Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

3 Big Fat Costco Essentials

by 1 Comment

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

During one of my last grocery shopping trips, I realized that I rely on 3 big fat Costco essentials. I can’t ever run out of these!

Indeed, I’m talking about actual fat. Healthy fats that cost less at Costco and are essentials at my house.

My 3 Big Fat Costco Essentials

Here they are, in no particular order. Ah, phooey. Who am I kidding? Of course they are in order. Butter is my favorite, hands down.

1. Butter

Now that we have such a large household, I find that we go through butter very quickly. We bake with it often and spread it on all of our muffins and breads.

Costco butter comes in a 4-pound-pack and currently costs just $2.87/pound. I haven’t found it for this low anywhere else I’ve shopped. I usually buy two 4-packs each time I shop (once or twice each month) so that I always have a couple pounds in my fridge and extras to grab from my freezer.

What do I make with butter?

Well, how long do you have?! These are some of our very favorites:

  1. Homemade Graham Crackers
  2. Sweet and Simple Butter Cookies
  3. Garlic Butter Shrimp
  4. Stick-of-Butter Rice is incredible and worth a huge mention (though I have recently admitted that I sometimes skip the butter in this recipe in an effort to save money, ha)
  5. Easy {Low} Sugar Cookies
  6. Low Sugar Lemon Melt-Away Cookies
  7. Low Sugar Almond Melt-Away Cookies
  8. Low Sugar Orange Melt-Away Cookies
  9. Low Sugar Lime Melt-Away Cookies
  10. Easy Butterscotch Bars
  11. And then slather butter over any of these muffins and bread recipes

2. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has been a staple at our house since I discovered its wonderful health benefits in 2005. We use it on our skin and in our recipes.

I love this 2.48 L tub from Costco for just $14.89. What an inexpensive way to get a lot of healthy fat into our diet!

What do I make with Coconut Oil?

These recipes are such good treats and made with this wonderful, healthy fat.

  1. Pumpkin Breakfast Cake
  2. Carrot Cake
  3. Easy Applesauce Cake
  4. Blueberry Shortcake with Cream Topping
  5. Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
  6. Dark Chocolate Almond Granola
  7. Granola ~ 5-Minute Stop-Top Version
  8. Lemon Bread
  9. Whole Wheat Waffles
  10. Dark Chocolate Almond Granola
  11. Coconut Flour Muffins
  12. Coconut Fudge Bars
  13. Chewy Granola Bars
  14. Low Sugar Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
  15. Low Sugar Carrot Cake
  16. Low Sugar Super Moist Chocolate Cake
  17. No Bake Cookie Cups 
  18. Fat Bombs
  19. Honey Sweetened No-Bake Cookies
  20. Just about all 40 of these awesome Muffin Recipes

3. Olive Oil

I use olive oil for cooking more than I do for baking, and this Organic Kirkland Olive Oil from Costco is my favorite. It is only $14.79 for a 2 Liter bottle and it lasts a long time, even at my house!

What do I make with Olive Oil?

Here are some of our olive oil favorites:

  1. Cake in a Crock Pot (you can hide spinach in this!)
  2. Seasoned Potato Wedges
  3. Bacon Chicken Pasta
  4. Easy Veggie Stir-Fry
  5. Homemade Pita Bread
  6. Roasted Asparagus
  7. BLT Chopped Salad
  8. Simple Three Cheese Spaghetti
  9. Crock Pot Shredded Ranch Chicken
  10. Simple Cheesy Baked Chicken
  11. Homemade Italian Salad Dressing

Extra Fats

Beyond these healthy cooking and baking fats, we love full fat sour cream, cottage cheese, whole milk, 4% milk fat yogurt, meat, avocados, nuts, nut butters, and cheese.

What are your favorite healthy fats?

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

Simple Seasoned Potato Wedges

by Leave a Comment

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

If these Simple Seasoned Potato Wedges are healthy to eat, they must be free of fat and flavor, right? Otherwise they couldn’t possibly be healthy, right? Wrong. It’s time to pull out the fryer, my friends.

I love that when made with good oils, fried food can be healthy. I mean, fried food tastes sooo good!

(Let’s be real. Don’t tell me you prefer fresh broccoli over fresh French fries. Okay then.)

No doubt, we need balance, and plenty of fresh green veggies too. But how sad to think we have to avoid chicken strips and French fries simply because they are fried.

Obviously, not all fried food is created equally – and many fried foods are unhealthy for our bodies. But the only thing that makes them unhealthy is the oil that they’re fried in. IF you fry your food in Coconut Oil or Palm Shortening/Oil – oils that can withstand high frying temperatures without compromising their health quality – you can enjoy fried food without guilt.

And I do mean enjoy. C’mon now, fresh French fries?? There’s almost nothing better.

If you don’t have a fryer, you can brush these Simple Seasoned Potato Wedges with oil and bake them in the oven, as they are super tasty that way too! I have and use this fryer, given to me by my men for Christmas several years ago. But either cooking method works great!

Make as many or as few as you would like, generally about one potato per person.

Simple Seasoned Potato WedgesYum

Simple Seasoned Potato Wedges
 
Save Print
Author:
Ingredients
  • Yukon gold potatoes (any potato variety works, but these taste much better!)
  • Refined coconut oil or palm shortening
  • Seasoned salt
Instructions
  1. Wash and cut potatoes into 8-10 wedges each.
  2. Fry in hot oil for 6-10 minutes or until wedges are as crispy as you prefer.
  3. Remove from oil and sprinkle liberally with seasoned salt.
  4. OVEN METHOD:
  5. Melt coconut oil or palm shortening (about 1 Tablespoon per potato).
  6. Cut potatoes into wedges and spread them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
  7. Brush melted oil over each wedge.
  8. Sprinkle liberally with seasoned salt.
  9. Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and crispy

Grab our Seasoned Salt recipe here. Otherwise, you can purchase some like this.

Not sure where to find healthy oils to use in frying? Here are some quick links:

Want some tasty recipes to serve alongside your Potato Wedges?

‘Fess up! What are your favorite fried foods?

Some of these links 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!

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

by 5 Comments

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

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!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.

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

The Best Coconut Flour Chocolate Cupcakes (Only 6 Ingredients!)

by 9 Comments

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

Whether or not you need to eat a gluten free diet, you will want to make and enjoy these fabulous and highly nutritious 6-Ingredient Coconut Flour Chocolate Cupcakes! Wait until you hear how and why we came up with this recipe.

coconut flour cupcake22

My 18-year old son came home after a weekend away and shocked me by saying this, “Ok, Mom. For the next 30 days, Jacob and I are cutting out all junk food and empty carbs. We’re going to do 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups every day. At the end of the 30 days, we’re going to see how we feel, and then we’ll eat birthday cake.”

Birthday cake? Well yes. This was part of the plan because Justus happened to be turning 18 the day his eating challenge ended. Perfect timing, eh?

I was amazed during the 30 days that followed Justus’ proclamation. He was extremely disciplined, ate loads of fruits and veggies for snacks, and even packed big salads to eat in the bleachers between his basketball games. (By the way, his friend who joined him in this challenge is also on the basketball team. They cracked me up more than once as they sat side by side eating salad in the bleachers. Here are your team captains, ladies and gentlemen, showing leadership on and off the court.)

While I loved this challenge the boys had set their minds to, I was also very cautious. Justus has zero body fat and is extremely active, so I watched carefully to be sure he was getting plenty of good carbs, good fats, and good proteins along with his fruits and veggies. He realized only two days into the challenge that he needed to keep a big supply of easy and filling snacks around the house so he would stay full and energized throughout the day.

simple-chicken-cheeseballs1

He made himself Chicken Cheeseballs, Simple Crunchy Ranch Chicken Strips, Honey Sweetened Fat Bombs, and Low Sugar Crustless Cheesecakes.

easy-mini-crustless-baked-cheesecake

Throughout the day, Justus would randomly drop down to the floor and do a round of push-ups or sit-ups. I even caught the kid searching for high protein snacks on Pinterest, then heading to the kitchen to experiment. Is he my son or is he my son? It was too much fun. (I’m still debating whether I’m going to let him graduate high school and move out in a few months.)

Together we came up with this wonderful recipe for The Best Coconut Flour Chocolate Cupcakes. Call them muffins if you want as these are full of nourishment and very adaptable. Coconut Flour Chocolate Cupcakes are very filling since they are so full of fiber and protein. Commonly I watched Justus eat three of them along with an entire pound of strawberries. Ha! No need to worry that this kid was still getting enough good carbs and calories while on his “diet.”

coconut flour cupcake11

I truly think eating treats like these Coconut Flour Chocolate Cupcakes can be good for all of us! Coconut flour is a wonderful source of fiber, protein, and fat. It’s grain free so it gives our bodies a break from all the wheat or rice we often consume. I plan on serving these to my entire family for breakfast and snacks long after Justus’ special diet ends.

Where to Get Coconut Flour

I tend to shop around to find the best price for Coconut Flour and have even discovered that our local Wal-mart now carries it. A little Coconut Flour goes a long way, so keep that in mind as you shop for this gem.

coconut_flour

You’ll notice that most Coconut Flour recipes call for a significant amount of eggs. This is because Coconut Flour is very dry. Eggs provide liquid needed, plus “stickability” in recipes. I love that combining Coconut Flour with so many eggs makes treats like this so high in protein and good fat!

Ready to enjoy these amazing Coconut Flour Chocolate Cupcakes?

The Best Coconut Flour Chocolate Cupcakes

The Best Coconut Flour Chocolate Cupcakes
 
Save Print
Author:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • ½ cup coconut flour
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅓ cup honey
  • 6 eggs
  • ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
Instructions
  1. Whisk all ingredients together until smooth.
  2. Scoop batter into 12 paper-lined muffin tins.
  3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

The Best Coconut Flour Chocolate Cupcakes

I personally love these cupcakes with a big scoop of Stevia-Sweetened Cream Cheese Frosting spread over the top or plopped onto the plate.

Stevia Sweetened Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces softened cream cheese
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Liquid stevia to taste (I use about 30 drops)

Whip ingredients together in a blender or with a hand mixer until smooth.

If you don’t mind the added sugar, sprinkle some chocolate chips on top of each cupcake before baking. Add nuts if you like.

Coconut_Flour_Muffin

Here a few other coconut flour recipes you’ll find here at Heavenly Homemakers:

What are your favorite ways to get plenty of good carbs, fats, and proteins?

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

Easy and Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

by 17 Comments

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

I have eaten at least three of these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups every single day since September. Please, you must join me in delighting in this simple, and apparently necessary, pleasure of life.

chocolate-peanut-butter-cups

Before I share more about this recipe, allow me to tell a story so that when you eat these in front of others, you will not make the same mistake I did.

See, it all started out back in September when I learned that I needed to add a significant amount of good fat to my diet if I wanted to improve my health, have more energy, and get rid of my brain fog. Seeing as I had no desire to lick coconut oil off a spoon or peel open a stick of butter like a banana, my quest to figure out how to easily eat all these good fats led me to discover these Chocolate Peanut Butter Fat Bombs.

They changed my life, and I’m not exaggerating. They are so very nourishing, made with loads of healthy fat and protein, and sweetened with stevia (stick with me though, even if you hate stevia). The fat bombs are delicious and I started feeling better immediately after I began eating several each day. Who knew? My body had been screaming for more nourishment from healthy fats!

Well, back to my story of what not to do.

We had company one weekend in October. I was eating a Fat Bomb while preparing breakfast. (Had to get my brain going, you know?) One of our guests walked in and asked, “Oh, what are you eating?” Suddenly I found myself in a quandary about how to answer. I could have simply said, “It is a healthy Peanut Butter Cup.” Right? Couldn’t I have just said that??

But no. I found myself launching into a very long narrative about my health journey during the past four years and how I’d been feeling awful during the past few months and couldn’t figure out what I could eat that wouldn’t make me feel awful. The very minute I started the story, I wanted to stop. I quickly realized that the kind ears listening to my “what are you eating” explanation were on extreme overload and most definitely confused. But I couldn’t stop because I’d already started and for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out how to wrap it up. So I kept going on and on. I even found myself using phrases like “adrenal fatigue” and “intense detox.”

The poor dear. Some people want to know more about natural doctors and bad bacteria lurking in the gut. But some people just want to know, “Hey, what are you eating?”

So you guys. Make these, eat them, enjoy them, and let them nourish you. But for the love of pleasant conversation, when an innocent person asks you what you’re eating just say, “It’s a healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup.”

Now, it is Christmastime and treats are fun at Christmas. That’s why I’m re-sharing this recipe. But today I’m calling them Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups to ease the pain of anyone you might be having a conversation with over the holidays. You are so very welcome.

Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter CupsYum

(Let’s all practice saying it together:
They say: What are you eating?
We say: “It’s a Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup.”
There now. Was that really so hard?)

Easy and Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
 
Save Print
Author:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • ½ cup coconut oil (I use expeller pressed so the coconut flavor didn't overpower.)
  • 1 heaping Tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup natural peanut butter
  • Liquid stevia to taste (I use 1½ droppers full of NuNaturals Brand.) OR 2-3 Tablespoons of honey or maple syrup
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan, heat and stir together coconut oil, cocoa powder, butter, and peanut butter.
  2. Once melted and mixed, remove from heat and stir in stevia.
  3. Pour into 12 muffin lined muffin tins.
  4. Freeze for 20 minutes or refrigerate for 2 hours.
  5. Store in fridge and eat as needed.

By the way, these really taste best when they are right out of the fridge!

healthy-chocolate-peanut-butter-cups

I love that these are completely free of sugar when made with stevia. But if you don’t like or don’t have stevia, you can use maple syrup or honey instead. These will still be wonderful for you and only lightly sweetened.

I use silicone muffin cups like these when I make these “Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.” This makes it so very easy!

Ever found yourself in an uncomfortable conversation while trying to explain something “weird” that you’re eating? Fun times.

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

Why You Should Eat Fat Bombs (and a Recipe!)

by 42 Comments

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

A few weeks ago while researching how I could add more fat into my diet, I came across this recipe for Fat Bombs.

fat-bombs-easy-and-delicious

That, my friends, is a Fat Bomb. They look like something terribly naughty. But instead, they are full of so much good nourishment! Your day just took a turn for the better. You have no idea how happy I am to share these with you!

Have you ever even heard of Fat Bombs? I sure hadn’t. But the biggest question is: why would I try to see how I could add more fat to my diet?

Well, I’ve been reading and studying more about regulating my hormones and blood sugar and keeping my adrenals functioning well – you know. Just a little light reading. Everything keeps pointing me back to “eat a lot of protein” and “eat a lot of good fats.” Hey, you don’t have to tell me twice.

Now, protein is an easy one for me. I love and crave meat most of the time. But I have been realizing that getting plenty of fat is a little bit more difficult (beyond what is naturally in the meat I’m being forced to eat). I’ve tried eating spoonfuls of coconut oil, but it’s just weird and I don’t love it.

diary3

See here’s the funny thing: I find that I mostly use butter and coconut oil in baked goods. But I’m no longer eating many baked goods. I can stir some butter into my veggies, but that’s still not very much fat. Cream in my coffee? Sure, but I’m trying to cut back on caffeine too (prayers welcome).

I’d be mad at my hormones and blood sugar and adrenals about all of this, but my quest to find wellness for all of these led me to find out about these Fat Bombs. So ALL IS FORGIVEN.

fat-bombs-rock

Everyone else can have their sugary cakes and cookies and I don’t even care because I get to eat Fat Bombs. They are kind of a cross between a Peanut Butter Cup and a Huge Piece of Fudge. No one feels sorry for me now. Everyone is jealous. But not to worry. I am here to share the recipe so that you, too, can make Fat Bombs.

Now, first, a warning: If you are expecting these to taste super sweet like a piece of Christmas fudge or an actual peanut butter cup, you will be disappointed. But if you appreciate the need to cut back on sugar and you prepare yourself for a lightly sweetened peanut butter chocolate treat, you will bite in and be so happy that you get to eat many bites before it’s gone. Yes, you will be so, so happy.

You will offer them to your family, saying something like, “These are so amazing!!!! You won’t like them, though.”

This is how things normally work with my family now. My husband is totally digging my sugarless, stevia-sweetened or otherwise very low sugar treats. Our boys are more skeptical. I’ve cut down the sugar drastically in our household, and they’ve barely noticed and are just fine with muffins, cookies, and cakes with the sugar cut down. But the stevia-only treats? They are not fans.

But as for me, I’m loving the Fat Bombs. So far I’ve only made a Chocolate Peanut Butter variety but a little Pinterest searching told me there are other kinds that I should try. Okay then. If you’re going to twist my arm.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fat BombsYum

5.0 from 3 reviews
Chocolate Peanut Butter Fat Bombs
 
Save Print
Author:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • ½ cup coconut oil (I use expeller pressed so the coconut flavor didn't overpower.)
  • 1 heaping Tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup natural peanut butter
  • Liquid stevia to taste (I use 1½ droppers full of NuNaturals Brand.) or 2-3 Tablespoons honey
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan, heat and stir together coconut oil, cocoa powder, butter, and peanut butter.
  2. Once melted and mixed, remove from heat and stir in stevia.
  3. Pour into 12 muffin lined muffin tins.
  4. Freeze for 20 minutes or refrigerate for 2 hours.
  5. Store in fridge and eat as needed.

chocolate-peanut-butter-fat-bombs

Isn’t it happy irony that these also have protein in them? It’s like I’m getting a two for one on needed nutrients here.

Note: These do not taste as yummy when they are room temp. Keep them cold and eat them directly out of the fridge. Take it from me.

Fun Fat Fact: It’s hard to over-eat these. After two bites I always think that I will finish one and enjoy a second because I’m loving it so much. But by the time I finish the one, I am full and satisfied, ready to stop eating. Then I stay full for a couple of hours, which is great because I typically need to eat little bits all day long.

I love this about good fats. They satisfy. (As opposed to empty carbs or bad fats that tell your body that you need more in order to be satisfied, so we tend to over eat them.)

Why Good Fat is Good

  • It gives us energy. (So don’t eat fat if you prefer to be lethargic.)
  • It builds healthy cells.
  • It helps our bodies use Vitamins A, D, E, and K.
  • It helps us have healthy skin, as well as helps our other organs to be protected. (Skin is an organ. I always forget this, but I think it’s so cool.)

So there you go. We all need to be eating good fats. These Fat Bombs make eating good fats extremely fun and happy, and they only take a few minutes to stir together.

Oh how I hope you like the Fat Bombs as much as I do. Best treat ever. (So says the girl who hasn’t had a cookie for a very long time.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Simple Meals is where it’s at, my friends! You will love this!!

728x90

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

Whole Wheat Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

by 25 Comments

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

You know you’ve got a fabulous recipe when your 14-year old son takes a bite of a fresh Chocolate Zucchini Muffin and says, “Hmm. Great texture.” Or maybe I’ve just got a fabulous 14-year old son. This is a given.

zucchini muffins

Here’s a pic of this amazing kid at church camp this summer. Yes, the girls have noticed him. Every single girl has noticed. Let’s go back to talking about the muffins.

Elias at camp 2016

These muffins are “moist like a cupcake.” Again – the description of my 14-year old.

The original recipe I had for these muffins called for one full cup of sugar and (brace yourself) an entire bag of chocolate chips. An entire bag. Not only am I not interested in adding that amount of sugar to the healthy and necessary meal I like to call “breakfast” – I’m also way too cheap. Would you like a little muffin with those chocolate chips?

With proportions like that, you might think that cutting the sugar so drastically as I did might turn out a boring and inedible muffin. But allow me to remind you of the teenager’s comment from above, that these muffins are “like a cupcake.” This from someone who would never have argued with me if I had chosen to dump an entire bag of chocolate chips into my muffin mix. He didn’t even know what he was missing.

He also didn’t know he was eating zucchini.

When writing this recipe for you, I shared a range of measurements for the sugary ingredients. Your family might prefer these muffins to be a bit sweeter, in which case you’ll want to go with the 1/2 cup portion of sugar and chocolate chips. Either way, the muffins will turn out amazing. You know – moist like a cupcake.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Zucchini MuffinsYum

4.7 from 3 reviews
Whole Wheat Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
 
Save Print
Author:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups whole wheat flour
  • ¼ cup sucanat or brown sugar
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1½ cups shredded zucchini
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • ¼ - ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
  2. Stir in shredded zucchini, eggs, and oil until well combined.
  3. Fold in chocolate chips.
  4. Scoop into 12 prepared muffin tins.
  5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

I like to use Enjoy Life Soy Free Chocolate Chips when possible. :)

Enjoy these muffins for a Back-to-School breakfast or as an after school snack. Need more breakfast ideas? Find 60 Make Ahead Breakfast ideas in this post.

Here’s your final reminder to sign up to win a copy of our new Low Sugar Treats eBook!!

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

Big Discounts on Vanilla Beans and Coconut Oil

by 7 Comments

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

Typically now I only post deals like this directly to those on my Homemaker’s Savings Club list – but when the prices are this good and are being offered for two of my very favorite and most loved items – I’ve gotta share them with all of you!

First – Vanilla Beans are 20% off for three days!

This is perfect timing because June is a great month to begin making a batch of Homemade Vanilla Extract. It takes 4-6 months for the extract to “brew” so if you start now, you’ll have delicious vanilla extract in time for Christmas gifts and baking!

I always buy my beans from Olive Nation because they are the best quality for the best price. Getting 20% off is huge, so take advantage. Use the code SAVE20 through June 15. As long as you don’t add anything else to your cart, you’ll also get automatic free shipping!

vanilla_beans

54-Ounces of Coconut Oil

Spectrum Organic Virgin Coconut Oil.

In other fun news, I’m currently playing with two fun and refreshing summer recipes that are huge money savers and very delicious! Or at least they will be delicious with a little more tweaking. I’m still experimenting. :) One of them calls for two teaspoons of the Homemade Vanilla Extract I talked about above. That makes the recipe what it is!

Stay cool (assuming you’re experiencing the heat wave we are here in Nebraska)!

This post contains my affiliate links.

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

54-Ounces of Organic Virgin Coconut Oil – Just $11.94!

by 2 Comments

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

I posted this a couple weeks ago, but (brace yourself) THE PRICE JUST GOT LOWER!!!! Get this while it’s available. We bought them out when I posted before, so I wouldn’t wait. Plus, you never know when the price will go up!

spectrum coconut oil

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

How Much Coconut Oil Do You Use?

by 4 Comments

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

How much coconut oil would you say you go through in a month’s time? In three months? In a year?

Our family goes through about a quart every 2-3 weeks. We use it for all kinds of cooking – stirring it into everything from muffins to popcorn. We loved the stuff! It’s great for more than just baking and cooking. It’s fabulous to apply to the skin or to use as a carrier for essential oils. My doctor recently recommended that I eat a teaspoon a day – straight coconut oil on a spoon to help with my overall health. It sounds weird, but when I eat the good brands, it actually tastes like candy to me. (Maybe I’m the weird one??)

If you are like our family and go through a significant amount of coconut oil, you definitely want to check out this gallon bucket deal at Tropical Traditions this weekend!

tropical traditions oil

They have their gallon-sized bucket of Gold Label Oil marked 50% off through Sunday, January 31. PLUS they are offering free shipping! It’s a sweet deal! If you don’t think you’d use this up quickly enough, I recommend splitting it with a friend so you can still enjoy the deal!

You’ll find this 50% off bucket on this page, but you’ll have to scroll down to find it (under all the great information about the health benefits of the oil).

How long does coconut oil last before going bad?

Typically there is an expiration date on the oil which is about 1.5 years from the time you purchase it. Coconut oil rarely goes bad though, so it can still be good and useful for several years past its expiration date. If you’re questioning if you could use up a gallon before it goes bad, I can almost guarantee that you can. I’ve never once had coconut oil go bad (especially TT brand).

1/2 Price Gallon Bucket of Coconut Oil

You’ll want to grab your 1/2 price bucket of oil before the sale ends on Sunday, January 31. Use the code 11162 at checkout for free shipping to apply. Free shipping ends Monday, February 1.

The links in this post are my referral links.

Anybody else snack on coconut oil??

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