I wonder if my husband will notice the flour dust on the cover of his Sports Illustrated magazine and the clean socks on the bathroom counter? I’m hoping his tendency to oblivion of all things related to dirt will prevail…
I just ground wheat in our downstairs bathroom, a.k.a. “The Man Cave.” It has an insanely large counter (that of course, I wish was upstairs!). I decided that it was easier to move the grain mill a few feet down the hallway, plug in and turn on, than to carry it all the way upstairs to the kitchen. Am I crazy?
Here are my first experience grain milling lessons:
- You need to find a place for everything:
- Whole grains
- Grain mill
- Any extra flour you might end up with, whether you plan to mill for the week or just have a half cup too much for your recipe
- Grain mills are very, very loud. It scares my toddler, and my preschooler covers his ears, but also is drawn like a bee to pollen to watching the grain go down the hopper.
- You can’t be the type of person who worries about a little flour getting on the counter. Seriously – you have to be okay with flour dust drifting around the grain mill for about a 2-foot diameter. I make enough messes as it is, so the flour getting everywhere does kind of bum me out, because it’s just impossible to contain without making a mess.
- Key winning factor: You do not have to wash it. It would break me to have one more appliance that needs to be washed after using, especially one that necessitates working carefully around motor parts and that needs to dry 100% perfectly.
- Grain mills are BIG. I was shocked at the size of the thing. Many people think a KitchenAid mixer on the counter takes up a lot of space, but this appliance has it beat, twice over:
Yes, that’s my bathroom. The KitchenAid doesn’t usually live down there, but I brought it in from the van where it lives when we “set” the house for a showing, and it was easier to just bring it down rather than…I know. Weird.In the interest of full disclosure, yes, also, that’s a coffeemaker in the background. In the bathroom. And yes, it does usually live there, thank you very much. My husband works from home, in the basement, and…I know. Weird. Life is much more complicated around here than it ought to be! Anyone want to buy a great starter home with a small-ish kitchen? - Those of you who own a Nutrimill can commence laughing now…Aaaaaaaand be sure to doublecheck that you pushed the bowl in all the way before you walk off to, say, write one quick tweet, lest you come back to flour literally blowing out into your bathroom. I wish I had taken a photo for y’all before I very efficiently cleaned that one up. Suffice it to say that there was an inch tall horizontal lump of flour on the canister next to the grain mill, like you’d see if you ran a snowblower directly next to a building. That thing has some power!
I’m sort of getting a good routine. I can just pour the whole grains out of their container in the basement into the grain mill, carry it into said bathroom, plug in, and then do something briefly with laundry nearby while it whizzes. Then I carry the bowl upstairs, use a measuring cup that I’ll use in that night’s recipe to dip the flour into a glass jar. I made a place in the freezer (a feat in and of itself, believe me!) for the jar to safely fit.
As much as truly freshly ground flour is best, there’s no way I can handle doing that every time I need a cup and a half, or a few Tablespoons to soak oatmeal. I’m freezing it, for sure! I have another glass jar in the refrigerator for another kind of whole wheat flour. Maybe someday I’ll get them both in the freezer, but for now, this will have to do.
Is this sounding negative? I’m really not a negative Nancy, but I struggle with “the new” until I get a good routine. That’s why it took so long to even open the box. I’ll get there!
I really can tell that the taste of the freshly ground flour is superior to the store stuff, particularly when I made homemade tortillas. But most of all, I’m thrilled that I’m getting the most out of my grains, with nutrient density at its best and no chance of rancid oils. The native phytase is highly active for soaking grains and the reduction of phytates. It’s also cheaper to grind my own flour. I’ll write more on the praises of freshly ground grain in the future as I bumble through with my new appliance a bit more, you can be sure.
A sidenote: If you want cooking lessons from another very experienced Real Food blogger who has probably been grinding her own grain for years, check out Nourished Kitchen’s new online cooking eCourse. More details in today’s other bonus post!
I Love my Regular Readers! Bonus Entry for You!
Seriously gals (and guys, the 2% of you out there), you feed me. I always want to read my comments before I buckle down and write the next day’s post. I love seeing emails from real people. I’m so very pleased when one of you wins a giveaway, instead of a random visitor just checking out the giveaway. Sooooo…since I’m the boss around here, I get to play favorites.
Any comment by someone who was already a subscriber before reading these words is an extra entry for a brand new Nutrimill grain mill from Pleasant Hill Grain. The giveaway won’t happen until fall, as long as we’ve reached 5,000 subscribers (RSS and email) by then. That means that it would be just lovely if you passed along your favorite KS recipe or post via Facebook, email, or word of mouth and sent others on over here to join the real food movement.
So please…comment away! If you want to make them even more fun for me to read, tell me your weirdest real food moment…especially if it involves food in the bathroom! Thanks, all, and have a great weekend.
(Comments will be closed Tuesday at midnight.)
I subscribe in Google Reader … but not sure if I did it soon enough.
The first time I ever made apple pie, I was about 14, I forgot the sugar. It was terrible. Took me another 8 years to try again!
.-= Camille´s last blog ..Dear Abby’s Pecan Pie =-.
Following for a while! My best disaster was baking a beautiful kuchen – I must have been about 12 and just getting into baking – taking it from the oven to the living room to show my mother, and tripping on an area rug, with the kuchen making a flip and landing peach side down onto the carpet!
I don’t really have any interesting food stories. I’m still a beginner when it comes to the real food concept, but I’m getting there. Since I subscribe through google reader, do I count towards your 5000 subscriber goal?
.-= Amy´s last blog ..P90 Cadio/Abs =-.
LOVE to read about adventures like me – this happens in my world all the time!
.-= Jessica´s last blog ..Broccoli – Use it ALL! =-.
Hey Katie! I cheaped out and bought a used grain mill for my kitchenaid mixer… my first attempt was pretty unsuccessful. Not sure if it was me or the mill… I’ll give it another go, but if I win this Nurtimill my problems will be solved! I can be patient and wait for August ;o)
Ok, here’s my funny real food story and it even involves the bathroom! I used to (key words used to) keep bulk grains, beans, and spices in jars in my pantry by the back door/ half bathroom area. One day last summer after coming upstairs from doing laundry, I noticed green all over bathroom and I hear shrieks of laughter out side the window and notice the screen slid up. I look out to find 3 giggling girls covered in basil. So I ask “What’s this?!?!” To which my then 3yr old replies “It’s just fairy dust, Mom.” Silly me, why did I ask… Carry on…
I somehow manage to get flour everywhere without a grain mill. As far as food mistakes go, I once learned the hard way while trying to use up the garden abundance that you should probably pre-cook the rice that goes into stuffed peppers. Nope, the ‘liquid’ in the filling sure isn’t enough to take the crunch away. Ha. Oops.
.-= Em.´s last blog ..11 days later? =-.
No real food in the bathroom things I can think of, but then again my bathroom has almost NO counter!
And I love, love, love the fact that you are telling it like it is when you are first figuring out a new appliance! I seem to always have to take a bit of time to learn the ins and outs and I appreciate the heads up…I’m so hoping to win this! Me and 4,999 other folks
If not, Mike’s going to have a one item Christmas list from me this year, I think!
I am absolutely a follower and am excited for another entry…thank you.
Take care,
Heather
I appreciate knowing all about the grain mill, good & interesting:)! I wish I had the means to grind my own flour.
Katie,
Love the story! I’ve been a subscriber for a while and have found so many helpful tips and information, so thanks for that.
As for the weirdest kitchen moment. Not sure what I was thinking, but I tried to pass of the tofu version of ground beef as the real deal. My husband did not think it was funny. I’m not sure I’ll ever live that one down!
I haven’t gotten excited about a giveaway in a long time! Soooooooooooo excited about this! Thanks for all your fabulous blogging!
I was just telling my hubby about this post and he was like “wait, what? why is it in the bathroom??” haha
I would LOVE to get a grain mill! I’ve been a subscriber for a while now and I’ll keep sending my friends too!
Hmm, well there was the time when I was maybe 12 or 13 and tried to make a cake for my mother’s birthday while she was at work. I didn’t know that the icing required *powdered* sugar instead of regular – I had no idea what confectioners sugar was! Suffice it to say, I didn’t get icing from my efforts. heh
.-= Karen´s last blog ..Playin’ in the dirt =-.
I just discovered the joy of having a full shelf in my new pantry devoted to my big-small appliances! I love having easy access to them but without them sitting on the counter all the time! Here’s a perpetual kitchen disaster: I have such a hard time cooking chicken. It’s either way under done or way over done! ugh!
So very excited to have found your site a week or so ago through Keeper of the Home. We have been making our own baby steps towards healthier eating and appreciate all the recipes and tips you give.
.-= Beth´s last blog ..Low Battery =-.
My mill is a “Whisper Mill” which is no longer available (but I *think* Nutrimill bought out that company or something?). Anyway, I smile when I use it because it’s anything but “whisper” quiet — more like a jet taking off in the kitchen.
It’s so wonderful, though, to use freshly ground flour! I’m eating grain-free at this time, but I still appreciate being able to use it for my family.
The Whisper Mill has a hole in the top of the container that collects the flour. There’s a round, thick screen that’s supposed to allow air flow but stop the flour. I’ve had the filter come off and flour blow straight up in the air like a volcanic explosion of flour! I’ve learned to never walk away when it’s running.
.-= Linda´s last blog ..GAPS-Friendly Banana Waffles =-.
I subscribe in bloglines…recently though, but love going through the archives!
Just found you last week and started subscribing. I hope you reach your goal and would love to win the mill.
Hmmmm….I’m really wracking my brain for an embarrassing, real-food-related story. But either I’m perfect, or it’s Monday AM. You decide!
KatieC
I subscribe about a month ago. I eagerly await each and every update.
I subscribed a few days ago, and I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I’m so glad I found it!
OK, you have me convinced. I don’t have to wash it AND it tastes that much better AND it’s cheaper? I’m in.
Can’t think of any good food stories, though I’m sure one will come to me as soon as I click Submit. Hmm…
Oh – and I’ve been subscribed in Bloglines for a few weeks now!
I am a subscriber. Weirdest real food moment? Hmmm…. How about how my husband likes to describe my yogurt making as if I am setting up a bomb in our dining room! I put the cooler in there and then it usually has a few wires hanging out of it for the heating pad and the thermometer.
I am a new subscriber! We adopted three precious girls this year, and now that the dust has settled, I’m ready to embark on my grand plans for homemade whole foods. One thing I’ve already learned is to never leave milk for yogurt on the stove unattended. It swelled up to about 3x its size and made a gigantic mess!
Been following for a while also. Nothing really weird happening in the kitchen, tho when I was a young bride (nearly 40 years ago!) I thought preparing a meal meant opening a box of Hamburger Helper!
And I would LOVE a grain mill. Right now a dear neighbor is grinding her own for me and I buy it at cost. Would be nice to be able to do it myself, eh?
.-= Cindy Young´s last blog ..This is for the birds! =-.
I don’t really have any funny stories, but I am a subscriber and would love to win a grain mill.
Once I though it’d be nice to make a pie for my family. I found one of mom’s frozen crusts in the freezer ready to go. I added the no-bake filling and put it in the fridge. When it came time to eat it, I realized I was supposed to bake the crust first. Oops. We ate the filling.
I get your emails.
I would love a mill! Great giveaway!
I have been dreaming of a grain mill for over a year now, it just hasn’t found a permanent place in the budget yet, curriculum for homeschool and a new baby are taking precedent. I’m a pretty lucky cook, my bad habit though is trying out a new recipe for special occasions and leaving no room to make anything else if it flops, so far so good.
Funny stories? Yes, after 40 years in the kitchen I have them. Memory… not so much these days. But I love something to chuckle at and appreciate the little twists of humor included in your posts! I have a “Whisper” mill too… whoever named that thing must have a wry sense of humor. Plus, if you miss getting that lid snapped firmly into place at any point around the circumference it WILL explode on you… literally. My experience has been that it explodes sideways, out from under the edges of the lid, and I hate to admit it but I have been personally “dredged” in flour on more than one occasion. I think flour on the floor gives the place a sort of “well-loved” look! Haha… have been drooling over the NutriMill and would LOVE to make the switch. Thanks for the opportunity… (:
I subscribe! I subscribe!!! I love cooking….and have dreamed and looked at the grinders…boy would it be nice! I’ve got wheat berries in my cupboard and I’m going to give a whirl at grinding in a tiny coffee grinder my mom gave me….we’ll see if it works!!
Love your blog! My biggest disaster to date was when I was making dinner for my first serious boyfriend and his mom. I didn’t know that cloves of garlic meant the single pieces of the whole garlic. I thought it meant the whole garlic head. OOOOOPS! I was making a garlic chicken dish and boy was it garlicky!
I’m thinking that we might want to get a grain mill soon. Debating on a separate mill like yours or the KitchenAid attachments.
Thank you for all the info. you put in your site and all the research you do!
I’d love to win a grain mill!
I don’t have any funny real food stories. But I cooked my first whole chicken the other day. We bought it from a local farmer. I hate touching or even seeing raw meat, but I did it – cooked it up and made chicken broth too. I wore gloves so I didn’t have to “touch” the raw meat. The chicken was excellent and I got 10 c. broth! I’ll be doing it again when we buy more chickens!
I don’t know if I’ll be entered in your giveaway, since I just subscribed. Before now, I bookmarked you and came to visit that way! I’d sure love to win a grain mill! It is on my wish list, but it’s going to take a lot of wishing!!
I like how you don’t claim to have all the answers, but you’re on a journey to live healthily.
One time when I made sun-dried tomato spinach pesto, my son declared it looked like bat poop. None of the kids would eat it after that. I thought it was quite tasty, even if it looked unappetizing.
This isn’t a weird story, just a sad one. My son’s 7th birthday was yesterday, and even though I tested the cake in 4 different spots, I missed the one spot that wasn’t done, so it sank a few minutes after I pulled it out of the oven.
I’m an email subscriber.
You have openeds a whole new world for me. I love eading your postsm – their is so much to learn. Thanks for all the leg work you do for us.
I love your stories, subscribed last week. Tried making yogurt this weekend. Some first ime blunders but it turned out (kind of). Should make for good smoothies. I need something thicker for plain eating but I will hope for the best next time.
I had to laugh…I have also ground flour downstairs in a basement bathroom! I was at a friend’s house using hers, and it was just too loud for the kids, so I squirreled away downstairs to grind me some flour
.
Hoping against hope that I could win one of my own!
.-= Terri´s last blog ..It’s a …. =-.
My mom used to grind wheat for our bread in an electric wooden box grinder that roared like “The Machine” from “The Princess Bride.” I’d love to experience a newer model!
Food disaster. Well, there are always plenty to choose from. DH and I decided to try a new recipe for meatballs. Of course if I’m going through the trouble of making them, I must make a double batch. Even though we are not big fans of dill, we figured it was a small amount and we wanted to stay true to the recipe. Only I misread the amount. I read the amount for fresh but used dried. O.M.Goodness. The dilly meatballs were not fit for eating. And DH said they were the gift that kept on giving…
.-= Kandi´s last blog ..Food Allergy Awareness Week =-.
I’ve signed up to your RSS feed by email and tweeted the giveaway!
Wow weirdest food moment? There have been so many!
Well as a child I remember being fed tiny little octopuses by a family friend which at the time I felt a little bit grossed out about…although now I’ve just thought of a worse one….My aunty and uncle had two cows Norman and Rory…they had to be put down for some reason or another…. whenever as children my siblings and I spoke to our mother are about them..she wouldn’t say much…later on we found out that we had been fed them for dinner once…so that was a little bit upsetting..but now I think about it, it must have been the healthiest (grass fed), most local and fresh meat I’ve ever eaten (not that I knew WHEN we ate them though haha).
.-= Michelle (Health Food Lover)´s last blog ..Homemade Bounty Bars (With Real Food Ingredients) =-.
Hi there,
I’m a fairly new subscriber, I found you a week or so ago and am thoroughly enjoying your site! I 2 stories to share:
My first: I made blueberry muffins alone for the first time when I was 8 or so. I mistakenly thought the 1/4 tsp of salt was 1/4 cup. Ewwww! Not even the dog would eat them!
Another: When I was first married, I decided to be a nice little wifey and make my hubby his lunch to send to work. It was early, and I hadn’t yet put my contacts in (who knew where my glasses were!) and I lovingly sent him a potato salad sandwich instead of an egg salad one! He ate it and never complained!!
Don’t have a weird real food moment because I’m new to the movement. Thanks for the extra entry in the grain mill giveaway!
I don’t know if I even know what a grain mill is!
But it would probably help me as I cook gluten, casein, peanut, additive and preservative free! I have baking mishaps ALL the time since I am now trying to cook/bake egg free as well! To be honest, I haven’t managed to bake any cakes, muffins, or cookies yet….so I have lots of flops!! I have mastered gf/cf/ef/pf pizza and salmon patties though…..at least my 7 year old starve!!
I follow via e-mail. Thanks for all the great info!!
HI,
I love your blog. When I was 20 and first married . My sister- in- law taught me how to knead bread do I decided to do whole wheat pizza dough. I was so excited to show my husband. However, the dough came out as hard as a rock. Needless to say I was dissapointed, but since then I have learned how to make delicious bread. I hope I win.
I will admit I’m a transient from Food Renegade, but I’m going to sign up for your list because your site looks awesome. I sure hope I win the grain mill, because I’m growing my own winter wheat out in my garden, with the express intent to make flour!!
too many great posts!! I can’t seem to skip a thing – wierd moment – how about changing a choclate cookie to a more healthy version – and using rye flour & carobchips – the whole plate came back to the kitchen just as full as when it went out….
would love to have my own mill and my friend who mills my grain for me would probably love for me to win it as well! one time I made roast, potatoes, and gravy for dinner guests and our friends asked what to do with the gravy! guess it didn’t resemble any gravy they had had before!