How To Make A Neck Warmer with Wheat Berries

Whether the cool weather has you looking for a way to warm up or you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, this simple neck warmer, filled with wheat berries will warm you right up.

We thought it would be fun to share a different kind of recipe today.  This "recipe" is a very simple sewing project that will have you warm and relaxed in no time.

Supplies:
1/4 yard of fabric
thread in a coordinating color
5-7 c Joseph's Grainery Hard Red Wheat
lavender essential oil (optional)

You can make this any size you want, but to make a neck warmer similar to the one pictured you will want to cut 2 pieces of fabric 32 inches long by 4 inches wide.

Place the two pieces of fabric right sides (printed sides) together.  Pin if needed.  Sew around the rectangle with a 1/4 inch seam allowance, leaving a small hole on one of the short ends.

Turn the fabric right sides out.  If you want, top stitch around the rectangle with a 1/4 inch seam allowance, again leaving a small opening on one side for filling the warmer.

If you want bring a little aromatherapy into your life, you can add 10-20 drops of lavender essential oil to the wheat berries.

Using a funnel, fill the warmer with the wheat berries, making sure not to fill it so full that it won't bend easily to rest around your neck.

Once the neck warmer is filled with the wheat berries you can stitch the hole closed.

Microwave for 1-3 minutes (depending on your microwave).  Use caution when removing the neck warmer from the microwave, as it could be very hot.  Wait until it is cool enough to touch and then place around your neck and relax!


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Slow Cooker Wild Rice, Wheat Berry & Chicken Soup

Yes, we might just be infatuated with slow cookers (aka crockpots) around these parts.  So anytime we see a recipe that looks as mouthwatering as this Wheat Berry, Wild Rice & Chicken Soup and it's a slow cooker recipe, you better bet we'll be trying it soon.

We added Joseph's Grainery Hard Red Wheat Berries to the recipe to make it a little more hearty and give it a little more texture.  We think you'll love it, so pull our your crockpot and get a cookin'.

You'll notice the recipe calls for something called mirepoix.  What?  We'd never heard of it, so we thought you might like to know too...it's just a fancy way of saying a mix of chopped carrots, celery and onion.  We just chopped up equal parts of the three and added 2 cups worth to the soup.

Slow Cooker Wild Rice, Wheat Berry & Chicken Soup

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adapted from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients:

1 c wild rice, uncooked

1/2 c Joseph's Grainery Hard Red Wheat, uncooked
1 lb chicken

2 c mirepoix (what in the world is mirepoix??? see definition above)

6 c chicken broth

1 tsp poultry seasoning

1/2 c butter

3/4 c Joseph's Grainery Soft White Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

2 c whole milk

up to 2 c additional milk or water

Directions:  Rinse the wild rice and wheat berries.  Place the uncooked wild rice, wheat berries, mirepoix, chicken, chicken broth and poultry seasoning in the crock pot.  Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.

Once the chicken is thoroughly cooked, remove it from the slow cooker and allow to cool.  Once it's not too hot to touch, shred the chicken and then return to the crockpot.

In a saucepan, melt the butter.  Add the flour and let bubble for 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in the whole milk until a thick creamy mixture forms.  Add this to the contents in the crockpot and stir to combine.  Add additional milk or water to achieve the desired constancy for the soup.

Wheat Berry Recipes

Our Favorite Hard Red Wheat Berry Recipes

While they may not be a part of your regular menu, Hard Red Wheat Berries should be!  They add a great, nutty crunch to many entrees, salads and even baked goods - not to mention they are a great source of protein and dietary fiber.  Here are a few of our favorite Wheat Berry Recipes...

Wheat and Veggie Tacos - Need a quick and easy dinner idea, then these tacos with wheat berries are for you.

Wheat Berry Granola - Wheat Berries add a wonderful nutty crunch to your morning breakfast granola.

Wheat Berry Pasta - this salad makes a great side or entree.

How To Cook Wheat Berries - We thought you might like to have a "how to", since all the above recipes call for "cooked" Hard Red Wheat Berries.

How to Grow Wheat Grass - Part 4

We hope that you all had a wonderful and safe 4th of July!

Guess what?  Our wheat grass that we planted a week and a half ago is ready for us to use.  Check out how much it's grown:

My MaMa says she's going to quite saying that I'm "growing like a weed," instead she's going to start saying that I'm "growing like wheat." 

You can go ahead and "harvest" the wheat grass at this point.  To do so, simply take a pair of scissors and cut the blade of grass just above where the blade turns from white to green, about an inch above the soil.  Then it's ready for you to use however you wish!  Sorry, I'm personally not a fan of wheat grass juice, so we'll leave that part up to you.  :)

How to Grow Wheat Grass - Part 3

A week ago MaMa and I planted some wheat grass in a container to show you how simple it is to grow your own wheat grass for juicing or cooking with.  On Tuesday we showed you how the seeds had sprouted.  You aren't going to believe the photo we're going to show you today.  Just like my Grandpa said, the wheat took off!

Look at that vibrant green color.  Isn't it gorgeous.  Even if you don't want to juice this stuff, you could plant it for a touch of summer color in your house.  It's a fun project to do with your kids...trust me, I know.  :)  So go ahead and order some Joseph's Grainery Hard Red Wheat today so you can get started growing your own wheat grass!

We'll give it a couple more days before "harvesting" it to juice, so check back.

Again, this would make a good time to make sure you've watered your wheat grass.  :)

How to Grow Wheat Grass - Part 2

On Friday we showed you how simple it is to plant your own wheat grass for the purpose of juicing, cooking or consuming however you wish.  We said it was so simple a two-year-old could do it.  Well, guess what?  We were right.  Our little seeds have sprouted and are coming through the soil!

This is what they look like today.  My Grandpa says they will take off from here and grow very quickly, so we'll take another picture in a couple of days to show you the progress.

If you've planted your own wheat grass seeds, now might be a good time to make sure you've watered them.  Go ahead, we'll wait...

Why Not Try...

Why not try substituting whole wheat flour in recipes when it calls for "flour"?  It's easy and a lot healthier for you than that all purpose stuff.  :)  Give it a try, what's the worst that could happen?  MaMa and I do this all the time in the kitchen.  If she says the recipe calls for flour, I say, "howl weeet" (tanslates "whole wheat").  Guess what, most of the time it works!  In some recipes it's a good idea to only start out by swapping out half the amount of flour with whole wheat flour.  And if that works, why not try pushing it a little further the next time?  The recipe in today's post is one that we swapped all the flour out for whole wheat flour.  And guess what, it tasted delicious...and MaMa feels better about it being healthier for us. 

Enchilada - Burrito

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef (or ground turkey)

1/4 c Joseph's Grainery Hard Red Whole Wheat Flour

1 tsp chili powder

1/3 c diced onion

4 cloves garlic, pressed

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c water

16 oz can fat free refried beans

6 whole wheat tortillas

1 1/2 c hot sauce

1 1/2 c grated cheese (we like a combo of cheddar and pepper jack)

Directions:  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Brown the beef in a skillet.  Drain.  Return the meat to the skillet and add the flour, chili powder, onion, garlic and salt.  Toss to mix the spices evenly.  Add the water and stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

In a seperate pan warm the refried beans over medium-low heat.

Place some refried beans and ground beef mixture in each tortilla.  Roll each tortilla up and place in a 9x13 baking dish.  Cover the enchilitos with hot sauce and shedded cheese and then bake in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes, just until the cheese is melted.

If you're like us, you'll be adding this recipe to your list of favorites soon!

Recipe adapted from original found in Healthy Meals for Less: Great-Tasting Simple Recipes Under $1 a Serving by Jonni McCoy, who is known as the "Miserly Mom".

Cracked Wheat Banana Bread

Cracked Wheat Banana Bread

We were so excited to try this easy bread recipe that when it came out of the oven we totally spaced taking a picture of it!  So you'll have to forgive us for that and trust us that it is a presentable loaf.  This is a great way to use those almost rotten bananas, and get some fruits and whole grains into your kids diets while you're at it.

Ingredients:

1/2 c Joseph's Grainery Soft White Wheat, cracked in a blender for about 2 minutes
1 1/2 c flour
1/14 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
2 egg whites
1 c mashed bananas (I usually just throw in two bananas, chopped up)
3/4 c sugar
1/4 c oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chocolate chips (optional, but we highly recommend!) 

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl mix together all of the ingredients.  Pour into a lightly greased loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean when stuck in the center of the loaf.

Mexican Casserole

Here's yet another yummy (and fairly simple) dinner idea.  For all you bacon lovers out there, this one is for you!

Ingredients:

1 c Joseph's Grainery Soft White Wheat, cracked
1 can diced tomatoes
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 c water
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic salt
4 strips of bacon, quartered
1 c cheddar or pepper jack cheese, shredded

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Crack 1 c of Soft White Wheat Berries in your blender or food processor.  Combine all ingredients except bacon in a 9x9 inch baking dish.  Arrange bacon pieces on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for one hour, when 10 minutes or so remain, sprinkle shredded cheese on top and return to oven to finish baking.

Recipe adapted from original by The Magic of Wheat Cookery

Fried Whole Wheat

Do you have some left over meat and not sure what to make for dinner?  Problem solved if you have some Joseph's Grainery Wheat on hand!  Instead of Fried Rice, why not try Fried Whole Wheat?

We had chicken left over from the Chicken and Wheat Recipe last week, so we had Chicken Fried Whole Wheat

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 bunch of green onions, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped
1 c of corn
2 c of left-over meat (bacon, ham, shrimp, chicken, etc)
2 c Joseph's Grainery Soft White Wheat, cooked
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs

Directions:  In a large skillet, saute green & yellow onion in oil.  The add meat and whole wheat.  Add the eggs, beaten lightly, soy sauce and salt.  Stir until eggs are cooked.

Almota Elevator Grain Bin Collapses

A few years ago one of the Grain Bins at the Almota Elevator Company's Snake River facility collapsed, leaving a huge mess of grain.  My Grandpa, Bill, took these photos from his plane.

That is a barge that says "SHAVER" on it.  Barges are the primary mode of transport for the wheat grown in the Palouse Region.  One barge hualing grain down the Snake and Columbia Rivers replaces approximately 100 semi trucks that would otherwise be on our roads.  That is why the dams along the Snake and Columbia Rivers are so important, without them, these barges would not be able to navigate their way down river.

Imagine an avalanche of wheat...that's what this was!

How To Properly Cook Wheat

Since all of the recipes we post here call for whole grains, sometimes cracked whole grains, we thought we'd share with you exactly how we cook our Joseph's Grainery Wheat. It's actually pretty simple.

How To Cook Wheat Berries

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Ingredients:

1 c Joseph's Grainery Hard Red Wheat

4 c water

Directions: Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the wheat, return to boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until the kernels are tender.  Drain and rinse.

That's it...told you it was simple.  To make cooking and baking with wheat berries even easier, you can freeze the cooked wheat, so you always have some ready to go.  When freezing make sure to only freeze a single layer of kernels at once, until frozen, so the kernels won't clump together.

Wheat Berry Chews - Bar Cookie Recipe

This is another great cookie recipe for your holiday baking!  I keep asking MaMa for more because they are so yummy!

Ingredients:

1/2 c margarine

3/4 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 c flour
3 eggs
3/4 c brown sugar
3/4 c Joseph's Grainery Soft White Wheat, cooked & cracked in blender or food processor
1/2 c coconut, shredded
3 Tbsp flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp vanilla

Directions:  Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Cream margarine and powdered sugar together.  Mix in 1 1/2 c flour and press evently into an ungreased 9x13.  Bake 12 minutes.  Mix together eggs, brown sugar, wheat berries, coconut, 3 Tbls flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla.  Spread egg mixture over baked bottom layer and bake 20 minutes longer.  Frost with Vanilla Glaze.  Cool and cut into bars.

Vanilla Glaze:  Mix together 1 1/2 c powdered sugar, 2 Tbls melted margarine, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and 2 Tbls milk.  Spread over hot bar cookies

Recipe from L and B Kitchens Gourmet Recipes Cookbook

Wheat Waldorf Salad Recipe

We made this salad for our Thanksgiving dinner and it received raving reviews.  It has just about everything, but the kitchen sink in it.

Wheat Berry Waldorf Salad

by Joseph's Grainery

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Add a little protien to this classic salad with wheat berries.

Ingredients

• 1 c Joseph's Grainery Soft White Wheat, cooked
• 3 c apple, chopped
• 1 c celery, chopped
• 2 c grapes, halved
• 1/2 c raisins
• 1 c walnuts, chopped
• 1 c mini marshmellows
• 1 c mayonnaise

Instructions

• In a large serving dish/bowl mix together all ingredients, making sure the mayo evenly coats all of the ingredients.

It was yummy!  I approve!

Wheat Berry Bar Cookies

Here's a fun cookie recipe to try for your holiday baking this year.

Ingredients:

1/2 c cooked Joseph's Grainery Soft White Wheat Berries, cracked in food processor or blender
1/2 c butter
1 1/2 c brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c shredded coconut
1/2 c chopped walnuts

Directions:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together butter, brown sugar, eggs and  vanilla.  Add the flour, baking soda and salt.  Fold in the wheat berries, coconut and walnuts.  Lightly grease a 9x13 pan, fill the pan with the batter.  Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cut into bars and enjoy!

Wheatberry Cookies with Chocolate Drizzle

These cookies are a yummy shortbread-esque treat and fairly easy, but the recipe doesn't yield very many cookies.  The recipe calls for the cookies to be drizzled with chocolate, but these cookies would be quite tastey drizzled with caramel, pumpkin, vanilla, or even something fruity. 

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp Butter
• 1/3 c soft brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c Joseph's Grainery Soft White Wheat, cracked
• 1/4 c shredded coconut
• 1 1/4 c flour
• 4 Tbsp milk
• 1/2 c chocolate chips

Directions:  Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Put margarine and brown sugar in a bowl and beat until creamy.  Add the egg and beat well.  Stir in the wheat and coconut.  Add the flour and milk to the mixture.

Form tablespoon sized balls and place on baking sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.  Leave to cool. 

Melt chocolate in the microwave, using a small ziploc bag, spoon the chocolate into the bag, cutting the a very small hole in one of the bottom covers.  Drizzle the chocolate over the cookies and leave to set.

This recipe was adapted from a recipe in Healthy Eating by Dr. Susanna Holt

...we probably made it a little less healthy

Chili Wheat

This is a fairly quick and simple dinner for a chilly Fall day.

Ingredients:

• 4 c Joseph's Grainery Wheat
• 1 large can tomato soup
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 c diced celery
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 Tbls butter
• 1-2 lbs ground beef

Directions:  Simmer onion, celery and butter in a small amount of water.  Brown ground beef and drain grease.  Combine all ingredients.  Salt to taste. Place in baking dish and top with buttered crumbs.  Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour.

Recipe from Mildred M Riley, 2005 Dusty BB Club cookbook

Wheat Meat Loaf

Guess what we're having for dinner tonight...

Ingredients:

• 1 c Joseph's Grainery Hard Red Wheat or Soft White Wheat, cracked or whole
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 lb sausage
• 1 c tomato juice or sauce
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp prepared mustard

Glaze:

• 1/2 c ketchup
• 3 Tbls molasses

Directions: Combine loaf ingredients well. Turn into 8 or 9 inch square pan. Shape and spread glaze over top. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Serves 8 to 10 helpings.

Recipe from Dianne Appel, 2005 Dusty BB Club Cookbook

Huckleberry-Wheatberry Muffins

This one's for my Daddy...he loves huckleberries!  It's even good without the huckleberries, substituting cranberries instead.  We'll definitely be taking our wheatberries with us to Priest Lake next summer so we can make these with fresh huckleberries.

Ingredients:

• 3 c coarsely ground Joseph's Grainery Hard Red Wheatberries
• 1 c boiling water
• 1/2 c oil
• 1/2 c honey
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 c buttermilk
• 2 1/2 c flour (extra credit if you use flour ground from your Joseph's Grainery Wheat)
• 2 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 c huckleberries

Directions:

Grind wheatberries to the consistency of cornmeal (A blender works well for grinding wheatberries, try grinding just 1/2 cup at a time - we used our small cuisinart food processor and that worked well too).

Pour boiling water over the wheatberries and let sit awhile to soften them.

Blend honey (or 1 c sugar), oil, eggs and buttermilk, then add softened wheatberries. Add dry ingredients. Fold in huckleberries.

Drop spoonfuls into greased or paper-lined muffin tins.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.

Variation: Huckleberries not in season? Replace huckleberries with 1 1/2 cups chopped cranberries and 1 cup chopped walnut.

Recipe from Reny Wall, Priest Lake Community Cookbook

This is how much I like these muffins...

Aunt Elda's Spanish Wheat Casserole

She's not our Aunt Elda, but it still sounds yummy to us!  My MaMa is a firm believer in cooking with what's in our pantry and fridge (why we strongly suggest you stock your pantry with Jospeh's Grainery Whole Grains). That said, we didn't have any green peppers on hand, but we did have a few smaller red and yellow peppers, which worked out well and added a nice bit of color to the dish.

Ingredients:

• 
  
  1 qt Joseph's Grainery Soft White Wheat or Hard Red Wheat, boiled
• 
  
  2 tsp baking soda
• 
  
  1 small onion
• 
  
  1/2 green pepper
• 
  
  1 lb hamburger (we used ground turkey and it tasted great too)
• 
  
  1 -15 oz can tomato sauce
• 
  
  1/2 tsp pepper
• 
  
  1 - 16 oz can tomatoes
• 
  
  1 tsp salt

Directions:

Rinse wheat and soak overnight.

(this photo was taken after it had soaked all night, so the wheat has expanded some)

Bring to a boil, adding 2 teaspoons baking soda. Simmer for a few minutes and drain. Rinse well. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boild a second time. Cook until tender, adding water as needed (this took about 10 to 15 minutes for us - didn't have to add water).

Brown the meat, onion and green pepper; add salt and pepper, tomatoes and tomato sauce.

Combine the wheat and meat mixture.

Pour into a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until done.

The finished product!

Recipe from Pam Martin, Priest Lake Community Cookbook