By: Cindy Widder General Manager Berlin Natural Bakery Have you ever bought or made a muffin that looks or sounds so good, only to have it be dry and tasteless with the consistency of sawdust?? The recipe I am sharing with you today is NOT that kind of muffin. I promise. The blueberries and Streusel topping make these muffins sweet, moist and delicious. An added bonus, and one that I love, is that they are easy to make. This recipe makes 12 muffins, but I always double it so that I have plenty to share. Much to the chagrin of my husband (although he’s finally resigned himself to the fact), I am one of those messy bakers….my kitchen is usually declared a federal disaster zone by the time I’m finished. He says that FEMA won’t even come in! Thankfully, I get to make the mess, my husband cleans up after me and we both enjoy the fruit of our labor. It works out perfectly. So when this recipe said to grease the muffin pan, I immediately thought “no way” and switched to using cupcake papers instead….much less messy. With the dreary, rainy days we’ve been experiencing here in the Ohio Valley the past few days, these muffins accompanied with a steaming hot cup of coffee or tea make the day seem a little brighter and sunnier. I think I’ll grab a cup of coffee and a muffin right now. Until next time...happy baking! Ingredients: 1 egg 1/2 cup milk 1/4 cup oil 1 cup white spelt flour 1/2 cup whole spelt flour 1/2 cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup blueberries (I use fresh blueberries, but if you use frozen, don't thaw them) Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease bottom of 12 medium muffin cups (or use cupcake papers). Beat egg and stir in milk and oil. Mix in dry ingredients just until moistened. (If you prefer, you can use all White spelt flour). Fold in fresh or frozen blueberries. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full (I use an ice cream scoop). Top with streusel topping (recipe follows). Bake 20 – 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before removing from pans. Streusel Topping Ingredients: Mix... 1/3 cup brown sugar (packed) 1/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Add 3 tablespoons of cut-up firm butter and mix until crumbly. For me, the best way to mix this is to just dig in and use my hands.

Attention: Be sure you read all the way to the end of the Health In Hand's Retailer Story! Health In Hand has customized a special offer for you ending June 26th you won’t want to miss!

Hold On To Health... At A Health in Hand

As a young man in his teens, Rick Arledge chose a demanding and very effective hobby to get in shape—weight lifting. But Rick didn’t stop there. By the time he reached his early twenties, he was competing in two hour long bike races. It is no wonder Rick has such a vast knowledge of health and nutrition. “I had to fuel my body with the right food,” says Rick. “Organic food and vitamins had to be part of my training and research had to be part of improving my workouts.”

One might surmise that with such a physically taxing hobby such as bike racing, that Rick had a desk job. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Rick has been remodeling houses his whole life. “I’m currently working on a house built in 1950,” Rick explained, “but I was always into the health aspect of things and I was looking for an outlet to help educate the public on how to take better care of themselves without the use of drugs and chemicals.” A friend of a friend told Rick about a store for sale in Lancaster Ohio. “I have always loved the beautiful Hocking Hills area and had bought property there, so it seemed like a perfect time to strike out on a new venture.” In August of 2000 Rick opened Health In Hand on Lincoln Avenue in Lancaster. The hard work and discipline Rick adhered to in the early days paid off when he opened the store. “All of my training and research made me a good source of information, and I am happy to share my knowledge with my customers.” Helping others has always been the major motivator for Rick. Over any other reason, helping others was the inspiration to open Health In Hand. Even the unique name Rick chose says it all. “If you think about the things you touch everyday, either you have ‘health in your hands’ or things that will harm you. Which will you choose today?”

Business grew, and Rick always hoped for more space and a better location. “I called the building (on Lincoln) “the cave”, laughs Rick, “it had tiny windows high up across the front of the store and no other windows at all. It was hard to display the products and you had to have the lights on all the time.” In November of 2004, Health In Hand moved to their present location at 639 North Pierce Avenue in Lancaster. The store is bigger, not to mention bright and cheerful with private parking-- so no more fighting for a parking space. Stop by for a wonderful selection of the finest quality fresh, natural, organic and whole foods, nutritional products, and body care products. “I believe in every product that I sell. I love Berlin Bread, of course, and I recommend Berlin to alot of customers. I also use Berlin products for my family.” Rick also carries two favorite brands of supplements- Garden of Life and New Chapter. Rick advocates probiotics and essential fatty acids and tells all of his customers to “get wheat out of their diet.”

Something must be working, and working very well, because though Rick stopped racing bikes approximately 15 years ago, he still rides a bike on a regular basis. “I still ride, and God willing, will continue to ride until I’m just not able to do it any longer.” “Natural has worked for me,” says Rick, “and in ten years of helping others I have seen that it really works for them, as well. I have been blessed to be able and willing to help so many people and at the same time have so many helping me support my family.” In addition to all the great products you can find at Health In Hand, you can also always count on genuine concern and commitment to you as their customer. “We will always try to help, or steer you in the right direction to best help yourself,” promises Rick, “that has always been our commitment to the customer. Everyday we strive to better educate ourselves so we can have a better educated customer.” Many thanks to Rick Arledge and his staff and we look forward to many more years of success at Health In Hand.

*******Health In Hand Special Offer*******

15% Off All Berlin Natural Bakery Products

Take advantage of this special offer today by saying to the cashier “I saw the retailer story on Health In Hand at Berlin Natural Bakery’s Website and would like to take advantage of the special discount of 15% on Berlin Natural Bakery's products.” Special Offer Expires June 26, 2010.

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Attention: Be sure you read all the way to the end of the Raisin Rack Natural Food Market's Retailer Story! Raisin Rack Natural Food Market has customized a special offer ending June 7th you won’t want to miss!

By Marsha Bonecutter It was a wonderful day for all of us when teachers, Don and Paulette Caster decided to quit their teaching jobs to open a health food store. In 1978, the couple, only in their 20’s, opened their business in a small converted house on the corner of 39th Street and Cleveland Avenue in Canton, Ohio. An unfortunate set of circumstances led Don Caster to begin his research into nutrition. Don’s mother, who was stricken with cancer and receiving treatments, needed an alternative diet. Pure, natural and healthy foods were difficult to come by. Protein shakes and other additions to the diet of someone who was ill were not readily available in the mid to late 70’s. Don’s research expanded and evolved. He saw a need for products and education and he and Paulette decided to launch the business. “Paulette...and I set off on the venture of providing nutritional products in a one room store. Our goals were not lofty but grounded on sound health principals.”

The decision was made; plans were being implemented---now for a name! As Don and Paulette pondered name possibilities, inspiration came to Paulette, in of all places, her own livingroom! There were several art decoupage wall hangings mounted on old wooden racks used to dry raisins. The creator of the pieces had its company logo, RaisinRak, affixed to the bottom corner of the mountings. The name seemed like a natural fit. Thus, Raisin Rack was born. “The name said something natural,” Don said, “about the history of food, the natural way that food came to be. The name says something about America and what it was. Raisins are a transformation, just like our store has evolved.” The Casters are happy they decided on a name with broad appeal. “We wanted something that would work if we ever had multiple stores,” Don said. “At the time, we never knew that the business would expand.” In Westerville and Canton, the name has been embraced by thousands of satisfied customers and continues to appeal to new shoppers every day. Raisin Rack expanded to the Columbus area when Don and Paulette moved there. “In 1983, we moved to Columbus to establish another store. Today, our two stores are dramatically larger in size but remain just as focused on the basic principals that were in place in the beginning.” said Don, “ We believe in giving customers products that can make a positive impact on their health and appearance. We stock products that respect the environment and the values of our customers.”

For a time the store was located in downtown Columbus, the French Market and on Sawmill Road. These locations consolidated and in 2006, Raisin Rack moved from their previous location in Westerville just across the street to a wonderful 25,000 square foot facility. You can find them at 2545 Schrock Road in Westerville, only 15 minutes from downtown Columbus. The Canton Raisin Rack has also been upgraded and expanded to meet the growing needs of their loyal customers. Visit this location at 4629 Cleveland Avenue North Canton, Ohio Whether you choose to shop in Raisin Rack in Westerville or Raisin Rack in Canton, you will find an unparalleled selection of organic milk and dairy, organic fruits and vegetables, gluten-free foods, dried fruits and nutritional supplements—just to name a few favorites! Check out the salad bar in the Westerville location, it’s the best in town!

For 32 years Raisin Rack has made it easy for anyone to improve their quality of life. With the stores vast product selection and fair prices, Raisin Rack can fulfill all your wellness needs. “With our knowledgeable and friendly staff, we believe that we have created a unique shopping experience that you will enjoy. Nothing is more important than your satisfaction!” Thank you, Don and Paulette Caster for making your life’s work a blessing for us all! To quote Don Caster in a recent Canton Repository article: Steps to improve your diet 1. Go organic as possible. Start with milk and other dairy products. 2. Eat fruit, not fruit juice. 3. Get more fiber. Try for 20 to 25 grams a day. 4. Take a whole food-based multiple vitamin. 5. Drink black or green tea (not decaffeinated) to help your liver function properly. 6. Drink lots of water.

*******Raisin Rack Natural Food Market Special Offers*******

25% Off All Berlin Natural Bakery Breads and Pizza Crusts

Take advantage of this special offer today by saying to the cashier “I saw the retailer story on Raisin Rack Natural Food Market at Berlin Natural Bakery’s Website and would like to take advantage of the discount on my purchase of the [bread/pizza crusts]” Special Offer Expires June 7, 2010.

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We’ve had a very interesting spring here in the Ohio Valley. It started with record high temperatures in March, and progressed into an indecisive April. Always wavering on whether to remain cold, shift into warm or advance right on into hot. Take today for example. Temperatures this morning when we awoke were in the mid 30’s, but by the end of the day, they will be in the lower to mid 70’s! Although amazing….a 30 to 35 degree temperature increase within a 6 hour time frame is not unusual for us at this time of year. Talk about making it interesting in knowing what to wear! This morning I put on the Capri’s I planned to wear to work, but then added socks, tennis shoes, a hooded sweatshirt and a coat to wear in order to first take our little dog Woodrow to the park. I looked ridiculous but thank goodness no one else was at the park at that time! I must admit though, that it is such a marvelous feeling when you walk outside later in the afternoon and the brilliance and warmth of the sunshine overwhelms you. Truly one of those “ahhhhh” moments! With the arrival of the warm weather, so also arrive thoughts of summer picnics and family reunions. The recipe I am sharing this time is a dish that my mom usually makes every year for our Moser family reunion. It is definitely always a hit and quickly gone. It has no fancy name, but the name itself pretty well describes the dish. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that mom just named it herself. May you have a wonderful summer surrounded by family and friends with much laughter, making great memories. Until next time…..Happy Baking.

Chicken in Dressing Crust

Crust: 1 – 8 oz herb seasoned dressing/stuffing mix (I used half a loaf of Berlin Natural Bakery White Spelt bread, cut into cubes and seasoned with 2 tsp parsley, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp garlic salt, and 1/4 tsp of sage. You could add other seasonings such as poultry seasoning too, but I personally prefer less seasonings). ¾ cup chicken broth 1/3 cup melted butter 1 egg beaten. Mix together and place in the bottom of a 10” pie pan. * Filling: 1 - 4 oz can mushrooms 1 ½ tsp. salt (or to taste) 2 tsp. Flour 2 Tbsp. diced pimento (optional) ½ onion, chopped 1 Tbsp. Parsley flakes 1 Tbsp. Butter 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 3 cups cubed chicken or turkey ½ tsp. dried thyme 1 cup peas ½ tsp garlic salt 1 cup carrots, chopped 4 slices American cheese or cheddar or cheese of your choice ½ tsp black pepper 1 – 10 ½ oz can chicken gravy or cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup Drain mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Mix mushroom liquid with flour. Sauté mushrooms and onion in butter. If using raw carrots, cook slightly before adding. Add all ingredients to the mushroom/onion mixture except the cheese. Cook and stir well until slightly thickened. Turn into crust. Bake at 375 F until bubbly (approx 45 minutes). Add cheese to top of casserole and bake another 5 minutes until cheese is melted. * You may want to double this recipe and put it in a bigger casserole dish…something like a 9”x13” pan. (A couple notes: I stewed a whole chicken {which was enough for a double recipe} and used the broth from it for both the crust and in place of the can of gravy or soup. After sautéing the onions and mushrooms in the butter, I added 1 ½ cups of chicken broth to the pan and brought it all to a boil. I added 2 Tbsp flour to the mushroom liquid instead of 2 Tsp. and mixed well. Once the broth was boiling I added the flour mixture to the broth, stirring constantly and basically made“homemade” gravy. Then I added everything else according to the recipe and poured it into the crust. If you use fresh mushrooms, just add the flour to water…2 Tbsp flour added to ½ cup water).

By:  Joy Schrock - President Why do I have a wheat allergy? Isn't spelt wheat? If I have a wheat allergy why can I eat spelt? I constantly hear these same questions over and over and over again.  I guess the fact that I own a bakery that produces products in the wheat alternative niche appears by some standards to make me a bit of an expert.

Unfortunately, I am not an expert when it comes to this dreaded condition.  As far as I'm concerned, no one has really conquered the issue.  I've never read an article or a research document that I thought "gee, they finally figured it out...problem solved!"  Instead I am left feeling quite the opposite. 

Every article I read just leads to more and more questions.  It is so frustrating.  I am sure you can all relate. No one that knows me would argue the fact that I am a total research and information junkie.  I have this never ending need to understand things and how they work together in the big picture. 

The thing that really bothers me about wheat related illnesses is that everyone is focusing on diagnosing and treatment.  No doubt that's hugely important.   But I want to know more than how to diagnose it and treat it.  I want to know what is causing it.

As far as testing for it goes, why is it so difficult?  The last several months I've been hearing stories from people that are being tested positively for wheat allergies that have never even suffered any symptoms.  What is that about?  I believe it is being referred to as a false positive. 

Once you are finally properly diagnosed you have one option for treatment.  Quit eating any foods that contain wheat.  Oh, OK, that sounds easy enough...until you start reading ingredient labels.  Now you realize that this is a much bigger problem then what you originally thought.  For adults it's tough enough, but for children it is downright heart breaking.

It's very interesting to me that the diagnosis is always referred to in some way as "wheat" itself being the culprit.  Even the new allergen labeling laws that were put into place to protect those with celiac disease from products that contain gluten, instead chose to have the words "contains wheat" on the label.  Very interesting indeed. Over the years the only real conclusion that I've been able to come up with and why this issue is so difficult...is because there are many contributing factors that must be taken into consideration.  No doubt, avoiding any and all "wheat" products solves all of them.  It's much easier to tell people to avoid wheat for life, then it is to try to educate them regarding the various growing, processing, storing, milling and baking techniques that could aggravate the condition...and perhaps even be the cause of it.

Over the next several weeks , I will be writing a series of articles that contain information that most companies don't want you to know.  Why?  Because when you become educated you just might hold them to a higher standard. These articles will be focusing on what I believe are the top contributing factors of the rapidly increasing food/wheat related illnesses and allergies America is facing.

What will make this series a bit unique is that they will be written from a manufacturers viewpoint.  Initially the information was gathered while we were evaluating every step of production...from seed to sandwich.  That was how it started...but it sure didn't end there.  Research and ongoing education are just a way of life for us now.  Not just because we are manufacturers, but also because we are consumers...just like you.

Listed below are the articles that will be posted over the next several weeks.

1)  Two slices of bread please: hold the bran and hold the germ.   How we became a nation of white bread eaters.

2) What happens during the milling process of grains and how improper storage of grain and flour can negatively affect your health.

3)  Genetically modified foods...what we don't know, what we do know and why you need to care and get involved NOW.

4)  Beware of additives, preservatives, chemicals, fads, trends and most importantly savvy marketing.

To ensure that you don't miss any of these articles be sure to get blog updates by putting your e-mail address in the box in the top right corner of this blog and pushing the "Get Blog Updates" button. You will be sent each article as it is published from here on out after you confirm your subscription.

Also one more thing to share with you that will also help you... In an effort to create a support group we have also set up a new page on Facebook called "Wheat Allergy Awareness".  We will post articles that are related to helping to improve the quality of peoples lives that suffer from wheat related issues. 

We hope you become a fan and share your stories with the others in the group.  The articles we post won't just be our own and I'm sure some will be very controversial.  We want all view points to be discussed freely.  We believe that we can learn so much from you and hope you'll take the time to join.

Wishing you all the best of health,

Berlin Natural Bakery