Like much of the East coast, New Jersey was buried under unbelievable mounds of snow yesterday. With a State of Emergency in place and nowhere to go even if we could get the car on the road, there was nothing to do but wait out the blizzard at home. The kitchen is my favorite place when there’s a storm raging. It’s comforting to retreat to the warmth and the wonderful aromas; somehow they help neutralize the temporary insanity swirling around us outside. Luckily, we had a five-day warning that the blizzard was bearing down on us. So while others stocked up on shovels, ice-melt, and gasoline for the snow blowers, I stocked up on flour, sugar, and spices.

Baking is a great way to pass the time when blessed with the gift of a few free hours. Whole wheat bread was on my list of “blizzard baking” this weekend. It’s delicious plain, with a bit of butter, or as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  And it will be a great way to reward ourselves when all that shoveling is done!
 
Blizzard Baking: Whole Wheat Bread
Makes 2 loaves
 
Ingredients:
 
2 packages (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
¾ cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
2 cups lukewarm milk, scalded and then cooled
3 T honey
3 T oil
1 T salt
7-8 cups whole wheat flour
Non-stick spray for greasing bowl and pans
Butter for brushing tops of loaves, optional
 
Directions:
 
Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in milk, sugar, oil, salt and half the flour. Beat until smooth.
 
Turn dough onto floured surface. Knead for about 10 minutes. Add flour as needed to offset stickiness. Dough should have an elastic feel to it.
 
Grease a bowl with some of the oil. Place dough in bowl, then turn so greased side is facing up. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 1 hour, at which time the dough should be doubled in size.
 
Punch down the dough. Divide into two parts. Shape each half into a loaf. Place each loaf into a greased loaf pan.  Brush with butter, if desired. Let rise until double – about 1 hour.
 
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place pans in center of oven. Bake until loaves turn golden brown in color, about 25 minutes. They should sound hollow when tapped. Remove loaves from pans as soon as they come out of the oven.
 
 
 
 
 

One of the biggest food-related news stories this week was the announcement of new Dietary Guidelines for Americans released jointly by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The objective of “Dietary Guidelines 2015-2020” is two-fold: help Americans choose healthy foods and prevent diet-related diseases.
 
The entire document can be found on the Health.gov Web site.  In brief, the new Dietary Guidelines make the following recommendations:
 

• Sugar consumption should be no more than 10% of calories.
• Dietary cholesterol isn’t as bad as once thought, but since foods most foods that are high in cholesterol are also high in saturated fat, it is still advised to watch dietary cholesterol input.
• Eat seafood, lean meat, and poultry for their protein. The controversial bacon and hot dogs are allowed, as long as sodium, saturated fats, added sugars and total calories fall within government guidelines.
• Eat fruits, vegetables and grains, especially whole fruit and whole grains.
• Drinking alcohol in moderation is okay.
• Eat as little saturated fat and trans fat as possible.
• Restrict sodium (salt) to 2300 milligrams per day.
• Emphasize foods consistent with the Mediterranean Diet or Vegetarianism.
• Every American, from school to work to communities, is entitled to eat healthily.

 
The new Dietary Guidelines are based on a diet of 2000 calories a day.