Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Have lots to blog, but.....

I am not going to catch up everything right now. I will catch up on Friday or Saturday. But I am excited about something that I am going to do and want to share it with all of you! I emailed all of you and told you to watch Chef Brad online or on the BYU channel. I have been watching it and re-watching them and am very excited about it! I am going to try a new grain every week and blog about the things I do with that grain. I am hoping it will inspire all of you to try also and share the things that you do!

This week has been barley week. I bought the Hull-less barley another name for whole barley, it is the least processed. I cooked it up in my new best friend, my electric pressure cooker.You could also cook it in a pan on the stove. This is how it looks when it is done.When you watch his show, it doesn't look creamy, so I got paranoid and called the phone # on his sight. Guess who answered the phone? Chef Brad!!! I was so surprised, I was expecting one of his employees. We had a good chat on the phone, he was very nice. He said the barley was supposed be creamy, and the only time he rinses it is if he is putting it in a salad. The whole point of making a bigger batch is to put it in things throughout the week. He says if you don't have it in the fridge ready you won't use it. Soooo this week I made one of his recipes for a salad. Now one of the things I learned was to taste the dressing before you put it on the salad. I loved the salad before I put any dressing on it. Then I put the dressing he recommends on it and I liked it (not loved it), but your dad didn't like it and so quit eating it. He thought it looked beautiful and delicious. So I wish I had tasted the dressing first. He would have loved it I think if I had left the mustard and garlic out of it. I wouldn't be surprised if Megan and Greg would love the dressing. I also put some barley on one of my regular lunch salads. These pics didn't show the barley as well as I wanted, but I didn't have a card reader so couldn't tell what the pics looked like until I had eaten them. Oh well. I also added about a 1/3 of a cup to my smoothies, and couldn't tell at all. I want to make some bread next. He made a french bread and added it to that! I am very excited. Another thing I did in my electric pressure cooker, is make steel cut oats, YUMMY! Lizzie helped me with those and had me put some coconut butter in them mmmmmmm it was so good!! Well, I need to go to bed. Will blog more another day! Love you all!!

6 comments:

Danielle said...

WAY cool! Everything looks delicious! You should try to put if the grain is gluten-free or not cause I know some grains arent. That way I can know. Love you! So excited you're doing this!

Kristi M. said...

Can't wait to read about more of your grain experiments. I just don't understand grains so this is interesting. I also love my electric pressure cooker. The best thing ever in quickly cooking beans and other things.

AMY AND MIKEY said...

wow- those salads looked beautiful! That's really cool that you're doing this. I know you're telling us what to do, but it's still so intimidating. I wouldnt even know where to find barley, and how to buy it. or how much. I just wish you could inject the knowledge into my brain, because I want to be like you guys, but I'm just not as passionate about it, so if it's intimidating at all, I don't bother with it.

Lizzie said...

thank you thank you!!!! beautiful and inspiring. thank you so much for doing this. that apple one looks so delicious. thank you again.

Megan and Greg said...

That's cool, Mom. I'm very intrigued. I didn't even realize barely was something you could eat. I've just gotten back into quinoa. We went through a very short phase and then I forgot all about it until recently. Now I'm on a new kick. But now I'm interested in barely. Just a grainy flavor, I presume? That was funny you said me and greg would like the dressing. I was totally into the salad. Maybe you should send the recipe over? You need to visit! Like in a couple weeks!

Grandma, Nonnie said...

It all looks delicious, and I like that pot. Did it come from bed and bath or Williams and Sonoma? I am missing you where have you been? hugs and kisses