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{the Cottage Mama's} Wholesome Mixes

By Kristy Howard

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© 2007-2011 | All rights reserved.The Cottage Mama's Wholesome Mixes | littlenaturalcottage.com

graphics designed by Lisa’s Country Clipart

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I began compiling some of my favorite recipes in 2007 as a means of sharing the healthy, delicious, and budget-friendly dishes our family

enjoyed on a regular basis.

This eBook was one of my first collection of recipes, and remains one of my favorites.

I love the ease of having homemade quick mixes on hand to use or giveaway as gifts. And the savings just speaks for itself!

Since the time I originally compiled these recipes, I have begun grinding my own grains instead of relying on store-bought flours. The question has been asked, Does freshly ground flour do well in make-

ahead mixes?

The answer is yes, as long as you do not grind more flour than you will be able to use quickly. Freshly ground grains go rancid and lose their full nutritional qualities quickly, so I recommend freezing your mixes if

you will not be using them right away.

Please refer to my recommended resources at the end of this eBook for more on whole foods, grain grinders, and favorite brands of flour.

Kristy Howard

LittleNaturalCottage.com

This eBook is for my Mom, who taught me to be frugal

and who was always putting togethera mix of something.

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ContentsPreparing, Storing & Giving Mixes {Intro}.....................................................7

Chapter 1: Breakfast Mixes...............................................................14

• Favorite Pancakes............................................................................14

• Oatmeal Pancakes or Waffles …..........................................................15

• Buttermilk Waffles ….........................................................................16

• Blender Banana Bread .....................................................................16

• Blueberry Muffins or Bread ….............................................................16

Chapter 2: Cookie Mixes....................................................................18

• Chocolate Chip Cookies .....................................................................18

• Peanut Butter Cookies ......................................................................18

• Peanut Blossom Cookies ….................................................................19

• Gram's Sugar Cookies ......................................................................20

• Southern Oatmeal Cookies ................................................................21

• Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies .........................................................21

Chapter 3: Cake Mixes.......................................................................23

• Poppy Seed Cake .............................................................................23

• Gram's Wacky Cake ..........................................................................24

• Homemade Yellow Cake ....................................................................25

• Blue Ribbon Brownies .......................................................................26

• Great-Grandma's Devil's Food Cake ....................................................26

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Chapter 4: Quick Bread Mixes.........................................................28

• Cheese Biscuits ................................................................................28

• Southern Biscuits .............................................................................29

• Buttermilk Cornbread .......................................................................29

• Mexican Cornbread …........................................................................30

Chapter 5: Yeast Bread Mixes...........................................................31

• Texas Sourdough Biscuits …................................................................31

• Artie's Hot Rolls ….............................................................................32

• Wholesome Homemade Bread ….........................................................32

• Homemade Pizza Dough ….................................................................33

About Whole Foods …................................................................................35

Kristy's Recommended Resources For Whole Foods ….....................................37

About the Author.......................................................................................38

Become an Affiliate....................................................................................39

The estimated cost of preparing the mixes in this eBook are approximates, based upon the price of the ingredients at the time of this writing, as well as the

geographical location of the author.

Actual costs will vary, but the savings should remain obvious!

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{Intro}Preparing, Storing & Giving Mixes

(October 2007)

Preparing Homemade Mixes

Make-ahead mixes are a huge time saver for a busy cook. Proof of this can be found down the baking aisle at your local grocery store… every kind of mix imaginable is ready to be purchased and used!

But are homemade mixes really time and cost efficient? I believe so! I hope that by the time you’re through reading this little eBook, and have used a few of the recipes, you’ll agree!

While I have set aside time in my day to prepare several batches of a favorite mix, I usually do it while I’m cooking or baking. For instance, if I notice I’m running low on my Buttermilk Pancake mix one morning while I prepare breakfast, I’ll make up several batches of mix to use later in the month. It only takes a few extra minutes to prepare several batches of a mix, and the next time I need to make pancakes all I have to do is reach into the pantry and pull out the right container.

Because I enjoy keeping homemade mixes on hand, I also try to keep extra flour and other dry ingredients in stock on my kitchen shelves. Ingredients I strive to never run out of are:

• whole wheat pastry flour (for baking quick bread, pancakes, cookies, etc)• hard red or hard white flour (for baking yeast breads)• baking soda and powder • sugar cane crystals, brown and powdered sugars• oatmeal• wheat bran and ground flax seeds• cocoa powder• corn meal, and of course sea salt and favorite spices.

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To prepare the mixes in this eBook you will need the following ingredients:

· Whole wheat pastry flour (either freshly ground or store-bought) for quick breads, cookies, muffins, etc· Whole wheat hard red or white flour (either freshly ground or store-bought) for yeast breads (flour from hard white wheat yields a lighter bread than flour from hard red wheat) · Sugar cane crystals, organic brown sugar or Sucanat · Baking soda & baking powder· Oats· Wheat bran or germ· Corn meal (organic, if possible)· Cocoa powder· Sea salt · Cinnamon & Ginger· Cream of tartar· Poppy seeds

Of course any of the “healthy” ingredients listed here may be replaced with “regular” ingredients (all purpose flour instead of whole wheat flour, for example).

Now let’s get started!

Setting out all the ingredients you’ll need before you begin saves time!

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Here are a few utensils you’ll need to prepare your mixes:

· Large mixing bowl(s)· Wooden spoon· Measuring cups· Measuring spoons· Jars or containers for storage

Always prepare your mixes in a bowl before placing them in containers or jars, that way the ingredients are well combined.

Using a funnel creates less mess… unless of course you’re preparing a mix with chunky ingredients (like oatmeal)!

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Storing Your Mixes

My favorite way of storing homemade make-ahead mixes is in air-tight containers (such as Tupperware), or glass jars.

Canning jars make very cute gifts when filled with a favorite mix, but more on that in a minute!

Here is a quick mix stored in a gallon-size jar I picked up at a garage sale this summer:

An important point to remember is always label your mixes before you place them on your pantry shelf. I’ve gone through the trouble of preparing a mix and neglected to label the container, only to find out that I could NOT remember if the mix was for biscuits or pancakes!!

Be SURE to label your mixes right away, along with the necessary additionalingredients and directions.

It also helps if you include the original recipe for the mix; this savestime when you need to refill the mix later on.

You can make your own labels by cutting and taping/gluing a piece of paper onto your jar or container; you can purchase pre-made labels and print out ingredients and directions; or you can cut mini cards out of card stock paper, punch a hole through the top and attach the label to your container with a ribbon.

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If you prefer to make your labels “cute” or even fancy, here is my favoritewebsite for finding free graphics: http://www.countryclipart.com/freebies.html

Here are some mixes in recycled apple sauce and jelly jars!

(I wash jars in the dish washer to help remove sticky labels!)

The “cute” labels are ones I made using Lisa’s Country Clipart.

Giving Homemade Mixes as Gifts

The first Christmas after my husband and I were married, my mom gave me a set of Tupperware containers (with red lids to match my “apple” kitchen!), each filled with a ready-to-use homemade mix. What a delightful gift that was!

I’ve been thrilled to receive similar gifts every year from someone in our family. Not only does a jar or container filled with a homemade goodie make a very useful gift, it also speaks of the time, thought and energy that went into the gift giving.

It also brings back sweet memories of the giver each time it is used throughout the year. I absolutely love to give and receive homemade gifts, and ready-made mixes are probably my very favorite!

Homemade mixes are fun and easy to prepare as gifts, and the possibilities are nearly endless.

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Here are some tips to get your creative juices flowing.

To cover jar lids, I cut large circles from scrap material, using a wide-mouth jar lid to trace the shape.

Card stock and ribbon made cute recipe cards… I just used another card to trace the edges, and then cut out the cards with my scrap-booking scissors. On the front of the card I wrote the name of the recipe mix and the additional ingredients needed; inside I wrote directions for preparing the recipe; on the back I jotted down the basic recipe for refilling the mix.

Here is a wide-mouth jar with the lid covered in gingham material…

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And a jelly jar sporting a larger, country-looking fringe!

Jars of various mixes look cute arranged in a gift basket for Christmas, Mother’s Day or a birthday.

The possibilities are truly endless… have fun!!

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Chapter one

Breakfast Mixes

{Favorite Pancakes}

Mix: yields 4 batchesCost per batch of mix: $0.24

4 C whole wheat pastry flour4 TBSP sweetener of choice

4 tsp baking powder2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp sea salt

Thoroughly mix ingredients and store in an air tight container. Remaining ingredients and recipe, per batch, are as follows:

1 egg1 C buttermilk2 Tbsp olive oil

Place 2 cups Favorite Pancakes mix in a large mixing bowl. Add egg, buttermilk and olive oil.

Spoon batter onto a pre-heated griddle and cook until bubbles appear; flip pancake and repeat with remaining batter.

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{Oatmeal Pancakes or Waffles}


6 C whole wheat flour4 C quick-cooking oats4 TBSP baking powder

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2 tsp cinnamon½ tsp sea salt


2 eggs, slightly beaten6 TBSP butter, melted

2 TBSP Sucanat

Place 2 ½ cups Oatmeal Pancake mix in a large mixing bowl. In small mixing bowl, stir together eggs, milk, butter and Sucanat. Add to flour mixture; stir until blended. Pour batter onto pre-heated, lightly greased griddle or waffle iron.

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{Buttermilk Waffles}


8 C whole wheat pastry flour1 C Sucanat

4 tsp baking soda5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon1 tsp sea salt


3 eggs2 C buttermilk8 TBSP olive oil

1 tsp vanilla

Heat waffle iron. Place 2 ¼ C Buttermilk Waffle mix in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Pour into dry mixture; combine. Ladle about 1/3 cup batter onto waffle grill. Close lid; bake 3 to 5 minutes. Keep waffles warm while cooking remaining batter by placing fresh waffles on a cookie sheet and warming in a 200-degree oven.

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{Blender Banana Bread}


6 C whole wheat pastry flour 4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp sea salt2 C sugar cane crystals

2 C Sucanat


3 bananas1 C sour cream

½ C butter1 tsp vanilla

1 C chopped nuts

In a blender or food processor, mash the bananas. Add sour cream, butter and vanilla. Process until well blended. Sift in 2 ½ cups Blender Banana Bread mix, processing only until combined.

Fold in chopped nuts. Pour into greased loaf pan and let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake in pre-heated 350-degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

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{Blueberry Muffins or Bread}


8 C whole wheat pastry flour3 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda1 tsp sea salt


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4 eggs1 C sugar cane crystals or Sucanat

1 C extra virgin coconut oil 1 tsp vanilla

2 C blueberry yogurt

Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Beat eggs; add sugar and continue beating. Slowly beat in oil and vanilla. Alternately stir in 5 cups Blueberry Muffins or Bread mix and yogurt, by hand. (Do not use mixer or muffins will have large holes characteristic of over mixing.) Spoon into greased muffin tins or two loaf pans.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes for muffins, 45 minutes or more for loaves.

These hearty muffins are loaded with fiber and are a great start to a healthy day!! We enjoy them with hot tea or coffee, especially during cold weather.

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Chapter Two

Cookie Mixes

{Chocolate Chip Cookies}

Mix: yields 4 batches)Cost per batch of mix: $2.06

2 tsp sea salt4 tsp baking soda

12 C whole wheat pastry flour 4 C organic chocolate chips


1 1 /3 C butter, softened1 C sugar cane crystals

1 C organic brown sugar or Sucanat 2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 375-degrees. Mix butter, eggs, sugars, and vanilla. Stir in 3 cups Chocolate Chip Cookie mix. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes.

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{Peanut Butter Cookies}


1 ½ C sugar cane crystals 1 ½ C organic brown sugar or Sucanat

5 C whole wheat pastry flour 4 ½ tsp baking soda

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2 tsp baking powder½ tsp sea salt


1 egg½ C butter

½ C natural peanut butter

Mix thoroughly butter, peanut butter, and egg. Blend in 3 cups Peanut Butter Cookie Mix. Cover and chill.

Heat oven to 375-degrees. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place 3 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. With fork dipped in flour, flatten in crisscross pattern to 2 inches. Bake 10-12 min. or until set but not hard.

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{Peanut Blossom Cookies}

Mix: yields 4 batchesCost of mix per batch: $0.78

2 C sugar cane crystals 2 C organic brown sugar or Sucanat

6 C whole wheat pastry flour 4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp sea salt


1 bag (8 oz) Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses½ C butter, softened

¾ C natural peanut butter, creamy or crunchy1 egg

2 TBSP milk1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Remove wrappers from chocolate Kisses. Beat butter and peanut butter in a large bowl until well blended. In a bowl whisk together egg, milk and vanilla; beat into butter mixture.

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Gradually stir in 2 ½ cups Peanut Blossom Cookies mix. Shape cookie dough intoballs and place on cookie sheets. Bake in oven 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a chocolate candy into the center of each cookie.

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{Gram’s Sugar Cookies}


8 ½ C whole wheat pastry flour2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp sea salt2 tsp cream of tartar


1 C powdered sugar1 C sugar cane crystals

1 C butter, softened1 C extra virgin coconut oil

2 eggs1 tsp almond flavoring

Beat sugars, eggs, butter, oil, and flavoring together. Add 4 ½ C Gram’s Sugar Cookie mix.

Mix well. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Form dough into 1” balls. Dip the bottom of a glass into sugar. Press balls with bottom of glass to flatten. Bake for 12 min.

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{Southern Oatmeal Cookies}


8 C whole wheat pastry flour 2 tsp sea salt

4 tsp baking soda12 C quick cooking oats


3 C sugar cane crystals 3 C organic brown sugar or Sucanat

½ C butter½ C extra virgin coconut oil

2 eggs1 tsp vanilla

1 C chopped walnuts

Cream butter, oil, sugar cane crystals, then add eggs and vanilla. Fold 7 ½ cups Southern Oatmeal Cookie mix into creamed mixture. Stir in nuts. Roll into small balls and place on cookie sheets. Flatten with a fork. Bake at 350-degrees for 10-12 minutes.

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{Old-Fashioned Molasses Cookies}


6 C whole wheat pastry flour 3 TBSP baking powder

½ tsp sea salt½ tsp soda1 tsp ginger

1 TBSP cinnamon


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½ C butter1 C molasses2 TBSP water

1 egg, well beaten

Mix butter, molasses, water and egg. Add 3 cups Old-Fashioned Molasses Cookie mix to molasses mixture; stir until combined well. Roll out dough and cut with a round cookie cutter. Place cookies on baking sheet and bake at 350-degrees until done, 8 to 10 minutes.

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Chapter Three

Cake Mixes

{Poppy Seed Cake}Recipe by Liz Phillips

Mix: yields 2 batchesCost of mix per batch:$2.08

6 cups whole wheat pastry flour 4 C sugar cane crystals

1 ½ tsp sea salt3 tsp baking powder4 TBSP poppy seed


3 eggs1 ¼ C olive oil

1 ½ C milk1 ½ tsp vanilla

1 ½ tsp almond flavoring

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Grease and flour a tube or Bundt pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, oil, milk, vanilla and almond flavoring. Place 5 cups Poppy Seed Cake mix in a separate bowl and sift about 3 times. Add to wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Bake for one hour, or until done.

Poke holes in cake and pour icing over while hot. Recipe following:

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Poppy Seed Cake Icing

½ C orange juice½ C sugar cane crystals

1 tsp vanilla1 tsp butter

1 tsp almond flavoring

Warm in a sauce pan until ingredients are melted; stir until well combined.

____________________________________________________________________________

I would love to know how old this recipe is: it was passed down from my great-grandma who was born in 1906.

{Gram’s Wacky Cake}


6 C whole wheat pastry flour 3 cups sugar cane crystals

1 C cocoa3 ½ tsp baking soda

1 ½ tsp sea salt


2/3 C extra virgin coconut oil2 TBSP white vinegar

2 tsp vanilla2 C water

Place 4 ½ cups Gram’s Wacky Cake mix in a large bowl; sift about 3 times. Add oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water. Mix well. Bake for 30 minutes at 350-degrees in an ungreased pan.

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{Homemade Yellow Cake}


4 C whole wheat pastry flour4 tsp baking powder

½ tsp sea salt


½ C butter, softened¾ C sugar cane crystals

3 eggs2 tsp vanilla

¾ C milk

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch cake pan. Cream butter and sugar cane crystals (in a separate bowl) until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and beat until completely combined. In a mixing bowl, sift 2 cups Homemade Yellow Cake mix about 3 times. Slowly add mix to wet ingredients alternately with milk; beat on high for 1 minute.(Batter should be smooth.)

Pour into pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Diane’s Famous Chocolate Frosting

½ C Sucanat 4 TBSP butter

1/3 C milk1 C chocolate chips

In a sauce pan, combine Sucanat, butter and milk. Boil, stirring constantly for 1minute. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate pieces until smooth. Pour over cake.

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{Blue Ribbon Brownies}


3 C whole wheat pastry flour1 ½ C baking cocoa

1 tsp sea salt


1 ½ C Sucanat 3 eggs

1 ½ tsp vanilla¾ C butter, melted1 C chopped nuts

In a mixing bowl, beat Sucanat, eggs, and vanilla. Add butter; mix well. Stir 2 ¼ cups Blue Ribbon Brownie mix into egg mixture. Add nuts. Grease a 13 x 9 in. baking pan; pour batter into pan.

Bake at 350-degrees for 30 min. or until brownies test done with a wooden toothpick. Cool in pan.

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{Great-Grandma’s Devil’s Food Cake}


3 C whole wheat pastry flour 3 TBSP cocoa½ tsp sea salt


1 C Sucanat ½ C butter, softened

1 egg½ C sour cream

½ C boiling water

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1 tsp baking soda2 tsp vanilla

Cream together Sucanat and butter; add egg and beat. Add sour cream and beat again. Place 1 ½ cups Great-Grandma’s Devil’s Food Cake mix in a bowl and sift about 3 times. Add to dry ingredients and mix; batter will be stiff.

Dissolve baking soda in boiling water and add to mixture. Add vanilla and stir until well mixed. Batter will now be very thin. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch cake pan, or 2 round pans, and bake at 375-degrees for 25 minutes.

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Chapter four

Quick Bread Mixes

{Cheese Biscuits}


*8 C whole wheat self-rising flour4 tsp baking powder

4 tsp sugar cane crystals


1/3 C butter¾ C grated Cheddar cheese

1 C buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Add 2 cups Cheese Biscuit mix in a large bowl; cut in butter until it resembles cornmeal. Add cheese. Stir in buttermilk all at once, just until blended. Do not over stir. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a well-greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 min.

*or 8 C whole wheat pastry flour, plus 4 TBSP baking powder and 2 tsp sea salt

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{Southern Biscuits}

Mix: yields 4 batchesCost of mix per batch: $.48

8 C whole wheat pastry flour 8 tsp sugar cane crystals

8 tsp. baking powder2 tsp baking soda

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2 tsp sea salt


1/3 C butter2/3 C buttermilk

Sift 2 cups Southern Biscuit mix in a large bowl. Cut in butter with two knives until mixture looks like meal. Stir in buttermilk. Heat oven to 450-degrees. Bake 10-12 min. Makes 10-12 biscuits.

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{Buttermilk Cornbread}


4 C whole wheat pastry flour 4 C cornmeal

8 TBSP sugar cane crystals 8 TBSP baking powder

2 tsp sea salt1 tsp baking soda


4 TBSP butter or ¼ C olive oil1 ¼ C buttermilk

1 egg

Combine buttermilk, oil and egg. In a separate bowl, place 2 cups Buttermilk Cornbread mix; add buttermilk mixture and stir until just combined. Pour batter into a greased pan or large iron skillet. Bake until the cornbread starts to pull away from sides of pan, 20 to 25 minutes.

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{Mexican Cornbread}


4 C cornmeal2 C whole wheat pastry flour

4 TBSP baking powder1 ¾ tsp sea salt


1 C cream style corn1 C sour cream

½ C butter, softened or olive oil2 eggs

1 C shredded Cheddar cheese¼ C chopped green chilies

1 small onion, finely chopped

Place 1 ½ cup Mexican Cornbread mix in a glass mixing bowl; add remaining ingredients and stir until well blended. Pour in greased 9 square inch pan. Bake at 350-degrees until done, approx. 20 to 25 minutes.

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Chapter five

Yeast Bread Mixes

{Texas Sourdough Biscuits}


*10 C whole wheat self-rising flour2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp sea salt3 TBSP sugar cane crystals


2 packages yeast1 C warm water2/3 C olive oil2 C buttermilk

Mix together yeast, water, olive oil and buttermilk in a large bowl; add 5 cups Texas Sourdough Bread mix and knead until smooth. Store in refrigerator. Take out amount needed to make biscuits. Bake at 375-degrees for 20-25 minutes. Dough will keep up to 6 weeks.

*Or 10 cups whole wheat hard red flour, 5 TBSP baking powder, 2 tsp sea salt

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{Artie’s Hot Rolls} recipe by Artie Rich


7 C whole wheat hard white flour ¾ C sugar cane crystals

2 tsp sea salt


2 C warm (110 degrees) water2 yeast cakes2 eggs, beaten½ C olive oil

Mix water and salt in a bowl; crumble yeast on top. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add eggs and a scant 4 cups Hot Roll mix; beat until smooth. Turn out on a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl; let rise until doubled in size. Punch down and let rise again.

Pinch off rolls and arrange on a baking sheet; let rise about 15 minutes. Bake at 400-degrees for 18-20 minutes.

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{Wholesome Homemade Bread}recipe by Yvonne Smith


12 C whole wheat hard white flour2 C quick oats

1 C wheat germ2 tsp sea salt


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2 C skim milk1/3 C olive oil1/3 C honey

2 envelopes active dry yeast½ tsp sugar cane crystals

½ C warm water (110 degrees)2 eggs, well beaten

Combine milk, oil, and honey in a medium saucepan; heat just until bubbles appear around the edges. Cool to lukewarm.

Sprinkle yeast and sugar cane crystals over very warm water (110 degrees) in a large bowl; stir to dissolve. Let stand until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in cooled milk mixture and eggs. Gradually work in 7 ½ cups Wholesome Homemade Bread mix; knead until dough is soft and elastic, about 10 minutes. (If necessary, add only enough additional wheat flour to keep dough from sticking.)

Press dough into a large oiled bowl; turn to bring oiled side up. Cover with a damp towel; let rise in a warm place, away from drafts, until double in volume (about 90 minutes).

Oil 3 small loaf pans. Punch dough down; divide in three parts. Shape into loaves; place in prepared pans. Let rise again until double in volume. Brush tops with melted butter, if desired, and place in a pre-heated 350-degree oven. Turn heat down to 325-degrees. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes; remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

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This pizza dough recipe was given to me by a friend and I modified it slightly to suite my whole grain tastes. At just 55-cents per batch, you can’t beat the price… after one bite, you’ll know you can’t beat the flavor, either!

{Homemade Pizza Dough} recipe by Bobbie Matthews

Mix: yields enough for 4 pizzasCost of mix per batch (2 pizzas): $0.55

6 C whole wheat hard white flour1 tsp sea salt


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¼ C olive oil1/3 C honey

1 C water1 TBSP sugar cane crystals 1 package active dry yeast

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water (110 degrees); let sit until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Place 3 cups Pizza Dough mix in a large mixing bowl; add oil, honey and yeast mixture. Work ingredients with a wooden spoon until mixed well. Shape dough into a ball and place in bowl.

Cover with a damp towel and let rise one hour. Punch dough down and shape into 2 balls. Roll dough into a circle and place on pizza pan; repeat with other half of dough. Sprinkle dough with corn meal and bake approx. 6 minutes at 350-degrees. Add desired toppings and cook an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

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About Whole FoodsI love whole foods. This eBook, like my kitchen pantry, is full of whole food ingredients.

But what are whole foods? And why should we eat them?

Whole foods are food products that have been left in their original, God-given state of being. In other words, whole foods are foods that have not been overly processed, hydrogenated, genetically modified, dyed, sweetened, or otherwise “enriched” with chemicals, preservatives, or additives.

Whole foods can be, but are not necessarily limited to, organic products. In fact, a food can be organic and not truly be a “whole food”. Take organic pop tarts, for example. The ingredients used in this food product are organic (not treated with pesticides or genetically modified). However, pop tarts are a highly processed product, usually containing enriched flours, dyes, and a lot of sweeteners. Hardly a whole food!

Homemade hot cereals, granola, or muffins from freshly ground grains would better qualify as “whole” foods.

Here is a list of whole foods that are commonly used in my kitchen, and called for in my recipe eBooks:

Whole grain flours, such as whole wheat pastry flour (for baking quick breads), whole wheat hard white flour (for baking yeast breads), or freshly ground flours. Whole grain flours contain so much more nutritional value than the white, “enriched” flours on the grocery store shelf. If you do not grind your own grains for flour, I recommend Bob's Red Mill and Arrowhead Mills brands of flour.

Sugar cane crystals and Sucanat. These are two sweeteners that have been left in their natural state. Sugar cane crystals are just that: sugar cane that has

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been evaporated; the “crystals” are very light “honey” colored granules. Sucanat stands for Sugar Cane Natural, and is very similar to brown sugar in color and taste. You can substitute white sugar with sugar cane crystals and Sucanat cup per cup in recipes.

Maple Syrup is another favorite natural sweeten of mine! It is good in baked goods, smoothies, homemade granola, and on pancakes!

Healthy Oils- I avoid hydrogenated oils, such as margarine, shortening, and vegetable and canola oil. Instead, I enjoy using healthy fats and oils, such as real butter, extra virgin coconut oil, safflower oil, extra virgin olive oil, and palm shortening.

Brown rice and Brown Rice Pasta are delicious alternatives to white rice and pastas, which contain very little (if any) nutritional value. Brown rice cooks up beautifully, especially if it is soaked at least 30 minutes (over night is best!) before cooking. Brown rice pasta is very tender and tasty, and only requires a little additional cooking time compared to white pasta.

Whole wheat and whole grain pastas are also very healthy and delicious! These are usually less expensive than brown rice pastas, and take a little less time to boil. They have a distinctively delicious taste, but are slightly heavier than white and brown rice pastas.

These are just a few of the basics of whole foods cooking! For more information, I encourage you to read Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon, and The Naturally Healthy Cuisine, by Shonda Parker. Both of these books are highly informative and helpful resources for the nutritionally minded cook.

I have also written a series of Baby Steps to Healthier Eating on my blog, Little Natural Cottage. I invite you to check it out!

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http://www.littlenaturalcottage.com/category/cooking-with-whole-foods/baby-steps-to-better-health/

Kristy's Recommended Resources for Whole Foods:

• Our family has shopped with Azure Standard's whole food co-op since January 2010. This is where I purchase the majority of our family's food,as well as all our grains. I purchase most things in bulk.

• Amazon.com is a great place to order whole foods. Many products qualify for free shipping!

• For grinding grains, I use and recommend the Nutrimill.

• To produce a high quality homemade yeast bread, without all the fuss, I recommend the Bosch Mixer. These sell for around $400; I purchased one for our family off Craigslist.com for $75! Shop around before you buy!

• Bob's Red Mill and Arrowhead Mills are my favorite choices for store-bought flours. Both brands are available at health stores and a growing number of supermarket chains, as well.

• Nutiva carries an excellent quality of coconut oil (available through Amazon.com) and palm shortening. Both oils are excellent for baked products.

• To learn more about whole foods cooking, I highly recommend Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon, and The Naturally Healthy Cuisine, by Shonda Parker.

Check out LittleNaturalCottage.com

for whole foods recipes, tips, information, and more!

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http://www.littlenaturalcottage.com/

http://www.amazon.com/

http://www.azurestandard.com/

About the Author

Kristy Howard is a believer in Jesus Christ, a pastor's wife, and

homeschooling mother of five.

She is passionate about living simply, naturally, and Biblically for the glory of

God.

Kristy is the owner of LittleNaturalCottage.com, where she

furiously writes about her loves during nap time. Her most recent writing

projects include Homeschooling Day by Day, The Cottage Mama Plans Her

Menu ebook series , and a collaborative work and best-selling title, Trust Your

Intuition.

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