DELICIOUS 100% Whole Grain Kamut - Spelt Bread Recipe

Recently I discovered that some of my stomach troubles were caused by wheat.  I am not allergic, but just intolerant enough that it was messing with my digestion and making my nauseated and bloated.  I LOVE bread so that was a big bummer.  The good thing is that I discovered 2 amazing grains related to wheat, spelt and kamut that could be tolerated well by most wheat intolerant people.  Both of these grains can replace modern wheat in most recipes.  Over the years modern wheat has been hybridized to make it easier for farmers to grow, easier to harvest and cheaper. I still think modern whole wheat is healthy and full of good nutrients but it bothers my stomach.  So now I just bake with these grains instead.

Kamut has a sweet nutty flavor and is my favorite.  It bakes nicely and 1/4 cup uncooked has 7 grams of protein.  Kamut is actually the brand name of Khorsan wheat. It is chock full of minerals and is a good source of selenium, zinc, magnesium and iron.  Spelt is also high in protein and can replace wheat in many recipes.  It is also high in magnesium, zinc and iron as well as phosphorus.  The best part is that all of my family (my plethora of kids and husband)  all LOVE this bread.

We bought a bosch bread mixer and make this bread in large batches that will make 5 loaves at a time.  This way we can eat some fresh and slice the rest and freeze it.

Kamut-Spelt Bread

This makes 5 loaves, and you can use all kamut or all spelt if you choose. This recipe came from a cookbook called "Healthy Recipes from the Heart of our Homes" a cookbook developed especially for the bosch mixer.  You can of course adapt this for a different mixer but cutting the recipe in half.

Preheat oven to 375.

In the bosch mixer with dough hooks in place: 

5 cups of warm water

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup oil (I use organic olive oil or coconut oil)

1 Tbsp dough enhancer

4 cups freshly ground spelt flour

3 Tbsp yeast

Mix thoroughly for 15 seconds.  Cover and let sit for 10-15 minutes until bubbly.

Add: 2 Tbsp Salt 

1/4 cup vital wheat gluten

4-6 cups freshly-ground  kamut flour

4 eggs (I use local cage free eggs)

Enough spelt or kamut flour to clean the side of the bowl.

Knead on speed 1 for 3 minutes. (Please note that you should only knead spelt and kamut for only 3 minutes or you will overdevelop the gluten and have flat loaves.) Form into 5 loaves. Place into well oiled loaf pans. Let rise until double. Lower heat to 350. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.

Enjoy and let me know how yours turns out!

Wheat & Sugar Free Lemon Cranberry Chia Seed Scones...SO GOOD!!!

I have been eating wheat, sugar, and dairy free (except plain yogurt) for almost a month now.  I had my 5th baby in January and am really trying hard to get the last pounds off that seem particularly fond of sticking around.  I must say that giving up these foods (even fruit other than grapefruit) has helped.  I have also been hitting the gym 4-5 days a week and loving it.  In the meantime I would love to tell you that I just don't even care about food. but a foodie ALWAYS loves good food healthy or otherwise.

So while eating wheat and completely sugar free (a temporary thing for me till the baby weight drops off)  I still need a baking fix!  I was feeling like a lemon poppy seed muffin but the traditional recipes are laden with sugar, wheat and dairy.  So I settled on the idea of a spelt lemon cranberry chia seed scone with no sugar and made with stevia, coconut oil and  nutrient packed chia seeds.  I merged and tweaked a spelt scone recipe and a healthy lemon poppy seed muffin recipe.  It was delicious the first time around but I knew I could do better. So after church today I whipped up the recipe once more with a few tweaks.  I love it!

 This is what I came up with....

Spelt Lemon Cranberry Chia Seed Scones

(Wheat and Sugar Free)

4 Cups spelt flour

2 Tbsp Chia seeds

2-3 Tbsp of stevia mixed with fiber I use "Stevia plus"

(Use this link to get a $10 off coupon for "stevia plus" from Vitacost) 

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup coconut oil warmed

1/2 cup yogurt

1/2 cup water

2 large eggs

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice ( a little more for a stronger flavor)

1 Tbsp lemon zest

1/2 cup frozen cranberries

Mix all dry ingredients together.  Mix all wet ingredients including the warmed coconut oil so it is in liquid form, and beat in the two eggs.  Now mix the two together.  Then fold in the cranberries.  If they are large chop them up in to smaller parts.   I use organic ones from "Azure Standard" and they are smaller than conventional ones so I don't bother to chop them.  

Pat the dough into two balls then pat them down into two circles as shown above.

Now slice the raw dough into 8 slices as you would a pie.

Then separate out the scones to bake so that they do not touch.

Bake at 350 for 18-23 minutes till slightly golden brown.

Now just try to resist them... no wait don't worry about it... they are good for you!

They were a  hit with my sugar loving, wheat eating friends as well.  YUMMY!

Have a great wheat and sugar free recipe?  Share it with us in the comments below!

The Tomato Sauce Recipe No One Should Live With Out! A Famous 4 Ingredient Sauce That Happens To Be The BEST Tomato Sauce Ever!

I know what you are thinking... How can a simple 4 ingredient sauce be the best sauce ever?  I am sorry to admit that I usually buy my tomato sauce.  It is such an easy nice thing to have on hand.  I have made crock pot sauce, stove top sauce and it has been good but a little labor intensive and not really that  much better than the jar sauce.  I know it is healthier, but sometimes you just don't have time for all homemade.  In fact, I had jarred sauce in my cupboard when I went to make a baked pasta dish the other day.  When I was looking on line for a good pasta bake recipe I landed on one that included this tomato sauce.

Photo courtesey of The Kitchn where I found this great recipe!

The blog post raved about the richness, smoothness and deep flavor of this sauce.  It looked so simple and I had all the ingredients, because who doesn't have 1 onion, salt, butter and a can of tomatoes?  Evidently this is a true Italian recipe by Marcella Hazan from a cookbook called Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

So here it is!  The simplest tomato sauce recipe you will ever make that give you rich, full flavor, mouth watering results!

Marcella Hazel's 4 Ingredient Tomato Sauce Recipe

1 onion cut in half

1 28 oz. can plumb tomatoes

5 Tablespoons salted  butter (I did not use all 5 Tablespoons, and it was still delicious)

Salt to season to taste. ( I like sea salt)

Throw all of the ingredients into a pot and simply simmer this concoction for 45 minutes or so on the stove top.  The butter adds an incredible richness and really brings out a deep flavor in the tomatoes.  Now Marcella says to remove the onion all together.  I tasted it and it was delicious!  However, I decided to leave it in for the added nutritional benefit and just used an immersion blender. Now prepare to be amazed! INCREDIBLE! 

That is it!  You can memorize this classic recipe and have a quick fix for any night you are in need of a quick supper.  Just toss this over whole grain pasta, or add to any recipe calling for tomato sauce.  I would imagine this would be great to make in large batches and can!  Then you can have the convenience of jarred sauce and all the goodness of homemade taste!  Let me know what you think!  Have any simple recipes we should know about?  Share them in the comments.  Thanks!

Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Pumpkin! The best HEALTHY pumpkin recipes!

I know that last year I posted A LOT more health and fitness workouts, exercise tips, and the like, but being almost 7 months pregnant is not conducive to that.  So healthy recipes it is!  I just had 3 large carved pumpkins given to me to cook up so I am swimming in pumpkin puree.  I have roasted and pureed 2 of them filling about 7 large mason jars.  Some have been tucked into the freezer (with headroom in each jar so they don't burst of course), but now I can't wait to use them in some delicious, truly inspired healthy recipes.  Pumpkin lends itself to healthy recipes as it is a great substitute for half of the fat in baked goods with it's moisture and is packed full of vitamins, fiber, minerals and other nutrients.  But really aside from all that who doesn't love pumpkin in the fall!  Keep in mind that no matter how decadent these recipes look I only chose healthy recipes or recipes that with a few small tweaks would become healthy.  There is an over abundance of sugar and fat laden pumpkin recipes out there.  This is for those of us who want to eat healthy and LOVE it all at the same time.

Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal

This yummy recipe comes from budget bytes a great healthy, budget friendly blog.  Sub out the refined sugar for 1/2 the amount of honey and you get rid of the refined sugar while keeping all the sweet goodness!

Pumpkin Chocolate Granola Bars

How beautiful are these bars!  To make them a little healthier just swap out the brown sugar for 1/4 cup honey and you are good to go.  See the recipe and a beautiful array of artistic photos of these bars at Pastry Affair
Sweet and Salty Roasted pumpkin seeds

You can find the recipe for this delicious and healthy treat from HERE from For the Love of Fiber.  What could be healthier?

Simple Crock Pot Apple Pumpkin Butter

This is a quick easy, HEALTHY, recipe from For the Love of Fiber is a perfect way to use your fresh pumpkin and apples this season!

A classic Pumpkin Nut Muffins

This recipe uses whole wheat, and to make them even healthier use fresh pumpkin, sub out the vegetable oil for coconut oil, and use 1/4 to 1/3 cup honey in place of the 3/4 cup raw sugar.  Find the whole recipe HERE at Skinny Taste.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars

These decadent looking treats are actually gluten free, vegan, and free of refined sugars!  Find the 

recipe HERE at Clean Green Simple


Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes

This Allrecipes favorite would be a perfect way to use some of your freshly harvested pumpkin!  To drop some of the sugar use apple or pumpkin butter in place of syrup or a dollop of plain yogurt sweetened with stevia on top like we do.  The full recipe found HERE at Allrecipes.

Pumpkin Pie Fudge

Who would believe you could have fudge and be making good food choices all at once!
This fudge is made with coconut oil for a healthy fat, and uses only 2 Tablespoons of maple syrup as the only sweetener.  Throw in the addition of a nutritious vegetable like pumpkin and you are guilt free! Recipe found HERE at Unwheated.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

I know it says butternut squash, but sub in a pumpkin for a similar flavor.  I LOVE this recipe from my William Sonoma "Soup" cookbook.  It is the whole reason I got the cookbook!  I had the soup at a relatives and could not get enough of it.  I think the secret is the large amount of garlic that is roasted to a sweet mellow flavor and the delicious leeks.  Truly healthy and I am looking forward to making this again but with my large supply of pumpkin! I found the whole recipe Here at Indulge and Enjoy. So you can do just that!

Now I tried (for hours!!) to find just the right pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe to share with you guys. Something perfectly delicious, made with whole wheat, coconut oil, and honey or other unrefined sugar, however it was a bust.  Everything I found was loaded with white flour sugar and fat or  vegan or gluten free or yeast free.  I didn't want something hard and healthy that had no resemblance to a true cinnamon roll so I will have to create my own version.  I am getting a bosch mixer and grain mill tomorrow (SQUEAL OF DELIGHT!!!) that my mom picked up for me out of town from a craigslist ad, and I can't wait to get started on the challenge!  YUMMY!! Have any ideas for your favorite healthy delicious ways of using pumpkin?  Share it in the comments!

Healthy Baking Substitutes

Just wanted to share these healthy baking tips I found from Picklee .  Coming into baking season soon with fall approaching!


Be sure to check out her great post to see exactly how to make the substitute and what foods they work best in. 

 The measurements are not cup for cup always and there are some baked goods that work better than others.  Just thought you healthy eaters out there would appreciate this!  I have used most of these substitutes but the avocado and the black beans are new ones to me!  Looking forward to trying them out!  For more on sugar substitutes be sure to see my past post The Sweet Stuff Line Up!

All Natural, DELICIOUS Watermelon Lime Sorbet with No Added Sugar!

I was at Trader Joe's while visiting my sister in Santa Fe and saw these beautiful watermelons for $3.50!! Half the cost of what they are where I live.  So I decided to make a delicious, refreshing, TOTALLY HEALTHY watermelon lime sorbet.

You can make it with an ice cream maker or without!  The recipe is very simple.

Watermelon Lime sorbet

Photo courtesy of Rachel Ray

My version is sweet, light, refreshing, and oh so delicious as well as being completely healthy! 

8 cups of cubed watermelon

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1 tsp powdered stevia 

Now you can make this two ways.  The first way does not require an ice cream maker. For this method simply place the watermelon chunks on a cookie sheet and freeze.  While that is freezing mix your stevia into your lime juice.  Once the watermelon is frozen throw it and the lime juice stevia mix into the food processor .   Since the fruit is frozen it will blend all nicely and stay a nice sorbet consistency with out the need of the ice cream maker.

 If you want to use the ice cream maker throw all the ingredients into a processor or blender and then into the ice cream maker.  If you have a room temperature watermelon you may have trouble getting your ice cream maker to freeze it all the way past a slush.  So start with cold or slightly frozen watermelon.  If you choose to use a warmer melon you may just need to throw it into the freezer for the last bit.  If you are serving it right away keep an eye on it that it doesn't freeze too hard!  If you are serving it later you will need to pull it (if frozen hard) out of the freezer early to let it warm to a better consistency and shave with a fork before serving.

My regular sized watermelon (not personal size and not huge) made two batches in the ice cream maker and left me a batch and a half of watermelon lime mixture for popsicles!  The kids loved it both ways and I felt great giving it to them!  I have really tried to keep my kids sugar intake limited and this is a fun way of doing it so they don't feel deprived.  In fact the neighbor boys scarfed them down as well and didn't even notice the lack of added sugar!  Let me know how it goes.

P.S. If you are looking for some other sorbet, smoothie and popsicle recipes check out these posts I did earlier with TONS of recipes that will refresh on a hot day, satisfy a sweet tooth and keep you looking great in a swimsuit!

Refreshing Mango Strawberry Lime Salad

Green Smoothie Guide. 

Cool Summer Treats that Cure the Urge to Splurge! 

All Natural No added sugar Mango Sorbet

Delicious Quick and Healthy Broccoli Salad

I love a good broccoli salad with crunchy nuts, crisp broccoli, and a hint of sweetness in the dressing.  Unfortunately most of them are doused in mayonnaise, sprinkled with bacon and coated in sugar.  Neither mayo, bacon, nor sugar are things I want to be eating much of so I created my own version after looking at a lot of different recipes..

photo courtesy of all recipes  

Broccoli Salad

1 head of fresh broccoli (1 1/2 lbs.)

1 small red onion thinly sliced

1/2  cup raisins (grapes would be a good substitute)

1/2 cup toasted walnuts, sunflower seeds or any other nut

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 Tbs white whine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

10 Healthy Make Ahead Snacks TO GO & the Snack Station!

This time of year there is so much going on that it is harder to make something healthy every time you or one of the kiddos is hungry.   I am finding we don't have much to eat on the go sometimes when we are busy because I won't buy processed crackers, cookies, granola bars etc... and I don't have time to make it right then.  It is also so much more economical to make snacks yourself as opposed to buying them, ans so much healthier as we all know.  I am trying to stock my fridge and pantry with healthy ready to go snack foods that we can grab before a trip to the park or the kids can grab for themselves while I am busy with one of the other 4 kiddos.  I like the idea of prepackaging my own healthy foods, because it is so helpful to have something to grab.  I I  have started trying to have one food chore day a week where I prep snacks, granola, dips etc so we are ready for the week. Here is what I have come up with for myself so we can eat well no matter how busy we are.

Hard boiled eggs 

Photo from fotostock

I know it is simple but farm fresh eggs are a great snack for the kids. It is easy to boil up a whole pot full at a time and store right back in their original egg carton marked "hard boiled eggs".  They are full of protein and taste great as well as being conveniently in their own packaging!  To make them put uncooked eggs in a pot of cold water.  Now add a tsp of baking powder and salt to make them easy to peel.  Bring the pot to a boil for about 1 minute, then take them off the heat and let them sit 10-12 minutes.

Celery filled with peanut butter

Photo from fotostock

Who doesn't like this classic snack.  I like that I can make a whole plateful to keep in the fridge and have them ready to go for hungry kiddos.  Do not plan on stacking them as that just gets too messy.  A single layer works best.  Some like the addition of raisins.  We get plenty of sugar elsewhere so we skip that part.

Fruit Skewers

Photo from fotostock

These are great fresh or frozen!  Just skewer grapes, strawberries, all kinds of melons, kiwi, mint leaves, bananas, apple and orange chunks or whatever you have on hand.  Then store in the fridge or freezer.  These are great with or without yogurt dip.  For the yogurt just sweeten plain yogurt with honey or stevia and dip.  They make a great Popsicle alternative with tons more fiber and all around nutrition!

Homemade yogurt

Photo from fotostock

I have a great recipe for homemade organic thick and creamy yogurt that you make in the crock pot.  I use my large crockpot and make a gallon at a time!  If you sweeten half of what you make with stevia or honey you can keep it in your fridge in ready to go jars.  Then when you need a quick snack it is already sweetened, served, and easy enough for kids to get for themselves.  I love a handful of homemade granola (recipe here) mixed into this.

Homemade granola bars

Photo from Whole Foods market

These are easy, yummy, healthy and great to throw in a bag and go.  Just wrap each one individually in cellophane and when you need it you are ready.  You can find several recipes HERE.

Ready to go veggie cups with homemade ranch or hummus

Photo from Pinterest no credit

I make my own ranch (recipe here) and humus (recipes here).  Just portion some out into small reusable plastic cups and add the long strips of cut up veggies.  Now just grab and go!  Make a weeks worth for your family and you will find it so much easier to be getting all your veggies in!

Frozen Homemade Burritos
(Bean or Breakfast)

Recipe and photo from Talia Christine's blog You can make these ahead of time with my homemade whole wheat tortilla recipe.  To store them wrap them in cellophane and store in an airtight container in the freezer. You can also change up the filling and use eggs, cheese and soy sausage for breakfast burritos too.   When you want one just reheat.

Homemade Snack Bags

Photo from Joy Bauer

We mix cheerios, or other whole grain cereal, almonds, sunflower seeds, chopped up apricots (less sugar than other dried fruit), whole grain crackers or pretzels, and mix it all up.  You can make these ahead of time and package in the snack size zip lock bags so you have a ready made snack. 

Yogurt pops

Find the recipe from these pops at the Gracious Pantry

Use your popsicle molds for yogurt pops.  Use plain unsweetened yogurt and add your own natural sweeteners like stevia or xyilitol etc (Still not sure what to use?  See my previous post on natural sweeteners here.)  then add frozen fruit chunks or puree it all in the blender.  For the blended option throw yogurt and fruit or fruits of choice in the blender with a small amount of juice.  Just enough juice to make the blending easier and then pour into molds. For more healthy "popsicle style" treat recipes look HERE.

Brewers Yeast Popcorn in snack bags 

photo from 123rf stock photos

.Pop up some popcorn on your stove with a little olive oil, then thow on some brewers yeast ans sea salt before throwing into small zipper seal snack bags ready to grab for the week.  The brewers yeast adds a parmesiany flavor and a ton of B vitamins.  The popcorn stays nice and crisp for days.

The Snack Station

For me the whole point of this was to find snacks that my kids could help themselves to (besides fruit), and snacks that I could grab and head to the park with.  Enter the "snack station".  I will be making one for the fridge and one for pantry items that do not need refrigeration.  That way if I am busy with homeschool, or something else they can help themselves to mommy approved choices.  

Photo from Stuff I like

What are your healthy ideas for homemade snacks to go?

Homemade thick and creamy crockpot yogurt!

With 4 kids, a desire to eat truly healthy and a small budget we try hard to make as much of our food as possible. Mind you, we homeschool and with a 2,3,5, and 7 year old it is pretty tough to find time to make all the things I want to, but we are working on it.  I have recently quit buying store bought bread, and we just make our own whole grain bread instead.  If we run out of bread and I don't have time to make it we make some quick biscuits or handmade whole wheat tortillas.  It saves us a  ton of dough (pun intended :) ), and we get to skip all those unpronounceable ingredients that are even in the healthy breads!

So now that we have made that change we are trying to add homemade yogurt to our list.  I have made it before but usually it was too runny, and the thermos style yogurt maker we have made too little for our big family.  I checked into some strains of starter you could buy that cultured right on your counter without the addition of heat, but it turned out that it produces a more stringy gluey style yogurt.  That was NOT what I wanted.  So I started researching what made a rich, creamy, thick yogurt without adding anything additional to the yogurt like gelatin.  After reading countless blog posts, blogger comments, and more this is what I came up with...

A thicker rich and tangy, yogurt with a nice creamy consistency.  Much to my delight my son said and I quote "Wow!  This tastes just as good as the store kind!"  Just what I was going for!

Without further ado.. Here is the recipe with all the tips, tricks and "need to know's" mixed in.

1.Bring one 1/2 gallon organic WHOLE pasteurized milk up to 180 degrees in a pot on the stove.  DO NOT SKIP this step.  

If you want to use the crock pot exclusively and skip the stove top method you can add the cold milk to the crock pot and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours, then unplug the crock pot and let it sit with the cover on for 3 hours before continuing on from step 4.
I use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature.  Keep an eye on the milk as you are heating it to make sure not to burn the  milk.  This breaks up the proteins in the milk to smooth thick yogurt, kill competing bacteria that will give the yogurt an off taste, and stops the whey from separating out as much.  Do not use ultra pasteurized milk as it doesn't have enough healthy bacteria to culture properly.  For a thick yogurt you really need whole milk.  You can make it with reduced fat milk, but it will be runnier.  The addition of powdered milk (about 1/2 Cup) can help to offset this if you are set on using reduced fat milk.  Many bloggers suggested that the quality of your milk really effects the overall end product so I used Horizons Organic whole milk.

2. Place the pot in a sink full of cold water to bring the temperature down to 105-115 degrees. 

Don't mind that fact that my thermometer has been completely disfigured by a run through the dishwasher.

3. While this is happening turn on your crock pot to low for 15 minutes before adding your milk.  Now turn off your crock pot.
Do not forget to turn it OFF!!
I did forget once and had a boiling thick cottage cheese like mess hours later.

4. Now that your milk is down to 105 degrees and will not kill your starter, take out about a cup of the warm milk and thoroughly whisk in your 1/2 cup of starter yogurt.  Add this back into your milk and thoroughly incorporate.  
How thoroughly you mix this in will determine how incorporated your starter will be through out all the milk mixture and therefore how smooth and creamy (think lump less if that is a word) your yogurt will turn out.  I used open nature brand from Safeway.  It is very important that the starter be FRESH. Do not open it until you are using it and then freeze the rest in 1/2 cup portions for the next time you need starter or just save out 1/2 cup of the resulting yogurt.

5.  So your milk and starter should now be fully incorporated in a crock pot that is turned OFF.  

6.  Wrap the crockpot tightly in a thick towel, and DO NOT MOVE IT! Wait 7-15 hours for a full, rich, creamy yogurt.

It is very important that the yogurt not be disturbed by curious little hands or moving around, so find a spot it will be safe in.  Now comes the part where you have to restrain yourself and be patient!  The longer it sits the thicker and tangier it will become.  Because everyone's home's temperature will vary you will just have to see what works for you.  I got mine out at 7 hours but will try waiting longer next time to see how I prefer it.

And that is it!   I like to use mine to replace sour cream and mayo in recipes, or add stevia and frozen berries to eat it for breakfast, bake with it in place of cream,  as a base for a delicious fruit dip, add it to smoothies, flavor and make popsicle or frozen yogurt.  The list is endless.


To make greek yogurt just strain it in cheese cloth for a day or so to remove some of the liquid.  

So the process itself is simple, yet it seems that the little tips and tricks can make the difference between grainy, thin, stretchy yogurt and thick, smooth, creamy and tangy yogurt.  I vote for the latter!  Ever made yogurt?  Share your tips and tricks with us!