This is Ruthie making whole wheat flour from wheat berries. This has been Ruthie's job since she was two years old. I bought this grain mill from Kitchen Aid back in 1990 and it has been going strong ever since. I still think it is the best grain mill on the market. Why? It was cheap ($99) and it still sells for that same price on eBay, 17 years later! Secondly, it is not loud. Most grain mills have a terrible screeching sound. Thirdly, the heat from the motor is in the mixer, not against the wheat, which would kill off most of the nutrients. Fourthly, the adjusting knob is simple ~ just turn it! I don't have to turn off the machine to adjust the coarseness of the wheat. Are you convinced?!

Whole wheat flour that is sold in stores is not really whole wheat flour. It is still missing a good part of the grain. This is a little grain demonstrator that I use when trying to teach friends about what's really lacking in white flour:

One Sunday when Ruthie was four years old, her Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Bonnie, asked the class who made the flowers. Ruthie excitedly answered, "I do, Mrs. Bonnie!" Fortunately I was there to explain that Ruthie was talking about making wheat flour!

Unfortunately, when I get busy in life, the first thing to go is nutrition. I know it shouldn't be that way, but nutritional meals take time. Two slices of my homemade bread give you a whole day's requirement for fiber. The best part of grinding your own flour is that you can add secret nutritional punches while the mill is running. I've added a tablespoon of beans or flax seed.

I never used to like cornbread until I made it from freshly ground corn. Ever wonder why cornbread mixes have a lot of sugar? Because the corn is rancid! For the first five years after I got my grain mill, I milled my flour minutes before I needed it with baking. But then I had twins, and I had to get my baking done quickly. So ever since, I have milled the flour and stored it in the fridge in an airtight container. It has always been a Saturday morning ritual for the youngest child to mill the flour and fill the supply bin.

If you have any questions about how to get started milling, please ask. I have had friends come over and let me take them step by step through the whole bread making process. I have done this more times than I can count.

The best part of making homemade bread is that a little bit goes a long way. When I was on bedrest (well, let's just say when I slowed down) with my twins, I bought whole wheat bread from the store. I was amazed at how much we could eat of it before we were full. Try eating more than two slices of my homemade bread and you'll be miserable!

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that when both my Dad and my aunt started going to cardiologists after their bypasses, both of their cardiologists recommended eliminating all white flour from their diets. They were told that if they followed this one recommendation, then they would probably eliminate all unhealthy calories. I agree.

Anyhow, I just wanted to share this with you. Have a great day. Many blessings ~ Kathie