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Cooking With Coconut Flour

Baking With Coconut Flour 101

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Coconut flour is simply the fiber from coconut meat after most of the oil has been extracted. For those with allergies and intolerances, coconut flour is a wheat- free, gluten-free alternative to traditional flours. But coconut flour can and should be enjoyed by all. Even those without allergies will enjoy cooking with this product because baked goods containing coconut flour always have a great texture and a hint of coconut flavor. Plus, coconut flour has some impressive nutritional stats. Check ‘em out below.

¼ cup coconut flour contains:

Calories- 120

Fat- 3 grams

Carbohydrates- 20 grams

Protein- 4 grams

Fiber- 12 grams

Sugars- 0 grams

Here are a few more tips and facts that will aid you in baking with coconut flour:

1) Coconut flour is quite dry on its own, so recipes using coconut flour almost always include more eggs than a traditional recipe.

2) You can replace up to 20% of the flour called for in a recipe with coconut flour. Just make sure you add the same percentage of liquid to the recipe.

3) When baking with coconut flour, don’t worry if your batter seems runnier than usual. Coconut flour’s high fiber content makes it very absorbent. During baking, the coconut will absorb much of the liquid.

 

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Now, onto my favorite coconut flour recipe!

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Peanut Butter Muffins

(yields 6 muffins)

Ingredients

· 3 eggs

· 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted (you could sub oil or butter)

· 5 tablespoons sucanat (you can sub brown sugar)

· ¼ cup natural peanut butter

· ¼ teaspoon salt

· ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

· ¼ cup coconut flour

· ¼ teaspoon baking powder

Directions

· Blend together eggs, oil, sugar, peanut butter, salt, and

vanilla extract.

· Combine coconut flour with baking powder and whisk into batter until there are no lumps.

· Fill 6 muffin cups halfway with batter.

· Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. (Makes 6 muffins.)

Voila!

 

You’ve got to try this recipe! It makes scrumptious muffins that have a delightful texture.

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Over Budget

I went a bit crazy at the grocery store this past week.

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$19.11 over budget.

 

Part of the overspending occurred because my roadside stand was MIA this week.  I have NO IDEA where it went.  I drove by Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday….no freezer truck and no stand.  Crossing my fingers it comes back this week.  My wallet can’t handle grocery store produce prices.

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Unfortunately, I needed my fruits and veggies, so grocery store produce prices were my only option this week.

  • 5 lb box of Cuties (had $1.50 off coupon)
  • Macintosh apples (they looked the most like my all time fave, Rome)
  • Acorn squash
  • Cantaloupe
  • Asparagus
  • Spaghetti squash
  • Mini peppers

 

Another reason for my gratuitous spending…impulse buys!

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I certainly didn’t need these Alexia fries OR these faux meat products.  But they were all things I’ve been wanting to try AND they were on sale.  Couldn’t contain myself.

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Nor could I contain myself from these chips.  Because, you know, I plan on eating 3 bags of chips this week.

 

Thankfully, I did remain somewhat level-headed in the presence of Kroger’s intense food selection.  I remembered to buy the usual staples.

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  • Coconut milk (It was on sale.  Thought I’d switch it out for my regular almond milk.)
  • Cheese
  • Organic butter
  • Organic eggs
  • Yogurt (all on sale)

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75 cents for Fage?  I snatched that baby up!

 

I know I was over budget this week, but the last two weeks I’ve been under.  I’m fairly certain it will all even out.

Lesson learned: stick to the darn list!

CSN Free Money Giveaway

CSN Stores is giving away yet another $35 gift certificate to Lily’s Health Pad readers.

Listen up, peeps!

I’m essentially giving away free money.

Is there something you’ve been coveting lately?  How about a fondue set, outdoor lights, or a new pillow? You name it, I’m fairly certain CSN Stores has it.

Inhabit - PLUSSVxPC - Morning Glory Plus Organic Pillow Case Set

Want to win a $35 credit to any item(s) sold by CSN Stores?

How to enter:

(each bullet point is worth one entry.)

  • Visit CSN Stores, browse the items, and leave a comment below telling me what you’d purchase if you won.  (To make it even, if you don’t have Twitter or a blog, you can leave up to three comments)

  • Tweet about this giveaway and include @LilysHealthPad and the link to the giveaway in the tweet. (Leave a comment telling me you’ve done so.)

  • Link back to this post on your blog. (Leave a comment telling me you’ve done so.)
  • And receive a special 4th entry by “liking” Link’s blog on facebook. (Leave a comment telling me you’ve done so.)

Haha, sorry, I just had to throw that last entry qualification in there. ;-)

Ahhh, the arrival of “Spring Forward” means warmer weather, flowers, and shorts are upon us. 

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As a child, I used to relish the 1st spring day where it was warm enough to wear shorts to school.  I remember the high had to be at least 70 degrees before my mom would allow me attend school bare-legged. 

 

Looking back, I must’ve been really cold!  A high of 70 degrees doesn’t really equate to shorts weather for my now adult self.  However, I did grow up in the Midwest, so my perception of warmth was probably much different.  Muskego, Wisconsin and Charleston, South Carolina are two completely different climates!

 

Stephen and I spent our first “spring-like” weekend on a house hunt.  Although we are nowhere near the stage in our lives where we’d consider buying a house together, we sure are enjoying the process of seeing what’s out there.  We have officially visited every Ryland home building site in the low country simply because….it’s fun.

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Their model homes are always decorated with care.  I liked this bright, clean, simplistic yellow theme.

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Viewing these houses made me pine for some artistic creativity.  Alas, I wouldn’t know where to start with decorating a house!  Thankfully, my mother is an artist, and interior decorating is totally her niche.  I’ll most definitely be relying on her input once I have a house of my own to paint, furnish, and load up with chachkas.

 

Stephen and I have a new rule that the weekend host must do all the cooking for the visitor.  Thus, last weekend I was treated to an array of delightful dishes.

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Red Curry

 

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Pizza chez Stephen 

 

And…

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Homemade cookie cake!!

 

I really could get used to being cooked for.  Stephen went all out this past weekend with his meal selection, and I was quite impressed.  However, there’s always one downside to Stephen’s delicious creations.  Whenever Stephen prepares a good meal, he MUST remind me of the time I fell short. 

One weekend when he was visiting me, it was lunch time, and he was starving.  I told him I’d go whip him something up in the kitchen. 

He pleaded, whatever you make me, can it please not be bland?? (Stephen often complains I eat bland food.) 

I insisted: don’t worry. It won’t be bland.  And why do you always ask me that?? 

When I came back, I presented him a sweet potato topped with kidney beans.  Apparently, he did, in fact, find my creation to be devoid of flavor because his face shriveled up.  It was vegan, raw pumpkin pie all over again.

I don’t know why he didn’t like it!  I added some Tone’s Southwest Seasoning!! 

Anyway, Stephen has never forgotten this one minor instance.  He has proceeded to remind me of it every time he cooks something tasty for me.

 

***

 

Off to finish watching Hairspray.  Body Attack made me do it!  After 4 years of the doing the “You Can’t Stop the Beat” track 7, I’m finally watching the movie.

 

(*Note, I just wasted 30 minutes of my life searching for the Body Attack video on YouTube to no avail.)

 

Instead, I’ll leave you with this precious photo of Link.

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Did you know? Link is the name of Zach Efron’s character in Hairspray!

Key Lime Larabar Recipe

If you’ve never tried making homemade Larabars, you must!  They are ridiculously quick and easy to make.  Plus, creating your own bars is quite cost-effective.  Not to mention, you don’t have to worry about buying a pre-made, moldy bar!

 

Without further adieu, I present you with the recipe….

 

Homemade Key Lime Pie Larabar

Ingredients:

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  • 1/8 c shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 1/3 cup mixture, almonds and cashews
  • 7 dates
  • 4 tsp lime juice

 

Directions:

  • Combine dates, lime juice, and coconut in food processor until the dates create a sticky paste.  Set mixture aside in a small bowl.

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  • Pulse almonds and cashews in food processor until finely chopped.  Combine with date mixture.

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  • Incorporate mixture with hands, and mold into 3 normal-sized and 1 baby-sized bars.

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Ta da!

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You’ll want to store these in the refrigerator, covered in plastic wrap.    

The fridge dries them out a bit, so I’d recommend eating within 3 days of creation.       

 

***

 

Off to Body Attack

That is, if I can tear myself away from One Tree Hill Season 7.  I’m certain I’m in the minority when I say this, but this season is SO much better than Season 6.  I don’t miss Lucas and Peyton one bit!

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