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Decadent Simple Paleo Pudding

February 22, 2021 by Tasha Hackett Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Decadent Simple Paleo Pudding

by Tasha Hackett

I was Surprised by my Love of Paleo Puddings 

I’ve been eating a paleo diet since December 20th. Do some math there—it’s been a few days! And for most of that time, there was no pudding. Truthfully, I was blindsided at first: No sugar of any kind, no grains of any kind, no legumes of any kind, and no dairy of any kind. Quickly I discovered a whole new world of food that has brought delight to my family as well. One of our favorites is Salisbury steak with a mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes and asparagus. I’m drooling just typing about it. 

coconut vanilla pudding

Yum

paleo vanilla pudding

And Then There was Coconut Vanilla and Pumpkin Pudding

Most winters I make Laura’s vanilla and other flavored soothers for my family. Instead of hot chocolate when they come in from the snow, they get a protein packed healthy version.

My paleo version, I believe is even healthier, doesn’t have any dairy, hardly any sweetener, and a solid amount of healthy fat for growing kids and all of us using up so much energy trying to stay warm this winter. 

Dairy-Free Paleo Pudding Special Ingredients

Coconut Cream  

I ordered a case of this from my local grocery store for a small discount. It’s not cheap. But I found I can get it for much cheaper from Azure Standard. (Currently $2.30/can.) Though I haven’t tried the Azure ordered cans yet, it will be coming on the truck in a couple weeks! Canned coconut milk has a higher percentage of liquid and less of the fat/oil. You can use that in this recipe instead of canned coconut cream, just factor in the extra liquid. You may need to add more thickener. 

Coconut Milk in a jug

I buy the jug in the cold aisle and go through about one a week. Be sure to buy unsweetened and check labels if there are options at your grocery and get one with the fewest amount of added ingredients. I use this in my coffee, smoothies, baking, and pudding! It is much yummier than almond milk. I’m just going to pretend I didn’t even mention almond milk, because I like to pretend it doesn’t exist. Almond Milk in my opinion is one of the most disgusting . . . blech. So, don’t even. Get yourself some unsweetened coconut milk from the jug. 

Egg Yolks

You can make this recipe with whole eggs, but I’ve had better luck just using the yolks. Egg whites will curdle and get chunky if you heat past 165* and nobody in my family wants to eat curdled pudding. Save the whites in another bowl because you can use them in baking or scramble with a few other eggs. Go ahead and store them in the fridge for a few days. 

Arrowroot Powder

I ordered a bag of this years ago and use it in place of cornstarch. If you’re not on a restrictive diet, cornstarch will work. Or you can skip this entirely if you want to drink your pudding. A healthy gelatin powder, or collagen works to thicken puddings, but they thicken upon cooling. To recap: if you use gelatin to thicken pudding, it will not thicken on the stovetop!

Sweetener

My preference is maple syrup. For the vanilla pudding recipe, I only used one tablespoon. I think the natural coconut cream is quite sweet. The vanilla extract needs the sweetener, I think. If you wanted to try this with NO syrup, I suggest going very easy on the vanilla extract. The pumpkin recipe calls for two tablespoons to counter the spices and vanilla. Start with less, you can always add more. Feel free to experiment with honey or stevia or other sweeteners of your choice. 

Simple Paleo Vanilla Pudding

  • Four egg yolks
  • One 13.6 oz can of coconut cream
  • 13.6 oz of coconut milk from the jug (use empty can to measure)
  • A couple dashes of salt

Mix those three together in a pot and then turn on the heat. Be careful not to boil.

Scoop out a ¼ cup of pudding and mix a slurry with ¼ cup of arrowroot powder and stir it back in the pot.

Once it begins to thicken, turn off the burner and add in:

  • One teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • One tablespoon of maple syrup. 

Taste and adjust sweetener if necessary. 

Either drink warm or chill for pudding. 

Frequently I serve this chilled for breakfast with toasted shredded coconut and pecans, blueberries, sliced bananas, apples, or any other toppings to create a full breakfast. We love this for a make-ahead breakfast. My kids can’t get enough. 

Simple Paleo Pumpkin Pudding

The same as the vanilla pudding, except add in:

  • A can of pumpkin,
  • 2-3 teaspoons of pumpkin spice
  • An extra tablespoon of maple syrup to counter the spices 

I poured this one in a paleo pie crust and pretended I was eating pumpkin pie for breakfast and had enough for six small servings for the next day. (No, it wasn’t as thick as a traditional pumpkin pie. But it was just as good!)

paleo puddingpumpkin puddingpumpkin paleo pudding

Psssst! All of these great ingredients can be purchased from Azure Standard!

Paleo isn’t a Prison

Clearly I’m not saying everyone must eat the way I do, but I have found it to be more freeing than I ever expected. My motivation for staying on this diet is different than most. If you’re curious about that, ask any questions you have! I’d love to chat about it. I’ll just briefly explain, though some people have found great success losing weight with this meal plan, that is not my goal. I’ve suffered headaches for over a decade, and recent lab results show evidence of chronic inflammation and infection among other things. In a nutshell, the paleo diet eliminates all foods that are prone to causing inflammation, as well as cutting out any processed foods that add toxins that prevent my body from healing itself. 

God is Greater than Paleo

While I 100% agree that love is better than food and who even cares about free-range chicken anymore? I know I’m on the right path. Laura spent years developing simple recipes and then they were there for her when she needed them! I believe the same has happened to me, for the first time in my life I have the budget to purchase more meat, vegetables, and nuts, to fill in the extra calories I’m no longer receiving from grains and beans and other “cheap” fillers.

Honestly, two years ago I fed my family on $200 a month. Six months ago it was about $450 a month. Paleo food for six (thankfully three of them are still tiny) is costing me $900 a month. If a doctor had told me to eat this way three years ago I would have cried. Point is: Food isn’t everything. Do what you can. Love your people. Love yourself.

Right now, for me, loving my people and myself means spending more time in the kitchen figuring out how to make paleo simple. For Laura, it means spending less time in the kitchen and more chicken nuggets. And we are not trying to confuse you. Ha! 

toddler messes

And just in case you think I have my act together, this salad-dumbing disaster, in some form, happens daily. Canned chicken on salad is a go-to lunch for us and that is not the face of a repentant toddler.

What’s your greatest struggle in the kitchen right now? Are you spending more or less time in the kitchen these days? Have you ever been put on an elimination diet of some form?

Paleo Coconut Vanilla Pudding
 
Save Print
Prep time
2 mins
Cook time
8 mins
Total time
10 mins
 
Author: Tasha
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 13.6 OZ can of coconut cream
  • 1 13.6 OZ of coconut milk from the jug (use empty can to measure)
  • A couple dashes of salt
  • ¼ C arrowroot powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 Tablespoon real maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Mix egg yolks, coconut cream, and coconut milk, in a medium-sized pan.
  2. Add a few dashed of salt.
  3. Heat mixture on the stove being careful not to boil. Stir constantly.
  4. Remove ¼ cup of the mix and make a slurry with the arrowroot powder. Mix it all together in the pot.
  5. Keep stirring and just as the mixture begins to thicken, turn off the burner and add in the vanilla, and maple syrup. Taste and adjust sweetener if necessary.
  6. Drink warm or chill for pudding.
  7. Serve chilled pudding with a variety of toppings for breakfast or snack: sliced apples, bananas, cherries, blueberries, toasted coconut, pecans, etc.
3.5.3251

Try both and tell us your favorite!

Paleo Pumpkin Pudding
 
Save Print
Prep time
2 mins
Cook time
8 mins
Total time
10 mins
 
Author: Tasha
Recipe type: Breakfast / Snack
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 13.6 OZ can of coconut cream
  • 1 13.6 OZ of coconut milk from the jug (use empty can to measure)
  • 1 can of pureed pumpkin
  • A couple dashes of salt
  • ¼ C arrowroot powder
  • 3 teaspoons of pumpkin spice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 Tablespoon real maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Mix egg yolks, coconut cream, and coconut milk in a medium-sized pan.
  2. Add a few dashes of salt.
  3. Heat mixture on the stove being careful not to boil. Stir constantly.
  4. Remove ¼ cup of the mix and make a slurry with the arrowroot powder. Mix it all together in the pot.
  5. Keep stirring and just as the mixture begins to thicken, turn off the burner and add in the vanilla , spice, and maple syrup. Taste and adjust sweetener if necessary.
  6. Drink warm or chill for pudding.
  7. Serve chilled pudding with a variety of toppings for breakfast or snack: sliced apples, bananas, cherries, blueberries, toasted coconut, pecans, etc.
3.5.3251

 

 


Tasha HackettTasha Hackett, friend of Laura and author of Bluebird of the Prairie, a Christian romance releasing Spring 2021, is fueled by sunshine, paleo pudding, or hot chocolate—whichever is more readily available. Though she often pretends to be a ballerina while unloading the dishwasher, her favorite thing is writing with hope and humor to entertain and encourage women. Her time is spent with four chatty children and an incredibly supportive husband. They give her the kind of love people write books about. You can connect with her at www.tashahackett.com or Instagram @hackettacademy or for Laura @heavenlyhomemaker.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Groceries I Order From Azure Standard

February 12, 2020 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Curious about what groceries I regularly order from Azure Standard? Today I’ll share what’s often on my list!

Real Food Groceries I Buy From Azure Standard

First, let’s review.

Here’s a post to share what Azure Standard is and why I shop with them regularly. (Spoiler: They’re a food co-op that delivers even to small towns all over the U.S. Their prices on whole foods are fantastic!! More details here.)

Real Food Groceries I Buy from Azure Standard

  • 5-Pound Bags of Frozen Organic Peas, Green Beans, and Corn

We usually go through two bags each of frozen green beans and peas each month and one bag of corn. These are fabulous to have on hand!

  • 5-Pound Bag of Dry Roast, Unsalted Peanuts

I buy one of these each month to make several jars of Creamy Peanut Butter for my family.

  • 10-Inch Tortillas

Yes, I used to make them. But during this season in our lives, I am so grateful to have ready-made tortillas in our freezer! I buy them by the case and use them for Meat and Cheese Burritos, Breakfast Burritos, and Quesadillas. My favorite brand if tortillas from Azure is Stacey’s.

  • Hard and Soft White Wheat

I grind our wheat fresh in my Nutrimill, so I like to buy 25 pounds of hard white wheat and soft white wheat every month or two from Azure so I can always make whole wheat flour as needed. Read more about grinding wheat and which flour works best in various recipes here.

  • Oats

It’s so nice to buy a 25-pound bag of rolled oats to have for Homemade Instant Oatmeal, Breakfast Bars, Granola, and Cookies! I keep the oats in our extra freezers to pull out as needed. (Here’s a list of other great food I make with oats!)

  • Brown Rice

Just like oats and wheat, I like to buy 25-pound sacks of rice (if I still have room in my freezer!).

  • Active Dry Yeast

It’s awesome to buy a 5-pound bag of yeast to keep in the freezer and use it for baking as needed!

  • Fresh Produce

Some of their organic fresh produce is too pricey for my budget. But I find that most of the time their yellow potatoes, varieties of apples, peaches, and pears are usually super reasonably priced! And depending on the season, other produce options are a great price too!

  • Sale Items

Azure runs monthly discounts so I always scroll through them to see what is marked down 20% or or more and take advantage if I feel it will benefit my family!

I used to always buy butter and cheese from Azure Standard also, but the prices on those have gone up so now I just get those at a regular grocery store.

How Azure Standard works:

  1. Become a member. (It is completely free.)
  2. Join a local drop point (or start one).
  3. Order online each month according to your needs. (There is no obligation to order if you don’t need or want anything. Just shop any or all months of the year as needed.)
  4. The drop coordinator for your group will be informed of the truck delivery time each month. He/she will send information to let you know when/where to meet.
  5. Meet at the designated pick-up time and location to help unload the truck and take home your order! This unloading and sorting process usually only takes 15 minutes.

Are you a regular Azure Standard customer? What do you like to buy?

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Why I Shop Azure Standard

January 5, 2020 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

It’s been a while since I’ve talked about why I shop from Azure Standard. Maybe you were wondering if I still did? What is Azure Standard anyway?

Azure Standard is a food co-op that has been one of our main food sources for years! They are based in Oregon, but ship to hundreds of drop points all over the U.S. every month.

If you aren’t already a member of Azure Standard, I highly recommend giving it a try if a drop point is available in your area. (If there isn’t one currently, you can look into starting one. That’s what I did many years ago, and now they deliver right to our town!)

See, I don’t live near to a Whole Foods or any of the fun natural food markets. Nor do I live close to Costco or Aldi. But even if I did:

I would still shop Azure Standard.

Azure Standard prices are much, much lower than most grocery store prices. Yet they still carry almost everything a natural food store would carry. I love it and consider myself very blessed to have Azure deliver directly to our town once each month!

In addition:

  • Azure has great customer service.
  • Their truck drivers are always super nice and helpful.
  • Any time I call Azure for any reason, they work out my issues (which are rare and infrequent) without problem.
  • They carry a huge variety of groceries from fresh to frozen to boxed to canned.
  • The quality of their food is top notch!

How Azure Standard works:

  1. Become a member. (It is completely free.)
  2. Join a local drop point (or start one).
  3. Order online each month according to your needs. (There is no obligation to order if you don’t need or want anything. Just shop any or all months of the year as needed.)
  4. The drop coordinator for your group will be informed of the truck delivery time each month. He/she will send information to let you know when/where to meet.
  5. Meet at the designated pick-up time and location to help unload the truck and take home your order! This unloading and sorting process usually only takes 15 minutes. Easy peasy!

I’m working on a new post to share what items I frequently buy from Azure Standard. Be watching for that in the next few weeks!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

My Latest Grocery Purchases – and Check Out Azure Standard’s New Program!

November 11, 2016 by Laura 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

It’s been a while since I took pictures of my groceries to show you. You’ve missed it, I’m sure. You’ve most definitely been wondering, “How much butter has Laura been buying these days? Is Laura still eating plenty of greens? What is Laura’s current favorite vegetable?”

Right? You’ll all been asking yourselves these questions.

love and butter

Well, I didn’t get a picture of it, but I recently bought 20 pounds of butter. See, my local friends know me well enough to text me when they’re at the store and come across a good deal on butter. I got the text, I went to the store, and I got 20 pounds of butter. The check-out lady asked me what I was up to. I told her it was just another routine day in the life of me. No big deal.

My current favorite of all vegetables are the amazing miniature sweet peppers that typically come in a 1-pound package. Do you know the ones of which I speak? I like cutting them up and eating them in salads. I like eating them as if they were candy. They are my fav.

And yes. I’m still eating plenty of greens.

So now lets see some pictures, shall we? Lately I’ve had to drive to Lincoln weekly to visit my natural doctor. (Fun times. But we ARE getting to the bottom of these migraines.) The best perk to going weekly (besides knowing that I’m getting somewhere on my health journey) is that I get to go to Fresh Thyme Market while I’m in the city. I love that store so much! I walk the aisles and take advantages of the sales. Here’s what I got last week:

groceries-11-2

If you’d like to see some of the items I’m receiving this month in my Amazon Subscribe and Save order, take a peek here.

I kind of blew it on my recent Azure Standard order. How, you ask? Well, I ordered a few items and checked out with the intent to go back and order a few more of my Azure favorites before the cut-off date. Then I forgot. Oh well. At least I got the frozen veggies I always need, I got a very wonderful and large block of raw cheddar cheese, and I got my very fun Azure Advantage Discovery Box. Those boxes have been the coolest! This month it contained a lovely assortment of high quality dried fruit.

azure-nov16

Some quick notes about Azure Standard, in case you aren’t familiar:

Azure is a food co-op that has been fantastic to me during the past 10 years that I’ve taken advantage of what they offer. I order online, then once a month, a truck delivers my order along with everyone else’s from my area. We meet in a parking lot, grab our boxes, then take them home and gush over the goodness.

I heart Azure Standard.

This summer, they rolled out a new Azure Advantage program which does this:

  • Gives me deeper discounts on bulk items (yes, please!).
  • Sends me a Discover Box every other month, which more than makes up for the cost of my membership.

I signed up for it hesitantly, but now I’m very glad I did! The membership cost is worth it for me, and I love the freebie boxes! You can check out Azure Advantage here.

I’ll try to keep taking pictures of my grocery purchases to share with you, if nothing else to keep you informed about my current butter situation. #neverrunoutofbutter

And some fun news: I’m actually finding that following the Simple Meals plans are saving us more money than I anticipated since the meals are so basic and accompanied by simple fruit and veggie sides. This is making grocery shopping so much more fun and less spendy! #simplemealssavings #ilovesimplemeals

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Anyone ever tried that block of cheese from Azure? I’m excited to grate the entire thing in my food processor for cheesy convenience.

Some of the links in this post are my affiliate links.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Does Azure Standard Deliver To You?

June 16, 2016 by Laura 22 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

As many of you know, I’ve been a member of the Azure Standard food co-op for many years. They played a huge part in gently transitioning our family from processed food to real food, and still play a big role in our daily life. Here’s why:

  • Their prices are very reasonable (much less than a typical “whole food” grocery store).
  • I can shop their online site and place my order easily.
  • Their delivery truck drives right to our town every month.
  • Their food is top quality.

See, I went from buying poptarts with coupons and doing everything I possibly could to get cheapo groceries to learning that we needed to revamp our entire diet. The financial burden of this felt enormous to me. Plus, I live in a small town where there are very few organic options. So when my friend told me about Azure Standard, I felt I’d been given a gift.

HH Ad 1 2016

Through the years, I’ve saved oodles of money and time by shopping Azure Standard. Their healthy options are abundant! Matt and I are even buddies with our truck driver. Ultimately, we feel that Azure is family. They are great in every way.

Where does Azure Standard deliver?

There are hundreds of routes all over the U.S. Check here to see if there is a route near you. More than that, I recommend you read over this page to learn all about how Azure Standard works. It’s the least complicated co-op I’ve been a part of, which is why I’ve stuck with it for so long!

azure_standard

Here’s a picture of one of my Azure orders from a few years ago.

Azure Standard keeps expanding!

I’ve loved watching Azure Standard grow through the years. They continue to add routes to reach more and more states and communities across the U.S. Just recently, they added routes to Florida – so if that’s where you’re from, check to see if there’s a drop point near you. If there’s not one, you can easily get one started. (There wasn’t one in my town until I called and set one up. Easy peasy!)

What’s more is that if you don’t see your state or area on the delivery route list, you can contact Azure Standard to let them know of your interest ([email protected]). They want to hear from you so they know how they can serve best. If there is enough interest in a particular area, they may try to add a route that comes to you!

Have questions?

Look over this page to learn the basics about what Azure offers and how it works. They’ve served our family well for many years. How great that they are continuing to provide great service and grocery options to many more families!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

My Azure Standard Order (One Hundred Pounds of Potatoes? Really?!)

February 14, 2013 by Laura 89 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Since I took a picture last week of my grocery store trip and so many of you seemed to enjoy it, I decided to take a picture of this week’s Azure Standard order for you.

The stinky part about sharing this is that not all of you have the option of ordering from Azure Standard. :(  I feel very blessed that they deliver to Nebraska, especially since I have very few options in my small town for organic food. Plus, Azure’s prices are amazing! (Read this post to learn more about Azure Standard and to see if they deliver in your area.)

This month, I ordered loads of fresh produce, a case of white cheddar cheese, and five pound bags of frozen green beans and peas. We got a 20 pound box of organic braeburn apples, plus a 20 pound box of pink ladies. There will be no limits on apples eaten for snacks at our house!

azure_2

Asa makes a mean Homemade Guacamole, so the avocados I got will be handed to him in a few days to make us some dip. I got a lovely two pound bag of kiwi, some lettuce, leeks, and tomatoes. Aahhhh, so many delicious options for my family!

Now, let me explain my crazyness bulk potato purchase. You see, last month I ordered 50 pounds of potatoes but they didn’t come in. So what did I do this month? I ordered two different varieties of 50 pound potato options, hoping that this would ensure that we’d get at least one 50 pound box of potatoes. Both were good deals, both were organic.

And what do you think happened? Both varieties of potatoes arrived on the truck. I now have 100 pounds of potatoes in my kitchen. (50 russet and 50 yellow)

azure_1

What will I do with 100 pounds of potatoes? Well, feed them to my family, of course. I’ll make French fries and baked potatoes and mashed potatoes and hashbrowns for the freezer. In addition, I will likely bag some of them up, drive around town, and deliver them to some of my friends. Nothing says “I treasure our friendship” like the gift of a bag of potatoes, right?

Oh how my friends must roll their eyes at me.

We plan to get a good start on the potatoes tomorrow since it is Justus’ 13th birthday and he has ordered homemade fries to go with our lunch. I gasped when he first requested this, asking if he thought this was a wise choice, seeing as we only had 100 pounds of potatoes to get us through the month.

He smiled, because he’s sweet. But I’m pretty sure inside, he was rolling his eyes too. On second thought, he may have really been calculating how many potatoes we really could eat tomorrow since there was no need to hold back.

Think of me tomorrow. I may be slicing two hours worth of potatoes into French fries at lunchtime. ;)

Do you have the privilege of ordering from Azure Standard? Are you a part of a different food co-op? What would you do with one hundred pounds of potatoes? 

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Covenant Ranch Trucking – Delivering for Azure Standard. Can You Benefit From Their Services?

August 28, 2012 by Laura 17 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

You have hopefully noticed this nice ad over in my sidebar:

Proudly delivering for Azure Standard

If you’ve been reading here long, you know how much I love ordering groceries from the health food co-op, Azure Standard.

I just wanted to take the time to explain a little bit about what Covenant Ranch Trucking is to see if they are able to benefit you where you are.

Covenant Ranch Trucking is a family owned, family friendly business that delivers many Azure Standard routes such as:

  • To CO (on the 70 and south of the 70 coming down the 25 into NM).
  • To NM ( north of the 40 heading east into TX)
  • To IA (eastern IA is covered by us. The rest of IA is another family)
  • To TX, KS, MO, AR, OK, IL, IN, and TN
  • One drop in LA (Shreveport) and one drop in OH (Cincinnati)
  • If none of these locations matches where you live, you can read more on this post to see if Azure delivers to your area.

Here is what Mrs. Joseph Wood, who has been working with me on this to get the word out about her family business, has shared with me.

Let me share with you some of the ways we are hoping to be a blessing to others as well as grow the routes and spread Azure Standard.

We would like to give 5.00 GC to those that are willing to share five referrals with us. They can be friends that are interested in Azure, Health food stores, Chiropractors, Homeschool groups or anyone else they would like us to share with. We only ask that they first ask permission to share the persons information with us. We only want to share with those that are truly interested in hearing more. We will also give each of their five friends a GC for five dollars off. (Contact information:  mrsjosephwood at gmail.com)

Azure Standard is unable to compensate drop managers due to federal tax regulations. However, as a company, Covenant Ranch Trucking, we are offering all our drop managers free shipping for their order for each month they meet our average drop total of 3000.00 (that is the average drop on our routes). We will help advertise a drop on FB, on the blog, send catalogs, flyers or assist in any other way. We hope that it is  a blessing to those that volunteer their time to serve in their community. Also, if they refer someone who starts a drop that drops total goes toward their 3000.00 as well! It really is easy to do. Again this is coming from Covenant Ranch Trucking so it is only available on our routes.

We are also always looking for men with integrity who have their CDL to drive for us. We can’t expand without the drivers. We a family friendly company and give our drivers one week off every month to be at home with their families. We also pay extra on our insurance so children and spouses can come along on the routes.

Hopefully many of you will be benefited by their services. I’ve never once been disappointed with Azure Standard, and love that so many of you will have the delivery service of Covenant Ranch Trucking.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Azure Standard is Expanding!

September 17, 2011 by Laura 81 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Visit our blog: www.azurestandardblog.comMrs. Joseph Wood, who advertises with us here at Heavenly Homemakers, is always trying to keep me up to date on the latest great news from Azure Standard so that I can pass it on to you. Her husband is one of their trusted truck drivers, and she and her family are extremely dedicated to serving through Azure. If you’ve been reading my posts about Azure Standard and wishing you had access to this service, you’re going to be excited to read this news!

Azure Standard is going to be adding IL, IN, IA and parts of TN the first of January. They will also be rearranging the current M-1 and M-2 routes into five smaller routes so that food can be fresher when delivered to customers. This is allowing them to add new areas of CO, NM, KS, OK, TX, MO and AR if there were families in those states that used to be off route.

Because of these changes, Azure Standard is super busy, which means that it would be best at this time for you to contact Mrs. Joseph Wood instead of contacting Azure Standard themselves. To learn more or to see about setting up a drop point in your area, call 785-633-3152. Or, if you’d rather contact her via email you can do that at: mrsjosephwood @ gmail dot com.

Also, be sure follow the Azure Standard Facebook page for regular updates and great Azure Standard information!

If your location was not mentioned today, don’t despair! As you can see, Azure Standard is constantly working to expand and meet more needs. Your state might be coming soon!

 

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How I Grocery Shop

February 19, 2011 by Laura 131 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Remember how I told you about how I grocery shop when I shared our 2011 Grocery Budget? I don’t usually buy much at grocery stores; I buy in bulk from co-ops; I purchase from local farmers. Some months I hardly buy anything, some months I buy a lot. This month, February, would be an example of me buying a LOT…and you get to witness it here today! Everything just sort of hit all at once this month, but that’s okay. There is money in our grocery budget. I just wait to spend it until I need it!

Here are a few pictures and some details about my grocery purchases this month. Some of this will last us one month. Some of this will last six months. Some of this will last for a year. Some of this will be gone before you read this post. ;)

Here is our Azure Standard food co-op order for this month:

This month’s order was a pricey one because I ordered a case of butter. See that box up there with two pounds of butter on top? There are 28 more pounds in that box. It’s a hefty investment all at once, but we go through a lot of butter and it’s nice just to have it in the freezer for when we need it. I can avoid going to the store as often this way, plus, this butter is much higher quality!

What else did I buy from Azure Standard? Well…10 pounds of oranges, three packages of frozen broccoli, 2 big bags of frozen peas, five pounds of peanuts (to make peanut butter!), a case of raw white cheddar cheese, a bottle of red wine vinegar, 10 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes, 20 pounds of Fuji apples, a little bag of avocados, 25 pounds of whole corn (to grind into cornmeal), 6 half-gallon jars for milk and other food storage…and three jars of Hain Safflower Mayo. Yep, that would tell you that I haven’t attempted the Homemade Mayonnaise part of the Heavenly Homemakers Recipe Challenge yet. Hey, a girl can’t do everything at once. :)

My co-op order total (with delivery fee included) was $254.00…quite a bit more than I normally spend on an Azure Standard order.  It was the butter.  The cost of butter is rising I’ve noticed. My case of 30 pounds was $108. Ouch.  And yet, I’m paying for high quality butter, and this will last us a while. By “a while”, I mean that I really have no idea how long it will last us. Three months maybe? Maybe not that long. Depends on how much baking I’ll need to do.

Beyond our large Azure Standard order, we also got our year’s supply of wheat last week. Remember how last year I ordered 500 pounds of wheat? It has lasted 12 months and I still have some left over, so this time I held back and only ordered 300 pounds. :)  Total cost for my year’s supply of wheat which will make all of our bread, tortillas, muffins, quick breads, cookies, brownies, cakes, pie crusts, pancakes, waffles, and everything else that needs flour: $144.00. That’s only $12/month for ALL of our high quality, organic, whole grain flour!! Have I proven to you yet that investing in a grain mill WILL save you money? :)

In addition to all of this, I was almost out of chickens and hamburger meat, so I ordered 60 pounds of ground beef and 6 whole chickens from the local farmers we love and trust. That was a hefty (yet reasonable) price tag too:  $362.00. This meat will last us for a few months, depending on the amount of company we feed and how many times I’m in the mood for sloppy joes. :)

 

If you did the math on that, you would have found that I have spent $760 on bulk groceries (so far) this month. This isn’t including what we’ve spent on milk and eggs, or what we will spend on bananas and a few other little things that we do get at the grocery store.

Sound like a lot?! :)  Maybe. But this is how grocery shopping and spending works for us. We buy food when we need it, we don’t buy food when we don’t. We are blessed to have three freezers and plenty of pantry storage for bulk purchases. I am amazed at how much money we save by buying our food this way.

And can I tell you my little secret? I love having a wide variety of all of our staples on hand at all times. Rarely am I out of any basic ingredient, which means that at just about any time, I can cook up any recipe I have a hankering to cook up. This makes meal planning so much easier for me and helps me run my kitchen so much more efficiently.

So, how do YOU buy groceries? Share what works well for you!

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Azure Standard: How Does it Work?

March 13, 2010 by Laura 139 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Here’s a little Q & A for you to let you know if it’s possible for you to order from my favorite food co-op, Azure Standard. You can see some samples of my monthly grocery orders here and here. Check out these jars of golden honey…YUM!

What is Azure Standard?

Azure Standard is a food delivery service specializing in offering top notch, organic and natural products. These folks provide my family with amazing organic produce and groceries each month. I am constanly blown away by their prices, especially for organic produce. Usually their organic fruits and vegetables are LESS EXPENSIVE than the non-organic produce I can find at my local grocery stores.  They are SUPER easy to work with and incredibly nice. Read all about Azure Standard and what they stand for here.  Are they awesome or what?

Who does Azure Standard deliver to?

Azure Standard has truck routes delivering to Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming! Plus, they are continuing to expand as much as they are able. If you’re from North Texas, read here about how you can encourage a drop point in the DFW area! And, if you’re from any of the above mentioned states, click over to read their delivery schedule specifics. Flip through the pdf file to find your state and see if there’s a drop location near you. If there isn’t one, you may be able to call and set one up. (That’s exactly how I did it a few years ago…I just called and set up a delivery drop point in my town!)

If you are from CO, NM, OK, KS AR, MO, TX, IA, IL, IN, LA, KY, TN, or north west part of MS – you’ll definitely want to click over to Covenant Ranch Trucking to learn about the services they provide for Azure!

Proudly delivering for Azure Standard

If Azure Standard doesn’t have a truck route to my area, can I still order?

Yes! If you are unable to be a part of a co-op/truck delivery route…you can still order (most items) and have them delivered UPS or by mail. They deliver all over the U.S. and the world (if you make special arrangements). Shipping costs may be high, but it’s worth a check.

How often do the trucks deliver?

Azure Standard delivers once each month. I place my order on a Thursday…I pick it up the following Tuesday. (Every route is different, that’s just how it works for me…but talk about instant gratification!)  We all meet our truck in a designated location, unload our boxes and bags (squeal with delight over our pretty fruit and bags of oats), load our vehicles and go home. It all takes about fifteen minutes. Amazing. Here’s a little field trip I took my readers on a few months ago so they could pick up my Azure Standard order with me…

Is there a minimum order?

Yes…if you’re right along the truck route, there is a minimum $550 order…but that’s total, for everyone who is ordering. If you get a few families involved, your minimum is met pretty easily.

Your individual order must also be at least $50. If your order is under that amount, just combine it with a friend.

Their prices for these organic foods are incredible! Are there any hidden fees?

Hidden, no. But some states (like mine) are subject to a delivery fee. I DON’T mind the delivery charge at all. If I didn’t have Azure Standard, I’d have to drive 2 hours one way to get food like this, and then the food prices would be a LOT higher. My delivery charge is less than my fuel cost would be to drive the 2 hours, plus the food costs less. I happily pay the delivery percentage on my order.

Hey, I can’t see the prices on their website! How can I see their prices?

Call them and set up an account. (541-467-2230)  They’ll give you an account number and password, then you can log into their site and see all their prices. You can also fill out the form here to request  a free catalog.

Do I have to order in bulk? I don’t have much storage space.

You can order in bulk, but you can also order small amounts of a product. I love this feature! You can order 50 pounds of oats, or just five pounds. You can order an entire case of organic ketchup, or just one bottle.

Does Azure Standard have a nice selection of gluten free food?

Yes. Click here to see some of their gluten free products…then click around looking for your other favorites.

What am I forgetting here? What other questions do you have about Azure Standard?

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