Add Wild Rice!  Sometimes Beautiful Things Happen!

Several days ago I was making some bread using Sturdiwheat baguette mix. Oh my, these baguettes are SO good! And easy. I had some leftover cooked wild rice and I added a cup of cooked wild rice when I mixed the bread. Let it rise overnight (as in the instructions) and Poof! This bread, in addition to being a great baguette is also versatile. Don’t pass up this simple mix at Sturdiwheat.com.

Look what happened. The aroma of fresh bread. Great flavor – and there is no doubt about how it looks!

The texture was wonderful! Soft and chewy. A sturdy crust beautifully browned. I put a small pan of HOT water in the oven (be sure there is enough water to last the entire baking time) on the lower shelf when the pre-heat was started, and sprayed the bread with water when it went in the oven. Spray the bread with water twice more while it is baking. It helps make that perfect crust we all love. Also – let the bread rise for a while after shaping it into loaves. And bake for 30 minutes (this is longer than the instructions on the package, but it is a wider loaf than the baguette instructions) and it makes for a crusty, dense, delicious loaf. You will be SO proud to serve this.

The one caution I would give you is this: You might not be able to resist eating ALL of it when it comes out of the oven!

It is so easy to enjoy Sturdiwheat just as it comes to you from www.sturdiwheat.com. Simply add water. – - – - Go ahead – get creative. Enjoy both the wonderful bread and the loads of compliments!

Let’s join with the French this week in the celebration of Bastille Day! And why not do it with enjoyment of some French Food! Check here on The Grain Bin this week for treats from across the Atlantic. Make Bastille a week of French Food.

Why not start your week with a simple but delicious summer combination. Fruit, Cheese, and Baguette Tray. With a nice glass of wine. Don’t make it complicated. Choose some fruit that is easy to eat. Cherries, grapes, melon and/or strawberries. These are so easy to wash/clean and put out on your tray. Add some cheese. Choose a soft cheese like Brie, a hard sharp cheese like Cheddar or Gruyere, and a pungent blue or gorgonzola. Leave them in large pieces with implements for guests or cut them up as you want. Some picks might be supplied for eating.

For the wine, please make it a favorite of yours. If there are enough guests, you may want more than one variety. If the gathering is more intimate, choose a favorite and go with that.

And finally – That wonderful French Baguette. Baked in your own oven. It’s available from Sturdiwheat and is as easy as the rest of this simple service. You can’t do better than this bread for your guests. And it is so easy to make. As with most Sturdiwheat products.  Just add water.  You will be an artisan baker with everyone enjoying this very special treat without having to travel to France. You might have guests just tear off pieces of the bread, or you could slice it in diagonal pieces to be enjoyed with the fruit and cheese. You might put out some unsalted butter for those who desire it. Your choice.

You can form these loaves so easily and bake them just before serving. Or you can bake it early and serve at room temperature. But think about it – that smell of fresh bread in the oven for your guests. What an added indulgence!

Enjoy the tray – Sip a favorite wine – and savor this warm, delicious baguette. It makes me hungry!

www.sturdiwheat.com

Ah!  Now isn’t that something that everyone loves?

Great French toast requires little.  And most of us have made it successfully. It requires great bread like the Sturdiwheat baguette and a flavored custard. You must have great bread to make great French toast.  If you haven’t tried the Sturdiwheat baguette mix, PLEASE do so.  It is a great product.  If you are planning ahead and if the bread is very fresh, slice diagonally (3/4 – 1 1/2 inch your choice) and let it air dry overnight.  Make a custard – of your favorite flavor.  (Try 1 cup half and half, 3 eggs, a bit of salt, 1/2 tsp each vanilla and orange extract.  If you don’t have orange extract, substitute 1 T orange juice concentrate.)  I love this combination of vanilla and orange. Remember the Dreamsicle?  Creamsicle?  Yep! There you have it.  This will please your family and friends.  Oooos and Ahhhhhs will be sung around the table.  Dip each side of the Sturdiwheat slices into the custard for 30 seconds each side.  Set aside and let rest for a few minutes.

At this point you may fry it as usual.  But Hey!  Who wants to be frying loads of French Toast when everyone is waiting.  Bake it.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees – Butter a baking sheet.  Put the slices on the baking sheet and Bake for 45 minutes or until it is browned to your liking. The toast will be puffy when you remove it from the oven, but will flatten shortly.

Make it extra special.  Serve with your favorite creative accompaniments. 

Oh yes – For a really easy morning, make the custard the night before.

Sturdiwheat – Helping make you the star in the kitchen.

I know we think of French Onion Soup when we connect soup and France.  But it is summer.  Why not try a cold soup that is often attributed to the French.  Vichyssoise is actually a soup created by a French chef from the Ritz-Carlton in New York in the early 20th century.  The ingredients are leeks, potatoes, cream, and chicken stock.  Here is Chef Diat’s recipe from the Ritz-Carlton.  There are many variations on that soup today.

Chef Diat based his recipe on his childhood memories of his mother’s chilled Leek and Potato Soup.  Here is a recipe from Julia Child for that Leek and Potato Soup.  Either one will be a true delight on a hot summer day in mid-July. 

Now – to really enjoy that soup, don’t forget the baguette.  Is any soup truly complete without bread?  Sturdiwheat has it! Just add water.  Easy.  Healthy.  Natural. There is nothing better than the aroma of that fresh bread baking in your home.  And you can be that Master Baker with this baguette mix from Sturdiwheat.  Go for it.  You won’t be disappointed.  And the French will think you are one of them!  How’s that for a bonus!

This morning’s temperature was cool. So some warm hot chocolate hit the spot. And then I couldn’t resist making some bread. Don’t you love the smell of bread baking? It fills the house with that warm feeling and aroma. It just may warm the heart too. The smell elicits definite images of fresh bread even before it is done baking. The taste and smell invades your senses as you imagine enjoying the flavor. And that’s just what the smell does. Just wait for the taste!

Long process to make it? No! Sturdiwheat! It was in the pantry. Baguettes today. Opened the bag. Added the water. Kneaded the dough (THIS is one of the reasons I wanted to make the bread.) Later I formed the loaves and put it in the oven according to the simple instructions.

And now that smell has permeated the entire house. So easy. So healthy. So delicious.

I won’t be able to wait for lunch. I will be having some bread in a few moments. With just a touch of some marmalade. Wish you could join me. (I will be having more bread for lunch.)

These bread mixes are incredible. And nutritious. Check them out. You are in for a treat.