Whole-Grain Bread for Children for Thanksgiving?

I've been invited to my niece's for Thanksgiving. I'll be travelling next Tuesday by Amtrak bus/train, 200 miles. I reminded her that I love to bake and what can I bring, and she cavalierly said nothing, we'd bake what we needed on Wednesday. Well!! So I decided not to bother with pies (which I have never made anyway) or cookies, but to stick with bread. Trouble is that I like 100% whole grain (fresh-ground), and she has two boys (about six and seven, I think) and a white-bread husband. So I'm looking for compromises. I thought of white whole wheat, but I don't have any, my local natural foods store doesn't carry it, and I won't have the opportunity to go into town to get it there (if I could even find it there). What do you think I can make that they might like (going with the odds, that is)? Marion Cunningham's Fannie Farmer Baking Book has a Brown-and-White Braided Bread that looks interesting. Each loaf has two brown braids and one white. The brown braids are colored with ww flour, molasses, and Postum (2t per loaf). I don't want to use Postum or coffee. I'd rather use cocoa. She has another loaf, Raisin Nut, that is a flour blend and made like raisin bread but without the cinnamon. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I plan to do the baking this weekend. Rosalie

While the idea of the braided loaf is growing on me, I would still like counsel from people with experience with children. All of my children experience, aside from when I was one, is second-hand. Does anyone have ideas on getting children to like whole grain bread? Rosalie

Would it be permissable to do a little of both? I tend to spoil the nieces and nephews by making what they like. I always make their rolls or bread and then I make some for the adults (I think I spoil the adults too). I have found that everyone wins and there are no leftovers. You can always try to slip in a little whole wheat and white together. Just a thought. Eli www.elisfoods.wordpress.com

Whatever you do, be aware that kids not used to whole wheat bread tend to not like it much at first. If you want to do 100%WW I would do cinnamon rolls or breadsticks, or something else a little less "daunting" than a regular WW loaf.

Scott

How about an oatmeal bread? You could also throw in some whole wheat, but not too much, so the kids will eat it. I like to use steel cut oats which I cook and cool first, added to the dough. You should probably use at least 50% unbleached white flour to keep it kid-friendly. Sweeten it with a bit of honey. I don't have a recipe--I just wing it.

I have a great oatmeal bread if you are interested in something like that. Somewhat sweet but you can cut back on the honey, if you are interested. Also, my nieces and nephews (adults too) love it very much and request it specifically. Eli

I talked to my niece yesterday and found out that they always feed the kids "wheat" bread, that they don't even know what "white" bread is. Guess I had them pegged wrong. I'm guessing "wheat" means a blend, but I wish I'd known that before. I did go for the braided brown-and-white bread. It's cooling on my counter as we speak. I took pictures (of the whole loaf - can't break into it until I get to her house) but I don't see a way of posting photos right now. Rosalie