Whole Wheat Bread Time

In my opinion, there are not too many wheat bread recipes that have produced good quality bread.

In fact, the only one that I've learned to NOT do without is one that my mother-in-law gave me. It is called Heavenly Bread ... because quite frankly ... it is! It's made with a simple amount of ingredients ... wheat flour (freshly milled in a home electric mill), water, yeast, oil, honey and salt. That's it. The result is a "Heavenly" light, wholesome product that rises well and is moist and tasty. It's almost addictive!

To me, I like bread that can be eaten the old fashioned farmer way ... in a bowl with milk and a little sugar. This bread holds up well ... not a soggy mush.

Well ... I've added a twist that will go permanently in my future bread making. I take 2 cups of uncooked wheat kernels, cover them generously with water and boil for about 20-30 minutes until they are swollen and soft. I then drain them and add them ... still hot, into the mix for the bread before I add too much freshly ground wheat flour. Just before I add the yeast mixture. I also add 1 1/2 cups of unsalted sunflower seeds and 4 tablespoons of Chia seed.

Then I add the yeast mixture and continue to add my flour slowly until I have all 15 cups in the bowl. Then I turn on the Bosch mixer and let it go to town for 10 minutes.

By the time I dump it out on the counter, I'm able to make a nice thick rope of bread dough. The taste even then is fantastic!

Then, cutting it into 4 loaf size chunks, I form the dough and place in heated pans for rising for about 45 minutes or until I'm satisfied with the height. You only need to raise this dough once before it's ready for the 350 degree oven for 30 minutes of baking.

For a regular version of the recipe, go to http://www.facebook.com/notes/the-daily-serving/whole-wheat-bread-recipe/130148750386009

This is great with butter and honey ... but you can just eat it plain and enjoy it.

Warmest Regards,
- Chef Tom

Been a while! 

Lots going on ... recreating the lessons on www.TheDailyServing.com. There are now 44 lessons that are tied directly with the website instead of showing up on your email as a PDF. You'll be able to browse the lesson, go ahead to the next or visit the previous right from the page.

A couple of other sites I've been working on will be the update of the www.FoodBizOnline.com site. I've added a lot more pictures to the galleries, brought the overall look up a bit and put in some rotating pictures on the home page so people can see so fun food ideas. Always looking for more input on that.

The new site will be around catering. I'm putting together a catering package for DIY people. It will be a paid membership site that will lay out the basics of a catered event. Along with that will be videos and forms that can be used. There will ultimately be a professional catering package upgrade that will be available to those interested in doing catering on a larger scale. I expect the basic version to be ready in a month or two. I am withholding the website URL until I get the right stuff on the pages.

If you're interested in entertaining your little kids ... I've put together a site for my grandkids ... called www.fables4kids.com .  Please feel free to enjoy the simple stories and especially the Interactive section where they can have fun with Pirates, things that Fly, the Nai Nai Jungle, Dinosaurs and Dragons, Farm Life, Letter & Numbers, and Under the Sea. Complete with music and some narrations of stories ... it's a continual work in progress as more stories and interactive sections are added.

Warmest Regards,
Chef Tom Heintz

Jaiden's 16th Birthday!!!

Jaiden Copeland

Hello everyone! Boy it has been a while since I pecked out a couple lines on this blog! Things have been crazy in the development part of my life. Too many directions to go at one time.

Well ... I did attend a party for my niece Jaiden just last Friday night ... what a hoot! Sweet sixteen and mama pulled out all the stops. I didn't even receive a call for help ... Vicki, my sister took care of everything and ... WOW what an event.

Entry to Hall

The location was the grange hall where I have done a number of caterings. In fact, I don't ever remember attending to an event at this site where I wasn't doing some kind of food. This time, I was amazed at the decorations, the music and the food! What a great job.  Due to the lighting ... and my photography skills (or lack of), these pictures DO NOT give it justice. The theme was definitely "Princess" and miss Jaiden looked the part ... complete with tiara. Flowing pink hoop dress and hair styled ... it was a young ladies dream.

Party Entrance

Hanging Decorations

The music was really loud ... the way that kids like it. There were at least 20-30 kids ... maybe more, all dressed up in their best and glow sticks were everywhere ... along with strobe lights and lasers to keep the beat of the music.

During brief break for the DJ's 

We were invited to attend and join the other selected adults to chaperon, but really it was an excuse to be included. There were plenty of adults ... and we all had fun too.

Get a load of some of the food!

And of course ... where would any Princess be without her Prince Charming ... Dad wasn't too excited about this dance ... in fact, neither parent was aware that this was happening at the moment to a song called "Just Kiss Her" ... or something to that effect. Mom was searching for Dad ... don't know if she found him in time, but I did get a pic!

Great Party Vicki & Chad. I know that there were many, many hours preparing for this event!!!

Warmest Regards!

Chef Tom Heintz

Talking to the Chef

Chef Tom Heintz

Got a call the other day from Chef Todd Mohr ... another culinary instructor that teaches classes online. It was a pleasure to talk and hear about a brand new Baking Program he has just released.

When I first came across his online classes, I was in the process of setting up the same thing ... but when I saw what he was doing, I figured "Why reinvent the wheel?" So I joined up with him and started promoting his classes.

It is hard to find people that think the way you do ... at least the way I do! He happens to be one of those kindred spirits that believes that anyone can cook if they want to, and you don't need recipes!

Chef Mohr

Now, Baking is another story ... but he has come up with a way to take the mystery out of that too ... I'm thinking about signing up for some classes myself!

Chef Todd Mohr

So I figured I better pass this info along and I'll post it on my regular website too. www.TheDailyServing.com

Remember, the best way to learn something is to have a mentor ... that is if you want to achieve that goal in a hurry!
 Baking Class Video 
I still recommend his methods ... so check it out ... you'll learn about making cakes in this intro video.

Enjoy the videos ... you might even want to test out the program at no charge for the first couple of weeks!

Warmest Regards,

Chef Tom Heintz

Upcoming Holidays!

I must admit that this upcoming season of Holidays is probably my favorite time of year! It would really be a hard contest between Thanksgiving and Christmas ... not because of the presents, but because of the food! I just love the food!

As long as I can remember, Thanksgiving in my family is a big thing. We have a big family and when you have that many mouths around the table, you sometimes wish that there wasn't a limit on how much you can eat. Well, of course that is the point of the Thanksgiving meal ... no limits until you're loosening your belt and unbuttoning the button on your pants to ease your dis-ease.

As of late, Christmas has been less of the big family gathering it used to be ... but not this year. Hopefully all of my children will be coming with their families if it is possible and great will my joy at their coming. Of course the food served will be our opportunity at the Thanksgiving dinner we are not able to be together at.

Even more challenging will be the sleeping arrangement for all ... with our reduced size in home, we will be enjoying the pleasure of each others company with just about every square foot we have available. Couples with children will be assigned the few rooms that they could be separated while the singles will be delegated to share the open spaces left over. No matter the confines, it should be a great time for all. We may even bring in a travel trailer if necessary.

Now the planning begins and coordination between families will be started ... we, Laurel and I can hardly wait!

My duties, well ... the food of course! I'll actually get to make the amounts I used to make and have the assistance of my children who are pretty much all great cooks in their own right.

Should be a great memory builder for all involved. We will be missing a few, but we'll take what we can get!

Warmest Regards,

Chef Tom Heintz

To The Health of Us All

I got a wake up call of sorts the other day when an I received a phone call regarding an acquaintance who was in the hospital. Only a few hours before the call, I had seen this person standing in a hallway at church. He looked fine and since I was heading out another direction, didn't take the time to go and talk to him.

Apparently, shortly after I had left, someone else did talk to him and found him to be confused and muddled in his speech and thinking. They called for medical help and the next thing we knew, he was being transported over to a specialty hospital in Seattle for treatment.

He had been living on his own in our old house ... the one we just moved from. It's pretty quiet up there ... no one to bother you and as it happened, due to diet, he probably was experiencing mini-stokes while up there with no one but the dog to keep him company.

The fact that he was able to actually drive himself to church that day ... safely, and sit in the meetings is a miracle. If he had stayed up on the mountain on his own ... who knows what we would have found when someone got around to checking up on him. As it is, his speech center has been affected as well as his ability to think straight.

There is not telling if this is permanent, but the doctors think it is. He will no longer be able to live on his own ... and he is only 54.

So I have been thinking about the unpredictability of life as a whole. We really have no idea how long we are scheduled to live here ... but there are certain things that we can do that will contribute to creating a viable time frame by the way we treat ourselves.

The quality of life we enjoy is usually determined by the power of our ability to choose what we want and can have. What I mean by that ... is if we love corn on the cob ... which I do intensely, the quality of life would be greatly diminished if I no longer had teeth that would allow me to remove those kernels from the cob and enjoy the taste as I crunch them up. My duty to myself then would be to ensure my teeth are in good repair that will last me my lifetime.

As I've gotten older, I am grateful for the experiences of my youth ... but realize certain things are probably not going to happen anymore ... like hiking great distances. A few years ago when I was on my feet all the time in the kitchens, my feet took quite a beating and there was great concern on my part as whether I would be able to be walking at all.

It became quite a decision for me to go into a big store ... like Costco because I knew that I might be back in the corner getting something and the pain would be so great that I might not make it back. I hated that feeling! So I retired from active kitchen duty until my feet healed ... amazing thing about the human body.

Even though I still am concerned about great distances, I no longer fret over the simple visit to a store or fear having to traipse all over the facility in search of some item I'm having a hard time finding.

The point I'm trying to get at, is there are always considerations that we need to take into account when it comes to our ability to choose and the freedoms we enjoy because we allow our decisions to center around keeping those freedoms.

I intend to faithfully brush my teeth because I enjoy the benefits of what they can do. I also intend to continue tasting and eating my favorite foods ... so I need to make sure that I am using up the energy they create so I don't become so overweight that I can no longer eat them.





We never know when we will be called home in this life ... but I think that as long as we do have a choice, we should enjoy the time we have and keep our options open as long as possible. Simple maintenance can mean the difference between living well and just coping.

Warmest Regards!

Chef Tom Heintz 

Birds of a Feather

I was experimenting with bird feeders the other day. I was worried that my simple platform on top of a tripod would be too basic for birds to come. I remember taking the time to set it up and get it organized. Then when I had the platform secured, I poured a bunch of old birdseed on top.

I positioned the platform where I could see it from my chair in my office ... about 10 feet away through the window. I waited ... finally my first bird was seen! I was so excited that I was able to feed them!

Now ... I have the bug. My brother was cleaning out an old trailer and found 2 more feeders plus a hummingbird feeder. I cleaned them up and invested about $10 in a 50 lb sack of generic birdseed. Now, I have 3 feeders going with the birdseed and one filled with sugar water for the hummingbirds.

Still not a hummingbird in sight ... but the other feeders have been pretty active with both Blue Jays and little tiny birds that I'm assuming are a type of Sparrow. Also a rough looking Robin group passed through earlier in the Summer.

I'm thinking that the Sparrows are a family that were living at the other end of my office apartment ... a set of parents and 3 babies. They are definitely hanging out at the barn feeder I have. I'm not sure if they are storing away the food for the winter ... they would at first come, grab something and leave right away ... but now they are literally just hanging out! And when they eat, they are knocking lots of feed out in all directions. It should be interesting to see what grows on the ground next year!

Warmest Regards!


Chef Tom Heintz