts of safety for my husband each time he left for town to pick up building supplies. "TRUST".."Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thine ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." 

This morning as the winds whistle around the corners of our home bending the huge trees outside, a force likened to lightening struck my mind! Did you hear it too? A news report informed us that Russia, North Korea and Iraq were testing our milatary's metal by harassing ships in the Persian Gulf, while two Russian planes were flying within 25 feet of our surveillance planes in International airspace, and North Korea was testing ballistic missiles that could have a major impact on the safety of American allies and the U.S. forces in the region.

I'm a child of the '60's and '70's. I grew up under the threat of nuclear war and the "big brother" threat of the Soviet Union. Their threats, though very real in my childish mind, seemed very far away. But today with the help of the Internet they seemed much closer.  I remember when President Reagan signed the papers that put an end to the Cold War and the relief it brought. But with one short article this morning the tempset grew a bit stronger like the storm outside my window...and I clearly heard, "TRUST". 

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me." Psalm 138:7

I remember reading once that,"the midst of trouble" means to "go on in the center of trouble". In the center, or eye of a storm there is peace...a quiet place from the storm raging about! Because I'm His child I can TRUST that the "center of the storm" is the place He revivies me, not a place where He will "leave me nor forsake me." Hebrews 13:5b

Later in the day...So, what did I do while the storms raged today? I "centered myself" in the eye of the storm, and then I went "on in the center of trouble".

 I  had mixed up a batch of sourdough waffles last night, so we had a special breakfast to start our day well. After family devotions I dehydrated the wheat I had

sprouted to make sprouted flour, I made a large batch of Basic Sourdough Bread early as it sits for 5 hours fermenting. Then I cuddled on the couch with Charity (12) to study about our amazing solar system. Afterwards we mixed up Sourdough Pretzel dough to wrap around uncured turkey hotdogs for a fun supper. (It sits for 5 hours also.) I supervised Internet research for essays, checked math scores, kept teenage boys focused (a part-time job at times)! I  then planted flower seeds I had soaked overnight into flats, and all the little cleaning jobs a Momma needs to do. Then the dough was fermented to overflowing by 4:30 p.m., so I made a batch of cinnamon rolls that are slowly rising in the refrigerator for breakfast tomorrow morning. Next I rolled out the dough like I had for cinnamon rolls and made pizza rolls to freeze for a busy night in the next week or so when I would prefer working outside in the new gardens. There was only enough dough for one loaf of bread leftover, so I'll be making bread again soon as my frozen stash is running down. 

One of the suppers I made ahead with my sourdough was Pizza Rolls! Oh so yummy! I baked one to test it out, while I tray froze the rest partially risen for an easy meal next week. 

Charity's sourdough Pretzel Dog dough in the foreground, with my sourdough bread overflowing the bowl in the back. 

Charity, our youngest at 12 years old made Sourdough Pretzel Dogs for a fun movie night! If you'd like to know how to do any of these things, just ask in the comments below. 

I don't use sprouted wheat to make my sourdough as they both reduce the carb count and break down the proteins that are difficult for us to digest wheat. I use sprouted wheat to make cookies, biscuits (half whole wheat & half sprouted wheat), or anything I'd be tempted to use white flour with.  I also use it a lot for dusting my "counter" (I'm in a makeshift kitchen at this time.) when working with sourdough. 

HOME SCHOOLING MOMENT...

Sprouting a wheat kernal breaks down the proteins and carbohydrates, releasing enzymes that make the sprouted wheat into a low glycemic flour that is easier to digest!. Including your children in on this "lil' experiment" is science in action! Even if you don't dehydrate and grind your grain after it's sprouted, there is still a lot they can learn. The kernals are then soft enough to chew ...and the clincher is they're kind of SWEET! They make a great low carb topping for sandwiches and salads. Try sprouting the farmer's favorite...lentils from the store!

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN SPROUTED WHEAT FLOUR

0. Think ahead to how much volume you'll be able to drain easily when determining how much wheat you can sprout at one time. I inherited a super large colunder from my parents that allows me to do a large amount at once. The wheat will swell, so choose an amount that is about half the volume of your colander or come up with another way to easily drain it three times a day. It sprouts quickly, so you'll be done  with the sprouting process in about two days. 

1. Scoop wheat into a large bowl and cover liberally with water.  I used hard white wheat, but hard red wheat works great too. Use the type of wheat you use most often in your baking. Cover the wheat liberally with water and let soak for 12-24 hours, keeping the wheat covered with water. 

2. Drain the water off your soaked wheat into a large colander. Place the colunder over your bowl. (I save the water drained off for watering plants.)  Cover with a tea towel. 

3. Rinse your wheat three times a day by simply spraying it with your sink's sprayer. The water will simply collect in the bowl underneath. I leave it there till I'm done sprouting, and then again use it to water plants with. 

The sprouting process doesn't take long. The wheat in the middle sprouts quicker than the outter layer, so I stir it when I spray it.

4.  I delayed bringing my sprouted wheat to my dehydrater and the sprouts grew bigger than I wanted it to, (see picture in the paragraph above) but soon as you see a little tail emerge from the end of the wheat it is ready for the next step in the process. (Let the kids sprout the tails up to 1/2" long for fun.)

I dehydrated mine in a 9 tray Excalibar Dehydrator  using just 4 of the trays . I set the temp at less than 100 degrees and left it there overnight.  You could also use the pilot light of a gas stove, or the lowest temperature of a convection oven to dry the kernals, but be watchful.

5. When the kernals feel light they are dried. I removed them from the dehydrator with a lil' trick I've learned over the years. I slip a doubled grocery store bag over the end of my tray and tilt the dry kernals into the bag. This eliminates a lot of messy handling.

I had two loads in my 9-tray dehydrator. To stop the sprouting process of the second batch when I ran out of room I simply put the whole colunder down into our deep freezer after filling the dehydrator the first time.

 When I switched loads I took the colunder out of the freezer and spread the rather stiff kernals on the trays as before, and dehydrated it all day. (I broke up the frozen chunks a couple hours later when I passed my dehydrator again.)

6. I have a Nutrimill grain mill to grind all our flour. When grinding sprouted wheat kernals though I need to stand there and "help" the dry kernals feed down into the mill. It helps to allow the wheat to feed quicker. 

 Sprouted wheat flour, unlike regular whole wheat is shelf stable and be kept in an airtight container in your pantry! 

The key to a great day was TRUST...I "went on in the center of trouble" and found peace being creative with the raw materials of life. For Christ assured me earlier that, like Esther of the Old Testament, I was created, "for such a time as this." Esther 4:14b

What does this storm look like for you? There are so many different aspects of it we have no control over..."even the winds and the waves obey Him." Lets learn to FULLY TRUST HIM..."go on in the CENTER of the storm."

Centering Myself in Jesus Christ,
The Farmer's Wife,
Val