I normally don't do much shopping on Black Friday...occasionally there's a toy I try to get out and pick up early, but for the most part, Black Friday holds little appeal to me. I DO enjoy getting out and having a cup of coffee and people watching. I love watching the goofy costumes people wear to celebrate the beginning of the season; normally reindeer-antler headbands and Santa hats. Yesterday I sought one item in specific, the only item Isaac asked for specifically: a log hauler truck. And you guessed it, the farm store didn't have any.
I did get one really, really good deal yesterday and I'm chomping at the bit waiting for it to be delivered: a non-electric grain mill. Emergency Essentials had a one day sale featuring said mill for 1/3 off the regular price, plus free shipping! And to make things even more delightful, I'd been holding onto a gift card I received a few months ago! In a week or two, I'm going to be a wheat-grinding fool!
Why a grain mill you ask? I've been reading for months that wheat begins to lose it's nutritional value the minute you grind it. SO, the flour we find at the grocery that was grown and sold who-knows-where, milled who-knows-when and then set on the shelves with it's 2 year 'sell-by' date is pretty much devoid of any nutritional value except for empty calories. It's a gut-filler, but that's about it. Plus, while white flour has a 2 year shelf-life (under optimal conditions), wheat flour will go rancid in a matter of months. Whole wheat has a shelf-life of 'darn-near forever' if stored in a cool, dark place.
In our attempt to store a prudent amount of nutritious food, grains have been sorely neglected with the exceptions of flour and rice. I think once our mill arrives and the kids have a chance to help make their own flour and cracked-grain cereals, there's going to be a drastic change in both our diets and our long-term storage options. And I simply cannot wait!
5 comments:
I stayed a million miles away from the stores yesterday! I need to make a run to a printer today, but that's about it. We'll be doing the bulk of our shopping online this year. Partially for financial reasons (generally lower priced and tax free) and partially for convenience.
I only got out to get gas and a Starbucks coffee for my wife. I stay away from anything that looks like a store on that day. And great deal on the grain mill Andrea. I still need to get one myself.
t year for my bday to help out with my acorn processing, but we've been using it to grind four, too, and it's fabulous! Enjoy!
Way for page reloads to eat my comment - that's what I get for not proofing. "How exciting! My friends got me a grain mill last year..."
I got the gist of it, Stacy! I think about you everytime we take a walk up to 'Isaac's cemetery' and collect pine cones and acorns. I keep trying to convince Jeff that we could make acorn flour, but so far, he isn't biting!
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