Grains and sweetness

Chris found about a neighbor of ours who was offering a cooking class dedicated to helping people learn to use grains and natural sweeteners. We have decided since are trying to get other people to care about the use of chemicals and to recognize wholesome food we should probably change some (a LOT!) of our own practices. This sounded like the perfect opportunity to get us started. Rebecca and I went last night to a beautiful new bed and breakfast in Albion called The Brick Arc Inn. The Inn was hosting the cooking class but they haven't even had their grand opening yet. We joined a few other ladies and learned about how to use Stevia, Rapidura, maple syrup and honey in foods instead of refined sugar. We also learned about arrowroot powder for thickening instead of cornstarch. We learned how to soak grains and whole grain flours overnight to increase their nutritional value. And we cooked! We made an oatmeal like you have never tasted before! We used leftover oatmeal to make wonderful all natural and organic chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. We made healthy pancakes and a black raspberry syrup that was really great. We also met some really nice people who will be terrific resources on our journey. So we are ready for our transition to food that has more nutritional value.Next time we learn about lacto-fermentation and then how to make yogurts and kefirs! A whole new adventure.