Slow Cooker Apple Cranberry Einkorn Porridge

Let's talk hot cereal for a moment. I grew up with Cream of Wheat, Malt-O-Meal, and oatmeal...and I liked them. Warm, comforting food that made a cold, midwestern morning a little more bearable. And the "new" microwavable oatmeal packets of the day? It was a toss-up between apple-cinnamon and maple brown sugar for which was my favorite.

Roasted Carrot and Farro Salad

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Land O'Lakes, Inc. All opinions are my own.

Nothing puts a bounce in my step like the onset of fall. Cool, crisp days replace the oppressive heat, and a sense of renewal fills my body. Cool weather fruits and vegetables bejewel my little part of the Midwest with rich reds, oranges, and gold around every corner. College football, sweaters and sweatshirts, hayrides, the pumpkin patch, corn mazes...I could go on.

Craving Fall Buddha Bowls | A Piece of Sky, A Grain of Rice

Today I'm hosting a book tour stop for A Piece of Sky, A Grain of Rice: a Memoir in Four Meditations by Christine Hale. This book is a little different than my usual read, and left me a bit puzzled when it came to writing my review. So, while the review that follows may seem a bit abbreviated, that is exactly the way that I wanted to present it. I hope you'll give it a chance.

Memoir for poetry fans. At first a bit of a turn-off, but the further I got, the more I became accustomed to her writing style.

Read like angst poetry or journal entries. A way to purge and let go of guilt, shame, self-doubt, neediness, hurt, codependence, and shortfalls.

Warm Farro and Quinoa Breakfast Bowls

I was raised on that familiar old adage telling us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The same way that my parents made sure I knew it, I make sure my kids know it. I'm a firm believer that you just can't concentrate on an empty stomach—especially when it's grumbling out loud. I don't think that breakfast always has to be the same thing. One day you may want bacon, eggs, and toast...the next day you may need a waffle more than life itself...and the next you might be in the mood for some yogurt, granola, and fresh fruit.

And since the list of breakfast possibilities is endless, you don't have to get bored. One of my favorite meals on a cooler (or downright freezing) days was a bowl of warm oatmeal. While some may consider oatmeal boring, I tend to disagree. It's a neutral palate just waiting to be dressed up. But if I still can't convince you of that, how about a different kind of warm porridge to start your day? Today I'm partnering with Village Harvest to tell you how to make a nourishing bowl to start your day right! Village Harvest Rice & Grains make it easy to stay on track and keep a healthy lifestyle in the new year and beyond with their natural, unprocessed rice and grains.

Cardamom-laced Pumpkin Steel-Cut Oatmeal

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Silk. All opinions are 100% mine.

I've always been a milk-drinker. Growing up it was always dairy, and I don't think I even knew there was an alternative. I've even been a shareholder of a grass-fed organic dairy herd. I like dairy milk and I don't have any sensitivities to it. That being said, now that I'm "all grown up", I also keep alternative varieties on milk on hand at all times. One—because you never know when an intolerant person might drop by, and two—because I like using different types of milks for different applications.

I almost always have a can of coconut milk in my pantry. It's good for me to keep rice milk around because my mom can't have dairy, nuts, or soy. I use almond milk on a fairly regular basis, and soy milk from time to time. Often you hear about making nut milks at home, and while it's something I'll probably try making (because I like to try making everything myself—at least once), I know I wouldn't make it on a regular basis. I know a lot of vegans (and non-vegans) who use cashew cream, and it's always intrigued me, so when I saw that Silk® now makes cashew milk, I knew I wanted to try it.

I went for the unsweetened, because I like to control the end result (I knew I'd be using most of it as an ingredient). But of course, I had to drink some to give it the old college try before I went any further. The carton says "irresistibly creamy"...and it's right. The Silk Cashewmilk is creamy with an entirely natural and pleasant mouthfeel. Sorry, I know some people hate the word "mouthfeel", but it fits here. When you tilt your head back to take a gulp, the cashewmilk does not feel cloying or unnaturally thick. It has a mild, pleasant taste. And it BEGS to be used in oatmeal. Really, I heard it.

Chicken and Farro Whole Grain Empanadas

September is Whole Grains Month, and I am partnering with the Whole Grains Council as one of their selected "Make the Switch" bloggers. Our goal was to take a family favorite recipe and retool it by adding more whole grains. It's a contest for the participating bloggers (we can win cash prizes for the top votes), but if you drop by the Whole Grains Council website and place a vote for your favorite recipe—you'll also be entered for a chance to win cash ($500) and a big selection of whole grain foods!

So, now you're wondering what I did to make the switch to whole grains, right? Well, I started with my family's favorite empanada recipe. The original uses only all-purpose flour, so I substituted half whole wheat pastry flour in this version. It was still flaky and tender and melt-in-your mouth delicious. I actually think it may work well using entirely whole wheat pastry flour. That was my first "switch".

My second switch was in the picadillo filling itself. The original uses pork, but I switched it out for a combination of white meat chicken and farro (one of my 3 favorite whole grains). I decided to use half lean meat and half farro to make the picadillo because I wanted to ease everybody into the switch. I think I could've gone straight-up whole grain (no meat) in this instance, as well. The size and chewiness of the cooked farro really echoed the texture of our usual filling. I actually think that if they didn't already know I'd made the switch, they wouldn't have even guessed there was anything different.

Sample Whole Grains + a "Whole Grain Toast"

This coming Wednesday (April 3rd) is Whole Grain Sampling Day.  If you hang out with me in places like Instagram, Twitter, and/or Facebook, you've probably noticed that I've been sampling all sorts of whole grain foods lately.  We eat our fair share of whole grains in this house - some of my favorites being farro, wheat berries, brown rice, and steel cut oats.  I love the extra texture whole grains add to a dish (mmmm...chewy) and the nutty flavor of them, as well.

And while that chewiness and nuttiness are important, there are so many other great reasons to add more whole grains to your diet.  Whole grains are grains in which the bran and the germ are kept intact (they are removed when the grain is refined), keeping the beneficial fiber and B vitamins found in the bran and the antioxidants found in the germ.

Wheat Berries w/ Cherries, Berries, & Almonds

Yes, I was raised to believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  I couldn't walk out that door without eating.  But I'm glad that was instilled in me...because it's so true.  It gets your brain and your body warmed up and ready for action.  I've always been a breakfast kind of girl.  Sometimes it's small and light, sometimes it's more substantial.  Either way, I need my breakfast.  And a cup or two of coffee.  

This is a good one for those days when your teeth and your bones are chattering from the bitter cold temps outside your door.  It's reminiscent of rice pudding, porridge, or even a warm fruit soup.  My current favorite grain, wheat berries are cooked until gloriously chewy in a bath of maple-kissed almond milk and before being complimented by juicy, antioxidant-rich berries and cherries.  Topped off with nutty slivers of almonds and a smattering of poppy seeds, I find it pretty irresistible.

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Wheat Berries w/ Cherries, Berries, & Almonds

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes - 2 hours

Keywords: simmer breakfast vegan vegetarian grains berries

Ingredients (serves 4)

• ¾ c. wheat berries
• 2 c. almond milk
• 2 Tbs. maple syrup, or more to taste
• sea salt
• 1 c. blueberries
• 1 c. cherries, pitted
• 1 c. strawberries, hulled & quartered
• sliced almonds
• poppy seeds

Instructions

Combine wheat berries in a medium to large pot with almond milk, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Milk should cover wheat berries by about an inch...if it doesn't, add a bit more or some water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a gentle bubble.

Allow to cook, stirring from time to time, until wheat berries are tender (this can take anywhere from 25 minutes to an hour or more). Wheat berries will sweel and be tender, yet firm when done; mixture will still be a bit soupy. If you're making the grains ahead of time, you can cool them down and refrigerate at this point, gently reheating before service.

Adjust seasoning by adding more salt and/ or maple syrup, if you like. Stir in the berries and cherries. Sprinkle with as many sliced almonds and poppy seeds as you'd like.

recipe adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman

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Also, I wanted to give a heads up to all of the Mark Bittman fans out there...Sarah and Kate have started a new cook-along style group for his Food Matters Cookbook.  It’s all about eating more plants and fewer animal products and processed foods — and the positive impact this has on our health and the environment.  It's called the Food Matters project and it will be a weekly event (Mondays) starting February 6th.  Check out the schedule of recipes so far and grab a hosting spot!

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Whole Food Wednesdays

Wholesome Wholegrain Cooking (WWC): Spelt or Oats in Breafast - the Roundup

Looking for a wonderful variety of items to bring to your breakfast table that contain healthy whole grains?  We're talking Spelt and Oats specifically today, bringing together all of the Wholesome Wholegrain Cooking: Spelt/Oats for Breakfast entries that were sent in this month.  So much to choose from, I don't even know where to begin. Check out all of these wonderful entries.

Spelt

First up are these tempting Goji Berry Mango Spelt Breakfast Bars from the always innovative, often surprising  Lora at Diary of a Mad Hausfrau (Germany).  Lora often uses spelt and happened to use it 3 ways in her amazing breakfast bars.

The lovely France from Beyond the Peel (Canada) made a lovely batch of Lemon Cream Spelt Scones w/ Blueberry Honey Dip that are are light and fluffy with a bit of a crunch from added cornmeal.

Moist and chock-full of healthy ingredients, these Blueberry Orange Spelt mini muffins from Denise at Oh Taste n see (Seattle, USA) sound like a wonderful way to start any day.

These Spiced Apple Crumb Muffins that I made earlier this month here at girlichef (Indiana, USA) are not only delicious and addicting, they also make a healthy way to start your day.  They use whole grain spelt flour and rolled spelt...and they're vegan.

Oats

Nandita from Paaka-Shalle (Tanzania) made some tempting Apple Oatmeal Streusel Muffins as a pick-me-up breakfast in the midst of the chaos of moving.

Nirmala from Nirmala's Kitchen (Chennai, India) made a healthy Oats Dosa flavored with chiles, coriander, curry leaves, and ginger for breakfast since she was unable to locate spelt.

My pal Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies (Canada) made a beautiful batch of Oatmeal Bars with Dates and Walnuts. Hmmm.  She must have thought I was visiting this week.

Sanjeeta from Lite Bite (India) created some light, fluffy, and tempting Oatmeal and Banana Scones, a healthy way to make a delicious breakfast with very few ingredients.

If you've been searching for a muffin that is quick, egg and butter-free, and low in sugar, look no further than these Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins from Krithi at Krithi's Kitchen (USA).

I am a sucker for any type of "bars" in the morning, especially if they are chewy like these Eggless Chewy Chocolate Oat Bars from Aarthi at Yummy Tummy (India - Nagercoil).

Next up is Reva from Kaarasaaram (UK) with not only a healthy way to start the day...but an absolutely stunning one, as well.  I don't know if I'd rather eat these Oats, Butternut Squash, & Rosemary Breakfast Muffins or take their picture.

And here with another version of Oats Dosa that sounds equally as delicious as the one above is Rajani from My Kitchen Trials (Chennai, India).  Studded with flecks of beautiful color imparted by carrots and chiles and beans, I would happily wake up to this.

Kalyani (aka Mom Chef) from What's Cooking? made some Eggless Carrot, Oats, & Raisin Muffins in honor of her 100th post.  Good morning!

A huge thank you to everybody who participated this month. I wish I had one of everything to try. And thanks to Sanjeeta for having me as a host.  Next month Reva from Kaarasaaram will be hosting Wholesome Wholegrain Cooking with the theme: Corn for Dinner...be sure to head on over to get the details!