By Cindy Widder

This is my favorite time of the year……the leaves have turned beautiful hues of red, orange, yellow and gold. The nights are cool and brisk, but the days still radiate warmth and sunshine. Plus…..the holidays will soon be upon us. The decorating, the shopping, the parties and family gatherings, and let us not forget (how could we), lots and lots of delicious food.

As Thanksgiving approaches, there are so many things I am thankful for….it would take much time to list everything. But as our daughter prepares to be deployed to Afghanistan next month, and with the celebration of Veteran’s Day this month, I am especially reminded of how blessed and thankful I am for those who serve our country. They so selflessly give of their lives and their time and sacrifice so much by being separated from those they love. And my heart goes out to their families and loved ones who must also sacrifice every day, but especially at this time of year when they have to celebrate the holidays without them. My prayer is that there will be many holidays in the future that they will get to spend together.

The recipe for this month is a little different spin on traditional Thanksgiving stuffing, but it tastes great and is not difficult to make, and doesn’t take much time. Things I love about any recipe!

Apple Cranberry Spelt Stuffing
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup dried cranberries
¼ cup butter
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1 cup chopped celery
2 apples, cored and finely chopped
3 large eggs
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of celery soup
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pkg Berlin Natural Bakery White Spelt Stuffing
1 pkg Berlin Natural Bakery Whole Spelt Stuffing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9 by 2 inch baking dish.
In a small bowl, combine chicken broth and cranberries; let soak for 30 minutes.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, pepper and celery; cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently or until tender. Add apples and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl.

Beat 3 eggs in a separate bowl. Add salt and pepper. Set aside.

In the large bowl with vegetables, stir in chicken broth mixture, celery soup, and cinnamon. Add spelt stuffing, stirring gently to combine. Add eggs. Spoon mixture into prepared dish and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until center is set.

Have a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving. And until next time….Happy Baking!

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By: Joy Schrock, President of Berlin Natural Bakery

There is no doubt that being of Amish (German & Swiss) descent pretty much means the only food you love as much as bread is noodles. Any self respecting Amish cookbook is loaded with recipes for casseroles using noodles.

Last year when attending a natural health trade show, I ventured into the isles where the latest foods from other countries were being presented. The Germany section has always been one of my favorites. Decadent chocolates, assorted kase (cheese), stollen, strudel, pretzels, beer and my favorite German food of all time Spaetzle. I could not wait to discover the newest German foods that were finally going to be available here in the U.S.

There was one particular booth that I just had to stop at and investigate further. I noticed an entire line of spelt noodles and spelt pasta on the shelves in different shapes and sizes that I had not seen before. Upon further investigation, there it was in all its glory “Spelt Spaetzel”. I could not believe my eyes. I was so excited you would have thought I won the lottery.

Of course I had to stop and talk to these folks for a while. I love talking to German’s about spelt or what they refer to as dinkel. They grow up understanding its superior nutritional value. It is part of their heritage and it is their grain of choice. It’s never been crossbred with wheat varieties. It has been preserved in its original state because it migrated naturally to their region thousands of years ago. Spelt thrives there and is used to prepare all types of foods as well as treat all types of illnesses.

After only a few minutes of talking to the gentlemen from Alb-Gold, I realized that I had in fact met another manufacturer as fanatical about their standards as we are. This meeting although coincidental, felt more like fate. As much as I believe in what we do, it is at times very discouraging to watch others take short cuts that we are unwilling to take. Short cuts that reduce costs, increase profits, but in time will cause harm to the people that buy them. After all, our products are sold in natural health stores and purchased by people who make a commitment to their health. We are being relied upon to do what is right…regardless if it’s easy. Meeting the folks at Alb-Gold proved to me that a manufacturer could in fact reach exceptional success…without compromising the standards that made them successful in the first place.

They were kind enough to give me several bags of the spaetzel noodles to take home with me. The first thing I made was chicken & noodles and WOW…the only thing that exceeded their standards was the taste. Not only did they taste great, but they also held up well and reheated well. I was very impressed.

After exchanging several emails with the founder and CEO Klaus Freidler we very soon came to an agreement to work together in the U.S. with their spelt noodle line. Our products truly are complimentary to each other. We both use the same variety of spelt grain, both companies have exceptionally high standards and our products both promote the same health benefits. We are so proud to be working with the fine folks of Alb-Gold.

Below is an introduction and brief summary of what Alb-Gold represents, their standards, their products and their passions.

Alb-Gold Premium Pasta…Quality in harmony with nature.

Home of the Swabian Spaetzle and Pasta. Alb-Gold is a traditional family owned company located in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg in Germany. The company’s head office is situated in South Germany on the Swabian Alb- between the Black Forest, the city of Stuttgart and Lake Constance. This area is the home of the Swabian Spaetzle and the cradle of pasta-making in Germany.

Company Philosphy – Only the very best

As a food manufacturer, we take responsibility for delivering healthy products – that our customers must be able to trust us. We use only the best organic or GMO-free raw materials, which are carefully processed and made into the best premium pasta on the market. Only very few manufacturers can compete with our variety and high standards.

We are totally committed to ensuring that our customers enjoy healthy foods. We follow the principles of sustainable pasta production with goals like protecting the environment and the landscape, saving the pureness of our seeds and keeping the diversity for subsequent generations.

Alb-Gold is one of Germany’s organic pioneers when it comes to pasta. Over the past 20 years we have developed an extensive range of organic fresh and dried pasta/egg pasta (filled and unfilled). Optimizing the quality of our products to meet our customers demands is our daily challenge.

Raw Materials

Alb-Gold pasta is made by using high quality raw materials. The basis for our pasta are pure Durum Wheat and regionally grown German Spelt. The egg pasta is produced with free-range chicken eggs which are cracked open on a daily basis.

Our raw material suppliers are important to us – for years we have worked closely with the farmers who deliver our eggs and grain. Therefore we can guarantee that the products we use are the best quality available on the market. We are GMO-free chain of producers!

Transparency in food production and in the supply chain are an important component of our philosophy. Our production centers in Trochtelfingen and Riesa are both glassed-in facilities. During daily tours, we show our customers exactly how we produce our goods.

In making this contribution we establish a well founded trustfulness and proximity with our customers. These solid foundations define our daily business – to provide high quality organic food.

The full line of Alb-Gold Spelt Egg Noodles will soon be available via Berlin Natural Bakery’s on line store.

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By:  Joy Schrock, President of Berlin Natural Bakery

What negatively happened to spelt here in the U.S. is a direct result of us being a nation of FIXERS.

Let’s make it faster and less expensive.  Let’s fix one problem without realizing that our fix is going to create a whole new host of problems.

Our food supply has no doubt been altered to the point where it is difficult to detect and keep up with all the health issues associated from it.

Today the spelt that we have come to know here in the U.S. is a poor substitute for what Mother Nature created thousands of years ago.

What Happened to our Spelt…What Went Wrong?

In order to answer that question you will first need to investigate the history of spelt here in the U.S.

Spelt was brought to this country in seed form amongst our immigrants valuable possessions.  It did not migrate here naturally.

The farmers faced many problems when trying to grow spelt.  The yields were very low in comparison to wheat.  Spelt is not a free threshing grain like wheat.  It requires specialized and very expensive equipment to remove its tight outer hull.

The gluten in spelt is very fragile and completely unsuitable for mass production.  The answer to all of these problems seemed easy to correct.  Crossbreeding spelt with wheat became inevitable.

Why Did America Drop The Ball?

No one owned it, no one preserved it and no standards were in place to protect it in its original state.

Here in the U.S. spelt is now a term that is very loosely used because…

Most spelt products that you can purchase today aren’t event pure spelt!

The majority of spelt products you can purchase instead are a mixture of wheat and other grains with “some spelt thrown in.” Leaving many people with wheat allergies and sensitivities with a less than favorable result.

Raising the standards on our food supply is so important not just our future generations, but for us NOW. When all is said and done, it really is up to each of us as consumers.

The consumer is KING and the driving force behind every retailer and manufacturers decisions.

When we finally say “enough” and insist on higher quality foods instead of savvy marketing, retailers and manufacturers will step up to the plate because their livelihood will depend on it.

At Berlin Natural Bakery all of our products are made of 100% genuine German spelt.

Our livelihood depends on providing you with the best tasting spelt goods, made with the highest quality standards. We believe that when you buy a spelt baked good, you should actually be able to count on the fact that it truly is made with pure spelt. Perfectly created by Mother Nature…loaded with nutrients that will feed your body what it really needs.

You can find our premier spelt products by clicking the icon below!

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By:  Joy Schrock, President of Berlin Natural Bakery

Spelt (triticum Spelta) is an ancient grain, literally thousands of years old…the third original grain after emmer and einkorn.  Referred to many times in the Bible, “spelten cakes sustained Moses and the Children of Israel on their exodus out of Egypt”.

Spelt originated in the fertile crescent region also referred to as the Garden of Eden.  Over time, spelt “naturally” made its way to the mountainous and undulating region of Southern Germany and the neighboring areas.

Spelt thrived in this region due to the medium altitude and heat stress free climate.   Spelt made its way to America not through natural migration, but in seed form amongst the valuable possessions of its many immigrants.

In Europe spelt is the creme de la creme of grains…in a class of its own.  Perhaps it is because spelt is native to their region…they’ve been eating it for centuries and actually know what it is.  In Italy, it is referred to as farro…used to prepare gourmet dishes of all types.  In Germany spelt is referred to as dinkel…Germany’s premier grain of choice.

Spelt is higher in nutritional value than that of common wheat, higher in water solubility making it easier to digest and invaluable to those that suffer with certain wheat allergies/sensitivities.

The only thing that exceeds it’s nutritional value is its taste.  Slightly nutty, slightly sweet…sure to please even those with the most discriminating of palettes.

You can find premier spelt products made from 100% genuine german spelt in our online store by clicking the icon below!

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