Let me start off by saying that this is not intended to be a Seinfeld-esque, "So, what's the deal with wheat?" entry by any means. I've been thinking a lot about food storage lately. The LDS people have been asked (for years and years) by our church leaders to keep a year's supply of food. There are some excellent women in my ward who have gone to great lengths to educate and provide detailed information about how to accomplish this seemingly daunting task. I am one who needs complete hand-holding in this area. I regret to say that I have never gone to a cannery to dry-pack my own flour, sugar, etc. although this is on my "As soon as the baby is weaned" list. Rob and I have filled cannery assignments before (once on our anniversary), and I spend time each fall canning fruits and other perishables with my mother-in-law. We have a pretty decent amount of food stored in our basement: canned tuna, vegetables--lots of tomato products, rice, cereal (usually 100 boxes at a time), etc. etc. I just can't get over my confusion about wheat. Wheat always seems to be at the top of the list of "essentials." I know some who just have wheat to have wheat. They figure they can just buy it and keep it until it goes bad and then replace it...it's keeping the commandment after all. This idea is somewhat tempting to me; but not ideal and won't compute to my fiscal and frugal husband. I guess I can't get over thinking, "if (or when) we do have a major problem and are unable to get food or supplies from stores will I really be baking bread?" You've all read "The Little Red Hen." There are several steps to baking bread including grinding the wheat (requiring a grinder, and a hand grinder if you plan to use it should the power go out) and of course then there's the actual baking of the bread. Again, if we are faced with having to use our wheat in a survival setting, then we would need a way to bake the bread. My attitude regarding cooking without power could be summed up with "if you can't grill it or boil it, why bother?"
Baking homemade bread regularly (I have many friends who do this and I admire and salute you) and rotating wheat while doing so is obviously the solution; although I don't spend a lot of time baking. Besides the time factor and the little people at my feet excuse, the main reason I don't bake much is because if I bake, then I eat what I bake and more of it to boot. Homemade baked goods are hard for me to resist; I'm continually setting goals about eating healthier and making attempts to do so (see blog entry on "how I lost the remaining baby weight," oh, wait--hasn't happened yet...).
As I was thinking about my wheat dilemma today (in the shower...I do some of my best thinking in the shower) I considered the alternatives to bread, "...boiling rice and oatmeal would be so much easier than making bread and don't require the sugar and other ingredients..." I then contemplated the following, "Could this be compared to having oil in my lamp (see Matthew 25)? Will I be held accountable for not having wheat as part of my food storage supply? Bread is certainly something we can live without, isn't it?" My thoughts then turned to the last supper and the fact that we eat bread each week to remember the Savior. Could this be the reason we have been asked specifically to store wheat (I am aware that other foods may be substituted for bread during the sacrament)? Personally speaking, this weekly ordinance is certainly worth any amount of time, money or work involved. That being said, I will need directions to the dry-pack cannery and most likely some hand holding while I'm there.
6 comments:
Well, it looks like your oil has run dry (hee hee) as wheat right now is pretty hard to find and if found, expensive at that. I am pretty impressed by your 100 boxes of cereal, though! And I thought I was doing all right. That's awesome. My wheat storage reminds me that I should be grinding it and making cracked wheat and using all those food storage recipes that I am no good at. Let us know if you have any further "shower" insights!
Sean and I were just talking about this the other day and were wondering if beans and rice are an acceptable substitution...they do seem easier to make than bread! We join you in your dilemma!
Hey Tamsen
I love that you have a blog so I can see your cute family and hear your shower thoughts. I have almost started a blog a few times. I will let you know if I ever take that plunge.
I am not an expert but one great thing about wheat is that you can sprout it and then it becomes nutritionally like a fresh vegetable. Wheat is high in all of the B vitamins but sprouted wheat is high in vitamins A, B, C, and E. A little sprouted wheat has like 400% of the RDA for vitamin C. It also stores well and is so versatile.
I miss you! We will be in UT for quite a while this summer. We'll have to get together. And I still have your book. I will send that back to you soon.
OK, so I was basing my comment on some info that I was given by a nutritionist in a past ward and thought that I should re-check the paper that he gave us. It said that sprouting wheat greatly increases its vitamin C content - nothing about 400% RDA. I don't know where I got that. Sorry.
Too much wheat makes my tummy hurt! But ironically, Uncle Bob and I are talking about getting a wheat grinder...and some more wheat. Now the beauty is - we have generators if the power goes out - downside - you must have gas - which comes back to too much wheat makes the tummy hurt! Anyway, I am going to a bread making class tomorrow! If I become a pro, I will let you know! Love and kisses, Peg
Can I relieve your guilt?
On the church website it recommends 25 lbs of wheat, white rice, corn, and other grains. Nowhere does it say wheat, wheat, and only wheat.
I think I'm leaning towards rice and investing in a nice rice cooker. Sounds easier than trying to be a little red hen (especially since my past attempts at bread have been bricks).
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