Japanese Lace Leaf Maple.
Photo: Andrew Stockton, Joy Creek Nursery

Noted professional ornamental horticulturist and gardener Michael Miller will provide two instructional demonstrations tomorrow, September 8th, at the Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store and Visitor Center on how to prune Japanese Lace Leaf Maples. The sessions are open to the public and free of charge for all who attend.

The Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store and Visitor Center has six Japanese Maples as part of its landscaping, and Miller’s instructional demos promise to be lively interactive sessions. Miller will discuss and demonstrate the choosing, planting, placing and maintenance of ornamental plants, including:

• Japanese Maple nomenclature
• The growth life cycle of Japanese Maples
• Use of the trees in design
• The shaping of Japanese Maples for specific spaces
• Best techniques and times of year for pruning

Michael Miller is the former gardener, lead pruner and education director for the Japanese Garden Society of Oregon, and he maintained the Portland Japanese Garden for more than 15 years. He has worked professionally as an ornamental horticulturist for more than three decades.

Sessions will take place on Saturday, September 8th from 9 am to 10 am and 11 am to noon. Stop by to learn a bit more about the care of your Japanese Maple from a professional.

In addition to the demos, we will also be hosting a pet adoption for Oregon Humane Society. Read more about this event here. The pet adoption will be held from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm.

Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store
5000 SE International Way
Milwaukie OR 97222
503-607-6455
Directions

Try our recipe for 100% Stone Ground Whole Wheat Bread or take a shortcut and use our 100% Whole Wheat Bread Mix for delicious, fresh whole grain bread.

In honor of Whole Grains Month, the Whole Grains Council is celebrating with several fun initiatives. The first is “Whole Grain Deal of the Day,” where participants can find deals and giveaways each day of September (this post is one of them). Secondly, they’ve partnered with Eating Well in a recipe makeover contest to win a gift set worth $1000. The third piece is a contest with Women’s World to win $1000 gift card. Find details about each of these here.

Our motto at Bob’s Red Mill is Whole Grain Foods for Every Meal of the Day. We also like to quip that our products are life insurance you can eat. Whole grains are truly our joie de vivre. They are nutritious, to be sure, but whole grains also bring a variety of flavors and textures to the table.

In baking, using whole grain flours can add a wonderful richness to the flavor of your recipe. Using whole grain cereals can add a wonderful texture that takes your baked good to the next level. I was blown away when I tried this recipe for 8 Grain Muffins. It had never occurred to me to add our hot cereal into a baked good. Both the flavor and the texture were phenomenal.

When talking about whole grains, the question I hear the most often is, “But, what do you do with it?” To me, it seems so simple, but I’ve always been an experimenter in the kitchen. You can use them in almost any dish- from breakfast dishes like a simple porridge to gourmet dinner fare like a complex risotto. Some can be popped like popcorn and others can be simply throw into your favorite soup for a bit of extra texture and nutrition.

Here are some of our favorite whole grain recipes to inspire you. Find even more on our website!

• 100% Stone Ground Whole Wheat Bread
• Amaranth Polenta with Wild Mushrooms
• Banana Cake
• Bob’s Favorite Scottish Oatcakes
• Ginger and Onion Whole Grains and Beans Soup
• Lemony Whole Wheat Pearl Couscous with Broccoli and Salmon
• Quinoa-Crusted Chicken Strips with Chipotle Pepper Drizzle
• Buckwheat Pesto Salad
• Four Grain Waffles

{Giveaway}

In honor of Whole Grains Month, we’re giving away a gift set of four whole grains to one lucky winner. The winner will get to choose four whole grains that they’d like to try. To Enter, post a link to your favorite recipe using whole grains in cooking or baking in the comments. We’ll select a winner from all who comment by 11:59 pm tonight (9/6).

Congratulations to Ben!

Permission has been granted for use of the OHS logo for the Bob’s Red Mill Adoption Event on Sep. 8th 2012. Permission must be granted before use of the logo for any other purpose.

We love our furry friends at Bob’s Red Mill, which is why we are so pleased to be hosting a pet adoption event for the Oregon Humane Society this coming Saturday, September 8th. The kind folks over at OHS will have a booth set up in front of our Whole Grain Store from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm. Adoptable animals will be there for the loving and hopefully we’ll be able to find some good homes for these animals. OHS will also be accepting monetary and pet food donations, in the event that you’d like to help out, but can’t take home a new family member. Staff will be available to process adoptions and answer any questions you may have. Some animals may need special care that will require additional training, in which case the adoption may take longer.

Beyond pet adoption and financial donations, there are many ways to support OHS and the many animals they care for. Visit OregonHumane.org to find out how you can be involved and learn more about the plethora of wonderful programs they offer.

In addition to the pet adoption event, we’ll also have a fabulous demonstration by noted professional ornamental horticulturist and gardener Michael Miller. Miller will demonstrate how to properly prune Japanese Maples in two sessions on Saturday, September 8th. More info to come.

Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store
5000 SE International Way
Milwaukie OR 97222
503-607-6455
Directions

Happy Labor Day! In honor of Labor Day, we’re putting our feet up with some menu ideas that are easy and quick to make your Meatless Monday less labor intensive. Enjoy!

• Mezza: Slice and dice vegetables, whip up some homemade hummus and falafels and enjoy a Mediterranean meal.
• Tacos: pair these veggie tacos from Simply Recipes or these corn and avocado tacos from Circle B Kitchen with refried beans (try this recipe from Simply Recipes with pre-cooked beans or go super easy with canned refried beans) and this recipe for Grilled Corn with Lime and Cheese
• Baked Potato Bar: bake up as many potatoes as you have people, plus a few extras, then put out an array of toppings—sour cream, butter, shredded cheese, steamed broccoli, sauteed mushrooms, veggie bacon, scallions, chives, dill, chili—you name it!  Serve a green salad and some sliced fruit on the side to make a full meal.
• Mini Pizza Bar: same idea as the potato bar, but with pizza! Use pita bread (make sure they don’t have the pockets) and your favorite pizza sauce and put out an array of toppings for easy customization. Try shredded cheese, olives, artichoke hearts, caramelized onions, sliced mushrooms, veggie sausage (if you like), feta cheese, goat cheese, zucchini, tomatoes, etc. The possibilities are endless. Bake topped pitas at 400°F for 6 to 8 minutes or until toppings/cheese are done. Serve with a green salad for a complete meal.