Homemade Chocolate Chips

1 cup coconut oil (or any solid healthy fat)
1 cup cocoa powder
5 Tbsp sweetener (liquid or granulated work fine. Use as healthy an option as possible. If using stevia extract, substitute 3 scoops, or to taste. I used honey)
2 tsp vanilla

Melt coconut oil over a very low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in cocoa, sweetener, and vanilla. (If you heat over too high of a heat or don’t remove from the heat, the coconut oil will separate from the cocoa when cooling. You can still eat it, but it won’t be as smooth.)
Pour mixture into a pan (8×8 works well).
Place in refrigerator or freezer until solid. Remove from pan, and cut into chunks of desired size with a good, solid knife.
Store in a cool place until ready to use.
Yields approximately 3 cups of chips. Has a similar taste to dark chocolate, depends on how much sweetener you use!

* when using this for chocolate peanut butter cups (see previous post) don't freeze first, use the liquid chocolate as required for the cups and freeze and make into chips whatever is left over! *

Buttermilk Honey Wheat Bread

1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Dissolve baking soda in the buttermilk. Put rest of ingredients into bread maker pan in order given. I baked it on the light crust setting and basic bread setting. A very yummy, light and fluffy bread!

Whole Wheat Honey Banana Muffins

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
2/3 cup olive oil
1 cup honey
4 eggs
2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup hot water


Stir together dry ingredients.
Beat oil and honey together; add eggs and beat well.
Add bananas and beat to combine.
Add dry ingredients to wet, alternating with hot water; mix well after each addition.
Spoon batter into 24 greased muffin cups; bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and test done.Remove from oven and cool on rack.

Homemade Cough Syrup

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons water

Mix ingredients. Take by the teaspoon as often as needed for cough.

Do not give to infants under 12 months due to the honey. Makes 4-8 doses.

Zucchini Honey Cake

3 eggs
1 1/2 cups liquid honey
1 cup oil
2 cups finely shredded zucchini
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour, sifted
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup choppednuts or 1 cup raisins or 1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Set oven rack to second lowest position.
Oil and flour 2 medium or 3 mini loaf pans. ( I used a 9x13 baking pan)
In a mixing bowl using an electric mixer beat eggs well; add honey and oil, beat until well combined.
Add zucchini and vanilla, mix.
Sift dry ingredients, then add to egg mixture.
Fold in nuts/raisins/chocolate chips.
Pour batter into prepared pan about 3/4 full.
Bake for about 50 minutes or until cake tests done.

Butter Honey Wheat Bread

1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/3 cup powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 package active dry yeast - (1/4 oz) or 1 tsp. fast acting yeast

Put ingredients into bread machine in the order suggested by the machine's
manufacturer. Process for large (1 1/2 pound) loaf, wheat setting.

This recipe yields a 1 1/2 pound loaf.

Honey Flax Bread for Bread Machines

1 cup warm water
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp. oil or apple sauce (I use apple sauce and it's a good replacement for oil)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup ground flax seed (the original recipe calls for oats but we prefer flax seed)
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (for lighter, fluffier bread use half white flour and half whole wheat)
1 tsp. yeast

Add these ingredients in this order to your bread machine. Don't let the yeast touch the liquids especially if you're using the time delay option. I like to let the bread machine mix the dough and then take it out and put it in a loaf pan. I then let it rise for 30 minutes in a 100 degree oven and then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. I have an older bread machine and it doesn't bake that well and I prefer the shape of the loaf from the loaf pan. This makes a one pound loaf. I usually make two loaves a week and we rarely buy bread anymore as this is so much better!