I admit – having an iPad in the kitchen is wonderful. It is so handy for finding ideas and recipes.  And having thousands of recipes available through the Internet is a great way to find recipes that are new and even some that give us a new twist on our favorites. Google is your kitchen friend!  I Googled “cornbread recipe” and received “about” 1,100,000 hits in less than two-tenths of a second.  Now THAT is too many for me — so what’s next?

Where does one go for perfect cornbread?  How about Sturdiwheat? Oh – you thought that Sturdiwheat only had dynamite pancakes and awesome bread? Look behind Door Three!  This cornbread is excellent.  Moist.  Flavorful.  And as always, Sturdiwheat has made your kitchen an easier and more pleasant place to be.

With Sturdiwheat, of course, you can always just add water (and in this case some melted butter) and that’s it.  Or – you can try some new tricks of your own.  This time I used the Lemon Corn Bread.  And added some frozen blueberries.

Follow the simple instructions on the package.  When the batter is ready, spoon half of it into the bottom of the 8″ x 8″ pan.  Sprinkle a cup of fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries on the batter.  Top with the remaining batter.  Baking may take an additional 5 minutes because of the moisture in the blueberries.  The cornbread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.

The light lemon flavor and the blueberries combine for an excellent result. Use it for brunch, for breakfast, for a mid-day snack, or for an addition to an appetizer table.  It didn’t stay around for long.  Color this Lemon-Blueberry Cornbread GONE!

Enjoy.

Sturdiwheat.  As always – Putting a smile on your kitchen time.

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What can’t one do with this Sturdiwheat Baguette mix?

This takes a bit longer than the regular Sturdiwheat mix, but it is sooooooo worth it.

To start, dissolve yeast packet contents in 2.25 C warm water.  Add 1.5 C of the mix and stir until smooth.  Cover and let this sponge cure for up to 24 hours. If cured in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature for 1 hour before using.

When the sponge is ready, add the remaining contents of the Sturdiwheat bag to the sponge and mix thoroughly until smooth.  The dough will be wet and very pliable.  This is OK.  This is a wet dough.

Transfer the dough to a bowl lightly coated with olive oil or nonstick spray.  (When working with this dough, put a bit of olive oil on your hands to prevent sticking.) Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1.5 to 2 hours.

Drizzle some olive oil in a 9 x 13″ pan, smear your hands in it and coat the sides of the pan.  Press the dough evenly into the pan. (It will go into the corners with the rise.) Cover and let rise until doubled – about an hour.  It is important to let this rise fully before putting it in the oven because of the high temperature and fast baking time.  There is not much time in the oven for the focaccia to rise.

Before baking, top the focaccia with any number of goodies.  I like rosemary.  If you use fresh rosemary, blanch it quickly so it retains its color during baking.  I also like sautéed onion and sweet peppers.  To prepare them, slice onion and peppers thinly and sauté in a bit of olive oil until they are softened.  Or leave it plain!  It is great any way you bake it.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

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When the focaccia is ready to bake, brush the top somewhat generously with olive oil.  Sprinkle your favorite topping and then press your fingers or a wooden spoon into the top to make indentations in the bread.  Not too many.  This will give that authentic appearance.  You may be pressing some of the topping into the bread, and this is OK. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt (if you have it) or table salt.

Bake until golden brown and the sides pull away a bit from the pan.  25-30 minutes.  Transfer the bread to a cooling rack.

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Enjoy this bread warm or at room temperature.  Cut it in squares and then horizontally for sandwiches.  Cut it in strips for snacks.  Enjoy it with soup, salad, dinner.  Enjoy it with appetizers.

Especially, enjoy the compliments.  It tastes as good as it looks! I love trying new things with this Sturdiwheat mix.  Go ahead.  Be creative.  Enjoy!

Sturdiwheat – Making you look good! Always!

Natural and Healthy!

Sturdiwheat Focaccia / Snack Bread Mix is a wonderfully surprising and pleasant change from what we often consider Focaccia.  It is filled with healthy grains and steps up a BLT and other sandwiches beautifully. It has a great robust earthy flavor from the grains and you can truly taste this bread – whether it is on a delicate veggie sandwich on a mighty sandwich with intense meaty and flavorful fillings.

As an appetizer bread with cheeses it is a special treat for your guests – or even just for you and yours while waiting for dinner in the evening – or for a snack whenever!

For this baking session I added fresh rosemary to the top.  As you can see, it looks delicious and tastes equally as nice!  Use the package instructions – just be sure you let it rise in the pan before baking.  About an hour is good until it doubles in size.  You do want to let it rise in the pan because with the thinness of the bread, it doesn’t get a long time in the oven to rise.

I will report on my next experiment with some other toppings.  I am expecting similar results.

Oh – I used a pizza pan from a local take it/bake it outlet (pizza came in it and I just re-used it), and it made a great undercrust on this bread.  But you can use any metal pan.

This is such a great bread.  And Sturdiwheat, as always, is making your life in the kitchen easier.  Enjoy!

Add some Rosemary and Voila!

This was a great success.  Add  a few tablespoons of chopped rosemary – This was with fresh rosemary – Don’t be shy about the spice.  Let it sing!  Add it at the same time the water is added. Crush the rosemary with a small bit of oil in a mortar and pestle if you have one to force the flavors.  If using dry rosemary, be sure to crush the spice.

Let is rise for up to 24 hours.  Punch down a couple of times during the rise.  The long rise isn’t necessary, but the flavor and texture improve with the longer rise.  Let the loaves rise for an hour or so after shaping the loaves.  Put a pan of  HOT water on the bottom shelf of the oven when preheating is started.  This moisture is so important for getting that wonderful artisan crust.

Slit the loaves across the top with a serrated knife or a scissors just before putting the loaves in the oven.  Also, spray the top well with water.  Spray twice more during baking.  This water also goes to giving you that beautiful crust.

Bake as directed on the package at 425 degrees –  but bake for 30-35 minutes until the crust is a golden brown. A longer baking time is required because these loaves are thicker than the baguette loaves.

This bread turned out so beautifully.  The texture was exquisite.  The crust – Exceptional. Use this Baguette Mix in many ways.  Test it out!  Let us know what happens.

Enjoy this Rosemary Artisan Bread and the compliments you will be hearing!  And be sure to visit Sturdiwheat for this and other great mixes.

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!

I spent a long weekend “up north” at a 50th Class Reunion.  Stayed with my sister and her husband for a few days.  The reunion was great.  Getting reaquainted with long lost classmates was an absolute delight. 

Eating at TootSweet’s is also a treat!  She pulled out the Sturdiwheat Midwest Corn Bread and worked some additional magic. 

She added whole kernal corn off the cob (freshly picked) – Make sure it is relatively dry when adding it to the Sturdiwheat mix.  Then a good portion of onion and jalepeno, both diced.  The rest of the recipe is the same as on the package directions. 

What a great summer breakfast this made on the deck.  Cornbread, melon, cheese, and deviled eggs.  Birds singing and flitting around.  Chipmunks hoping for some dropped cornbread.  Hummingbirds a bit put out because we are eating too close to their feeder.  And us.  Enjoying the day and the beautiful morning, natural backyard and breakfast, thanks to TootsSweet and Sturdiwheat.

Give this addition to Midwest Corn Bread a try.  You will enjoy both the cornbread and the compliments.

Thanks again, TootsSweet!  And Sturdiwheat!

Don’t forget the Sturdiwheat Cornbread Mix also comes in Lemon and Orange. Again – Sturdiwheat – Helping you look great in the kitchen.

Just returned from a 50th birthday celebration at Two Bear Farm in Ohio.  Gail and Scott (birthday boy) had 200 guests for the celebration.  And served breakfast for two days to 30 people.  (And lunch, and dinner.) The breakfast hit?  Sturdiwheat Almond Pecan Walnut Pancakes.  Also omlettes for the whole group!  He prepared them on an outdoor griddle.  Soooooo good!  Everyone loved the pancakes for sure.  Kids and Adults – Pancakes are a favorite. (And I must say the other food was great too.)

There is something special about waking up on the farm and smelling bacon and breakfast filling the air. It was a great weekend, filled with food and friends.  And Sturdiwheat played its part.  What could be easier than Sturdiwheat if preparing pancakes for 30?  And come to think of it, what could be easier than Sturdiwheat if preparing pancakes for 2 or 4 or 6?  Just add water!  It actually IS that simple.

Scott loves cooking for his guests, and he surely has it all in hand for large numbers of guests.  Large flat griddle outside . . . Large Grill outside . . . and has honed the way to make it easier.  Including Sturdiwheat.  Check out the other great products too!

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

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.

So many French foods and so little time to get through them.  But the Crêpe is so versatile.  Pancakes and flat bread are part of every culture and are used for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Don’t fret if you are unfamiliar with making crêpes.  Sturdiwheat has taken the mystery out of it with a perfect mix.  Short on time?  Just add water to Sturdiwheat Crêpe Mix, take out a frying pan and you will have your crepes in no time.  Then the breakfast fun starts. 

For breakfast, mix some fresh strawberries or blueberries with a bit of sugar and let it sit for 30 minutes.  Make the crêpes.  Put a bit of the sugared fruit on a crêpe and roll it, or fold it into quarters.  Top with some powdered sugar, whipped cream, sour cream, yogurt, or crème fresh, and garnish with a couple of blueberries or strawberries. 

Or place a bit of whipped cream, sour cream, or yogurt inside the crepe before folding.  Top with your favorite preserves or syrup and enjoy.  Or simply roll and top with butter and syrup. 

Or – Be creative and enjoy.  Lemon Curd.  Bananas.  Cherries.  Chocolate.  Raspberries.  Cooked apples and cinnamon.  Orange.  Marmalade.  Peaches.  Again, as with all of your cooking – Keep it simple.  Use what you have in the house.  Sturdiwheat has started the great European breakfast for you with the perfect crêpe mix.  And they are so yummy.  Order this time-saving and easy mix today.  And celebrate with the French this week for Bastille Day.

Bon Appétit!

Sturdiwheat – Easily your friend in the kitchen.