Ingredients

The source and quality of ingredients matters in each recipe. Not all types of foods like almond flour, coconut flour, chocolate and cocoa powder are created equal or perform the same way in recipes. Here is a list of the products that I consistently buy and use. I have done my research and think they are fantastic. Most products I buy are organic. I operate on the principle of "organic is preferable, but only if possible." Some foods are not completely necessary to buy organic, or the price is simply not affordable. May this list help you in your real food cooking endeavors!

Baking Items:

    Almond flour (blanched and unblanched) -- Honeyville

    Coconut products (all):
        coconut flour -- Tropical Traditions
        coconut oil -- Tropical Traditions
        coconut meat -- Tropical Traditions
        coconut cream concentrate -- Tropical Traditions

    Chocolate products [FREE OF SOY] (all):
        Baking squares --
                Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate Squares
                Ghirardelli Unsweetened Chocolate Baking Bars
        Bars --
                Alter Eco
                Equal Exchange
                Vivani
                Green and Blacks, 85%
                Lindt, 90%
                Some Trader Joes varieties, look for the shiny purple label dark chocolate bar
        Chocolate chips --
                Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
                Enjoy Life Chocolate Chunks
                Marcie's Sweets
                Soyfreesales.com
        Cacao nibs (raw) -- Navitas Naturals
        Cacao powder (raw) -- Navitas Naturals
        Cocoa powder -- Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
        Cocoa butter (raw) -- Tisano Organic and Raw Cocoa Butter

    Sweeteners (all):
        Stevia, unflavored -- SweetLeaf, Stevia Clear
        Stevia, vanilla flavored -- SweetLeaf, Vanilla Creme
        Molasses -- Any organic unsulfured molasses      
        Raw honey -- raw honey's do not all taste the same
                Online:  YS Organic Bee Farms
                Great local NH brand:  Swan's Maine Beekeeper
        Maple syrup -- Any grade B, preferably straight from the farmer
        Palm/coconut sugar --
                Sweet Tree
                Navitas Naturals
                Essential Living Foods

    Spices (all):
        Cinnamon -- Now I always buy cinnamon online, in bulk. It is SOO much cheaper, and convenient, since I go through cinnamon quickly and can just fill up my own shaker spice jar as needed. Look for Vietnamese cinnamon, it has a higher % oil content is is more robust and flavorful than typical grocery store cinnamon. If you cannot get Vietnamese cinnamon, look for the kind with the highest percentage of oil.
        Nutmeg -- Buy whole nutmeg, and grind it fresh yourself or buy any organic ground nutmeg
        Unrefined sea salt -- see below
        Vanilla Beans -- Organic Vanilla Beans
        Best companies to buy dried spices -- Look for organic, non-irradiated spices:
              Frontier Organics
              Simply Organic
              Whole Foods Market organic brand

Fresh items (dairy, eggs, fats):

    Dairy [FREE of all oxidized cholesterol/milk powders] (all):
        Butter --
                KerryGold
                Organic Pastures Raw Butter (CA)
                Organic Valley Pastured Butter
        Cheese --
            Cheddar --
                    KerryGold
                    Cabot
                    Organic Pastures Raw Cheddar (CA)
                    Raw cheddar from your local farmer
            Cottage cheese --
                    Kalona Organics Super Natural 4% (whole milk) Cottage cheese
                    Daisy brand Cottage cheese, 4% or 2% - not organic
            Feta -- For taste and nutrition, pick goat and sheep's milk feta
            Goat cheese --
                    Whole Foods
                    Redwood Hill Creamery
            Mozarella -- Look for local whole milk mozarella
            Parmesan -- Look for imported raw milk parmesan      
        Egg-nog -- Make your own!
        Raw whole milk --
                     Fresh from a local trusted farm
                     Brookford Farm (local NH)
                     Organic Pastures (CA)
                     Clarevale Farm (local CA)
                     Pure Eire Dairy (WA)
                     St. John Creamery (goat milk, WA)
                     Pride and Joy Dairy (WA)
                     Twin Brook Creamery (WA, great products, not raw)
        Raw cows cream --
                     Organic Pastures (CA)
                     Clarevale Farm (local CA)
        Yogurt --
            Redwood Hill Creamery Plain Whole Goat Milk yogurt
            Straus Organic Creamery Cows Whole Milk Plain yogurt (West Coast)
            Stonyfield Farms Organic yogurt
            Fage Total and 2% Greek yogurt
            Greek Gods Traditional Plain (green packaging only)

    Eggs --
            Seek pastured eggs from your local farmer or buy them at Whole Foods or your local natural foods store         

    Fats (all):
        Avocados -- because of their thick skin, these are not necessary to buy organic
        Butter -- see above
        Coconut oil -- see above
        Olive oil -- Always look for cold-pressed, organic, extra-virgin with an expiration date, dark bottle, and from one olive source (not several countries)
        Red palm oil -- Tropical Traditions
        Palm oil shortening -- Tropical Traditions
        Nuts -- look for organic, raw and unpasteurized


Other essentials:

    Unrefined Sea salt -- Real Salt and Celtic Sea Salt
    Baking soda -- Arm & Hammer
    Baking powder -- Look for aluminum FREE, my favorite is Rumford's
    Vanilla extract -- Look for organic and sugar free, my favorite is Simply Organic
    Apple Cider vinegar -- Bragg's brand


**For a list of essential tools that I never would want to live without, check out my Amazon store.

ALSO -- Try COSTCO for some great items also, like Nutiva coconut oils, Avocado oils, good quality vanilla extract, garlic powders, whole nuts, etc.

These are websites/companies I frequent, have used for several years, and fully endorse (but I am NOT affiliated with them in any way):

Tropical Traditions   
Vitacost.com

In general, Amazon has tons of products that you can easily buy together.
Vitacost.com has the cheapest prices around (I've done my research).
iHerb.com is sometimes ok. Their selection, prices, and service has been improving.
Tropical Traditions is a must for good quality products (at great prices) like all coconut products and other fats.  They even carry organic/natural personal care products with short ingredient lists which I love!  You may even wish to become a member of their Health Buyers club and which can save a lot of money.


If you have any questions about a specific product or any questions in general, feel free to contact me.