MILL YOUR OWN GLUTEN FREE GRAINS AND SAVE $
Gluten Free diets have become more prominent in the last 20 years that we are finding that about 1/5 of our customers have found they or one of their family is either grain sensitive or completely celiac and having to eat gluten free. The Gluten Free diets remove most grain products that enable the breads to rise so one of the main things we focus on is producing a gluten-free bread. Cookies, mufins, pancakes etc, do not have to rise signifcantly so most gluten free flours like oat flour, or rice flour can replace the wheat flour easily and not significantly affect the end product. We decided for this post to talk about ways to save money if you have to switch you or one of your family to this type of diet, as it can be a lot more expensive than our regular diets that include products or grains with gluten in them.
We think the number one item needed to save money if your are taking gluten out of your diet is to purchase or use a Grain mill. We now have the Nutrimill Harvest Stone mill that can have a separate milling head for Gluten Free diets so it is an easy change out when milling the gluten free grains. Rice, corn, oats, buckwheat and quinoa are all valuable but expensive flours to purchase but milling them yourself will save significant dollars. Here on Vancouver Island, we bring a semi truck each fall and sell these grains wholesale off the truck. The grains keep very well if keep cool and dry and can be milled into flour at your convenience. The cost of the mill is paid for within 6 months to a year from the savings you make not purchasing the ready made flours and even signifcantly more by not purchasing the processed products like cookies, cakes, or muffins. Our Nutrimill Grain mill will mill any of 
these types of grains or beans quickly and easily and produce a fresh baked end product that you know will not only taste great but will have no preservatives or other additives in them. We have a Video here that talks about milling your own gluten free flour and why it is so important for the gluten free diet.
Click here for Gluten Free Rice Bread using No Sugar
The gluten free bread can be made with most good mixers using the whips as the consistency is usually that of mashed potatoes so we of coarse use our Bosch Universal Plus machines with the whips or even the cookie whisks to make the gluten free bread. Even a good automatic bread machine like the Zojirushi Bread Machines that can be programmed to rise for a long period and bake for a long 
period makes great gluten free bread. Zojirushi have even added a new bread machine this year called the Virtuoso that has a Gluten Free cycle already programmed into it, so it is easy to make your own even while you are sleeping.
Click here for Zojirushi Gluten Free Brown Rice Bread
Another ingredient that is costly for gluten free baking is either the Guar gum or Xanthum gum that is used to hold the baked goods together. This is another item that can be purchased in bulk to save some money and again can be purchase off the fall wholesale order as well as tapioca starch (another staple for Gluten-Free baking.
The third suggestion we have is prepare as much of your food from scatch. If you check out the article below, you can see that many of the processed foods that we eat have gluten hidden in them. Even ice cream or a faux ice cream similie may contain gluten so read the labels of everything you buy. 
It is interesting that as we were thinking about this particular blog we received our monthly newsletter from Grainworks which is one of our grain suppliers, which actually addresses the issue of why we have such an increase in the demand for gluten-free diets. I thought you might be interested in what is said so I have posted here below. We also have several blogs about making gluten-free breads and baked goods that you can access by typing in "Gluten-free" or "Celiac" into our search engine for the blogs.
Check out our Gluten Free Brownies Recipe
The Whole Truth on Whole Wheat -- from Grainworks Newsletter
These days “trendy” diets are everywhere. One trend we get lots of questions on is the current focus on wheat — a staple grain that the Whole Grain Council estimates provides twenty percent of the world’s calories.
As incidences of diseases like celiac and gluten intolerance continue to rise, it hasn’t taken long for “experts” to expound about how the wheat plant is the “criminal” causing these diseases. But how accurate are these claims? After all, wheat has been a staple crop in the human diet since the dawn of civilization.
According to the Whole Grains Council one major question is: “Is today’s “conventional” wheat GMO?” This would be a grave concern — if it were true. But it’s not. The truth is, no GMO wheat has been approved for sale in North America. But gluten intolerance is not currently caused by GMO wheat.
Another claim frequently made is that today’s hybridized wheat strains create wheat that is higher in gluten. Glutens are proteins in wheat (and barley and rye) that help it rise into bread and baked goods. However, according to Donald Kasarda, a researcher with the USDA, data going back over 100 years reveals no evidence that gluten levels have risen in wheat plants.
However, the same cannot be said of processed foods – which make up far too large a part of North American diets. USDA data shows that average consumption of gluten has risen dramatically in the last 15-20 years. This coincides with a dramatic rise in processed, isolated gluten being added as an ingredient in a huge array of processed foods. Research may later show that this is a culprit in gluten intolerance.
Whole organic wheat contains B vitamins, vegan protein and dietary fibre. For those who do not have issues with gluten intolerance, whole wheat can and should be part of a healthy, balanced diet.
But the key is a balanced diet. Your grain intake should vary — just as your fruit and vegetable varieties should — for optimal health. This means incorporating a variety of whole grains.
Remember, “Man does not live by wheat alone.”
period makes great gluten free bread. 
