whole wheat Archives | The Vanilla Bean Blog

Whole Wheat Monkey Bread

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 03 Sep 2017 23:13:12 +0000

One must know how to be quiet in all the languages and everywhere, always allowing the leaves to fall, fall, allowing them to fall, fall. * The house is quiet again. The constant laughter, pitter-patter of feet, splashing of pool water, and occasional bickering has been replaced with the sound of measuring cups scooping out flour, rolling pins on cold stone, and the mixer paddle clunking against stainless steel. For most of my life autumn was a loud month — filled with nervous thoughts and new classrooms, espresso machines hissing and cash registers ringing. Now it is still and silent, like red and yellow leaves slowly making their way onto city streets. I appreciate the time to collect my thoughts and work uninterrupted, but I miss the noise and chaos with my whole aching heart. But the commotion returns, at 4 p.m. each afternoon. Two little people burst through the door and throw their backpacks and lunch boxes here and there, telling me stories of what happened in class and what so-and-so said on the bus, and I hardly remember I was ever feeling lonely. It’s a slow adjustment, from autumn to winter, winter to spring, and then on to […]

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Rhubarb Blueberry Apple Pie

Sarah Kieffer — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 07:00:43 +0000

Last week I received my copy of The Homemade Flour Cookbook by Erin Alderson in the mail. I’ve been a fan of Erin’s site Naturally Ella for a long time, and last September had the pleasure of meeting her (and photographing her wedding). Erin is a hardworking, go-getting woman, and one of the most generous souls here in blogland. I’ve been terribly excited about her book. The premise of the book is exploring ‘the different ways to grind flour including electric and non-electric grinders, food processors, blenders, and even coffee grinders, making it easy for any do-it-yourself homemaker to have fresh flour whenever needed.’ The flours range from barley and einkorn, to gluten-free grains like quinoa and corn, and even legumes: chickpeas, lentils, and beans all are used. Erin explains the different ways to grind them, and has a vast array of recipes for all kinds of eaters. I had a pile of rhubarb in our garden, and a pint of blueberries that were on their way out, so Erin’s Whole Wheat Rhubarb Blueberry Apple Pie immediately jumped out at me. It’s a jem, and one I will look forward to making each summer. (Also, A few things:) Sara had […]

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whole wheat pasta with balsamic-spinach-basil dressing

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 01:49:42 +0000

‘Nothing can match the treasure of common memories, of trials endured together, of quarrels and reconciliations and generous emotions. It is idle, having planted an acorn in the morning, to expect that afternoon to sit in the shade of the oak.’ – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand and Stars Whole Wheat Pasta with Balsamic-Basil-Spinach Dressing adapted from the Blue Heron Coffeehouse I like this with chopped basil leaves and grape tomatoes, but it also tastes delicious with diced red peppers, pine nuts, Parmesan, red onion, and/or black olives tossed in at the end. The dressing has a bit of a kick, which you can up a bit by adding more red pepper flakes, or take down by omitting them all together. The pasta can be served warm or cold. If you are making this a day ahead, I suggest only putting half the dressing on, and putting the other half on right before serving. 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup good olive oil 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (see above note) 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried) 2 teaspoons sugar 1/4 cup chopped tomato 1/2 cup packed fresh basil, plus 1/4 […]

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banana-chocolate-coffee muffins with whole wheat flour

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 03:52:48 +0000

I just got the notice, school is closed again due to cold weather. This never happens here in Minnesota, where we complain about the weather always but secretly pride ourselves in surviving it every winter. We are so strong, we can bike through blizzards! My daughter’s face will light up in the morning when she hears the news: you get to stay home yet again. She likes school just fine, but she loves home so much more. And I like home so much more, too; I enjoy days tucked snug in our little house. But there are moments where the walls feel a bit too close together, and we are bumping into each other all day long, snippy and snappy and dreaming of oceans. We pull out mixing bowls and curl up with the same old books; there becomes less and less to say to each other. ‘Of course I’ll hurt you. Of course you’ll hurt me. Of course we will hurt each other. But this is the very condition of existence. To become spring, means accepting the risk of winter. To become presence, means accepting the risk of absence.’ (The Little Prince) I risk winter every year outwardly, but […]

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whole wheat drop biscuits with mixed berries and frangelico

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 06:00:48 +0000

Usually when the school buses start making their way down my street, summer gives way and makes room for the next season. Fall has always been my favorite time of year, bringing with it the expectancy of change. This year, however, it’s as if Jacob is at the bottom of that heavenly ladder, wrestling fiercely with the angels. Summer is refusing to give up residency, and we have had week after week of sweat and fake air. Jacob wrestled the angel, and the angel was overcome*. Here’s hoping. So since I’m here in limbo, with a foot in each season, I came up with a dessert that could be, too. Warm, whole wheat drop biscuits speak to me of cozy sweaters and thick blankets, while mixed berries and Frangelico sing of beach waves and late nights on the patio. Whipped cream, of course, works no matter what the weather. This sponsored post is a collaboration with Frangelico. All opinions are my own (and I honestly enjoy baking and cooking with it). You can check out Frangelico online or on Facebook. *a line from Bullet the Blue Sky, sung by U2 Whole Wheat Drop Biscuits with Mixed Berries and Frangelico Drop […]

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waffles with fig compote and orange-honey crème fraîche

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 06:00:37 +0000

As soon as you announce to the world you are going to have a child, the world responds with its wisdom. It’s a lengthy monologue, a blast of ice cold wind in your sweet, glowing face; sentence after sentence of contradictions insisting that you heed its warnings. Vaccinate! Don’t vaccinate! Breastfeed! Formula! Co-sleep! Never! Cloth Diapers! Disposables! Let them cry to sleep! Don’t let them cry to sleep! Snacks! No snacks! Television! No television! (And on and on and on and on…) But while the world may know about its own children, it doesn’t understand mine; the height and depth of these two tiny beings that reside with me. It may even have an arsenal of books with facts and statistics, but still it never took any time to distinguish my daughter’s hurt cry from her tired, or figure out that when she formed her mouth to look like a tiny bird beak there was exactly 49 seconds to feed her or she would rage. The world never saw my son successfully wiggle his way out of swaddled blankets each and every time I attempted to wrap him tightly, or saw him cry himself to sleep though I held him […]

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whole wheat waffles with rhubarb-blueberry-cardamom compote

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 21 May 2013 02:38:06 +0000

{most my anxiety and nightly begging pleading praying musings summed up in a nutshell. just throw in some fear of dying and you’ve got me:} ‘The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof. What I want is so simple I almost can’t say it: elementary kindness. Enough to eat, enough to go around. The possibility that kids might one day grow up to be neither the destroyers nor the destroyed. That’s about it. Right now I’m living in that hope, running down its hallway and touching the walls on both sides.’ – Barbara Kingsolver {still, the morning comes, and she is kind. I am greeted with kisses and whispers, little arms and legs rushing with smiles and snuggles and demands for waffles. so we break our bread together and spend our days giving in to joy, hoping it will once more bring us through the night…} Whole Wheat Waffles with Rhubarb-Blueberry-Cardamom Compote For the waffles, I always use the FauxMartha’s whole wheat waffle recipe. It’s never […]

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pancakes with cacao nibs + coffee syrup

Sarah Kieffer — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Happy Saturday. Here’s a special, tasty treat: cacao nib pancakes with coffee syrup. I don’t know if I can go back to plain ol’ hotcakes drizzled with maple. pancakes with cacao nibs + coffee syrup I have two recipes for pancakes that this will work with, these buttermilk pancakes [just omit the strawberries] and these whole wheat pancakes [just omit the pear]. And, I’m fairly confident your own favorite recipe will work great, too. Just add 2 tablespoons cacao nibs to the dry ingredients in either recipe. coffee syrup adapted from Kim Boyce Good To The Grain This ‘syrup’ is buttery and delicious. You can add a little more or less coffee to your liking. 1 stick butter 1/2 cup honey 1/4 cup strong coffee Melt the butter, honey and coffee together in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until boiling and slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes. Keep syrup warm until serving.

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whole wheat pancakes, with or without pears

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 05:31:00 +0000

This week we took down the crib, the dark wood nest my parents bought us a month before our oldest was born. It was an exciting and nerve-wracking present to receive, taking center stage in the smallest room upstairs. There we found a safe spot for our two littles, a place to rest in the night. But now all four of us are warm and cozy in beds, sleeping proudly, like big boys and girls. Even so, I find myself trying to clutch at the time, not wanting to let go of tiny hands and feet, of squeaky voices. But each new day comes regardless; I wake, tossing off the covers, moving forward anyway. This week we said good-bye to Aunt Ginger, so suddenly. She was salt-of-the-earth, quirky and kind, unafraid to give what she had. Now she is still, resting, in some safe spot of her own. I find myself clutching again, wanting to gather the time to keep it, or stop it, but peace only comes when I open my hands and just.let.go. Each night I find my bed and curl up next to my Love, holding on tightly in the dark. We are surrounded by shadows, but […]

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pumpkin muffins with cacao nibs and whole wheat flour

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 01:36:00 +0000

I recently had to have a serious conversation with myself. I knew it was coming – I had been avoiding it for years, but, typical me, I put it off as long as I could. About five years ago I made a decision to start taking care of my emotional self – dealing with past hurts, anger issues, and the like. It’s been a long journey, one I’ll always be working through, but I found myself with good tools for approaching life in a healthy way. During all this darkest-night-of-the-soul business, however, I found myself eating more. A lot more. It was so comforting to turn to cookies and scones, cheesy pastas and chocolate coffee while working things out. I gave myself some grace, knowing it was how I needed to make it through, especially when everything else was so overwhelming. But a pattern had developed, a pattern that turned into a serious sugar addiction, and now I found myself looking in the mirror at a woman who didn’t have pants that fit her, with cupboards and a fridge stocked full of white flour, white sugar, dairy, and chocolate. So I stood there that day, gazing at my reflection, and […]

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