Our Gluten Free All Purpose Flour has become a favorite among our gluten free customers.

Every year in May we strive to do our part to increase awareness about celiac disease in honor of National Celiac Disease Awareness Month. Over the last two years, I have personally noticed that people are already more aware than they were five years ago. When I explain what we produce at Bob’s Red Mill, there is less explaining about what gluten free means and why we make gluten free products. People are starting to get it. Either they have gluten issues themselves, or they have a family member, friend or coworker who are gluten-intolerant or have celiac disease. I take this as a sign that awareness programs are working.

Last year we had so much fun (and learned so much!) sharing info about celiac disease and gluten free living every day in May through Twitter and Facebook that we’re going to do it again this year.  Find tips, recipes and articles by following us on Twitter (@bobs_red_mill) and Facebook (Bob’s Red Mill). I’ll also be trying my hand at some recipes from our favorite gluten free cookbooks and share some personal stories from our employees who are living life gluten free.

We’re going to start simple today by defining Celiac Disease:

Celiac Disease is a genetic condition in which the consumption of foods containing gluten (a form of protein found in some grains e.g. wheat, barley, and rye) triggers an autoimmune response that damages the small intestine. The damage to the intestine makes it hard for the body to absorb nutrients from food, especially fat, calcium, iron, and folic acid, leading to malnutrition and a variety of other problems such as diarrhea, weight loss, and weakness.

In the United States, the exact number of people who have Celiac Disease is not known. Recent screening tests have shown that 1 in every 133 people may have the condition. Many of those people are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions that have similar symptoms. The only cure is to follow a gluten free diet.

A whole grain is made up of three parts- the bran, endosperm and germ.

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard that you are supposed to be eating whole grains every day to reduce your risk factors for heart disease and cancer. How much and what type vary, but the message is the same: eating more whole grains and less refined grains is good for your health.

But did you know that the grain as a whole is better for you than eating the parts separately? Studies have shown that certain phytochemicals are released from the grain structure when the grain is processed to remove parts (1). While times are certainly changing, some companies purchase the white flour to bake bread and add a portion of bran back into the bread to make wheat bread. It looks like whole grain bread, but it’s not and it will not help your heart.

Be sure to check the labels on the wheat bread you are buying for the terms “whole grain wheat” and/or the Whole Grain Stamp from the Whole Grains Council. Some bread makers that we love for their superb bread and honest ingredients are Dave’s Killer Bread, Oroweat and Silver Hills Bakery.

(1) http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/files/SlavinArticle0504.pdf

Bake for Hope

This year we’re delighted to be able to help out Bake for Hope as they raise money for the search for a cure for breast cancer. These amazing organizers bake up everything from Granola to Ganache in their quest to raise money for this great cause, giving 100% of their proceeds to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

This is the second annual event that they are conducting, and boy has it grown from last year! What started as a Phoenix area idea has grown into a huge number of events nationwide. In order to support their baking endeavors this year we’ve shipped them 500lbs of flour and other essential baking ingredients to work their magic with.

We thought we’d share some of their great photos of their event last year to tempt you out for a good cause. All of the events take place in the week before Mother’s Day, so it’s perfect timing to pick up a treat for the mom of your choice.

To find cupcakes near you, check out their Bake Sale Locations page to find out where you can stop by and sample some of their home baked goodies.

Cupcakes for the Cure!

Kathleen Merrigan: the champion of America's small farmers. Photo borrowed from Wikipedia

A few days ago, I had never heard the name Kathleen Merrigan, but I should have. In 1990, Merrigan authored the bill that set standards for organically-grown foods in the U.S.¹ Today, Merrigan is the deputy secretary at the US Department of Agriculture under Tom Vilsack. Merrigan is a hero to the sustainable food movement, an organic food expert and a champion of America’s small farmers. With ideas that include mobile slaughterhouses that would allow small ranches access to processing equipment and ideas to improve and assist community supported agriculture (CSA) programs, her program is aptly named “Know Your Farmers, Know Your Food.” ²

When she stepped into office last spring, none of the 2009 budget set aside for local food had been touched. Merrigan immediately took up the reigns and started shaking up the USDA offices. Merrigan is changing the way that the USDA handles small farmers and has already started a program that will allow conventional farmers to receive grant money to switch to organic farming practices. Much like Jamie Oliver with his school lunch woes, Merrigan is pushing to find ways to make it easier for schools to purchase local produce and improve the menus in our country’s schools.

Merrigan is up against some big players in the USDA and the agricultural industry, but she is not alone in this battle. She has found support on all levels of the USDA from people who were previously afraid to speak out and she has us, members of local food chains voting with our dollars to find things locally and organically.

1. http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Kathleen_Merrigan
2. http://flavormagazinevirginia.com/one-of-us/

Wow. What an amazing gift to be an employee at Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods. Business is booming, exciting new products are emerging, and our boss just up and gave us the company. We’re sure you’ve heard about the ESOP by now, but hey—we’re still really excited about it. After all, what could be better than owning a company that was built by  a man whose very presence radiates a kindness and humbleness seldom seen in this 21^st century business world?

We’ve learned a lot in these last couple months, namely that our customers are now more supportive of us than ever because of Bob’s humility. There is a continuous flood of encouraging emails from our customers and friends and we feel it necessary to thank you for your support and commitment to our company.

Honestly, we couldn’t have gotten this far if not for your belief in our mission statement of whole grain health. There is an infinite supply of food company choices out there, and we feel proud and honored that our products make it to your dinner table time and time again.

Bob’s booming laugh saturates the halls of our corporate office. Seriously, it’s loud! But its resonance is just one of the many ways that we know how much he cares about us, as employees and as a family working toward one healthy goal. We are incredibly blessed and eternally grateful to work for such a caring, successful company. Thank you for helping us reach such an achievement.

If you haven’t heard the news, please refer to our website at www.bobsredmill.com and click on Company>Press Releases and join us in our exciting new venture. Then shoot us an email and let us know what you think!

Dried beans are a great money-saver and allow you to keep track of how much salt is used.

Everyone you talk to these days has been affected by the downturn in our country’s economy over the last few years. Either they’ve lost a job, or they known someone dealing with unemployment. Times are tough and money is tight for almost every family in our country right now. When money is a scarcity in your life, good whole foods often get moved down on the priority list. Buying the fresh, organic eggs for $4.50 doesn’t seem as important as it did before when you can get eggs for $1.99 and spend the two dollars on something else you need.

Some would rather give up their morning latte with double vanilla than give up the organic fill-in-the-blank. Others are not even given the option of cutting back on their groceries when a special diet is needed and WOW! the cost of alternative foods can get high pretty fast.  So what do we do when we want to feed our families with nutritious foods and still keep the budget in check?

I don’t have an answer for all of us, but I thought I would share some ideas that I’ve found helpful for getting by and still eating well in these economically-challenging times.

1. Plant some of what you eat regularly: I planted my first garden this year. I love shopping for vegetables and fruits more than other ingredients and I find picking up my favorites at a farmer’s market to be rewarding and enjoyable. Not only do I feel good about helping others get by, but I like to see who grew my veggies. Yes, I love the experience, but I find I spend beyond my allotted budget. Not just because the prices are a little higher, but I buy much more than I planned because something is too beautiful to pass up. This year, I’m trying to keep myself out of the markets and get my hands into the garden. I paid near the cost of one trip to the market for my whole set-up. I’m not promising that I won’t buy produce, but this will help us supplement our produce budget with staples that we use frequently. I’m planting things that store well so I can stock up for the winter months too.  If you don’t have room for a formal garden, container gardening is a great space-saving solution. For info on getting started on gardening, check out these great resources:

-Better Homes and Gardens: Planning your first vegetable garden.
-Urban Gardening Tips and Info

2. Use dried beans: This is a challenge for me, but one I’m trying to implement. Dried beans are far cheaper than their canned counterparts. Most stores have a variety of dried beans in the bulk section (which is tip 3) and a pound of beans is often less than a single can of said bean. They are more time consuming, but I’ve been trying to counteract that by cooking a big batch and freezing meal-size amounts for later use. You can find basic directions for all sorts of different beans on our website.

3. Use the bulk bins: If you have a food sensitivity, you might skip this step. There are some great finds to be had in the bulk bins and most foods are less than their packaged counterparts. Not only are not paying for the packaging, you’re not getting the packaging either. Just the simple flour, oats and beans that you want for a price that’s affordable.

4. Bake your own bread: If number 1 and 2 didn’t scare you off, this one is a real no-brainer. A good loaf of bread can cost upwards of $5 at the store. Making it yourself using the simple ingredients- flour, yeast, water and salt- can save you big $$ if your family eats a lot of bread. Bread baking is not as scary as it can seem and can be really quite simple. Many bread recipes can make 2-3 loaves at once, which you can simply throw in the freezer until ready to use.

Basic Whole Wheat Bread
Three Seed Bread (my favorite)

Yes, you say, but where do I find the time to add all this into my life? I don’t know, but I do find that I’m spending more energy thinking about what my family eats than I have before and I find that to be worth the time investment.

Polenta is a simple staple, but it's easy to turn it into a gourmet dish.

One of my favorite ingredients to use from our extensive line of products is our corn grits/polenta. I usually make them into polenta for dinner and top them off with marinara and parmesan. Our favorite way to eat polenta is to use black beans, salsa, cheddar and veggies to create what we call “Mexi-Polenta” at our house. I rarely go outside of the box on how I use polenta at home, but this recipe has been calling me for years. It’s one of the most popular here at the mill, an award-winner from a contest we ran in Cooking Light years and years ago. I think I’m going to make this for dinner tonight. It combines all of the ingredients we love and looks easy-peasy! Enjoy!

Polenta Stuffed Peppers

Contributed by Kelly Mapes

Ingredients

* 3 cups Water
* 1 cup Corn Grits-Polenta
* 1/2 tsp Salt
* 1 cup Ricotta Cheese
* 1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
* 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
* 1 Tbsp Butter
* 8 oz Sliced Fresh Mushrooms
* 1 cup coarsely chopped Onion
* 2 cloves Garlic, minced
* 2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) diced Tomatoes w/ Basil, Garlic and Oregano, divided
* 1 cup chopped Parsley
* 4 large Green Bell Peppers, cut in half lengthwise, cored and seed

Directions

Bring water to a boil over in a large, deep pan. Add salt and gradually stir in polenta.

Reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring frequently until mixture is very thick, about 30 minutes. Stir in both cheeses. Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion and garlic. Cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until vegetables are golden brown, stirring frequently. Stir in 1 can of tomatoes and parsley. Fold polenta mixture into vegetable mixture.

Spoon mixture into pepper halves. Lightly grease 9×13-inch baking pan. Spread remaining can of tomatoes in bottom of pan. Place peppers in pan; cover with foil.

Bake in 350F oven for 50 minutes. Remove foil and cook an additional 10 minutes or until peppers are tender.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serving Size: Stuffed Pepper Half (305g)

Calories 280, Total Fat 12g, Saturated Fat 6g, Cholesterol 30mg, Sodium 860mg, Total Carbohydrate 31g, Dietary Fiber 4g, Sugars 10g and Protein 13g.

If you’re gluten free and in or around the greater Chicago area, the Gluten Free Cooking Expo should be your destination on April 17 and 18th. The Expo features two days of cooking demonstrations by notable chefs, cookbook authors and nutritionists (see a full schedule here). Not only do you have an opportunity to learn from some of the best, registration includes printed recipes, samples and goody bags, a gourmet gluten free lunch and admission to the vendor fair. Registration for the Expo ends soon, so be sure to head over to gfreelife.com to sign up.

If you can’t make it to the full Expo, the vendor fair is open to the public and will feature cooking demos, a kid’s area, and vendors (we’ll be there!). Tickets to the vendor fair are $15 and can be purchased on site.

The Expo and Vendor Fair are being held at the Wyndham Hotel in Lisle, IL. It’s going to be a lot of fun, so we hope to see you there!

All you need is a jar to start growing sprouts at home!

According to our friends over at the Whole Grains Council, April is the month of sprouted grains. Although sprouted grain can actually refer to a wide variety of products, we decided to take the idea of sprouted grains literally and celebrate the humble bean sprout.

There are a lot of fancy sprouting kits and gadgets on the market, but if you feel like making your own sprouts at home all you really need is an empty jar, a little cheesecloth, and a rubber band to get started. You can even improvise on those basics once you give it a try. We’ve been having a lot of success at my house using a flower vase and a sieve set in the dish drying rack.

You don’t have to be McGuyver to rig up your own sprouting contraption. The only important components are some sort of container for soaking your seeds, and something to keep the seeds and sprouts in the container when you are draining the water out. It’s that easy!

Step 1: Rinse your seeds
Step 2: Soak your seeds for a few hours
Step 3: Rinse and drain your seeds.
Step 4: Leave the seeds tilted for about 8 hours so that any extra water can drain out
Repeat steps 3 and 4 every 12 hours until your seeds look like sprouts.
Step 5: When you want to stop your sprouts from growing any further, simply put them in the refrigerator, where they will stay good for several days.

There are all different types of seeds and grains that you can sprout at home. I enjoy mung beans because they are big and crisp and juicy. They taste delicious in salads and sandwiches, are also great topping for soups when combined with a little fresh basil.

If you feel like you still need a little more direction to get your sprout garden underway you can always check out our official “recipe” for sprouting wheat berries .

Happy Sprouting!

Both of our new soup mixes are 25% off through April.

The last few weeks in Portland have been fairly spectacular, weather-wise. As the date to launch our new soup mixes drew closer, I started to worry that the weather might be too nice for soup. Of course many of you are still in the throes of winter, but some of us have been enjoying a beautiful spring. This week, however, has proved to be as wet as it comes and really reminds us why Oregon is so green. A hot bowl of soup sounds pretty good today.

For years our customers have loved our 13 Bean and Vegi soup mixes. They’re simple, with no seasoning added, and full of carefully selected ingredients to create soups that are versatile and hearty. After receiving many requests from our customers to offer a wider variety of soup mixes, we’re happy to bring two new blends to you—Bountiful Black Bean Soup and Whole Grains and Beans Soup.

Bountiful Black Bean soup combines black turtle beans, black-eyed peas, navy beans and pearl barley to create a beautiful blend that works well as a simple black bean soup or can be dressed up with roasted vegetables and spicy sausage. We leave the seasoning up to you, but have included a delicious recipe on the package for inspiration.

Whole Grains and Beans soup is just as full of whole grain goodness as it sounds. We’ve  combined red beans, red lentils, pinto beans and brown lentils with our Grandé Whole Grains blend to bring you the heartiness of a bean soup with a variety of grains including Kamut® wheat, oat groats, buckwheat and many others.

Both soups take approximately 1-1/2 hours to cook from dried beans into a delicious soup perfect for a cool evening. Serve with our Irish Soda Bread for a meal that is sure to please. Both soups are 25% off through the month of April.