I’m preparing for this Friday’s free webinar — ABCs of Grain Preparation — and I thought it would be fun to give you all a quiz. I want to know what you know and find out what you don’t! Not for any devious purposes, I promise.

What do you say? Will you answer these 5 questions for me? Less than 3 minutes, tops. Don’t go researching to find the answers. Just answer what you think, and on Friday at the free webinar, we’ll talk about the right answers.

Please use the sharing buttons at left to invite family and friends to take this quiz, too! The more, the merrier.

So… how do you think you did? Please share in the comments!

You’re Invited!

Please come to this Friday’s free webinar: ABCs of Grain Preparation. We’re meeting at 1 pm Pacific on Friday, February 3, 2012.

We’ll talk about all the methods of grain preparation, clearing up any confusion about what methods to use when, which methods are most effective, why you should do them, and how each one works. Plus, I’ll be dispelling the myth that any of them are hard to do.

Click here to register or get more info.

If you can’t make it, please register so you can see the replay. Whether you make it or not, all who register get access to the exclusive replay plus a summary booklet to take home.

And, invite your friends and family to come to the free webinar, too! You can use the sharing buttons to the left of this post.

Learning to culture my own homemade dairy foods has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. The flavors are beyond delicious, the health benefits greater than anything you can buy at a regular store, and the experience of learning the skills profoundly revealing.

I’m grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to learn to milk both goats and cows and then to turn the delicious, God-given food into sour cream, buttermilk, yogurt, kefir (especially kefir!), cultured butter, and a bunch of delicious cheeses.

You Couldn’t Pay Me Enough

I want to share with you a passage from a book we recently got — Greg Judy’s No-Risk Ranching. He expresses why I’m glad my children are growing up doing farm chores — and things I even feel about myself getting this experience as an adult!

“Our family moved to Missouri in 1966, mainly to escape the long cold winters. My Dad sold the dairy cows shortly thereafter and went to work in town. He kept one cow for the family milk needs. I used to watch in amazement how my dad blasted the milk streams into the bucket with his powerful hands and with such great rhythm. When I reached seven years of age I asked him one night if I could try milking the cow. From that point on, I had the job until I moved away from home after high school!

I remember the freezing mornings, how the back of your fingers and hands would freeze as you tried to get done as fast as possible. The cow was always kicking at biting flies, and runny manure-laden tails would smack you in the face while you tried to milk in the hot summer months. After milking, I let the milk cow’s calf have half of one hind teat. You had to wrestle the calf away from the cow before turning the cow out to grass. As the calf grew it got to be quite a chore. You grabbed him by an ear and the tail and with a lot of momentum because the calf always outweighed you. He was never ready to leave.

After the milking, I would strain the milk through a fine cloth to remove any debris. I remember my grade school principal telling me that it was unsafe to drink the raw milk; we were supposedly at risk of contracting all kinds of diseases! I asked him what he drank while he was growing up? I never heard any more from him about unsafe milk. It was an extremely satisfying feeling to head to the house with a bucket full of fresh milk for the family. The cow was always ready to go back to grazing. The calf was full. The barn cats had a little milk. And I usually poured a little out for the meat hogs on the way to the house. Life was good.

As a youngster, there were times when I was milking the cow that I would have rather have been doing about anything else. But guess what? You couldn’t pay me enough to give up that experience now. It taught me responsibility, a work ethic, and a daily job that had to be done twice a day by me or it would not get done. I know this is not possible, but it would be fantastic if every kid had some type of chores with an animal every day.” –Greg Judy, No-Risk Ranching

He didn’t go into it (and I don’t know him to ask him), but I like to think that his mom (or sisters?) probably took that milk and created all sorts of nutritious cultured dairy foods out of it, giving their family another “I wouldn’t trade it for the world” growing up experience.

Important Virtues Nurtured on the Farm

Joann S. Grohman, author of Keeping a Family Cow, shares the importance of farming and dairying in recent history:

“The dairy cow doesn’t ask for much but she asks every day. People who are creating wealth with a cow either are hard working and reliable or they get that way in a hurry. The fine farms of Europe, England, New England and much of the United States were all established thanks to the wealth derived from cows. … It is certainly no coincidence that such a large number of our finest American statesmen were born on farms. Important virtues are nurtured on the farm, including a graphic understanding of the relationship between working and eating.” –Joann S. Grohman, Keeping a Family Cow

How fortunate we are that even today — in the midst of a society that is vastly raised on boxed non-foods and has no relationship to the farm whatsoever — we can still learn to milk dairy animals or make our own homemade cultured dairy… or even both!

Whether you’re doing it all yourself, or taking a trip to the farm each week for your weekly cow or goat share, you and your children are getting a marvelous and unparalleled education. You’re working hard, reaping the rewards, learning how it is all done, most importantly, seeing God’s hand in it all — from how the animals feast on His grass, to how we and assorted farm animals feast on the abundant milk, and finally to how we make beautiful, delicious and healthy cultured dairy foods.

I Am Grateful

I couldn’t be happier about what my family is doing and learning, and I’m just about positive you share the same feelings about the traditions you’re keeping or learning in your home.

Please share in the comments about your “farm life” — whether you live it or you support it, I want to hear your experiences!

A year ago, I taught almost everything I learned about cultured dairy and cheese in the online Cultured Dairy and Basic Cheese eCourse. That class is always on and always available to members of GNOWFGLINS eCourse. (I’m sorry, but it doesn’t give milking instructions… just loads of things to do with the milk and cream!)

But while online videos and lessons and forum support prove to be very popular and helpful, others just want something they can take home and study independently. That’s why we compile all the print lessons of each class into stand-alone, single-download, independent-study eBooks. We did this to create the Fundamentals eBook and then the Sourdough A to Z eBook.

Cultured Dairy and Basic Cheese eBook — Now Available

I’m pleased to share that our third eBook — the Cultured Dairy and Basic Cheese eBook — is out and available. Ready to learn simple, delicious, healthy cultured dairy recipes? Now you can!

Our newest eBook contains all 18 print lessons of the online class, teaching you how to make your own sour cream, yogurt, kefir, cultured butter, buttermilk, basic cheeses and more! If you’re not into videos, membership, or forum interaction but want to learn how to culture dairy easily at home — this eBook is for you.

Lots of members like the eBooks to save time downloading and organizing single lesson print materials. Plus, members get a discount on our eBooks.

Click here for a sample chapter.

Just to be clear: You do not need your own cow to make use of this eBook. You do not even have to have raw milk. I cover all your options inside.

Bonus: “Easy Sourdough” Booklet + Video

For a limited time, you get a bonus with any eBook purchase — the “Easy Sourdough” booklet and video. These bonuses are available with memberships and menu plan subscriptions, too.

Don’t forget to share about your “farm life” — whether you live it or you support it, I want to hear your experiences!

I’ve shared this post with Simple Lives Thursday.

You just don’t know how excited I am. Well, maybe you do, if you’re interested in the same stuff as me. Okay, I guess you are — since you’re here.

I’m just so excited to tell you that the fifth class at GNOWFGLINS eCourse is — Fundamentals II.

(Be sure to watch the announcement video above!)

That’s right — Fundamentals II.

You probably remember that in February of 2010, we launched the first Fundamentals eCourse.

I knew that it was good and foundational. And important. But when it was well underway, I also knew that I had much more to share and teach about fundamental traditional cooking skills.

But, putting that feeling on the back burner for the time being, we added other classes in topics very appropriate at the time — sourdough, then cultured dairy and cheese, and then lacto-fermentation. Very important, life-changing and well received classes!

But now… it is time.

I’m thrilled to revisit the Fundamentals of Traditional Cooking. Much to my surprise, when I sat down to plan what else I wanted to teach, I found out there was enough to do a whole ‘nother class! And thus, Fundamentals II was born.

In Fundamentals II, our adventure into fundamental traditional cooking skills will continue with topics like: important equipment, natural sweeteners, healthy desserts, traditional fats, dark stocks and fish stock, wild and pastured meats, organ meats, advanced grain preparation methods, vegetables, homemade salad dressings and sauces, real salt, superfoods, healthy snacks, and traveling with real foods.

You don’t want to miss this.

Fundamentals II eCourse Lessons And Topics

This class continues what we began exploring in the original Fundamentals eCourse (and members get access to all those lessons, too). Here’s what we’ll cover:

1. Equipment for the Traditional Foods Kitchen
2. All About Natural Sweeteners
3. Naturally Sweetened Desserts
4. All About Traditional Fats
5. How to Make Ghee
6. Dark Stock and Fish Stock
7. All About Wild and Pastured Meats
8. How to Prepare Organ Meats
9. Advanced Grain Preparation Methods
10. Corn: A Special Case
11. How to Best Prepare Seasonal Vegetables
12. Delicious, Homemade Salad Dressings and Sauces
13. All About Sea Salt
14. Superfoods You Should Know About
15. Kid-Friendly, Healthy Snacks
16. Traveling with Traditional Foods
17. Bonus! TBA

See what I mean? Good, good stuff.

The pertinent details.

This class begins in late January 2012. To take the class, become a member. Membership starts as little as $8/month.

When you’re a member, you get to take this class and all the others, too (currently, we have 5).

We’re the truly affordable traditional food cooking school — and with five classes and counting, we’re pretty close to being a one-stop shop.

Click here for Fundamentals II information.

Click here for Membership information.

Bonus: “Easy Sourdough”

Anyone who signs up with a monthly membership between now and Feb. 29, 2012 will get a bonus “Easy Sourdough” booklet. (Yearly subscribers get an “Easy Sourdough” video, too.)

Please let me know if you have any questions.

And now, some questions for you. Which lesson above excites you the most? Do you have any suggestions for the bonus lesson?

P.S. I have more to share tomorrow, too! But if you’re reading this far, you get to see the other news a little early.

The Cultured Dairy and Basic Cheese eBook is available! This is our stand-alone, independent study compilation of all the print lessons from the popular online class.

Plus, get the “Easy Sourdough” booklet and video with any eBook purchase through 2/29/2012.

I’m eagerly looking forward to 2012! I thought it would be fun to let you know some of what I’m planning for 2012. Lord willing, this is all coming up — plus more, I’m sure.

First free of webinar of 2012 on Jan. 6, 2012: “Easy Steps to Real Food in 2012″ Get info or register here.

Regular free webinars at least monthly through all of 2012. Let me know if you have a topic you’d like to see covered. Subscribe to our newsletter so you’ll hear about each one!

GNOWFGLINS eCourse adds a 5th class in January 2012. Any membership level gives you access. I’ll announce the details of the new class soon!

The Cultured Dairy & Basic Cheese eBook will be out very soon. It will contain all the print materials of the popular eCourse, updated with information from our active forums.

Soon after that, the Lacto-Fermentation eBook will be available. Again, this will contain all the print materials of the corresponding eCourse, updated with forum Q&A.

On April 3, 2012, my first print book hits bookshelves near you. Details soon! I got to see the cover a few weeks ago — wow, was that a mind-blowing experience.

More weekly (or so) free videos on the GNOWFGLINS YouTube Channel.

I’ll continue to post monthly at my friend Shannon’s Nourishing Days blog for the first several months of 2012.

In June, I’m leading a month of exploring dairy as part of the Get Real 2012 challenge from Once a Month Mom. Be sure to visit and like the Get Real Facebook page!

I think that’s enough now. Actually, that’s about as far ahead as I’m thinking…

Wrapping Up 2011

Tomorrow (Saturday) Monday, I’ll share the top posts and articles from GNOWFGLINS in 2011. That’s always fun to do.

Have a blessed New Year, everyone! Thank you for sharing 2011 with me — I am excited to walk through 2012 with you, too.

What are your plans for 2012? Anything exciting, life-changing or special happening? Other than daily grace and blessings from God, of course!

“Where do I start?” is perhaps the most common question people ask about transitioning to real foods and traditional foods. They’re facing a mental hurdle — not only understanding the changes that must be made, but figuring out what to do first (and second and third).

Most people benefit from a big picture understanding, no matter what the topic is. Homesteading, keeping chickens, milking a cow, sourdough baking, lacto-fermentation, cooking traditional foods. Just knowing where you’re headed gives important direction and understanding.

But let’s not forget the importance of actually prioritizing what steps to take, and getting over the mental hurtle of seeing yourself doing it.

I know we’ve all been in this position: wanting to learn a new skill, but lacking the confidence and know-how to actually do it for the first time. It feels too hard, too unknown.

But when we see a video of it being done, or a friend shows us how, or a really good author makes all the steps simple and clear — suddenly we know we can do it. And then we do.

Why is this so? In my case, it is usually because I finally got my head around the whole process — the mental hurdle thing. But most importantly, I saw myself doing it. Then I did it.

Transitioning to Real Foods

Learning to cook and serve traditional, real foods is no different. It is a skill that must be learned.

But first we need to understand what we’re doing and where we’re going. This is the hardest part. The actual cooking is the easiest.

If you want to transition to real foods but you feel overwhelmed by the process and don’t know where to start, my next free webinar is for YOU.

Easy Steps to Real Food in 2012 — Free Webinar

This is what you’ll learn:

• How to prioritize your real food diet changes
• Which real foods offer the best health benefits
• Simple guidelines for making periodic, painless changes… starting right away!
• My best time-saving and energy-saving tips… so you can do more with less work
• And more!

The goals: to help you get your head around what you need to do, to assist you in prioritizing the changes that are right for your family, and to get you seeing yourself as a real food, traditional cook.

Plus… all webinar attendees will receive a FREE recipe & tip booklet.

Please join me on Friday, January 6 at 1pm Pacific for this free, hour-long event.

Click here for details and registration info for the “Easy Steps to Real Food in 2012″ Free Webinar.

This webinar is first-come, first-served. Not all who register will attend, and space is limited. You must register to attend the live event or the replay, and to get the free booklet.

I can’t wait to see you there!

And Now: A Question for You

What tips would you share for newbies to real foods and traditional foods? Leave a comment below with your best advice or encouragement.

I’ll be sharing some of your best tips in the webinar. Thanks!

We have a winner! The winner of the Pickle Pro Lid from Homesteader Supply is…

commenter #47 — Karen (kdenison8@…)

I know you’ll love this tool for your fermenting adventures. I’ll give your email to Jerri at Homesteader Supply and she’ll be in touch soon to get your mailing info.

Thank you to all who entered! I wish everyone could have won.

If you’re interested in the Pickle Pro Lid for yourself or for others, click here to get more info.

Note for eCourse Members

The Homesteader Supply kits for my Lacto-Fermentation eCourse now include two of these Pickle Pro Lids instead of the fermentation jars that were more expensive to ship. That is good news if you haven’t purchased a kit yet for the class.

If you’re not yet a member of our unlimited online classes — fundamentals, sourdough, cultured dairy/cheese, lacto-fermentation, plus a new class in January — consider joining today to get up to 5 free thank you videos with your enrollment. This offer is good through New Year’s Day 2012.

Sourdough Webinar This Friday!

Another quick note. This Friday is our next free webinar — Make Better Sourdough Bread. It is free, you get a free PDF at the end, and I hope to see you there! You must register to attend, get the freebie and/or watch the replay.

Click here for more info or to register.

Have a blessed week, everyone!

Many, many people register for my webinars. But perhaps there are others who wonder what the webinars are like and how it feels to attend one. If that’s you, I captured a little over 3 minutes of today’s “Easy Sourdough” webinar to give you a peek inside.

This is just the beginning of today’s 1 hour and 15 minute webinar. Basically I’m introducing myself and telling how the webinar will go and of course… sharing how much I love sourdough.

Now this video gives you a glimpse of what my webinars are like… but it is nothing like being present live! The chat room is just hopping with lots of good people chatting back and forth, asking each other questions, sharing where they live and what they’re doing, and responding on the spot to things I’ve said. It is really, really fun. More fun than I imagined! Here are some chat room snippets from today’s webinar.

At the end, we usually do about 1/2 hour of Q & A and we always go overtime and I don’t get to all the questions either. I’m so thankful for everyone who attends, sharing their love for each other, God and traditional foods. I always come away so blessed. Not to mention exhausted. I usually take a nap right after.

In the next day or two, I’ll be announcing the topic of our next webinar at this link. Do check back — and plan to join us for the next webinar!

Tell me… do you like the webinars? What topics would you like to see covered in the future?

Like my weekly free videos? Please subscribe to the GNOWFGLINS Channel on YouTube — and give this or any other video a thumbs-up!

Don’t forget — through New Year’s Day 2012 you can get up to 5 free thank you videos through class or menu plan subscriptions or eBook purchases.

The free webinar today was fun — they always are — but sometimes the most fun is reading through the chat room transcript after the fact.

I thought I’d share a few (okay — more than a few!) gems that came out of today’s free webinar “Easy Sourdough.” Enjoy these.

Thanks to everyone who attended and registered! I’m working on the replay now. If you registered, you’ll get an email soon to check it out. It is done and the email went out.

Everyone else — soon I’ll have a bit of the video replay up on my YouTube channel. It is up now! And here’s my blog post about the video excerpt.

“Hi” from Around the World

At the beginning, the chat window streams rapidly as attendees from around the world say hi…

• Hi from near Amarillo, TX! … plus.. the four kiddos who LOVE Wardeh’s webinars!
• Hello from Munich, Germany
• Hi from Nova Scotia Canada
• Hi from Durham, NC (one handed typing while nursing the baby!)
• Ha! I understand! I am one handed typing while holding my son’s new Christmas puppy
• Hello from Summerville, SC — here with all 5 kiddos
• Hola from Madrid, Spain
• And many, many more!

After I Shared That Starting Sourdough Was a Mental Hurdle For Me

• Trying sourdough has been a mental hurdle for me, too
• It seemed a little overwhelming in the beginning, but now I’m excited

About Your Sourdough Starters

• Haven’t tried sourddough yet.  Just got a 50 year old starter!!!
• Received sourdough starter from Yukon. Came up in the gold rush of 1890.
• They are another member of the family, indeed.
• Cultures for Health does have a lot of different starters … some very old.
• Carl’s Friends — free starter from 1847
• I’m sure in the 1850s they used whatever flour and water was available!
• But in the 1850s, the water they had was probably not full of chlorine, fluoride, and other chemicals.
• Sourdough is pretty laid back… not too picky
• I haven’t been able to refrigerate mine — we use it too often — it even goes camping with us
• We named our starter George
• A tip for first timers — once you establish your starter, separate it and keep two jars going. That way if you kill one you still have another!
• It only takes 2 minutes a day to keep it going. You can do it!!
• We as a family of 6 keep a gallon bowl filled. Always.
• If it smells yuck, then you will know. Bad yeasts smell like dirty feet. Nothing could make you eat them.
• Some parts of the country don’t cooperate. I grew up in the Central Valley and it’s notorious for being hard to grow sourdough there.

On the Hooch

• It really turns black? Is that gross??

On the Webinar Experience

• I’ve called in, since my kids want to watch a show while I’m trying to hear this.
• I’m lost already. Gonna leave and check out the replay later. (Oh, dear.)
• You might want to minimize the chat window and just listen and watch.
• That is the problem with the chat. Whilst you are chatting you can’t concentrate on the event!
• Sorry for coming late to the party!! 
• Will the presentation be in an mp3 format later?  I had to put a little one down for a nap and missed lots (yes — replays coming in mp3 and video formats)
• Thank you so much! How fun, my first webinar. :O)
• Hard to keep up with the chat
• Thanks so much for the great information. I think some of it actually sank in my thick skull.
• Thank you, Wardeh, this was a great webinar!
• Thank you.  This was great and so helpful.  Ready to get started!!!

What You’ve Made Sourdough

• My daughter has made a Herman Cake with starter and gluten-free flour. Yesterday it was banana and choc chip topped with coconut.  Lovely.
• Whenever I have too much starter I make Erin’s sourdough skillet cakes. We like them with molasses and cinnamon.
• The best pancakes and waffles!!
• Hoping hubby gets me a waffle maker for Christmas…goodness that looks yummy
• We’ve made the rustic (english) muffins from your Sourdough eCourse.  I was amazed at how fantastic they were, how easy they were, and how much tastier than store-bought! (referring to the no-knead sourdough in the Sourdough eCourse and Sourdough eBook)
• I feel inspired to try sourdough again. I use to make sourdough biscuits and pancakes. They were awesome. Then I got away from it.

About the Sourdough A to Z eBook or Membership in Online Classes

• If you don’t have the Sourdough eBook you are missing something!  It is just wonderful!  I use mine all the time now!
• The course is awesome!
• Okay… I really do need to sign up, but I keep wanting to wait until I’m not as busy. That doesn’t seem like it is happening anytime soon!
• I am on the $10/month membership and refer to it when I need to.
• videos…
• I went through the eCourse. I use probably 99% of the recipes.

About Me (Ah, Thanks…)

• How does she stay so trim eating all that bread? (truth be told I am not as trim as I once was and I don’t eat that much bread)
• As Julia Child said, “Everything in moderation, even moderation.” LOL (LOL is right!)
• Thank you so much! You did so well. We always enjoy the info, no matter how much we think we know, there’s always more to learn.
• Thank you Wardeh, wonderful as usual! You’re the best teacher with the best info!

About Katie from Kitchen Stewardship

• I love katie from KS (Me, too! We were talking about her bread pans and her honey whole wheat bread.)

About the “Easy Sourdough” Guide & Recipe PDF

This PDF is available only to webinar attendees (and those who registered). Everyone else, check out this post: 4 No-Wait Sourdough Recipes.

• I like the idea of not having to plan ahead!
• Thank you for the PDF!
• Awesome, TY so much!!!

About Sourdough and Homeschool

• Integrating SD into homeschool is key. I couldn’t do it any other way.
• Yes, my daughter loves to work the sourdough with me.
• My kids caught a wild starter for a science project, and they love to feed it. Having them participate has helped them accept this new food well.
• (Rubbing hands together) OK, kids. We have a new project!!! ;-D

Thanks again for coming and making the webinars so fun for me and everyone else. Your participation makes it all worth it! I look forward to the next webinar in early-mid December.

Do you have any topic suggestions for the next or future webinars? Please leave a comment. I’m all ears.

And don’t forget — through New Year’s Day 2012 you can get up to 5 free thank you videos from GNOWFGLINS eCourse.

I have two quick and enticing announcements.

Extended: Get up to 6 Free Thank You Videos

I extended the deadline!

Until tonight (Monday 11/28) at 10pm Pacific, you can still get up to 6 free thank you video gifts (regular $10 each) when you purchase our eBooks, class memberships and/or menu plan subscriptions.

If you miss this sweet deal, I’ll replace it tonight with an offer to get up to 5 free thank you videos through New Year’s Day. So either way, there’s something good in it for you.

Free Easy Sourdough Webinar

Think baking with sourdough is hard? Think again!

Come to a free webinar to get easy ways to put sourdough to use in your kitchen for almost effortless baking! You’ll learn alot and get to take home an Easy Sourdough recipe booklet.

When is it? Tomorrow — Tuesday 11/29/11 1pm Pacific.

Details and registration info are here. If you register, you’ll get a link to the replay plus a link to download the recipe booklet after the fact.

Have a blessed Monday! We’re back in the swing of things after Thanksgiving here. Monday creeps up on us whether we like it or not.

American readers — how was your Thanksgiving? I hope blessed! Ours was wonderful. We’d planned to be home, but instead took advantage of a last-minute invitation to eat elsewhere. We’re so glad we did. The kids had a very fun time of fellowship, playing games and visiting. We adults had much fun, too!

Today is dawning to be a sunny day. I hope the sun stays out because my husband is taking us hiking. Before we hit the road, I want to share something with you.

Gifts for You: Loads of Free Thank You Videos

One of the most popular things we do at GNOWFGLINS eCourse is make monthly thank you videos. That makes it fun to give them away on special occasions — like to those who attend our free webinars… and for the holidays!

Here’s the Deal

Through New Year’s Day, we’re giving away loads of thank you video gifts (regular $10 each) to those who purchase our eBooks, class memberships and/or menu plan subscriptions. Here are the details.

Through New Year’s Day at midnight

Get up to 5 free thank you videos with a class or menu plan subscription!

• any 5 thank you videos with a yearly subscription
• any 2 thank you videos with a monthly recurring subscription
• any 1 thank you video with a single month subscription

Get 2 free thank you videos with any eBook!

• get any 2 free thank you videos with any eBook purchase

Coupon(s) to redeem thank you videos will be delivered with your email receipt(s). You can choose any thank you video(s) you’d like.