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NuNaturals Stevia Package Giveaway – Open Worldwide!

July 3, 2014 by Laura 319 Comments

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

Rarely am I able to offer giveaways to readers outside the U.S. I’m super excited that NuNaturals is making it possible that any of you can win one of these packages!

We’ve had some nice chats around here recently about stevia. I’ve concluded that my family will continue to enjoy stevia as a healthy sweetener option from time to time.

NuStevia Cocoa Syrup

If you’ve tried stevia and found it to be bitter, it could be one of two things:  You could be using too much, or you might not have found a brand that tastes good. NuNaturals is the first brand of stevia I found that tasted good to me. But even with NuNaturals, a little goes a long way. That’s the beauty though. A bottle of stevia lasts a long time, because we need just a few drops to sweeten an entire blender full of smoothie, milkshake, or other treat.

I’m excited that NuNaturals has put together a pretty sweet (ha, get it?) prize package for this giveaway.

NuStevia 50 Packets Top Angle

Four different winners will each receive:

  • 1 bottle of Vanilla Stevia Liquid
  • 1 bottle of Lemon Flavor Stevia Liquid
  • A 50 packet box of our NuStevia White Stevia Powder Packets
  • 1 bottle their new cocoa syrup
  • A FREE BONUS PRODUCT!

Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win.  For an additional entry, like NuNaturals on Facebook, then leave an additional comment here. I’ll draw four random winners on Wednesday, July 9. Be watching for a post stating the winners as you will be responsible for contacting me if your name is chosen.

Want a discount at the NuNaturals website? Use the code BLG1214 to receive a 15% discount on your entire order. This discount remains effective until December 31, 2014. You’ll also receive free shipping in the continental U.S. on orders over $35 (after discount).

 

 

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Breaking Free of Sugar Addiction — Should We Be Eating Stevia?

July 1, 2014 by Laura 50 Comments

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

For every positive piece of information we can find about a product, we can typically find a negative piece of information to go along with it:  Butter is bad. Butter is good. We all need to drink milk. We should all stay away from dairy products. Eat only organics. Organics don’t matter. Eat brown rice. Brown rice may be a source of toxic arsenic.

Pardon me while I go bang my head against the wall. (Although I read once that doing so may not be good for my health.)

Because there is so much conflicting information out there, my conviction is to stick with eating a balanced variety of food that is food. Food that has been around forever. Food that provides needed nutrients to keep me healthy and strong. Meat, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, whole dairy, eggs, nuts, beans…my body needs them all.

Breaking Free of Sugar Addiction

But then there’s sugar.

Should we be eating sugar? And if so, in what form? Artificial sweeteners are not real – which is, in fact, the reason they are called artificial – so we should not be putting them into our bodies. White sugar is completely empty. High fructose corn syrup is highly processed and toxic. So instead, shouldn’t we stick with sugar in its whole form: honey, real maple syrup, dehydrated cane sugar (sucanat)?

Yes, if you’re going to eat sugar, that’s my recommendation. Those are real. Our bodies recognize them and utilize them. But here’s the bigger “thing,” along with my confession to you:

Sugar – in any form – whether it is all natural, whole, or straight out of a bee hive – is still sugar.  Our bodies handle these better than processed white sugar and high fructose corn syrup, for sure. But don’t think that since you’re eating cake made from sucanat you can go ahead and eat half the cake. You’ll still get sugar overload.

I know this. I’ve lived this.

I’ve been addicted to sugar my whole life. I hate to think how much sugar I’ve put into my body. When people tell me, sheepishly, how much they love sugar and have a hard time giving it up, I so totally get it. I’ve been right there with you, loving sugar, eating too much sugar, sneaking extra bites of sugar-filled goodies – all in the name of “I’m eating healthier treats so this can’t possibly be too terribly bad for me.”

My body has not been like, “Oh, thank goodness all this sugar you’re feeding me is in its natural form.” No way. Instead, my body has been like, “Mmmm, sugar. Give me more. Sorry you feel crummy and catch colds frequently. Now about that sugar. Weren’t you going to feed me more? I’ll take it in chocolate form. Or butterscotch. Why are we even still having this conversation? Give me sugar!”

Let’s Learn Moderation

Our bodies do need sugar to function properly. Yay! Bring on the cheesecake.

Hmmm, well actually, our bodies don’t need that much sugar. Plus it prefers sugar from fruit, vegetables, and other carbs like potatoes and grains. Cheesecake? It’s an awesome and fun treat sometimes. Enjoy!!! But keep it a treat and keep it occasional. You’ll enjoy it so much more this way.

Do you struggle with eating sugar in moderation?  Oh how I know how you feel.  Don’t feel guilt. Don’t feel stupid. Don’t give up and eat a quart of ice cream. God knows what you need, what your struggles are, and what you desire. He’ll help you break free from this. Don’t make it a “thing.” That will just make you worried and frustrated. Let God help you with this one. That’s the one and only way I know how to beat the addiction.

So What About Stevia?

Should We Be Eating Stevia

I’ve recently been experimenting with liquid stevia. Stevia is an herb, which is naturally sweet. It is not a sugar, nor is it an artificial sweetener. It takes a teeny-tiny bit of stevia to provide just the right sweetness, compared to the amount of sugar/honey/maple syrup/sucanat it takes to provide sweetness.

Sounds great, right? Yep, and I’ve been excited about using it as a way to cut down on sugar.

But guess what? There’s controversy about stevia. (Surprise, surprise.)  Is it really good for you? Does eating it cause side effects?

I spent several hours recently doing more research on stevia. I went to some of my most trusted sources. I went to random sources I’ve never heard of. I did internet searches. I read article after article. My findings?

Most say that stevia is safe and healthy. Some people are allergic to stevia. (Some people are allergic to cats.)  Highly refined stevia can cause digestive issues. (As does most anything that is highly refined.)  Stevia in its whole form has not been approved for consumption by the FDA. (Though they have approved pesticides, aspartame, and Captain Crunch as a part of this balanced breakfast.)

Then there are the forums I found that talk about stevia being used as birth control. These claims caused me to spend considerable time researching. I only found a few articles on this topic, and while it seemed that the authors had done their research, none of them were from sources I’ve heard of. Based on what I read, I believe you would have to consume a LOT of stevia for it to effect your fertility.

My Conclusions About Stevia

I tend to stick with my trusted resources (Mercola, Fallon, Price) who tell me that stevia is an okay food when it is in its whole form. Much of the other information I found was in forums or not backed by research.

Some countries have been consuming stevia for centuries. Japan has been using it as a sweetener since the 1970’s. According to Price, “In all this time, there have never been any reports of toxicity or adverse reactions to its usage.” I found that article to be very helpful, especially given how many years of research and study went into Price’s findings.

Stevia should not be eaten in excess, because that is not the purpose of stevia. Those who have been consuming stevia for years and years have not been gorging on it. They use it as it should be used – in very small amounts.

After all my hours of research, I’ve concluded that I will keep eating it occasionally. Stevia gives me a nice option as a sweetener when I want to avoid sugar. I encourage you to do your own research and seek your own conviction. You can certainly take stevia or leave it. It’s not like we’re talking about vegetables, which are not an optional food choice for optimum health. Stevia isn’t a health food that we all need in order to thrive, right? It’s simply a real food sweetening option.

Here is What I Really Want You To Hear Me Saying Today:

Desserts, treats, and sweets? Whether we’re adding table sugar, sucanat, honey, real maple syrup, or yep, even stevia – these should never be our main food focus. I think we get all wrapped up in figuring out how to sweeten our drinks and desserts in a healthy way, when the bottom line is that we should not be eating or drinking many sweets anyway.  I’ll continue to use a tiny bit of stevia in my Chocolate Whipped Cream. I’ll drizzle a few drops of real maple syrup on my Whole Wheat Waffles. I’ll add a touch of honey or sucanat to my homemade muffins. These are all real food, real good options as a part of my balanced, whole food diet.

But none of those foods are going to be my main food focus.  Desserts, no matter how I sweeten them, will remain a treat. Fruits, vegetables, meats, good fats, eggs, whole dairy, nuts, beans, and a few whole grains will continue to be my focus – in balance and for wholesome nourishment.

Balance, Balance, Balance

That’s the key word, right? Balance. Try not to let all the contradictory information out there baffle our minds. If we do, we’ll all just feel like banging our heads against the wall. (Which is, if you recall, not a healthy option according to all the experts.)

Let’s continue to enjoy the gift of food variety, and focus on giving our bodies balanced nourishment. Sound like a plan?

Where are you in your journey to cut down on sugar? Have you tried and do you like stevia?

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Icy Cold Milkshake Treats

June 10, 2014 by Laura 7 Comments

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

I’ve been sharing quite a bit about coffee treats lately. Iced Coffee, Homemade Chocolate Frappe, Chocolate Whipped Cream for Coffee…yum. This is great for everyone except for those who don’t like coffee, right? Yes, well. This post should take care of that.

My family definitely fits into the “don’t like coffee” category of people. In fact, they really don’t understand why I’ve suddenly started loving the stuff. Okay by me. It’s the one and only food/drink in this house I get all to myself. Ha! It’s mine. All mine!! (she says, lovingly.)

So for all the “don’t like coffee” people out there, including my family, who thinks my Homemade Chocolate Frappe looks really good but tastes really bad – here’s what I’ve come up with as a delicious alternative. Icy Cold Milkshake Treats.  Instead of starting out with coffee ice cubes, simply start out with regular ice cubes. Instead of adding cold coffee and milk, simply add cream and milk. Instead of adding chocolate…oh wait. We’re still adding chocolate. Unless you want straight up vanilla. That works too.

Icy Cold Milkshake Treats
 
Save Print
Prep time
5 mins
Total time
5 mins
 
Author: Laura
Recipe type: Milkshake
Serves: 3 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 cups ice cubes
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Liquid stevia to taste (I use about 10 drops NuNaturals brand)
  • 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (omit if you prefer a vanilla milkshake)
Instructions
  1. Blend ingredients together until slushy-like. Serve right away.
3.4.3177

You’ll love how easy this is, how “real food” this is, and how it’s a treat completely void of sugar. It doesn’t get any better. (Unless you add coffee, but we’ve been through this already.)

 

Icy Cold Milkshake Treats

Most of the ingredients in the list are in “give or take” proportions. You’ll figure this out if you actually try to measure 2 cups of ice cubes. Rectangle shaped ice cubes don’t cooperate very well in a round measuring cup.

In addition, you may want your shake to be creamier, smoother, sweeter, chocolatier, or with coffee. Oh wait. This one doesn’t have coffee in it. Well anyway, feel free to add more or less of any of the above listed ingredients to make this shake just what you want it to be.

As for me, I’m going to stick with the Homemade Chocolate Frappe. And I’m going to drink the entire blender of coffee goodness all by myself because no one else in my house likes it so I don’t have to share, so ha! (she says, with kindness.)

What do you think? Which will you like better? And which will your family members like better?

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My Favorite Brand of Stevia (and How to Get Some For Free)

June 10, 2014 by Laura 9 Comments

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

nu naturals steviaI’ve talked quite a bit lately about my new love for stevia. I’ve always known it was a great choice in a real food diet, but I just couldn’t learn to like it. Now that I’ve figured out how to use it correctly, I really am loving it!

The trick is to find a good brand of stevia, and to avoid using too much. Too much stevia, and your treat turns from sweet to bitter.

I love that stevia is all natural – it’s an herb that is naturally sweet. I love that it provides us with sweet treats that are completely sugarless. And I love that it isn’t an artificial sweetener (like Splenda or NutraSweet – those must be avoided!!).

Many have asked what kind of stevia I like and where I get it. You may not be surprised when I tell you that I order it from Vitacost, one of my favorite online resources.

What is my favorite brand of Stevia?

NuNaturals is the brand that tastes the best to me. I prefer either the NuNaturals Alcohol Free Liquid Stevia or the NuNaturals Clear Stevia. So far, I’ve not experimented much with powdered stevia. Therefore, I’ve only used stevia in liquid recipes, not in baked goods. Once I figure out how to do that well, I’ll definitely pass on the information!

How Can You Get Stevia For Free?

If you are a brand new customer with Vitacost, you can click through these referral links to sign up for an account. Doing so will give you a free $10 coupon code to use on your first order of $30 or more. That makes a bottle of stevia absolutely free to you!

Does Stevia seem expensive to you? It really isn’t. This is because you use just a few drops of stevia to add sweetness to a recipe. A little bit goes a lonnnnnnnggggg way. Sweet! (literally)

Now, go get yourself a free $10 to use on Stevia (or really, whatever else you might like for free). Then you can enjoy making all these guilt free, delicious, real food recipes like Homemade Chocolate Frappe, Chocolate Whipped Cream, and several new recipes that I’ll be sharing in the upcoming weeks that I’ve learned to make with Stevia. :)

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Healthy Homemade Chocolate Frappe

June 9, 2014 by Laura 8 Comments

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

This frappe recipe has nothing to do with me and everything to do with: you all totally rock. Thank you for reading my posts and then sharing your great ideas too. YOU are Heavenly Homemakers that I am so thankful to call friends. Plus, you give me more delicious chocolate ideas, so of course I love you.

This recipe is a result of putting several of your comments together from both my Make Coffee Ice Cubes for Iced Coffee post and my Chocolate Whipped Cream – Perfect For Your Coffee post. I took all of your thoughts, advice, and suggestions – put them together with my ingredients and my blender…and what did I get? Chocolate Frappe perfection which is a completely guilt free treat on a hot day. Or a cold day. Or in the middle of the night. Not really. I sleep at night. But I dream of this Chocolate Frappe.

Healthy Homemade Chocolate Frappe

This frappe is stevia sweetened, which means there is no sugar in this – only wholesome, real food ingredients that won’t give you a sugar rush. Don’t like stevia? I didn’t like it either until I learned to use it correctly. I prefer NuNaturals Liquid Stevia (ordered through Vitacost). Use only a few drops – too much and your drink will have a bitter aftertaste. Get it just right and you’ll feel like you’re drinking something naughty. Oh lovely Chocolate Frappe fantastic-ness.

Healthy Homemade Chocolate FrappeYum

Healthy Homemade Chocolate Frappe
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Ingredients
  • 5-8 iced coffee cubes
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup coffee (cold brewed or hot brewed then chilled)
  • ½ cup (or more) Chocolate Whipped Cream
Instructions
  1. Mix ingredients in the blender until smooth.
  2. Feel free to add more or less of any of the above ingredients.
  3. Serve and drink immediately.
  4. Pass out from the deliciousness.
  5. Take joy in the non-guilty pleasure.
3.4.3177

Some additional ideas I learned from you regarding the creation of cold coffee treats:

  • In addition to freezing coffee cubes, you can also freeze cream or milk to blend into frappe type drinks.
  • You can cold brew coffee in your French press if you have one. I’m definitely trying this.
  • You can cold brew coffee in jars. Well shucks, I have jars. I can do that.
  • You can freeze tea in ice cube trays so your tea doesn’t get watered down. This has nothing to do with coffee, but it’s worth sharing anyway because, duh. Why didn’t I think of that?
  • We should all get together and drink coffee, or tea, or something because wouldn’t that be so much fun?

Keep on sharing – What are your favorite coffee drinks for summertime?

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Chocolate Whipped Cream – Perfect For Your Coffee

May 15, 2014 by Laura 15 Comments

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

I was so excited about putting my Chocolate Whipped Cream on strawberries that I never thought to put some in my coffee. Thankfully, I have smart friends.

Earlier this week, I had 11 other women in my home for Bunco. (It was time for this Mama of boys to get some girl time!). I served BLT Wraps, veggies with Homemade Ranch Dip, chips and salsa, and Chocolate Whipped Cream on Strawberries. It was all simple to prepare and serve, which made it perfect for a fun night in with the ladies.

While many of us were enjoying bowls of strawberries with Chocolate Whipped Cream, one of my friends took her full coffee cup over and scooped in some of the chocolaty goodness. It didn’t take long for several of the rest of us to follow her lead. Before I knew it, I was brewing another pot of coffee and making another triple batch of Chocolate Whipped Cream. Mmmmm, so good.

Here, so that you can drop whatever you’re doing and run make this, is the recipe once again:

Chocolate Whipped Cream for CoffeeYum

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 rounded Tablespoon cocoa powder
Liquid stevia to taste (we used about 10 drops)

In a bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add cocoa and stevia, and whip again for a few seconds until ingredients are mixed well. Serve on top of sliced strawberries…or coffee!

Chocolate Whipped Cream - Perfect For Your Coffee

Now, a few days later, as if I wasn’t already beginning an addiction to putting Chocolate Whipped Cream on my strawberries, now I’m adding it by the huge spoonful(s) to my coffee mug in the morning. Ahhhhmazing. And no guilt. It’s all real food, and there’s no sugar involved.

If you don’t want chocolate, can I interest you in making Peppermint Cream for your coffee? And if you really want a sugar splurge, but you still want real ingredients, how about Homemade Chocolate Caramel Creamer?

Listen everyone – with goodness like this to put in our coffee, why would we ever need to buy coffee creamers that are full of not-so-real ingredients? Why??

So what do you think will be your fav? Chocolate Whipped Cream in coffee…or on strawberries?

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

Chocolate Whipped Cream on Strawberries

May 11, 2014 by Laura 21 Comments

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

My life has not been the same since I discovered this Chocolate Whipped Cream.

Chocolate Whipped Cream on Strawberries 2

My men ban me from doing any work on Mother’s Day. They take over the kitchen, putting together all the meals in a way that is both hilarious and beautiful to me. Sometimes, I shout instructions from the living room. Other times I offer some quiet advice to help avoid culinary disaster. But they always do a nice job working together, and I’ve found it’s best if I simply walk away and let them do things their way.

Therefore, I needed a Mother’s Day dessert that was easy to make. I needed a Mother’s Day dessert that could be made ahead of time. I needed a Mother’s Day dessert that was low in sugar. And I needed chocolate. Obviously.

There’s nothing like inventing a recipe in my head, then writing it down and handing it to my boys to experiment with. Why give them a tried and true recipe when something else sounds better…inside my head. Right? Bless my boys. They are so used to how I roll in the kitchen, they didn’t even blink when I said, “For dessert, we’re going to try something new.” I’m sure they expected nothing less.

Chocolate Whipped Cream on StrawberriesYum

5.0 from 1 reviews
Chocolate Whipped Cream on Strawberries
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 rounded Tablespoon cocoa powder
  • Liquid stevia to taste (we used about 10 drops)
  • Sliced strawberries
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form.
  2. Add cocoa and stevia, and whip again for a few seconds until ingredients are mixed well.
  3. Serve on top of sliced strawberries.
3.4.3177

Chocolate Whipped Cream On Strawberries

Everyone loved this dessert! The boys especially loved that I said, “Have as much as you want.” When do I ever say that about dessert? Never.  But with this, since it is sweetened with stevia, I felt no need to limit how much they ate. This will be a great breakfast, snack, or dessert that we’ll surely be making over and over.

Now it’s your turn. Make this Chocolate Whipped Cream and sit back and enjoy it guilt free. Oh sweet happiness in a bowl.

What dessert did you request for Mother’s Day?

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