Brown Rice -- Yum!

I'm surprised that so many of my friends still eat white rice instead of brown. It takes a little longer to cook brown rice, but it tastes so much better and is nutritionally superior to white rice. I could list the nutrients and fiber content side by side, but the bottom line is if it's come that way in nature, it's not only going to be better for you than the version that man has tampered with, but it will also be better assimilated into your body, meaning your body will use more of the nutrients provided. If you're still curious about the comparison, here's a great article called "Why Brown Rice is Better" from Hinduism Today magazine.

Some people don't buy brown rice because they've heard that the oils will go rancid and it doesn't have a long shelf life. So stick it in your freezer. I have several Foodsaver bags of brown rice in my freezer stored from a 25 pound bag I bought in bulk. Whenever I open a Foodsaver bag, I just pour it into a gallon-size Ziploc bag to take from in my fridge. A glass jar could work too. In fact, as soon as my husband finishes up his humongous pickle jar from Costco, I'll clean it out and start using that. (I'll have to REALLY clean it out though -- I can't stand the smell of pickles). Anyway, don't let the oil thing scare you. I've kept brown rice for a few years in the freezer without any problems of rancidity.

If you don't have a rice maker, I highly recommend you getting one. If you're only eating raw foods, then you wouldn't have much use for it, but if you cook your grains, you'll love it. I just made some brown rice tonight with a ton of veggies (summer squash, zucchini, broccoli, celery, white onions, brown mushrooms, and carrots) and am still feeling the joys of satisfaction.

Whenever I tried making rice before, it would turn out too sticky or burnt or something. All I do with the rice maker is put in 2 cups of rice, 2 1/2 cups of water, press "Cook" and wait until it switches to "Warm." (I actually like it better when it has sat warm for at least 10 minutes).

I've also used my rice maker to make cracked wheat in the morning. It's been awhile since I've made it, but I think I doubled the water to whatever amount of wheat I used. (Wheat uses a ton of water to cook). Then I add raisins, cinnamon, and some ground flax seed. Mmmm, it's hearty and warm. Now that I think of it, my friend adds flax seed to her rice too. I'll have to remember to do that next time. It adds a nice little crunch like you get with wild rice.

I got my rice maker at Target for around $15 on sale, but I don't think they're much more than $25 regularly. You don't have to use that cute little spoon that comes with it (in fact I think I lost mine). But it's fun how it fits in the handle (which is probably supposed to keep you from losing it :)).