12 Grain Bread

My favorite bread fresh out of the oven! (or in the oven!) 

My friend gave me a loaf of this bread two Christmases ago and it has been my favorite ever since. It does take more time and ingredients that the average bread, but it is well worth it!

12 Grain Bread 

Ingredients (in bold)

3 cups warm water

1 cup 9 grain cracked cereal (uncooked)

3 tablespoons millet

3 tablesoons sesame seeds

3 tablespoons flax seeds

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

3/4 cups white flour (I have also used whole wheat and it turned out great)

1/4 cup vital wheat gluten

1 1/2 cup white wheat flour

1 1/2 tablespoon instant rise yeast (Saf)

Combine above ingredients into a mixing bowl (bosch, kitchen aid, etc.) with a dough hook. Mix gently to fold ingredients together. Put lid on and let sit and brew for 15 minutes or until mixture has risen. Then add:

1/4 cup oil

1/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon salt

3 or more cups of white wheat flour

Add flour 1 cup at a time until dough cleans sides of the bowl. (You want the dough sticky, but not too sticky.) 

Knead 8 minutes.

Then add:

1 1/2 tablespoon dough enhancer

Knead until mixed (about 2 minutes). Form into 2 large loaves. Let rise until doubled in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Low Calorie Blueberry Muffins

My hubby was craving some blueberry muffins, so of course I had to make them healthy!! The only problem was we weren't digging the whole wheat muffin flavor. So out of many batches of trial and error, here is what I came up with to meet the health factor as well as the flavor factor and to my surprise they ended up being low in calories too!

Low Calorie Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup oat flour (blend oatmeal)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup sucanat or brown sugar*

1/4 cup stevia

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 egg whites

1 cup vanilla yogurt (I used plain non fat yogurt with 20 drops of vanilla stevia or to taste)
1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil (or oil of choice)

1 cup blueberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line muffin tins with liners. Spray muffin liners with nonstick cooking spray so the muffins come out of the paper easily. Combine vanilla, egg whites, and yogurt in bowl. Combine the rest of the ingredients (dry ingredients) except blueberries in a seperate bowl; stir yogurt mixture just until blended. (The batter may be a little runnier than most muffin batters, but it bakes just fine.) Gently stir in blueberries. Spoon mixture into prepared muffin liners and bake 14-16 minutes or until golden brown.

 Yields: 12 muffins
Calories for one muffin- 100 calories**

 * I have also reduced the sucanat or brown sugar to 1/4 cup (making it only 85 calories per muffin) and I still thought they were great! My husband likes them a little sweeter!
**The calorie calculations were based off of the 1 cup of yogurt being 100 calories.

Did you know blueberries are repeatedly ranked in the U.S. diet as having one of the highest antioxidant capacities among all fruits, vegetables, spices and seasonings?!
Antioxidants are essential to optimizing health by helping to combat the free radicals that can damage cellular structures as well as DNA.

Read more: http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?dbid=8&tname=foodspice

Deliciously Healthy Banana Bread

This recipe was posted by my sister in law Erin!

This banana bread is so yummy and moist! I adapted this recipe from a great friend's that was loaded with buttermilk and sugar! So here is the healthier version!

Banana Bread

COMBINE: 1/2 Tbls. vinegar or lemon juice in a 1/2 cup measure, fill rest of cup with low fat milk. (This makes buttermilk! Cheap and low fat!) Let sit for 5 min.

CREAM: 3/4c. applesauce

1 1/2c. xylitol or other favorite sugar alternative

2 eggs

ADD: 1t. vanilla

11/2c. mashed bananas

vinegar and milk mixture

STIR IN: 2c. oat flour or w.w. pastry flour

1t. baking soda

Divide batter into two well greased loaf pans. Bake at 325 for 40 minutes. 

This seriously is divine! Just keep in mind that it is a healthier version of banana bread, but because of all the fruit, the sugar content is quite high. So even though you may be tempted, do not eat whole loaf by yourself!!

Yes, I know you want to know the health benefits of bananas, so here they are!! Bananas protect you from cardiovascular disease, calms ulcers (who knew?!), protects your eyesight, strengthens your bones, and promotes kidney health! 

Read more about bananas here http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=7