By its very nature, wheat is able to be stored for prolonged periods of time. Flour will become rancid within 72 hours unless most of the nutrition is stripped out (as with store bought flour, white or whole wheat), but wheat, if left whole, can last for decades. There are even news reports of wheat found in Egyptian tombs that could still be sprouted (that is, it was still a living seed!).

When asked by our customers what they need in order to store wheat, we ask the conditions under which the wheat will be stored in their homes.

To store wheat effectively, it must be kept fresh, free of bugs and rodents. Temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit and a relative humidity level below 40% are ideal for this, along with a secure container to eliminate infestation or the introduction of additional moisture.

Many homes can store wheat in the bags in which we sell it. As long as the bags are kept dry, off of bare concrete floors and presuming that rodents are not a threat, the grain can remain fresh for many years.

If rodents and insects are a worry, plastic buckets are a wonderful deterrent. Some folks I’ve talked to (generally folks selling them) insist on using mylar bags inside of the buckets – if you’re having extreme issues with rodents, the mylar bags can completely block the smell of wheat. Personally, over the last 10 years, we’ve never had a rodent attack a bucket – but if you’re looking for the ultimate in protection, they’re worth considering although at almost $12 each, it’s an expensive layer of protection.

In humid climates, moisture can be held at bay with a treatment of dry ice. Simply add 3-4 inches of grain to the empty bucket add a layer of dry ice and top the ice with grain until the bucket is full. Close the bucket with the lid, but don’t seal for 15 minutes, until the dry ice has had a chance to evaporate. Oxygen absorbers can also be used effectively, although some report that wheat will not sprout if these absorbers have been used.

These buckets are also great for stacking wheat in storage areas – we’ve even had customers who use these in unobtrusive areas of the home. Some have told us they use these buckets topped with a decorative cloth as a substitute end table! We’ve even seen bookcases made using buckets – a very creative way to find space for wheat and books!

There are many other methods of storing grain long term – canning, vacuum sealing and freezing. It has been our experience that buckets and dry ice or oxygen absorbers is sufficient in most cases.

The benefits of having and using a good quality wood burning stove are plentiful – the pleasing aesthetics and charm aside, the practical uses for a wood stove extend beyond simple heat for the house. We’ve enjoyed cooking on ours this year – there’s nothing like boiling beans all day long on a heat source that was going to be hot anyway. It’s a great way to save energy and reduce your dependence on electricity. Properly placed and depending on the size and layout of your house, a wood burning stove can heat your entire house, possibly to temperatures much higher than you would otherwise afford with gas or electrical heating.

The general belief surrounding wood is that it is significantly less expensive than heating your house with other means, although this may not be true. Carefully consider the specific reasons you want to heat or supplement your home with wood heat. Everything depends on your specific situation, but here are some factors to consider.

Do you have a woodstove? Your house might have one already, and if so you’re probably in good shape – otherwise, you’ll likely spend $400 to $800 on a used woodstove – upwards of $2,000 for a new one of good quality. Obviously you can find deals, but don’t forget installing it if your home isn’t ready – another $800 in materials and the labor if you can’t do it yourself. Consider how many years it will take to break even on the savings you’d experience from wood heat – some homes cost close to $400 or $500 a month to heat in the winter – it may well make sense, or it may be 10 years before you get your money back.
What is your wood source? Are you going to buy wood for $150 a cord? Do you have a woodlot you can pull from? A source of free wood that you can cut and haul yourself? I was fortunate enough to find an excellent source of wood from a tree service company – they did tree removal and would dump large tree chunks in an old vacant lot. I asked them for permission and they gave me unlimited access to the wood they would bring back. Much of it was green and needed to be aged, but once I had built up my wood pile and got it into rotation, it has worked very well.

How much work is it going to be? Do you have a hydraulic wood splitter? Are you in physical shape to split, move and stack your woodpile? What is your time worth? I can generally split a week worth of wood (depending on how cold it is outside) in two or three hours on a Saturday. If it would only cost me $50 that week to heat my house by other means, is it worth it to me to lose three hours of my weekend, effectively getting “paid” $12 or $14 an hour? In our current situation, I’m more than happy to save the money with a few hours of physical labor – but if you’re making a reasonable amount of money, it might not make sense to take the time.

Are you ready to feed the fire? Beyond just the time it takes to split the wood, you also must consider the chore of feeding your stove around the clock. Generally this isn’t too big of a deal, especially since we like the house a little cooler at night. I can load up the stove and crank the air way down and still have plenty of warm coals in the morning. Every few hours during the day I throw a few more logs on and make sure everything is burning well.

Is there other equipment you’ll need? How about the gas for your chainsaw and log splitter? General maintenance on those pieces of equipment as well as your maul, sledge and wedges? Cleaning the chimney out every year? Gas for the truck to haul the wood? Are you going to be nickel and dimed to death?

Eventually the question must be asked: why do you want to burn wood in your home? Periodically to add atmosphere and memories? As a supplement when the temperatures get really cold? Full time as a primary source of heat for your house? There have been several times in the last few years that we’ve been thankful for our woodstove – particularly during power outages in the winter. We’ve stayed warm in -10 degree nights with no electricity – not just warm, but comfortable. As an emergency backup, the woodstove is unbeatable – and this year, having maintained and seasoned wood for many years, we’ve been able to cash in on the investment we’ve been making for quite some time. With very tight cash flow as we work to get our business off the ground, we’re nothing but glad to have enough wood to last us the whole winter.

Your situation may be different – as with anything, you’ve got to start down the path with your eyes wide open. Installing or using a woodstove in an economic way will depend entirely on your application, use and location – not to mention the friends you have and people you know who may be able to help you find free firewood. Personally, I can’t imagine trying to live long term without a good woodstove. This year, we’re depending on it exclusively – but next year, it may only make sense to supplement. Our woodstove is a living member of our family and it’s responsible use depends on us.

We’ve been consuming a lot of hot tea around our home lately. With a teakettle always hot on the wood stove, it’s so easy to make up a quick cup or even a whole pot of tea whenever the mood strikes. In our home during the winter, that mood strikes at least a couple times a day!

I don’t think there’s anything cozier on a cold day than a warm cup in my hand. I feel like I can accomplish any boring chore as long as I can have some tea nearby while I’m working. I do love the convenience of tea bags, but lately I’ve been leaning more towards herbal teas that I mix myself. I was shocked to learn how much cheaper herbs are when purchased in bulk either from a health food store (like Wild Oats or Vitamin Cottage) or online (my favorite is The Bulk Herb Store).

Just before our baby was born this year, I stocked up on all the herbs for tea that are our family’s favorites. We enjoy matching our tea mix to whatever is going on around us, so each pot is slightly different. Around bedtime, I’ll mix up lavender, chamomile and maybe some catnip to calm everyone for bed, then throw in either peppermint or cloves for flavor (plus it’s good for the tummy after dinner). In the mornings, I’ll make up a pot with lemon peel and cinnamon for a good start to the day (the lemon gives extra vitamin C and the cinnamon helps to regulate blood sugar) along with oatstraw and red raspberry leaf for the vitamins they provide.

I know how comforting tea can be for my kids when they’re sick, especially wild cherry bark to sooth a sore throat or licorice tea to calm a cough. If upset tummies appear, ginger or peppermint tea are one of the first things to help out. What could be nicer than your own little tea party while you’re feeling under the w

What do you see in your mind when you envision cooking bread? Is it the golden loaf coming out of the oven, ready for butter and jam? Or do you imagine a sticky, messy gob of dough making a disaster in your kitchen? Maybe you see a ball that won’t rise no matter what you try. Well, the good news is that bread doesn’t have to be any of these.

I started baking bread about six years ago – the year my first son was born. I had never really cared what was in my food (or the things that were lacking in my food!) until I had a little baby depending on me for everything. I began to think about what I was going to feed him – what was the best I could do for him? So I started learning what was actually in the food I ate.

Bread was a great place to start. Everyone likes fresh bread! There’s something about the smell that just says home. Well, to start this feels overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be at all. The first step is to get the materials you absolutely need.

Bread can’t be baked unless you have the ingredients you’ll need. That’s the first place to start. If you’re just starting out, you’ll want to grab honey (or molasses), yeast (you can get the kind in the packets at the store), salt and oil(probably already in your home!). Then comes the trickier part.

You’ll most likely want to try baking bread before you invest in something like a wheat mill. To try this out, you’ll still want to use whole wheat flour, although it won’t taste nearly as good as the fresh ground type! If you have a friend with a mill, I would recommend starting here. If not, get flour from a health food store. This will be much fresher than buying from a grocery store. Remember, fresh milled flour turns rancid at room temperature within 72 hours, so keep any extras in the freezer!

I also recommend using vital wheat gluten right from the beginning – you’ll enjoy the results much more. We offer this item in our online store, but we also keep it in stock if you happen to be in the area!

The third item you’ll want to use here is a bread pan. When I started, I used bread pans purchased from a garage sale at $.25 each. I did notice a HUGE difference, though, when I purchased nicer pans. Use what you can at this point!

To get the bread going at this point, watch our bread making video. If you’re not grinding your own wheat at this point, you’ll obviously skip that step. If you don’t have a mixer, you can easily knead the bread by hand. It’s a workout, but so worthwhile! Kneading consists of working the dough with the heels of your hands until the gluten has developed. We’ll be posting a video on this soon!

Just use the recipe found on my bread baking blog entry to mix up one loaf of bread. Please email if you have any problems at all – I’m happy to answer any questions! Remember that the wheat berries and dough enhancer are both optional – especially when you’re starting out!

Once you’ve started with this, I’m SURE you’re going to be hooked! The next step in this wonderful adventure is to purchase a grain mill and your own whole wheat. Using fresh ground wheat is such a dramatic difference to bread and its nutrition – there’s just no comparison. Our family of six (although the baby doesn’t eat solids yet, so really just five) goes through about 150 pounds of wheat every six months, eating about a loaf of bread every couple of days, plus using cooked wheat for salads and an occasional breakfast.

Of course, if you really are enjoying making bread for your family, you’ll find the next time saving (and arm saving) step is to invest in a mixer. My favorite (and I’ve been through a few) is by far the Bosch Universal machine. It took me a while to work up to this amazing machine, but I have never regretted my purchase for a minute. I wish I had bought it sooner! It’s helped me to keep us eating homemade bread every week no matter how busy life has become.

So don’t let the idea of bread keep you from trying to bake some yourself. There’s not much needed to start, but there’s a world of adventure waiting for you!

Our kids all had a bit of the sniffles today and no one was quite happy about it. Fortunately, no one was really sick, just a little uncomfortable.

So everyone ended up having a very fun day. We crowded into the living room to play board games and read books together and cuddle. The best part was sitting around the wood stove with a big pot of water steaming into the air. It was so soothing!

We threw in a couple handfuls of pine needles, and a few drops each of peppermint, eucalyptus and rosemary oil. Other than smelling like Christmas morning all day, everyone could definitely tell the difference quickly.

I love being able to throw a few drops of oil or a handful of herbs into water on our stove – it’s such a cheap way to fill the house with a warm, homey scent. Its also a great way to help sooth nerves, clean the air or create any atmosphere you want in your home.

Try it today! For a great holiday scent in your home, add a cinnamon stick, cloves or a slice of orange to a pot of water and keep just below the boiling point – just where the water is starting to steam. Check it often, depending on the size of the pot to make sure the water doesn’t all steam out. You’ll be adding humidity to your air (it gets HORRIBLY dry in Colorado during the winter) and you might be surprised how quickly this helps get your whole family into the holiday spirit!