How to Make Vanilla Sugar + Ten Ways To Use It

Gourmet, Foodie-Loving Projects

One of my favorite things to share with you guys, which I don't write about often enough, is how to make gourmet quality food products at home. You know, the posh foodie ingredients usually sold in specialty stores or small sections of the grocery store. They usually have longer, descriptive names and a hefty price tag.

How to Make Nutrient-Dense Homemade Beef Stock

When I started my real food cooking journey, the most indispensable technique I learned was how to make stocks and soup from scraps. Not only does it save you lots of money (boxed stocks and soups are $2+ a pop), but there is monumentally more flavor and nutrition when you make it from scratch. 

There's really no substitution for homemade stocks. Store brands are flavorless and often have a ton of sodium or added ingredients. To compensate, I always have to throw in a ton of seasonings to recipes using packaged stocks, which adds up after awhile in the winter months when I fix soups frequently.

But properly prepared meat and vegetable stocks? They're on a whole different level. Both are loaded with vitamins, minerals, gelatin and healthy fats, plus a rich flavor that serves to enhance and deepen the taste of cooked dishes.

How to Make Coconut Flour From Leftover Coconut Pulp

It's no secret that coconut products are more popular than ever. And while that has contributed to a more diverse offering of products, it hasn't significantly lowered the price. 

Whether you're looking for coconut water, milk, oil or flour, you're likely scouring for a high quality product with a decent price tag. 

But in the case of coconut milk and flour there's another option—make it at home!

How to Make Homemade Coconut Milk with Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

In case you haven't noticed, I'm full-fledged obsessed with coconut products. My coconut obsession started with coconut water last year. I drank it anytime I felt thirsty, dehydrated or had just exercised and I instantly felt better. It's naturally hydrating with lots of electrolytes, so it's the perfect alternative to commercial sports drinks.

The obsession then progressed into unrefined virgin coconut oil. I began slathering it on my toast, then using it to pan fry my eggs, and before long I was cooking most of my meals with it. 

Around that time I bought my first can of full-fat organic coconut milk and tried it in my coffee. Before long I was pouring coconut milk in my smoothies, pasta, and mashed potatoes. Luckily, my boyfriend didn't seem to mind. (That would have sucked!)

Round-Up: 30+ Real Food Fall Drink Recipes

I figured it was long past time I publish a round-up post and seeing as we're knee-deep in pumpkin and apple mania, there's no better time than now to gather together some autumn inspired drink recipes for your belly's enjoyment. 

Even better, I've compiled recipes using mostly (or all) real food ingredients, so you can feel good about drinking away without consuming a slew of chemicals, additives or fake stuff. Cheers! :)

Italian-Style Roasted & Baked Spaghetti Squash Bowls

Can a person eat too much squash? 

In the past several weeks I've cooked butternut squash, acorn squash, zucchini, yellow crookneck squash and spaghetti squash. 

Guess who threw a mini fit at my self-imposed squash fest? 

The good ol' boyfriendo.

If you've been following my blog for awhile now, you know he's a bonafide squash hater. But he'll still take a few bites of it when I fix it for dinner cause he's hungry and he doesn't want to completely offend me. 

How sweet. 

If only he would learn to appreciate this vegetable, then I could fix it more often.

Bacon, Egg, Cheddar & Kale Breakfast Muffins

Breakfast is usually my favorite meal of the day and one I don't often skip. However, sometimes I get stuck in a rut eating the same foods over and over. 

So when I ran across an egg muffin recipe on facebook, it inspired me to try something new. 

But I like my bacon more on the crispy side, so I fiddled with the recipe and ingredients to adapt it to my tastes. And the experiment paid off. 

These breakfast egg muffins were SO GOOD. 

Not to mention flavorful, fluffy and easy to make.