Bet you’ve been waiting all your life for this. Finally a book about crackers! And chips! You know how you can’t eat just one? It’s true. We’re stuffing ourselves with the worst kind of junk food. Stores are chockablock with chips we’d never buy if we knew what was in them. But now you can make healthy chips and not feel guilty about it. Supermarket crackers are not much better. But what if crackers were both crunchy and delicious health food? Then their role in cuisine would be much larger. I use them for appetizers, croutons, bread crumbs, snacks, and a crispy garnish on soups, salads, casseroles, vegetables, ice cream, and more. What can’t you add crackers to? Unlike bread, chips and crackers last for months, so I always have them on hand. A serving of homemade chips or crackers costs about a nickel, store bought up to a dollar. My easy method needs no fat, sugar, salt, or rolling out of dough. Grains are alive. They’re seeds, so they’re full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and healthy oil for the baby seedling, one of the densest sources of nutrition you can eat. Bread isn’t called the staff of life for nothing. Whole grains are delicious. Crackers are a snappy and crunchy way to get more whole grains into your diet. Your kids will love them too. Don’t like wheat? No problem, you can use any kind of flour – corn, brown rice, amaranth, quinoa, soy, buckwheat, chickpea, and lentil – your choice. Are you a caterer or chef? Your customers expect better than industrial boxed crackers for appetizers—they’re seeking fresh local food. Distinguish yourself with artisan crackers. They’re more visually exciting and flavorful than crisp bread. So let’s get crackin’ and buy whole grain flour, bake some crackers, and feel the sensations of crackle and crunch. Put some snap on your table! 1. Why Whole Grains? A Baker’s Dozen Reasons. It’s hard to learn new skills, so here are some motivations: delicious, lose weight, fast, easy, low cost, healthy, nutritious, use any flour, emergencies, crunchy garnish, avoid unhealthy white flour, “whole grain” commercial products hard to find (misleading labeling), and hundreds of recipes. 2. Equipment. The essential and optional kitchen equipment and gadgets you’ll need. Chances are you’ve got most of them already. 3. Meet the Grains. Let’s get started! Where to buy whole grains and flour. Whole grain mix recipe to add to just about everything, not just crackers and chips. 4. How to Make Crackers & Chips. Step by step instructions with pictures. 5. Add Color. Colorful crackers are more appealing, delicious, and nutritious. 6. Chip and Cracker Baking Secrets. Ingredients with the best flavor, appearance, and nutrition, plus many other tips. 7. Chips. Make delicious corn, lentil, cheese, nutty, high-protein, garlic, wild rice, curry papadam, coffee, split pea and onion chips that are good for you! 8. Savory Crackers. Recipes for potato, pine nut, vegetable, seedy, and spicy crackers. Plus how to make your own mix to get chips and crackers into the oven even faster. 9. Sweet Crackers. For the sweet tooth – chocolate, lemon wafers, graham, root beer, ginger ale, peanut butter banana, and eye candy. 10. Be Your Own Iron Chef. Hundreds of other recipe ideas. Invent your own signature chips and crackers for entertaining, gifts, food contests, and catering. www.wholegrainalice.com As I continue to come up with new cracker, dip, and other whole grain recipes, I post them at my wholegrainalice. I also have a lot of detailed nutritional information there for those of you who want to know more about this topic.