Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Coupon Code Expiring! High Five Recipes Just $5!

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Did you get your High Five Recipes eBook yet? Now’s the time as we’re launching it at half price!

This High Five Recipes eBook includes 111 wonderful recipes all of which:

  • Call for 5 or fewer ingredients
  • Are all made from real food ingredients
  • Taste incredible
  • Take very little time and effort to make

You probably already have all or most of the needed ingredients in your kitchen. Don’t you love it when food becomes un-complicated!?

What will you do with all your extra time??

High Five Recipes offers:

  • 14 Bread and Breakfast recipes
  • 35 Main Dish recipes
  • 13 Side Dish recipes
  • 29 Dessert and Snack recipes
  • 16 Drink recipes
  • 4 Extra recipes

While High Five Recipes is worth more than five bucks (regular price is still a value at $9.95), we decided to launch it at $5 to give us all the complete High Five experience. So if you hurry, you can get High Five Recipes eCookbook, filled with 111 recipes that each include 5 or fewer ingredients, for just $5.

Bet you can’t guess what coupon code we set up. Ok fine. It was too obvious. Use the code HIGHFIVE to get the book for just five dollars right now! That’s half off, so take advantage!! Code expires Thursday, April 5.

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What is the Perfect Diet for Everyone?

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I just wrote at length to share why my family eats a diet high in fat. The question is, is a high fat diet right for everyone? Is there one perfect diet for everyone?

During the past thirteen years, I’ve made healthy food my profession. I’m passionate about the subject and spend hours of time reading and learning from a variety of credible sources. Then I come up with recipes that are simple, tasty, and nourishing. Fun!

After all this time, I still find research that declares all fat to be unhealthy, especially saturated fat. I still find research that declares artificial sweeteners (like splenda and aspertame) to be a healthy option. I still find research that shows a diet high in white flour and white sugar to be heart-healthy. The trouble with these articles is that they don’t have credible data (in my opinion) to back their claims and ironically, most of these articles are written in an effort to promote synthetic drugs or manufactured “food” products.

Why have I concluded that a fats like butter and coconut oil, beef and eggs – all foods that are high in saturated fat – are healthy and beneficial? Read my thoughts about that here. But now the question of the hour…

What is the perfect diet for everyone?

Should we all eat high fat? Should we all go low carb? Is it best that we all cut out gluten? Perhaps we should all adopt the “everything in moderation” idea?

After all my years of research, and more importantly, after years of discussions with a variety of people with different needs and body types, I believe the perfect diet for everyone is:

The diet that nourishes.

The perfect diet for everyone is the one that nourishes.

I have friends who have serious health issues when consuming gluten. I know people who have to stay away from eggs and nuts entirely. I have met people who tell me that if they ate as much fat as I eat they would bloat and be miserable. I have a friend who has a fructose intolerance so all the healthy fruits in the world aren’t at all healthy for her.

Each person must determine what their body needs, what their body can handle, and what will keep them healthy and strong.

But if we aren’t eating food that nourishes, whether it is low carb, high fat, grain free, or otherwise, no matter our dietary needs or restrictions, we still aren’t offering our bodies food for good health.

As for my family, we can eat whole grains, dairy, fruits and vegetables, meat, eggs, and plenty of good, healthy fats. These foods keep us strong, energetic, and nourished. As for you and yours? Only you can determine what is healthy.

But remember: Healthy Food = Nourishing Food.

All the conflicting research we find might have us confused about what it really means to eat a healthy diet. And all the “my family eats this way and so should you” information we read can have us in a puddle of confusion.

So do your homework, and consider what nourishes. Learn what provides your family with energy, brain power, good health. Focus on eating food full of nutrients.

And one last thought:

Don’t feel bad about the occasional splurge. With all my talk about feeding my family real food that nourishes, you should know that sometimes we buy ice cream or chips from the store as a special treat and we don’t even feel bad about it. I don’t agree with the “everything in moderation” idea, because I think that lends itself to the mindset of eating whatever you want as long as you don’t overeat. This doesn’t necessarily promote a nourishing diet as an overall lifestyle. But eating a nourishing diet most of the time while occasionally splurging on a treat? You bet!

Now I’d like to hear from you! What kind of diet is nourishing for you and your family?

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Why We Eat a High Fat Diet (Is it Right for Everyone?)

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Through my years of blogging, I’ve shared many a recipe filled with ingredients like butter, coconut oil, red meat, and eggs. Like to eat a high fat diet much, Laura? Why yes. We do.

Back in the 90’s when my big hair added three inches to my height (how proud am I to show off my senior pictures to my kids?) I was adamant about eating all things fat-free. I have nothing good to say about how food tasted back in those days, and I can’t even talk about fat-free Miracle Whip. Why, Kraft, why?!!

{Pauses for a moment to collect herself and remove the mayo memory from her mind and mouth…}

I vividly remember being afraid of fat. I was afraid of what it would do to my heart, but much more afraid of what it would do to my hips. So who cares that food tasted terrible? At least I’d be skinny and avoid heart problems, right?

Since those days, I’ve done hours and hours and hours of research and reading on the subject of healthy eating and good fats. It’s probably worth a mention that I’d done absolutely no research in the 90’s before declaring fat to be unhealthy. I’d heard that it was and I believed it, the end.

I am so thankful to have learned now that most of us need to eat good fat in order to stay alert and healthy. It might go without saying that I’m also thankful my hair doesn’t require a weekly bottle of hair spray, but back to the fat…

Why we eat a high fat diet

  • Healthy fats provide fuel for our brain and heart.
  • Healthy fats are carriers for fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K.
  • Healthy fats help our bodies absorb minerals.
  • Healthy fats are satisfying and keep us feeling full longer.
  • And that’s just the beginning. Read more about healthy fats here.

It seems that good fats are essential for great health!

Since I started eating a diet high in healthy fats, my lab numbers have become better and better! Hello butter and beef; goodbye bad cholesterol! It’s interesting, isn’t it, that during my days of eating low fat foods my blood tests always revealed borderline unhealthy cholesterol levels. Could it have had anything to do with the eight cookies and liter of Pepsi I consumed every single day along with my fat free mayo and dry chicken?

It’s also worth noting that through the past 20 years, whether or not I was eating a low fat or a high fat diet, when I ate a diet high in sugar I would always gain pounds. Always. It would appear that sugar is sugar no matter how much fat one eats, and while our bodies might need a little natural sugar to function well (bring on the fresh fruit!), excess sugar doesn’t benefit us at all.

Want some Low Sugar Treat Recipes? Look through all of these!

My Favorite Healthy Fats

I give three cheers for a high fat diet for my family. But not all fat is created equal, so a diet high in unhealthy, processed fats is one to be avoided. If fat is naturally occurring, I say bring it on. Here are the fats I consider to be natural and healthy:

  • Coconut Oil
  • Real Butter
  • Full Fat Dairy
  • Full Fat Meats
  • Nuts
  • Avocados
  • Palm Oil
  • Olive Oil

But what about saturated fats?

Indeed, most of the favorite healthy fats I mentioned above are in the “saturated fat” category. Again, I’ll point you to this article written by a doctor who takes nutrition very seriously as he explains it better than I can. Here’s a helpful quote from the article by Dr. Mercola:

…you must be vigilant against hydrogenated vegetable and seed oils, which are unsaturated fats that have been artificially manipulated into saturated fats. These are also known as trans fats, which interfere with your insulin receptors and put you at risk of chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

So I most certainly avoid the fats that have been manufactured to become saturated. Margarine is high on my no-no list. I rank it right up there with fat free mayo, and I think we all know how I feel about that.

Next up…

Is a high fat diet right for everyone? Is any one diet right for everyone? 

To be continued…

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What is the Right Way to Handle Teenagers and Dating?

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When our four boys were little, Matt and I had some real good ideas about how we would handle the upcoming years of teenagers and dating. As it turns out, real good ideas and real life can sometimes be real different.

What is the right way to handle teenagers and dating

Before our sons were old enough to realize that girls were worth thinking about, Matt and I started telling them, “Don’t focus on dating relationships until you’re in college and old enough to consider marriage. Treat girls like the Christian sisters that they are. Be friends with everyone.”

This is fantastic advice, is it not?

Our boys thought this sounded great because at the time they believed that 1) girls were weird and 2) marriage was for old people. So our advice held strong while our boys were still shorter than we were.

Our sons are now 20, 18, 16, and 13. They are nice, good looking, talented, and respectful. Girls seem to like these qualities. Therefore, Matt and I learned about two days into parenting teenagers that our perfect, lovely, and simple “don’t worry about dating or relationships until you’re old enough to think about getting married” plan might only be a good idea on paper. About the time our boys hit sixth grade, girls’ heads started turning their way. It didn’t take long, then, for our boys to realize that it was actually quite fun to have a girl’s attention.

I guess we could say that the rest is history. But the rest is not history, as it is right smack in the middle of our present. We’ve been doing this teenage parenting thing for eight years now with not one son but four. Where there are teenage sons, there are teenage girls. Times four.

I’ll skip sharing all the naive stuff I said and did as I first navigated girl attraction and young relationships with our offspring because it’s bad enough that our oldest son had to live through it. Instead, I’ll jump to the biggest lesson I have learned after eight years of being a mom to teenage boys:

There is no one right way to be in a dating relationship.

dating1

Can you believe that?

There’s no one specific formula. There’s no perfect scenario. There’s not one exact thing that will work exactly exact for every single person or couple. (If you don’t believe me, look at the variety of relationships in the Bible and consider the various dating stories told by Christians who have healthy marriages.)

I’m so grateful that I understand better now that every person is different, every situation is different, and let me also say this:

I am very thankful that we didn’t stick with our original plan and insist that our sons stay away from girls until we kicked them out the door and they were suddenly navigating all of life on their own. “Happy Graduation, Son. Have fun at college, where for the first time you will be responsible for keeping your own schedule, managing your money, taking hard classes, making thousands of fairly difficult decisions every day, and dating girls for the first time.”

Because relationships. Those are easy to figure out without guidance.

Instead of formulating a “one size fits all” plan for teenagers and dating, this is what we have learned to do instead:

1. Let the Holy Spirit lead us.

Trying to parent without guidance and the peace that comes through knowing we have the Ultimate Source of Wisdom living within us leads only to heartache and worry. I’ve tried that route. It’s miserable, because I don’t care how great our kids are, Satan wants to win them. And he wants to distract me and deceive me into thinking I am powerless as a parent. I’ll double over in fear and be sickened with panic over my sons’ relationships and thoughts of their future unless I fully embrace the truth that God is at work in them and for them and He has already won victory over the enemy. All I have to do, and what I must do, is surrender to God and ask for His help, strength, and guidance.

2. Be open. 

Do not freak out when your child begins to show an interest in someone. It’s normal and good, even if they are your babies and you can’t believe this is happening. I’ve learned (the hard way) to be very open about this with our sons so they don’t feel that they need to hide their attractions and interests from us. “She’s cute, huh? And sweet. It’s okay to feel that way. That’s how God made you.”

3. Ask your kids good questions.

My favorite question to ask my boys when they tell me they like a girl is this one: “What do you like about her?”

If they don’t have much to say, it lets me know right away that the attraction is more about appearance than character. But when he shares, “Our conversations are always meaningful” or “She is really nice to everyone” or “She is godly and servant-hearted” I know he’s given thought to what really matters. I also know he thinks she’s pretty, even if he hasn’t mentioned it, because of course.

4. Be safe.

We’ve found that if we are critical or harsh about any of our sons’ decisions or feelings, they quickly shut down and mute all communication with us. When my words, face, and body language show my sons that I’m open and safe, they are much more likely to come to me with “What do you think I should do about…” and “Is it okay if…” and “She and I were talking about…” and “What do you think would be a good gift for…” Our kids need to know we are on their team, especially while they are navigating relationships.

4. Smile often.

Sometimes this can’t be helped, because oh my goodness, the sweetness. I’ve found it’s important to be intentional about sharing in my sons’ delight over his special girl. If she means something to him, she means something to me too.

5. Offer gentle advice as the Spirit leads.

My sons don’t have any sisters, so they haven’t grown up experiencing life with any females except for me. I’m thankful for my sons’ openness so that I can offer advice like:

  • “I know it doesn’t matter to you if she wears jeans or a dress to the award banquet you’ve invited her to. But she’s asked you three times what she’s supposed to wear to this because she needs some reassurance. Tell her that the other girls usually wear casual dresses to this.”
  • “I’d get back to her sooner rather than later with an answer about that because you don’t want her to worry about why you aren’t responding.”
  • “Does she know for sure that you are going to this event only as friends? It’s easy for a girl to get the wrong idea, so please be sweet but make sure she understands you are only interested in friendship with her.”
  • “You might ask her if her dad wants you to talk to him first before you make plans to go to the Formal.”

So teenagers and dating…

Matt and I still feel strongly that relationships at young ages should be handled with extra care. They should stay in the “sweet” category and far from the “serious” until they are ready to consider marriage. We are so grateful that our kids started navigating some of these very important needs and issues with us, at home, under our guidance.

Some kids do wait until college to begin pursuing relationships. But I’m grateful to have learned that there’s not only one way to go about healthy Christian dating relationships. There is, however, one God, and His ways are perfect. Praise Him, He knows what each of our kids need. We rest fully on His promises to guide us and protect our kids.

Now about all the teenage and young adult girls who find themselves in our home, I’ve gotta say, I’m lovin’ it. Female people who actually speak my language using phrases like, “Aww, that’s so cute!” or “I like how you decorated your living room!” I could get used to this. :)

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Sweet and Simple Butter Cookies (4 Ingredients)

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If you know me at all, and I think you do, you know that if “butter” is a part of a cookie title, it must be a favorite of mine. Dear friends, allow me to introduce  you to these tasty melt-in-your-mouth delights: Sweet and Simple Butter Cookies.

Would you like to know what has been a favorite sentence of mine ever since I was a little girl reading recipes?

“Cream butter and sugar together in a bowl.”

That simple sentence always made me very happy. It still does. You want me to cream butter and sugar in a bowl?! I LOVE CREAMING BUTTER AND SUGAR IN A BOWL!!! There’s something so sweet (sure, literally, I suppose) about this simple instruction, and for some reason, it always brings up happy memories for me of times I spent baking with my mom or my grandma.

All of life would be better if we took a moment to cream butter and sugar in a bowl. Don’t you think?

The combination of butter and sugar in this recipe makes for a perfectly sweet and rich cookie that melts in your mouth. Don’t worry though. The ratio of butter to sugar is such that these are only lightly sweet, but deliciously buttery. I’d still consider these a dessert, but I think they fit in the “low sugar treat” category.

These stir together quickly and go into the oven easily. Enjoy this newest High Five Recipe, and most importantly, enjoy each time you get to “cream butter and sugar together in a bowl.”

Sweet and Simple Butter Cookies

5.0 from 1 reviews
Sweet and Simple Butter Cookies (4 Ingredients)
 
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Author:
Serves: 15-18
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups melted butter
  • ⅓-1/2 cup sugar (raw, white, brown, or sucanat)
  • 1 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground soft white wheat)
Instructions
  1. Cream butter and sugar together in a bowl. (Making life better, one bowl at a time.)
  2. Stir in vanilla.
  3. Mix in flour until well combined.
  4. Scoop Tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto cookie sheets.
  5. Press the dough down with your fingers or a fork.
  6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-12 minutes or until cookies are golden brown.

How great are all of these new High Five Recipes!?! Did you get your eCookbook yet??! We just rolled it out yesterday, and I guess it goes without saying that we can’t stopped high-fiving each other over the fun this book provides.

The best thing about 5 (or fewer) ingredient recipes is that you can almost always be sure they include ingredients you already have on hand. These are the simplest of the simple when it comes to recipes. That’s why we created this High Five Recipes eCookbook! (High quality recipes; 5 or fewer ingredients) We want to do everything we can to keep your real food kitchen life as simple as possible so you can eat well but not be a slave to the kitchen.

Be sure to get your copy right away so you can enjoy even more simplicity in your real food kitchen! Use the code HIGHFIVE to get it half price right now!

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Do you have any special memories of baking or cooking when you were younger? Do you like creaming butter and sugar together in a bowl? :)

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High Five Recipes: 111 Recipes That Use 5 or Fewer Ingredients!

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Get ready to be amazed! High Five Recipes is going to make your real food kitchen life so much simpler!

Introducing our fabulous new real food eCookbook full of 111 time, money, and energy saving recipes…

Yum

Feeding your family doesn’t have to be hard!

Or expensive. Or time consuming. Or expensive. Oh wait. I already said that. I guess I felt it was worth a repeat, as none of the recipes in this eBook call for expensive ingredients.

Get ready to simplify your kitchen life, put easy meals on the table, fill your family with tasty snacks – all while staying true to your desire to feed your family wholesome, real food!

We know what “family friendly” means. We know what “easy” is. We definitely like nourishment. And the fact that every recipe turns out delicious and fun is basically icing on the cake. (Wait, a five ingredient cake? Can it be true? I guess you’ll have to get the book and see!)

This High Five Recipes eBook includes 111 wonderful recipes all of which:

  • Call for 5 or fewer ingredients
  • Are all made from real food ingredients
  • Taste incredible
  • Take very little time and effort to make

You probably already have all or most of the needed ingredients in your kitchen. Don’t you love it when food becomes un-complicated!?

What will you do with all your extra time??

High Five Recipes offers:

  • 14 Bread and Breakfast recipes
  • 35 Main Dish recipes
  • 13 Side Dish recipes
  • 29 Dessert and Snack recipes
  • 16 Drink recipes
  • 4 Extra recipes

Get it here!

Our Heavenly Homemaker’s Club Members have access to this amazing resource plus ALL of our eBooks, eCurriculum, printables, and so much more – for one very low price! Join us here!

Or purchase separately below:

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10.000

Everyone bring it in. High fives all around…

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Simple Bean and Cheese Salsa Dip (3 ingredients!)

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You’ll love this Simple Bean and Cheese Salsa Dip. But first, wait until you see what we’ve got in the works!

high five cover

It’s a brand new eBook and we’re going to roll it out very soon! It includes a whopping 111 recipes – all of which only utilize 5 or fewer ingredients. This has been one of our most exciting projects! Sharing ways to put simple food on your table is one of our favorite goals, and if the recipe has only 5 ingredients, you can bet it is simpler than ever!

Be on the look out for brand new High Five Recipes I’ll be sharing during the next few weeks, as well as the reveal of our brand new eBook in just a few hours! As for today, you’ll need three simple ingredients and a bag of chips. What used to be a snack can now become a meal!


A few weeks ago when I posted my Cream Cheese Salsa Dip recipe, Kayla left a comment to share that she used the same idea to make Bean Dip. Say no more, Kayla. We got out our cream cheese, salsa, and a can of refried beans and we suddenly had a new favorite!

Do you see how easy real food cooking can be? I had a teen at my house last week devouring my food saying, “I guess I never knew healthy food actually tasted good.” Boom. That is my goal. Healthy food that tastes good. And if it can also be simple to make, then my entire food mission has been accomplished.

If you have time, soak and cook pinto beans for this recipe. But for all who are in a hurry, simply get out a jar of salsa, a package of cream cheese, and a can of beans. Blend it together and your main dish is ready. Eat it hot. Eat it cold. And of course, eat it with fruits and vegetables on the side because this is the 11th commandment. “Thou shalt eat fruits and veggies with every meal.” Amen.

Simple Bean and Cheese Salsa Dip

Simple Bean and Cheese Salsa Dip (3 ingredients!)
 
Save Print
Author:
Serves: 5 cups
Ingredients
  • 16-ounces salsa (any variety)
  • 8-ounces softened cream cheese
  • 15-ounce can refried beans or pinto beans
Instructions
  1. Blend ingredients together until smooth.
  2. Serve hot or cold with corn tortilla chips.

**UPDATE**

It’s here! Learn all about our High Five Recipes eBook and grab yours here!

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The Easiest Meal to Make for Easter

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As with any holiday, I like to actually enjoy myself and my guests instead of spending hours in the kitchen. Thus, today I will share the easiest meal to make for Easter.

The Easiest Meal to Make for Easter

It has become our tradition to invite a houseful of college students over to enjoy our Easter dinner with us. It is worth noting that young adults are most certainly not too old to enjoy plastic eggs filled with bunny-shaped sugar. We fill eggs with candy, then half of our guests hide the eggs all over our yard, hoping to challenge their fellow college students to climb into precarious places to find said eggs. We dig out plastic grocery sacks for everyone to use as Easter baskets because at our house, we like to be fancy.

easter 20168

The meal I serve? Well, college kids love any form of home-cooking, thus they tend to not care what I make, as long as I’ve made it.

It is a good thing that simple food just so happens to also be delicious. Love makes food taste better. Praying over my guests while I’m preparing the food has become my favorite hospitality practice. This takes away all the stress over the meal as I know God is the One who makes the food and the fellowship sweet and memorable.

easter 20162

I’ve found that the easiest meal to make for Easter includes ham, potato casserole, veggies, rolls, and a simple dessert. Nothing fancy necessary, except for the above mentioned plastic grocery bags we use as Easter Baskets. Those always wow our guests.

The Easiest Meal to Make for Easter

ham

1. I buy a Spiral Sliced Ham.

These taste incredible and are super simple to make. I plop it in a pan, throw away the packet of glaze, cover the ham, and bake it while we are at church. Just before serving we cut it off the bone and put it on our buffet. It is a hit every time and it takes no work to prepare. Spiral sliced ham for the win!

Bacon Hashbrown Casserole

2. I make a Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole ahead of time.

Then I slide it into the oven along with the ham to bake while we are at church. This is multi-tasking at its finest.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

3. I quickly make some veggies and/or a salad.

Steamed green beans, Honey Glazed Carrots, a tray of raw veggies – none of these takes much time or effort to prepare. If I have time, I might put together a “fancy” salad like this Strawberry Spinach Salad.

rolls1sm

4. I buy rolls.

I never thought I’d see the day, but I’ve learned that relationships and hospitality can look like homemade rolls AND store-bought rolls. For this season in my life, I have decided to buy rolls, plop them in a basket, and go love on the people. Maybe eventually I’ll get back to making homemade rolls, seeing as they are hard to beat!

Build-a-Brownie

5. Dessert isn’t fancy.

Sometimes I skip making dessert altogether and simply sprinkle Easter candy across the middles of the tables. If I have time to do more, I bake brownies, buy ice cream, and set up a Brownie Sundae Bar.

easter 20163

This Easter meal is simple but fabulous, our tables are filled with people we love, and I guess it goes without saying that hiding/hunting Easter eggs with college students who are walking around holding fancy grocery bags provides enough fun to last us all year round.

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The Best Places to Shop for Real Food Groceries

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Want to feed your family healthy food but feel stumped as to where to shop for real food groceries? Hopefully this post will take away uncertainties and ease your mind!

The Best Places to Shop for Real Food Groceries

The Best Places to Shop for Real Food Groceries

I have good news for you! Shopping for real food for your family is not as difficult as you might think. You don’t have to live in a big city. You don’t have to have access to fancy stores like Whole Foods. You can buy and eat real food no matter where you live! I live in a small town in the middle of Nebraska. If I can do it, you can do it. :)

1. Your Local Grocery Store

Yep. While it might seem that your regular local grocery store doesn’t have much to offer, I’m here to tell you that it is still full of real food. Vegetables, fruit, rice, beans, meat, eggs, nuts, oats, and the list goes on. Even the smallest of grocery stores have these basics! They might not be of the highest quality, they might not have a wide variety of options, but these are still real foods and can allow you to eat wholesome meals without falling back on highly processed foods.

Admittedly, smaller grocery stores tend to need to charge more for their food. Sometimes the produce selection is not as good as what you’ll find in a larger store. But you can still eat well enough. And sometimes, a local shop owner is willing and able to order groceries per your request. It never hurts to ask!

Become familiar with your local store(s) so you can learn your favorite sources, find the best prices, and become assured that no matter what your other options, you can still find good food right up the road.

groceries feb 174

2. Azure Standard

This food co-op has been a main food source for our family for years! They are based in Oregon, but ship to hundreds of drop points 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!)

azure

Azure Standard carries just about every food item you need, from meat to fresh produce to dairy to frozen food and everything in between. They also have paper goods, diapers – everything a large grocery store has. They allow you to buy individual items or a full case of that item for a discount. I consider Azure Standard to be like a Whole Foods grocery store that is less expensive and delivered directly to me! I love it!

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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 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 unload and sorting process usually only takes 15 minutes. Easy peasy!

3. Bountiful Baskets

I’ve been able to enjoy this fun real food groceries delivery option for the past two years and while I don’t order every time it is available, I sure do love it on the weeks they offer great cases of produce at great prices! This is what a typical basket can hold:

bountiful basket 815

Check here to see if there is a Bountiful Basket location near you. If there is, you can order as often as every two weeks. They supply you with a wonderful basket full of fresh fruits and vegetables for just $18. They also offer “Add-Ons” if you’d like to purchase cases of fresh produce to your order at a discount. Some locations also offer bread, and sometimes there are special offers like coconut oil or apple cider vinegar.

Bountiful Baskets is a lot of fun and gives us some great options for having plenty of fresh fruits and veggies on hand!

stir fry

Like I always say: When life gives you Bountiful Baskets, make Stir-Fry.

4. Amazon

It’s amazing all the real food you can find at Amazon.

groceries august9

amazon_order

I often buy food by the case, and it is delivered for free right to my porch! I wrote a post here detailing real food I often buy at Amazon. Also, I’ve learned to make the most of Subscribe and Save to save me money on real food groceries from Amazon.

How Amazon Prime Works For My Family

5. Zaycon Fresh

This one is new to me, but definitely worth sharing when it comes to a great source for real food. Zaycon Fresh can save a lot of money and get you stocked up on good meat for your family!

  1. Sign up for a Zaycon account here.
  2. Click on See Locations and select the best option for you.
  3. Order meat as needed, picking up at the designated time and location.

zaycon chicken

What are your favorite sources for real food?

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Get a 54-Ounce Tub of Organic Coconut Oil for Just $12.43! (UPDATE! An Even Better Deal!)

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

UPDATE!

Heidi pointed out that gallon-sized buckets of Nutiva Organic Refined Coconut Oil are significantly less per ounce than the already great deal I shared below. So if you go through a lot of coconut oil, definitely take advantage of this price instead:

Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil Gallon: $17.99!

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I rarely share food deals here anymore. (I usually save them to share with Savings Club Members!) But when I came across one as amazing as this for Organic Coconut Oil, I decided that I can’t not tell you about it. :)

I just got this big tub of organic coconut oil for just $12.43! How? So easy. I had to question if it was too good to be true. Nope, just true. And good. Now to decide how many to buy…

How to Take Advantage of This Deal

  1. Click here to find the Nutiva Organic Refined Coconut Oil at Amazon.
  2. Click on the green 20% coupon, which will be applied at check-out.
  3. Check-out with a one-time purchase which will give you the price of $15.30 OR…
  4. Check-out with Subscribe-and-Save which will give you an additional 15% off, taking the price down to $12.43!
  5. If you like, cancel your subscription any time after your order arrives.

I get a subscribe-and-save order every month, so adding this to my order with the extra discount was a no-brainer!

A few recipes that call for coconut oil

I have loads of recipes on my site that include coconut oil. Here are a few of our favorites:

I also love using refined coconut oil for frying:

No guarantee on how long this price on coconut oil and the 20% off coupon will be available. Grab it here while you can.

What are your favorite ways to use coconut oil?

Some of these links are my affiliate links.

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