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	<title>Heavenly Homemakers &#187; Getting Real With Food</title>
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	<description>Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting</description>
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		<title>The Brownie Experiment &#8211; Which Takes Longer to Make, Boxed or Homemade?</title>
		<link>http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/the-brownie-experiment-which-takes-longer-to-make-boxed-or-homemade</link>
		<comments>http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/the-brownie-experiment-which-takes-longer-to-make-boxed-or-homemade#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 May 2012 02:19:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Getting Real With Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brownies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chocolate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[healthy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homemade]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pillsbury]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/?p=19122</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Well, bless my heart. The work I have to do around here for you people is sometimes just too much, you know?  I mean, after I labored over the mac and cheese experiment, spending thirty whole seconds of extra time in my kitchen to make the good, homemade, whole grain, Creamy Mac and Cheese, several of you got on your knees [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Well, bless my heart.</em> The work I have to do around here for you people is sometimes just too much, you know?  I mean, after I labored over <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/homemade-mac-and-cheese-vs-annies-mac-and-cheese-which-takes-more-time" target="_blank">the mac and cheese experiment</a>, spending <em>thirty whole seconds</em> of extra time in my kitchen to make the good, homemade, whole grain, <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/high-five-recipe-creamy-mac-and-cheese" target="_blank">Creamy Mac and Cheese</a>, several of you <del>got on your knees and begged</del> asked me to experiment next with brownies to see which took longer &#8211; brownies from a box, or homemade brownies.  <em>Really.</em> Asking me to bake two pans of rich, gooey, chocolatey brownies?  I seriously had to muscle up on this request, you know?  Sometimes you all can be <em>soooo</em> demanding.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s okay though &#8211; {<em>she says, with the back of her weary hand placed pitifully on her forehead</em>} - I love you all enough that I was able to find the strength to serve you in this way.  If someone must make two pans of brownies to help prove a point, I <em>will</em> rise to the challenge.</p>
<p>What?  I suppose next you&#8217;ll ask me to make chocolate cake, or pudding, or fudge or something?  Who do you think I am anyway?</p>
<p><em>Okay.  I&#8217;m all done pretending to whine now. </em> Seriously, anytime you want to ask me to make brownies, I am <em>alllll</em> over it.  I&#8217;m happy to &#8220;take one for the team&#8221; <em>anytime</em> chocolate is involved.</p>
<p>So here&#8217;s a little something that hasn&#8217;t been in my kitchen for several years now&#8230;</p>
<p><a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/brownies_2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter" title="brownies_2" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/brownies_2.jpg" alt="" width="324" height="432" /></a></p>
<p>Why yes, it did feel a little funny pouring that into a bowl.  And then, because I haven&#8217;t made brownies from a box for such a long time &#8211; I actually had to take the time to read the directions.  I felt a little silly and was glad no one was in there watching me struggle to remember and figure out how to make brownies from a box.  Except now I just told you about it, so I guess you get to make fun of me anyway.</p>
<p>From box to pan, before going into the oven, it took me right at 4.5 minutes to mix up these brownies.  Quick and convenient?  Yep, they sure were.  (I used Olive Oil in case you were wondering.)</p>
<p>Next, I started to mix up my <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/healthy-treat-for-today-chocolate-chip-brownies" target="_blank">Homemade Fudge Brownies</a> that I have been making for several years now.  I already had some whole wheat flour ground and in the freezer, but I totally don&#8217;t feel like that was cheating in this experiment because I almost <em>always</em> have flour ground and in the freezer for <del>brownie emergencies</del> baking.  It&#8217;s a little something I call &#8220;kitchen efficiency&#8221; and it totally works for me.</p>
<p>How long did it take for me to mix up the homemade brownies and get them into the pan?  5.5 minutes.  Why did it take me <em>an entire minute longer</em> to mix up homemade brownies than it took to mix up the boxed brownies?  Because I had to wait for my butter to melt on the stovetop.  Yes, the butter was taking its sweet time to liquify.  But never fear.  While my butter was melting, I got out my other brownie ingredients, washed a few dishes, and talked to my children.  All was not lost in that extra minute of brownie preparation time.</p>
<p>Can you tell which pan is homemade and which pan is from a box?</p>
<p><a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/brownies_1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19123" title="brownies_1" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/brownies_1.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="324" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>The blue dish holds the homemade brownies, in case you were wondering which pan to dig into first. </em><br />
<em>Not that you can, however, because they are sort of gone now.</em></p>
<p>So, did making brownies from a box save me any time?  Yes.  One whole minute.  Score one for boxed brownies.</p>
<p>Did I feel better about using an extra minute of my life to melt some butter and mix up brownies with <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/the-most-nutritious-sweeteners" target="_blank">sucanat</a> and <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/what-kind-of-wheat-flour-is-best" target="_blank">whole wheat flour</a>?  Well, of course I did.  Plus I got some dishes done while my butter melted.</p>
<p>By the way, do you know why it only took me one extra minute to mix up the homemade brownies?  Because I have made homemade brownies so many times that I don&#8217;t even have to think about it anymore.  Truly, <strong>the more you cook from scratch, the easier and faster it becomes.</strong> If you&#8217;re new to baking and cooking outside of the box, don&#8217;t lose heart!  It gets easier the more you do it!</p>
<p>And then, it won&#8217;t be long until you&#8217;re like me and have to cock your confused head to one side while you try to read the directions on the back of a box.</p>
<p>Crazy but true.  ;)</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve got more experimenting to do, so stay tuned for more fun updates.  I think muffins are the next on my list.</p>
<p>So tell me &#8211; <em>do you make <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/healthy-treat-for-today-chocolate-chip-brownies" target="_blank">homemade brownies</a> or boxed brownies? </em> If you haven&#8217;t attempted to make them homemade, I encourage you to give them a try.  Yes.  That&#8217;s an order.  Hey, it&#8217;s chocolate.  Who&#8217;s going to argue with that?  :)</p>
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		<title>Homemade Mac and Cheese vs. Annie&#8217;s Mac and Cheese &#8211; Which Takes More Time?</title>
		<link>http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/homemade-mac-and-cheese-vs-annies-mac-and-cheese-which-takes-more-time</link>
		<comments>http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/homemade-mac-and-cheese-vs-annies-mac-and-cheese-which-takes-more-time#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 May 2012 12:31:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Getting Real With Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[No More Excuses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[annies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mac and cheese]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/?p=19062</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Macaroni and Cheese Experiment has been conducted. In an effort to prove that &#8220;real food&#8221; often doesn&#8217;t take more time or more energy to prepare than &#8220;processed food&#8221;, I made both Annie&#8217;s Mac and Cheese, and my homemade Creamy Mac and Cheese &#8211; timing myself from start to finish on each &#8211; not doing any of the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>The <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/keep-healthy-eating-simple-eat-healthy-save-time" target="_blank">Macaroni and Cheese Experiment</a> has been conducted.</em></p>
<p>In an effort to prove that &#8220;real food&#8221; <strong>often</strong> doesn&#8217;t take more time or more energy to prepare than &#8220;processed food&#8221;, I made both <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Y28HOU?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B000Y28HOU" target="_blank">Annie&#8217;s Mac and Cheese</a>, and my homemade <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/high-five-recipe-creamy-mac-and-cheese" target="_blank">Creamy Mac and Cheese</a> &#8211; timing myself from start to finish on each &#8211; not doing any of the steps ahead of time.</p>
<p>I began last week by making three boxes of Annie&#8217;s Mac and Cheese.</p>
<p><a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/annies_mac_and_cheese.jpg"><img class="aligncenter" title="annies_mac_and_cheese" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/annies_mac_and_cheese.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="324" /></a></p>
<p>I do purchase this sometimes for the very occasional treat.  I appreciate that Annie&#8217;s brand is at least made with <em>better </em>ingredients.  But did it save me time to make this boxed, convenience food?</p>
<p>From start to finish, making a big pot of three boxes of Annie&#8217;s Mac and Cheese took me <strong>18.5 minutes</strong>.  Not bad, plus I was able to wash a few dishes while the noodles were boiling.</p>
<p><a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/annies_mac_and_cheese_2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter" title="annies_mac_and_cheese_2" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/annies_mac_and_cheese_2.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="324" /></a></p>
<p>And how long did my homemade <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/high-five-recipe-creamy-mac-and-cheese" target="_blank">Creamy Mac and Cheese</a> take???</p>
<p>Many of you suggested that I needed to be sure and count the time it took to grate the cheese for this recipe!  I do try to keep some cheese in the fridge that we&#8217;ve already grated and put into a baggie to save time while I&#8217;m cooking.  I didn&#8217;t do that this time though, so that I could give you a more accurate time calculation for this recipe.  <em>However</em>, as I usually do when I haven&#8217;t grated my cheese ahead of time - I simply got the noodles and milk cooking on the stove, then grated a big block of cheese while I waited for the pot to get hot.  Multi-tasking is so wonderful!  (Plus I even grated extra cheese so that I will be ahead of the game next time I need it!)</p>
<p><a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mac_and_cheese_1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19063" title="mac_and_cheese_1" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mac_and_cheese_1.jpg" alt="" width="324" height="432" /></a></p>
<p>I do have to watch the pot and stir more often while I&#8217;m making homemade mac and cheese, compared to the boxed variety.  However, I have found that I don&#8217;t have to stir the pot <em>constantly</em>, and can stir, then do another little job, then stir again, and do something else.  As long as I keep going back to it, I am able to get several other little jobs accomplished while I make this dish.  This time, I was going back and forth between boys and <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/our-may-day-fun" target="_blank">May Day projects</a>, keeping up without any troubles with stirring the mac and cheese.</p>
<p>Total time it took for my <em>Creamy Mac and Cheese</em> to be finished?  <strong>19 minutes. </strong> Exactly 30 seconds longer than Annie&#8217;s.  Woe is me.  I am simply <em>exhausted</em> from the additional effort.  ;)</p>
<p><a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mac_and_cheese_2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19064" title="mac_and_cheese_2" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mac_and_cheese_2.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="324" /></a></p>
<p>From experience, I know that whole wheat <em>elbow noodles</em> cook more quickly than the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EO76XK?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B001EO76XK" target="_blank">whole wheat fusilli pasta</a>, so that may have cut my time even more.  (Also, if you&#8217;re interested, you can use <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FK8VHE?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B000FK8VHE" target="_blank">Tinkyada Brown Rice noodles</a> in this recipe, which I&#8217;ve found works great and takes only a couple of extra minutes to cook.)</p>
<p>My conclusion:  Homemade <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/high-five-recipe-creamy-mac-and-cheese" target="_blank">Creamy Mac and Cheese</a> is just as convenient and easy as making boxed mac and cheese.  I dirtied the<em> same </em>number of dishes for each, and I was able to multi-task while making each of them.  (Large pot, spoon, and cheese grater for the homemade; large pot, spoon, and strainer for the boxed.  Yes, I <em>did</em> grate the cheese onto a plate, but then I served my food on that very plate, so as not to dirty another dish!)</p>
<p>And the taste?  There is no comparison.  Boxed mac and cheese <em>is</em> kinda fun, but I ultimately find it to be empty and flavorless.  I also have a hard time getting past the unnatural color.  Cheese isn&#8217;t orange, people!  I love that the homemade mac and cheese has more sustenance and more natural flavor.  Bring on the nutrients!</p>
<p>While I was having this mac and cheese throw down, I decided to be nerdy and calculate the <em>price difference</em>.  It costs around $3.85 to fill my family with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Y28HOU?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B000Y28HOU" target="_blank">Annie&#8217;s Mac and Cheese</a>, because yes, it does take all three boxes to fill us.  It costs about $4.50 to make a pot of Creamy Mac and Cheese, since I&#8217;m using organic, raw white cheddar.  That breaks down to be <strong>$0.11 extra cents</strong> per person to feed my family this healthy, easy meal.  I&#8217;m <em>pretty sure </em>I can afford that.</p>
<p>So there you have it.  Am I completely knocking boxed mac and cheese? Nope.  Just stating the facts based on my research and experiment conclusion.  Might we still eat the occasional boxes of mac and cheese?  Maybe, and we&#8217;ll probably even enjoy it a little bit.  But do I ever get to say that making a box of mac and cheese saves me time and money compared to making homemade mac and cheese?</p>
<p>Not unless I really feel like I can justify whining about <em>30 seconds</em> of extra time, $0.65 extra for my entire family of six, and <em>no</em> extra dirty dishes.  I think we all know the answer to that.  :)</p>
<p><em>I&#8217;m thinking that it might be fun to do other experiments like this one.  Any suggestions or ideas for what I should test next?</em></p>
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		<title>Win a Free &#8220;Weekend to Remember&#8221; Getaway With Your Spouse!</title>
		<link>http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/win-a-free-weekend-to-remember-getaway-with-your-spouse</link>
		<comments>http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/win-a-free-weekend-to-remember-getaway-with-your-spouse#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:44:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Getting Real With Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weekend to remember]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/?p=18145</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[About this time last year, Matt and I were blessed to be able to attend a Weekend to Remember marriage conference.  If you haven&#8217;t had a chance to check out this conference, we highly recommend it.  For us, it was a wonderful time of refreshment, and offered us an opportunity to really communicate about our [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter" title="FLT-NEW-HOME_WTR[1]" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/FLT-NEW-HOME_WTR1.jpg" alt="" width="315" height="147" /></p>
<p>About this time last year, Matt and I were blessed to be able to attend a <a href="http://www.familylife.com/groups/heavenlyhomemakers " target="_blank">Weekend to Remember</a> marriage conference.  If you haven&#8217;t had a chance to check out this conference, we highly recommend it.  For us, it was a wonderful time of refreshment, and offered us an opportunity to really communicate about our goals for our family.</p>
<p><em>Weekend to Remember</em> is a completely safe place for you and your spouse.  You are in a conference room full of people, but you don&#8217;t have to talk to <em>anyone</em> but your beloved.  We loved that part.  Not that we mind meeting new people, but wow, it was nice to just focus on each other and on our marriage, without feeling awkward or pressured into visiting in groups.  The speakers were engaging, entertaining, and God focused.  We were given alone time to visit and ask each other questions, and to discuss important topics that helped to build our marriage.</p>
<p>Matt and I would love for every couple &#8211; no matter what your marriage is like &#8211; to be able to attend <em>Weekend to Remember</em>.  We were thrilled to be able to set up a special <a href="http://www.familylife.com/groups/heavenlyhomemakers " target="_blank"><strong>Heavenly Homemakers Group</strong></a> page, which allows you to sign up for half price!  You can go to the conference any time that is convenient for you and in any location offered.  We encourage you to check this out and to take advantage of the half price deal.</p>
<p>In addition, we have a <strong>free</strong> <a href="http://www.familylife.com/groups/heavenlyhomemakers " target="_blank">Weekend to Remember</a> registration to offer to one couple who enters this giveaway.  (You are responsible for your own food, travel, and accomodations.)  Leave a comment on this post if you are interested in winning.  Please be sure to send your spouse over to enter as well, then you&#8217;ll have two chances at winning!</p>
<p>I&#8217;ll draw a random winner on Monday, February 20.   <strong>Please watch for a post stating the winner as you will be responsible for contacting me if your name is chosen!</strong></p>
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		<title>Why I Love Coconut Flour (but not sky diving)</title>
		<link>http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/why-i-love-coconut-flour-but-not-sky-diving</link>
		<comments>http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/why-i-love-coconut-flour-but-not-sky-diving#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jun 2011 03:14:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Getting Real With Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coconut flour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[healthy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tropical traditions]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/?p=13734</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Between playing with my sourdough starter, making lots of fizzy bubbles with my water kefir and experimenting with all the cool things you can make with coconut flour, I&#8217;ve been incredibly adventurous in the kitchen lately.  Who needs bungee jumping or sky diving when you can get adventurous with bubbles and coconut flour?  Oh, I&#8217;m [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Between <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/category/sourdough-starter" target="_blank">playing with my sourdough starter</a>, <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/i-did-it-i-made-fizzy-water-kefir-soda" target="_blank">making lots of fizzy bubbles with my water kefir</a> and experimenting with all the cool things you can make with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KENKZ8?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B000KENKZ8" target="_blank">coconut flour</a>, I&#8217;ve been incredibly adventurous in the kitchen lately.  Who needs bungee jumping or sky diving when you can get adventurous with <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/i-did-it-i-made-fizzy-water-kefir-soda" target="_blank">bubbles</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KENKZ8?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B000KENKZ8" target="_blank">coconut flour</a>?  Oh, I&#8217;m <em>so</em> wild and crazy &#8211; just try and keep up with me.</p>
<p>(Hey, did you fall asleep already?  Wake up.  The post just started.  I&#8217;m not <em>that</em> boring.  Really, I&#8217;m adventurous.  Just wait until you hear about the mayonnaise experiments I&#8217;m gonna write about next week.)</p>
<p><img class="size-full wp-image-4101 alignleft" title="coconutflour" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/coconutflour.jpg" alt="coconutflour" width="185" height="182" /></p>
<p>It&#8217;s one of my newest loves, coconut flour.  <em>Coconut flour is the fiber taken from the coconut meat after coconut oil is extracted from the coconut.</em> How cool are these people to use the <em>whole </em>coconut!  It&#8217;s hearty, it tastes incredible and it&#8217;s full of many nutrients that our bodies need.  Since <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/category/grains-and-grain-mills" target="_blank">I tend to almost always bake with whole wheat flour</a> &#8211; baking with coconut flour offers our family a nice variety and change of pace.  Change is good.  Our bodies like and need variety.</p>
<p>Coconut flour is also gluten free.  Gluten free or not, I encourage you to try coconut flour as a new source of nutrition!</p>
<h2><span style="color: #003366;">Why </span><span style="color: #003366;">Coconut Flour</span><span style="color: #003366;"> is Good for You</span></h2>
<ul>
<li>It is a great source for natural fiber.</li>
<li>It is high in protein.</li>
<li>It is low in carbohydrates (not that all carbs are bad, but many of us tend to get too many of carbs &#8211; or empty carbs &#8211; in many of our baked goods).</li>
<li>It has a natural sweetness, which means you don&#8217;t need as much sweetener in recipes that include coconut flour.</li>
</ul>
<p>The complaint I hear most often about Coconut Flour is that it is expensive.  Yup.  I can&#8217;t deny that.  The stuff isn&#8217;t cheap.  <em>However</em>, the more I use coconut flour, the more I realize that while it costs quite a bit <em>more</em> than wheat flour, you use quite a bit <strong><em>less</em> </strong>coconut flour in most recipes.  So maybe the cost isn&#8217;t so bad after all?</p>
<p>For instance, I typically use <em>3 cups </em>of whole wheat flour to make 24 muffins for my family&#8217;s breakfast (<a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/unbleached-baking-cups" target="_blank">I told you we eat a lot of muffins</a>!).  However, when I <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/gluten-free-dairy-free-muffins" target="_blank">make muffins using coconut flour</a>, I use only <em>1 cup</em> to make the same 24 muffins.  I find that I don&#8217;t go through the coconut flour very fast because ultimately, it just doesn&#8217;t take as much per recipe.</p>
<p>Coconut Flour is a dry flour &#8211; it usually requires a lot of eggs to create a recipe using coconut flour.  Well how &#8217;bout that?  Now we&#8217;ve just added tons more protein because we&#8217;ve added more eggs.  Have you tried these <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/gluten-free-dairy-free-muffins" target="_blank">Basic Coconut Flour Muffins</a> or <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/coconut-flour-banana-muffins" target="_blank"><span style="color: #131880;">Coconut Flour Banana Muffins</span></a> yet?  Wow, they&#8217;re good &#8211; and full of protein and great nutrition because of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KENKZ8?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B000KENKZ8" target="_blank">coconut flour</a> and eggs.</p>
<h2><span style="color: #003366;">Where to Buy Coconut Flour</span></h2>
<p>I buy my <a href="http://tinyurl.com/44fd4vn" target="_blank">Coconut Flour either at Tropical Traditions</a>, <a href="http://www.azurestandard.com/shop/product/7293/" target="_blank">Azure Standard</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0045TSUYK?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B0045TSUYK" target="_blank">through Amazon</a>, depending on who has the best price at the time.  <a href="http://tinyurl.com/44fd4vn" target="_blank">Tropical Traditions</a> often runs their <a href="http://tinyurl.com/44fd4vn" target="_blank">Coconut Flour with a Buy One Get One Free sale</a>.  I never pay full price &#8211; I wait for the sale!  I also watch <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0045TSUYK?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B0045TSUYK" target="_blank">Amazon</a> to see if they have any specials going on.  If they have <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0045TSUYK?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B0045TSUYK" target="_blank">Azukar Coconut Flour</a> in stock, that is by far the best price I&#8217;ve ever seen!</p>
<p>I store my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KENKZ8?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B000KENKZ8" target="_blank">Coconut Flour</a> in the freezer and just pull it out as I need it.  I&#8217;m having fun learning how best to use it and since we love these <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/gluten-free-dairy-free-muffins" target="_blank">Coconut Flour Muffins</a> so much, I&#8217;m having fun experimenting with other recipes using the same idea.  There&#8217;s a full page of <a href="http://www.freecoconutrecipes.com/gluten_free_coconut_flour_recipes.htm" target="_blank">coconut flour recipes over at Tropical Traditions</a> that I&#8217;ve been looking over.  Today, I tried their <a href="http://www.freecoconutrecipes.com/recipe_Making_A_Foolproof_Gluten_Free_Cake.htm" target="_blank">Gluten Free Coconut Flour Chocolate Cake</a>.</p>
<div id="_mcePaste" class="mcePaste" style="position: absolute; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden; top: 0px; left: -10000px;">?</div>
<p><a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/coconut_flour_cake_2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-13811" title="coconut_flour_cake_2" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/coconut_flour_cake_2.jpg" alt="" width="518" height="347" /></a><br />
If I didn&#8217;t <em>know</em> this cake was gluten free and made with coconut flour, I wouldn&#8217;t have <em>known</em> this cake was gluten free and made with coconut flour.  Make sense?  My kids didn&#8217;t know, so they didn&#8217;t know &#8211; and they liked it.  Make sense?  Mmm-hmmm.  That means the cake was really good &#8211; and nobody knew it wasn&#8217;t &#8220;normal&#8221; but that it was packed with protein and nutrition.</p>
<p>Yep, much healthier than sky diving, these adventures of mine.  You should get wild and crazy with me and make <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/i-did-it-i-made-fizzy-water-kefir-soda" target="_blank">bubbles</a> and coconut flour cake.  Buckle your seat belt.  It&#8217;s a wild ride.</p>
<p>{<em>yawn</em>}</p>
<p><em>Want to share some of the adventurous things you&#8217;ve been trying in your kitchen lately?</em></p>
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		<title>Why You Want Homemade Ice Cream</title>
		<link>http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/why-you-want-homemade-ice-cream</link>
		<comments>http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/why-you-want-homemade-ice-cream#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 May 2011 05:48:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Getting Real With Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bryers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[healthy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HFCS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[high fructose corn syrup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homemade ice cream]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recipe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vanilla]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/?p=12655</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Like I really need to give you a reason to want homemade ice cream?  Especially the really creamy kind.  The really creamy kind with homemade hot fudge sauce on it.  (Now I&#8217;m just being cruel, aren&#8217;t I?) I just wanted to remind you about the Ice Cream Experiment that I conducted about a year ago, in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Like I really<em> need</em> to give you a reason to <em>want </em>homemade ice cream?  Especially the really creamy kind.  The really creamy kind with <em><a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/inexpensive-gifts-to-make-and-give-pt-3-food" target="_blank">homemade hot fudge sauce</a> </em>on it.  (Now I&#8217;m just being cruel, aren&#8217;t I?)</p>
<p><a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ice_cream_with_fudge.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-12656" title="ice_cream_with_fudge" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ice_cream_with_fudge.jpg" alt="" width="519" height="389" /></a></p>
<p>I just wanted to remind you about the <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/the-ice-cream-experiment-take-one" target="_blank">Ice Cream Experiment</a> that I conducted about a year ago, in case you&#8217;re new here or in case you&#8217;ve forgotten.</p>
<p>To be inspired to make <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/homemade-ice-cream-so-healthy-you-could-eat-it-for-breakfast" target="_blank">Homemade Ice Cream</a> or to at least be encouraged to buy a more &#8220;real ingredient&#8221; variety of ice cream at the store, check out the following posts:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/the-ice-cream-experiment-take-one" target="_blank">The Ice Cream Experiment, part 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/the-ice-cream-experiment-take-two" target="_blank">The Ice Cream Experiment, part 2</a></li>
<li><a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/the-ice-cream-experiment-take-two" target="_blank">Which Ice Cream Maker </a>(just in case you&#8217;re curious)</li>
<li>Recipe for <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/homemade-ice-cream-so-healthy-you-could-eat-it-for-breakfast" target="_blank">Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream</a> (that&#8217;s healthy enough to eat for breakfast!) and tastes great if made with <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-homemade-vanilla-extract-aka-why-laura-bought-a-gallon-of-vodka" target="_blank">Homemade Vanilla Extract</a> and topped with <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/inexpensive-gifts-to-make-and-give-pt-3-food" target="_blank">this delicious Hot Fudge Sauce</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Here&#8217;s a little hint about why you want <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/homemade-ice-cream-so-healthy-you-could-eat-it-for-breakfast" target="_blank">Homemade Ice Cream</a> :</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/icecreamex22sm.JPG" alt="icecreamex22sm" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>This was Ice Cream Brand One after sitting for eight days on my countertop.<br />
Mmmmm, ice cream that doesn&#8217;t melt.  Tasty.</em></p>
<p>Let&#8217;s all give three cheers for<em> real</em>, <em>whole food</em>, shall we?</p>
<p>Now that I&#8217;ve shared all that, I have to tell you that I&#8217;m sitting here shivering while I write about ice cream.  Where we live, we keep shifting from <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/homemade-ice-cream-so-healthy-you-could-eat-it-for-breakfast" target="_blank">ice cream</a> weather to <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/hot-cocoa" target="_blank">hot cocoa</a> weather. <em> Some days I&#8217;m so confused I make <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/hot-cocoa" target="_blank">hot cocoa</a> to go with our <em><a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/homemade-ice-cream-so-healthy-you-could-eat-it-for-breakfast" target="_blank">ice cream</a> </em></em>.</p>
<p>Not really.  But I am confused about what season it is here in Nebraska.</p>
<p><em>Do share&#8230;where you live are you experiencing <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/homemade-ice-cream-so-healthy-you-could-eat-it-for-breakfast" target="_blank">Ice Cream</a> weather or <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/hot-cocoa" target="_blank">Hot Cocoa</a> weather?</em></p>
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		<title>Coconut Oil:  Why it is Good For You and Where to Buy it</title>
		<link>http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/coconut-oil-why-it-is-good-for-you-and-where-to-buy-it</link>
		<comments>http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/coconut-oil-why-it-is-good-for-you-and-where-to-buy-it#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Mar 2011 03:28:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Getting Real With Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[baking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coconut oil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cooking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[healthy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mountain rose herbs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[saturated]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tropical traditions]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/?p=11849</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m often talking about coconut oil around here.  I use it for baking.  I use it on our skin.  My favorite lotion bar is made from coconut oil.  I highly encourage eating coconut oil and letting coconut oil help heal your system! Today I&#8217;d like to answer a couple of frequently asked Coconut Oil questions&#8230; Why is coconut oil [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: left;">I&#8217;m often talking about <a href="http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=116329&amp;Redirect=/bulkoil/a-c.php#oac_coc_u" target="_blank">coconut oil</a> around here. <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/how-to-adapt-a-recipe-to-make-it-healthier" target="_blank"> I use it for baking</a>.  <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/what-we-did-to-help-our-sons-eczema-without-drugs" target="_blank">I use it on our skin</a>.  <a href="https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?cl=116115&amp;c=ib&amp;aff=14683" target="ejejcsingle">My favorite lotion bar</a> is made from coconut oil.  I highly encourage eating coconut oil and letting coconut oil help heal your system!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="coconut_oil" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/coconut_oil.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="324" /></p>
<p>Today I&#8217;d like to answer a couple of frequently asked Coconut Oil questions&#8230;</p>
<p><strong>Why is coconut oil good for you</strong>?</p>
<p>Coconut Oil is a saturated fat&#8230;something we&#8217;re told today to stay away from.  My research has taught me to disagree with this.  I&#8217;m not afraid of saturated fats.  <a href="http://www.coconut-info.com/coconut_oil_why_it_is_good_for_you.htm" target="_blank">Please read this well written and well researched article, which explains saturated fats and coconut oil way better than I ever could!</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://www.coconut-info.com/coconut_oil_why_it_is_good_for_you.htm" target="_blank">Coconut Oil:  Why it is Good For You</a></strong></p>
<p>Coconut oil is a stable fat, which means that it doesn&#8217;t go rancid easily like unsaturated fats do.  (Unsaturated fats, like canola and vegetable oils, go rancid within just a few <em>hours</em> of being produced.  This means that they are already rancid by the time they make it to grocery store shelves.)  Those living in tropical climates, consuming large amounts of coconut oil have low rates of heart desease, cancer and colon problems.  Coconut Oil can actually help you <em>lose weight</em> and fight infections.  It is anti-fungal.  It has the ability to keep your thyroid healthy.</p>
<p><strong>Where can you buy Coconut Oil?</strong></p>
<p>I&#8217;ve not seen high quality coconut oil in my local grocery stores, but I live in a fairly small town without a lot of options.  I have seen coconut oil at Wal-mart&#8230;and it works if I&#8217;m desperate&#8230;but it is far from great in my opinion.</p>
<p>I always buy my coconut oil online, as this is where I find the best prices.  High quality coconut oil may <em>seem</em> expensive, but I consider coconut oil to be a healing, whole food&#8230;therefore the cost is worth it!</p>
<p>A good price for high quality virgin coconut oil, according to what I have found, is around $14/quart.  I love it (of course) if I can find it for less than that!  I watch for it to go on sale and compare prices at any of the following:</p>
<p>~ <a href="http://tinyurl.com/3zdze4o" target="_blank">Tropical Traditions</a> (watch for sales on both their <a href="http://tinyurl.com/3zdze4o" target="_blank">Virgin Coconut Oil </a>or their <a href="http://tinyurl.com/3hugz37" target="_blank">Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil</a>.)</p>
<p>~ <a href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=116329" target="_blank">Mountain Rose Herbs</a> (Can be <a href="http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=116329&amp;Redirect=/bulkoil/a-c.php#oac_coc_u" target="_blank">bought by the gallon here</a>, helping this purchase to be very cost effective.  Since Coconut Oil keeps for a long time&#8230;purchasing a gallon bucket is a great idea to help cut the cost!)</p>
<p>~ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EO5Q64?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B001EO5Q64" target="_blank">Amazon</a> (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EO5Q64?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B001EO5Q64" target="_blank">Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil</a> seems to be the best price at Amazon.)</p>
<p>~ Food Co-ops &#8211; If you&#8217;re a part of a health food co-op, you&#8217;ll likely be able to buy coconut oil through them.</p>
<p><strong>What if I don&#8217;t like the taste of coconuts?  Does coconut have a strong coconut flavor?</strong></p>
<p>There are two types of coconut oil and<em> both</em> are good for you.  One tastes like coconuts, and the other doesn&#8217;t!</p>
<p><a href="http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=116329&amp;Redirect=/bulkoil/a-c.php#oac_coc_u" target="_blank">Virgin (unrefined) Coconut Oil</a> has a strong coconut flavor.  It is processed in such a way that helps it keep the coconuty taste.  I love <a href="http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=116329&amp;Redirect=/bulkoil/a-c.php#oac_coc_u" target="_blank">Virgin Coconut Oil</a> for baking.</p>
<p><a href="http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=116329&amp;Redirect=/bulkoil/a-c.php#oac_coc_u" target="_blank">Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil</a> doesn&#8217;t have a flavor at all!  It is processed differently, taking away any flavor, but keeping the nutrients intact.  I&#8217;ve almost always found this variety of coconut oil to be less expensive.  In fact, <a href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=116329" target="_blank">Mountain Rose Herbs</a> has <a href="http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=116329&amp;Redirect=/bulkoil/a-c.php#oac_coc_u" target="_blank">Virgin Coconut Oil</a> for only $24/gallon + shipping&#8230;making it around $9/quart!!!!</p>
<p><strong>How do I measure Coconut Oil for a recipe?</strong></p>
<p>I addressed this question in my recent post:  <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/how-to-adapt-a-recipe-to-make-it-healthier" target="_blank">How to Adapt a Recipe to Make it Healthier</a>.  I encourage you to <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/how-to-adapt-a-recipe-to-make-it-healthier" target="_blank">read this post</a>, and read through the comments as many of <em>you</em> shared easy ways to measure coconut oil.  I pretty much just &#8220;eyeball it&#8221; when I measure!  :)</p>
<p><em>What other Coconut Oil questions do you have?  Do you like the coconut flavor, or do you prefer your coconut oil to be flavorless?</em></p>
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		<title>Sucanat, Brown Rice and Cottage Cheese &#8211; FAQ</title>
		<link>http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/sucanat-brown-rice-and-cottage-cheese-faq</link>
		<comments>http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/sucanat-brown-rice-and-cottage-cheese-faq#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Nov 2010 21:19:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Getting Real With Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brown rice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cottage cheese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sucanat]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/?p=9595</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What do sucanat, brown rice and cottage cheese have in common?  Not a whole lot, except that they were hot topics last week during the Recipe and Cooking Tips Parade.  There were so many questions in each comment section that I will admit to being overwhelmed and after just a tiny bit of panic on [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>What do sucanat, brown rice and cottage cheese have in common?  Not a whole lot, except that they were hot topics last week during the <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/recipe-parade" target="_blank">Recipe and Cooking Tips Parade</a>.  There were so many questions in each comment section that I will admit to being overwhelmed and after just a tiny bit of panic on my part because of my lack of time and ability to keep up, I decided just to try to answer the most frequently asked questions here.  I&#8217;m still not answering every question, and for that I apologize.  If I missed your question in those posts, please feel free to ask  it here and maybe, just maybe I will actually get to it!</p>
<p>So, for no reason at all, let&#8217;s begin with <strong><a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/more-than-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-cottage-cheese" target="_blank">Cottage Cheese</a></strong>.  I loved all of <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/more-than-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-cottage-cheese" target="_blank">the ideas you mentioned about ways you eat cottage cheese</a>!  Who knew there were so many great ways to eat the cute little curds.  There were two questions that were asked several times in that post:</p>
<p><strong>1. What kind of cottage cheese do you buy?  I&#8217;m afraid of the cottage cheese in my store because it has all kinds of added ingredients!</strong></p>
<p>Ah, indeed.  All the yucky additives and whatnots that we can&#8217;t pronounce on the label.  If I can, I like to buy Organic Valley Cottage Cheese from my health food co-op.  But, I have found that at my Walmart, I can get Nordica brand, which is not organic, but is at least without hormones.  It has a very good taste, unlike the cheaper brands that really freak me out.</p>
<p><strong>2.  Do you make your own cottage cheese?  Will you tell us how to do that?</strong></p>
<p>I have made cottage cheese a few times, but I&#8217;ve never been pleased with the results.  If I ever get a good cottage cheese thing going on, you&#8217;ll be the first to know.  (Second, actually, because I&#8217;ll be standing on my porch yelling, &#8220;WAHOOO!  I just made cottage cheese that tastes good!&#8221;  It&#8217;s okay, my neighbors already know I&#8217;m weird.)</p>
<p>Okay&#8230;now<strong> <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/make-your-own-powdered-sugar-with-sucanat" target="_blank">Sucanat</a></strong> questions:</p>
<p><strong>1.  What is sucanat?  Is it healthier than other sugars?</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/the-most-nutritious-sweeteners" target="_blank">I&#8217;ve addressed sucanat and other natural sweeteners here.</a></p>
<p><strong>2.  Where do you buy sucanat?</strong></p>
<p>I try to order it through my health food co-op, <a href="http://www.azurestandard.com/" target="_blank">Azure Standard</a>.  It&#8217;s much less expensive there.  Otherwise I save my swagbucks and buy it through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EA3M92?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B000EA3M92" target="_blank">Amazon</a>.  If at all possible, buy it in bulk&#8230;it&#8217;s much less expensive!  The best price I&#8217;ve found is just over $2/pound.  Sounds expensive, but that&#8217;s a great deal for what you&#8217;re getting!</p>
<p>Last but not least&#8230;<strong><a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/how-to-cook-brown-rice" target="_blank">Brown Rice</a></strong>:</p>
<p><strong>1.  Where do you buy brown rice?</strong></p>
<p>Again, <a href="http://www.azurestandard.com/" target="_blank">Azure Standard</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EGZ9AG?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B000EGZ9AG" target="_blank">Amazon</a>.  I always buy organic, but that&#8217;s just me.</p>
<p><strong>2.  Is Minute Brown Rice healthy and okay to eat?</strong></p>
<p>I&#8217;ve never used the Minute brand of brown rice and because it&#8217;s processed, I guess my OPINION is that I&#8217;d prefer to avoid it.  However, at the store the other day, I peeked at the box and the ingredients only list &#8220;brown rice&#8221; as an ingredient.  Can&#8217;t be that bad, I guess.  :)  If the choice is white rice or Minute Brown Rice&#8230;I say go with Minute Brown Rice if it helps you transition to this whole ingredient.  In fact, here&#8217;s a coupon:  <a href="http://partners.mysavings.com/z/4997/CD1305/&amp;lnkurl=http%253A%252F%252Fprint%252Ecoupons%252Ecom%252Falink%252Easp%253Fgo%253D14505py1310%2526PLID%253DMSM%255FTL3012%2526CRID%253DTL0001%2526cid%253D15808125%2526sel%253Dy" target="_blank">$0.50 off any one (1) Minute Rice Product</a></p>
<p><strong>3.  I cooked my brown rice for over 45 minutes but it still isn&#8217;t cooked all the way.  What am I doing wrong?</strong></p>
<p>Altitude and who knows what <em>can</em> make a difference in your rice being cooked the way you want it.  I found<a href="http://pinchmysalt.com/2009/04/06/how-to-cook-perfect-brown-rice/" target="_blank"> this article at Pinch My Salt</a>.  Interesting and helpful! </p>
<p><strong>4.  Have you ever tried soaking your rice, </strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0967089735?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=0967089735" target="_blank"><em><strong>Nourishing Traditions</strong></em></a><strong> style?</strong></p>
<p>No, and I don&#8217;t know why.  I should add that to my list.  Do you ever get tired of hearing me say that?  Do you ever wonder what &#8220;my list&#8221; looks like? </p>
<p>I don&#8217;t think you really want to know.  ;)</p>
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		<title>Local Food is THE Best!</title>
		<link>http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/local-food-is-the-best</link>
		<comments>http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/local-food-is-the-best#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:36:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Eating Healthy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Feeding the Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Getting Real With Food]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/?p=6947</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I love this time of year best!!  All winter long I have lived without sunshine and fresh, local produce.  Parden the whine, but I neeeeed the sun.  I neeeed a fresh tomato.  That&#8217;s all there is to it. This week, our local farmer&#8217;s market had its opening night!  Selection is limited at this point, because [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I love this time of year best!!  All winter long I have lived without sunshine and fresh, local produce.  Parden the whine, but I <em>neeeeed</em> the sun.  I<em> neeeed</em> a fresh tomato.  That&#8217;s all there is to it.</p>
<p>This week, our local farmer&#8217;s market had its opening night!  Selection is limited at this point, because the growing season in Nebraska is just beginning.  But lookie what I got&#8230;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-6946 aligncenter" title="farmers_market" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/farmers_market.JPG" alt="farmers_market" width="451" height="338" /><em>Cost for everything&#8230;$7. <br />
Value to me right now to fulfill my desparate need to eat fresh food&#8230;priceless.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Right out of our garden (for free), we&#8217;re enjoying all kinds of salads! </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-6949 aligncenter" title="lettuce" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/lettuce.JPG" alt="lettuce" width="451" height="338" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Joy of joys&#8230;my friends with a huge strawberry patch <br />
invited me over for some strawberry picking fun!!!! </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-6950 aligncenter" title="strawberries" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/strawberries.JPG" alt="strawberries" width="451" height="338" /><em>Oh yes&#8230;I did have fun.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">I then proceeded to trade my friend some strawberries for some fresh eggs.  What a deal!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-6948 aligncenter" title="eggs" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/eggs.JPG" alt="eggs" width="451" height="338" /></p>
<p>And well&#8230;while he isn&#8217;t produce or eggs&#8230;this little fella does happen to be locally grown too.  After our travels over the weekend and a busy day playing hard in the sun yesterday, he just laid down on the floor and fell asleep.  <em>On the floor.</em>  Now that&#8217;s one tired kid.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-6951 aligncenter" title="malachi_asleep_sm" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/malachi_asleep_sm.jpg" alt="malachi_asleep_sm" width="451" height="338" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Great food&#8230;cute kids.  Isn&#8217;t summertime the best?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Have you scored any great deals on local food lately?</em> <br />
<em>What&#8217;s in season where you live?</em></p>
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		<title>The Most Nutritious Sweeteners</title>
		<link>http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/the-most-nutritious-sweeteners</link>
		<comments>http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/the-most-nutritious-sweeteners#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:29:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Getting Real With Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grade b]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[honey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[maple syrup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[molasses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rapadura]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sucanat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sweeteners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wholesome]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Raise your hand if you ever feel overwhelmed and confused about which sweeteners/sugars are the best to use in your treats? Uh-huh&#8230;me too.  There are dozens of different sweeteners out there and all kinds of  arguments trying to convince you to eat one over the other. While I&#8217;m certainly no sweetener expert (although I do consider [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-6252 aligncenter" title="honey" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/honey.jpg" alt="honey" width="278" height="244" /></p>
<p>Raise your hand if you ever feel overwhelmed and confused about which sweeteners/sugars are the best to use in your treats?</p>
<p>Uh-huh&#8230;me too.  There are dozens of different sweeteners out there and all kinds of  arguments trying to convince you to eat one over the other.</p>
<p>While I&#8217;m certainly no sweetener expert (although I do consider myself <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/question-61" target="_blank">an expert <em>taste tester</em> of all things sweet and sweeter</a>), I will share with you what I&#8217;ve learned through the past few years of researching.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Better Sweeteners</strong> (in no particular order)</p>
<p><span style="color: #993366;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EA3M92?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B000EA3M92" target="_blank"><strong>Sucanat</strong></a><strong>/</strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001HTMYS4?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B001HTMYS4" target="_blank"><strong>Rapadura</strong></a> &#8211; &#8220;Dehydrated Cane Sugar Juice&#8221;</span></p>
<p>This is by far my favorite sugar to bake with.  It is<a href="http://www.ehow.com/about_5031907_sucanat-sugar.html" target="_blank"> processed in the traditional way that people of India have used for thousands of years and leaves most of the minerals intact</a>.  It substitutes one for one in recipes that call for sugar and has a delicious, rich flavor.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001HTMYS4?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B001HTMYS4" target="_blank">Rapadura</a> is a brand name for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EA3M92?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B000EA3M92" target="_blank">Sucanat</a>, so in general I find that <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EA3M92?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B000EA3M92" target="_blank">Sucanat</a> costs a bit less.  Be very careful to buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EA3M92?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B000EA3M92" target="_blank"><em>Organic Sucanat</em> </a>however, as some &#8216;regular sucanat&#8217; brands I&#8217;ve seen are NOT dehydrated cane sugar juice&#8230;but some form of processed sugar with molasses added back in making it MUCH less nutritious.</p>
<p><span style="color: #993366;"><strong>Raw Honey</strong></span></p>
<p>If you can find raw honey from a local bee keeper, go for it!  Raw honey (honey that has not been heated over 117° to kill healthy bacteria) contains many nutrients and digestive enzymes.</p>
<p>Raw honey is a wonderful addition to buttered toast or granola.  Honey is also wonderful to bake with (although then of course, it won&#8217;t be raw anymore).  If a recipe calls for one cup of sugar, I usually substitute 1/2-2/3 cup of honey.</p>
<p><span style="color: #993366;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00271OPVU?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B00271OPVU" target="_blank"><strong>Real Maple Syrup, Grade B</strong></a></span></p>
<p>Mmm&#8230;I love <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00271OPVU?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B00271OPVU" target="_blank">maple syrup</a>!  I never bake with it, but find it works wonderfully in liquid recipes like <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/strawberry-milkshake" target="_blank">Strawberry Milkshakes</a>, <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/healthy-treat-for-today-smoothies" target="_blank">Smoothies</a>, <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/winter-comfort-warm-vanilla-soother" target="_blank">Warm Vanilla Soother</a>, <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/gratituesday-creamy-orange-cooler" target="_blank">Creamy Orange Cooler</a>, etc.  Oh, and it&#8217;s great on <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/simple-sourdough-pancakes" target="_blank">Pancakes</a> and <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/special-breakfast-whole-wheat-waffles-with-blueberry-syrup" target="_blank">Waffles</a> too!</p>
<p>Because <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00271OPVU?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B00271OPVU" target="_blank">real maple syrup </a>is kinda pricey, I am <em>the designated syrup pourer</em> on <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/simple-sourdough-pancakes" target="_blank">pancakes</a>&#8230;otherwise we&#8217;d have a lot of this &#8220;Liquid Gold&#8221; wasted all over our <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/simple-sourdough-pancakes" target="_blank">pancake</a> plates.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00271OPVU?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B00271OPVU" target="_blank">Organic Grade B Maple Syrup </a>is better than Grade A as more nutrients are present.  Plus, non-organic maple syrups may contain formaldehyde or other synthetic defoamers.</p>
<p>&#8220;Mom, can I please have some more formaldehyde on my <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/simple-sourdough-pancakes" target="_blank">pancake</a>?&#8221;  I don&#8217;t think so.</p>
<p><span style="color: #993366;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001M0G2PO?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B001M0G2PO" target="_blank"><strong>Molasses</strong></a></span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001M0G2PO?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B001M0G2PO" target="_blank">Molasses</a> is the &#8220;waste product&#8221; that comes from the production of refined sugar.  It is rich in many minerals.  I don&#8217;t use molasses much for baking, except in recipes such as Molasses Cookies.  Mmm!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;<br />
<em>This is by no means an exhaustive list of &#8220;healthy sugars&#8221;&#8230;these are simply my favorites and the sugars I&#8217;m most familiar with.  Feel free to add your suggestions in the comments section if you have researched and know of a great sugar to try!<br />
</em>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Sweeteners to Avoid</strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #993366;"><strong>Refined Sugars</strong></span></p>
<p>Unfortunately even many organic sugars (turbinado, raw, natural) are quite refined and contain very few nutrients.  I use these occasionally because AT LEAST they are (unbleached, organic, a little less refined) and better than&#8230;</p>
<p><span style="color: #993366;"><strong>White Sugar</strong></span></p>
<p>This sugar is so refined that there are no nutrients left in it whatsoever.  It is also usually bleached to make it prettier.  Because it is not <em>sugar in its whole form</em>&#8230;it has a dramatic effect on blood sugar levels in the body.  I can actually feel the effect white sugar has on my body (can you?!).</p>
<p>But, if you have a choice between the two, choose regular sugar over&#8230;</p>
<p><span style="color: #993366;"><strong>High Fructose Corn Syrup</strong></span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/sugar-may-be-bad-but-this_b_463655.html" target="_blank">Dr. Mercola</a> can explain <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/sugar-may-be-bad-but-this_b_463655.html" target="_blank">why High Fructose Corn Syrup should be avoided </a>way better than I can!  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/sugar-may-be-bad-but-this_b_463655.html" target="_blank">Read his professional information on the subject&#8230;</a></p>
<p><span style="color: #993366;"><strong>Agave Nectar</strong></span></p>
<p>While I used to believe that Agave Nectar was a healthy substitute for sugar, it seems I should have done my homework more thoroughly.  Agave Nectar should usually be avoided as apparently, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/agave-this-sweetener-is-f_b_537936.html" target="_blank">it is almost worse than High Fructose Corn Syrup</a>.</p>
<p>By the way, I think I&#8217;ve changed any recipes I have here on my site that included agave nectar as an ingredient&#8230;but in case you find it anywhere, please let me know so I can edit it!</p>
<p><span style="color: #993366;"><strong>Artificial Sweeteners</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Ooh, I can&#8217;t say enough about fake sugar!!!  <strong>Please don&#8217;t make the mistake of believing that you are eating/drinking healthier if you avoid sugar but use aspertame, splenda, or whatever the latest &#8220;fake sugar&#8221; is out there.</strong> They are worse than good ol&#8217; refined sugar and can cause so many long term health problems.  I have reasons to be passionate about this subject&#8230;so if you want to picture me down on the floor grabbing your feet begging you to avoid these&#8230;that truly is what I&#8217;m doing right now.   You can read <a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/Aspartame-Diet-astrous-Results.html" target="_blank">more information about aspertame here</a>&#8230;and <a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/Sugar-Free-Blues-Everything-You-Wanted-to-Know-About-Artificial-Sweeteners.html" target="_blank">more than you want to know about artificial sweeteners here</a>.  I believe <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/12/03/sucralose-testimonials3.aspx" target="_blank">these testimonials may say more than I ever could</a>.</p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;</p>
<p><em>I&#8217;d love for you to share your experiences, thoughts on this subject, and favorite sugar choices with us!<br />
</em></p>
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		<title>The Ice Cream Experiment:  Take Two</title>
		<link>http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/the-ice-cream-experiment-take-two</link>
		<comments>http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/the-ice-cream-experiment-take-two#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Apr 2010 02:13:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Getting Real With Food]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Be sure to take a look at The Ice Cream Experiment:  Take One if you haven&#8217;t already! &#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;- I hereby declare that The Ice Cream Experiment is over.  I got tired of looking at it.  I got tired of it being in my way on my kitchen counter.  I got tired of trying to prepare [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Be sure to take a look at </em><a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/the-ice-cream-experiment-take-one" target="_blank"><em>The Ice Cream Experiment:  Take One</em></a><em> if you haven&#8217;t already!<br />
&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-</em></p>
<p>I hereby declare that <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/the-ice-cream-experiment-take-one" target="_blank">The Ice Cream Experiment </a>is over.  I got tired of looking at it.  I got tired of it being in my way on my kitchen counter.  I got tired of trying to prepare food around it.</p>
<p>After four days, I didn&#8217;t notice any more changes in the ice cream.  After eight days&#8230;it looked the same way it had looked on day four and I decided to say goodbye to the ice cream sponges on my countertop.</p>
<p>Here are the final pictures&#8230;</p>
<p><em>Brand One:</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="icecreamex21sm" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/icecreamex21sm.JPG" alt="icecreamex21sm" width="410" height="308" /></p>
<p><em>Brand Two:</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-6182 aligncenter" title="icecreamex20sm" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/icecreamex20sm.JPG" alt="icecreamex20sm" width="410" height="308" /></p>
<p><em>Brand One</em> with a spoon stuck in it just for fun:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-6184 aligncenter" title="icecreamex22sm" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/icecreamex22sm.JPG" alt="icecreamex22sm" width="410" height="308" /></p>
<p><em>Brand Two</em> with a spoon stuck in it for the same reason as above:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-6185 aligncenter" title="icecreamex23sm" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/icecreamex23sm.JPG" alt="icecreamex23sm" width="410" height="308" /></p>
<p>As you can see, if you compare the pictures from <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/the-ice-cream-experiment-take-one" target="_blank">the beginning of the experiment </a>until the last day of the experiment, <strong>the ice cream did do some melting </strong>.  After four days, the towel under both boxes was wet and icky.  So, it would appear that the milk, cream and buttermilk in these ice cream brands did what they were supposed to do:  they melted.  For some reason, it took four days&#8230;but they did melt.</p>
<p><em>But then there&#8217;s all the others stuff left in the box that didn&#8217;t melt.</em> </p>
<p>Yes, I understand that stabalizers and stuff are added to make it easier to transport it all over the place&#8230;but that still doesn&#8217;t make me want to eat it.</p>
<p>My Conclusion:</p>
<p>If possible, I&#8217;ll stick to my <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/homemade-ice-cream-so-healthy-you-could-eat-it-for-breakfast" target="_blank">Homemade Ice Cream</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="icecreamex13sm" src="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/icecreamex13sm.JPG" alt="icecreamex13sm" width="410" height="308" /></p>
<p>Or, if I&#8217;m in a pinch and need to buy some ice cream at the store&#8230;I&#8217;ll definitely spend a little more and get &#8220;the good stuff&#8221; like <a href="http://www.breyers.com/#/home/" target="_blank">Breyers</a> or <a href="http://www.haagen-dazs.com/products/product.aspx?id=306" target="_blank">Haagen-Dazs </a>that has basic, more natural ingredients.</p>
<p>And now&#8230;I am completely hungry for ice cream.  The <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/homemade-ice-cream-so-healthy-you-could-eat-it-for-breakfast" target="_blank">creamy homemade vanilla kind</a>.  Maybe with some fresh peaches in it.  Or strawberries.  <em>Or both.</em></p>
<p><em>So what&#8217;s your favorite kind of ice cream?<br />
&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-</em></p>
<p><em><a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/which-ice-cream-maker" target="_blank">(Read about which Ice Cream Maker I recommend here!)</a></em></p>
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