Thermos Wheat

THERMOS WHEAT
1 Cup wheat
2 Cups boiling water
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Preheat a thermos by filling it with hot tap water. Bring two cups of water to a boil and add salt. Empty the tap water from the thermos. Place the wheat in the thermos and add the boiling water. Screw the lid tightly on to the thermos and allow the wheat to cook for 8 hours, or over night. Drain off any water that has not been absorbed. Serve with milk and sugar or raisins.
This can also be cooked in the crockpot over night on low. You can bag it up and freeze it to be reheated later if you want. I like to eat it in yogurt! :)

Wheat Meat

WHEAT GLUTEN
9 cups finely ground whole wheat
4 1/2 cups warm water
Mix in electric mixer for 10 minutes. Let it rest for 30 minutes. Fill mixing bowl with water and knead until water is white and starchy. Pour off some of the water. Put a large bowl in the sink with a strainer inside of it. Using a very small trickle of water, begin rinsing a handful of the dough. The bran will wash off in to the bowl. This bran is good and nutritious and can be used to make bran flakes, or muffins, or even to water plants. You will be able to feel the bran as you wash the dough. When all the bran is washed away, you can flavor the gluten with the meat flavoring of your choice and use it to replace or extend meat in recipes.
FLAVORING BROTH
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 tsp seasoning salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tablespoons bouillion or soup base
4 cups water
Directions: mix together and bring to a boil. Add pieces of raw gluten "meat" and boil for 30 minutes.
For ground beef substitute, grind in a meat grinder. It can be used in many recipes that call for ground beef. You may need to add some oil with certain recipes. You can make gluten "meat" and bread and fry it. Dip in egg before breading

Creamy Cracked Wheat Cereal

CREAMY CRACKED WHEAT CEREAL
1 cup uncooked cracked wheat
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of powdered milk
4 tablespoons of sugar
Prepare cracked wheat by using a wheat grinder or a blender. Add dry milk to water, whisk, and bring to a boil at medium high temperature. Add wheat, sugar, and salt, cover and reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until water is absorbed. Makes 3 cups cereal

Rice

One of my biggest pet peaves is that people buy minute rice because they don't know how to cook regular rice. Minute rice is so much more expensive, and I don't think it tastes as good. I buy rice in bulk, saving lots of money. I had a mission companion teach me her method of cooking rice, but I didn't feel it was very accurate and consistent. But then I learned how from the Frugal Gourmet and have used his method ever since.

1 Part rice
2 parts water

In other words....put in twice as much water as rice. :)

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes. Ta da! that's it.

Also, I would suggest that if you eat rice often that you buy a rice cooker. What I like best about having a rice cooker is that it doesn't take up stove space, and it keeps the rice warm after it is cooked. You can buy them relatively inexpensively at Chinese grocery stores. Also, you can usually find them at thrift stores, donated by people who received them as gifts, but never had use for them. I love rice, and could eat it every day!

Popcorn Balls

This recipe came from my sister "Inklings" many years ago. I have made them alot over the years. I use slightly different proportions of candy to popcorn because I like a little more popcorn in it. But the recipe is so easy!

Melt the following over medium heat. Stir as you cook.
1 cube margarine
1 Cup brown sugar
30 marshmallows (the larger size, not miniature)

I air pop 1 large tupperware bowl of popcorn. Inklings microwaves a bag of popcorn. By hand, transfer the popcorn to another large bowl or cookie sheet to sift out the hard "Old maid" kernels. Pour candy mixture over the popcorn and stir to coat. After it is cooled, butter your hands and form it in to balls. I then put each ball in a sandwich bag to make them easier to handle when eating.

Watermelon Salad

I had this salad at a DUP luncheon. It is very surprisingly good!

Water Melon Salad from Gayle S.

One 5 pound Water Melon
1 Vidalia Sweet Onion slice VERY THIN
1/4 c Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 c Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons of finely chopped mint (I omit this)
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 oz of Feta Cheese
sprinkle of Herbs de Provence


Toss All together and chill for a few hours, Serve CHILLED is best

Split Pea Soup

After reading some of these recipes, I'm sure you can guess why my husband and I are over weight. But as fat laden as this recipe might be, I think it's the best split pea soup I've ever eaten. This recipe comes from the Williams and Sonoma Soup cook book.

Split Pea Soup

1 Tb olive oil
1 yellow onion finely diced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
2 small carrots peeled and thinly sliced
1 C dried green or yellow split peas, picked over, rinsed and drained
4 Cups chicken or vegetable stock or prepared broth
6 slices bacon
2 Tbl finely chopped flat leaf (Italian) parsley
1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh marjoram or 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 tsp fnely chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme.
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

In a large saucepan over mdeium heat, warm the oiil. Add the onion and saute until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the celery and carrots and saute until just slightly softened, 3 minutes.

Add the split peas, stock, 2 slices of the bacon, parsley, marjoram, and thyme. Reduce the heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer. Cover partially and cook until the peas are tender, 50-60 minutes. Discard the bacon.

Meanwhile, in a frying pan over mediuim heat, fry the remaining 4 slices of bacon until crips, about 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. When cool, crumble and set aside.

Coarsely puree 2 Cups of the coup in a food processor and return the pureed soup to the saucepan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Retunr the soup to medium heat, and simmer for 5 minutes longer. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with the crumbled bacon. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.