I am always looking for ways to swap out unhealthy foods for healthier foods for my family, and one way I have been doing that is to start using Flaxseed and different types of oils when cooking. I was thrilled to be asked to be a Carrington Farm All Good April Ambassador, because it challenged me to make even healthier swaps for my family in ways that I haven’t thought of before. I bake fairly regularly and have been hesitant to make changes to the items I use while baking because I was afraid that the foods would turn out yucky or that my kids would notice the difference and then not eat the baked items. 
My son recently turned 11 however and I decided to face my fears and make some changes and see if they even noticed. I decided to try and make my sons favorite chocolate cupcakes on his birthday and swap out the vegetable shortening for solid coconut oil from Carrington Farms and guess what? No one even noticed the difference! The cupcakes were just as light, fluffy and tasty as they always are and with the change, just a little bit healthier too! 
Now, I’m sure you are like me and wondering just what are the benefits of coconut oil? Well, coconut oil has been described by nutritionists as “the healthiest oil on earth.” Carrington Farms Organic Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil is simply pressed and bottled so it retains its original nutrient content, flavor and color. Additionally, Carrington Farms extra-virgin coconut oil is certified organic, has no trans & hydrogenated fats, and is perfect for healthy high heat cooking up to 350 F. Plus, have you ever heard of oil pulling? I haven’t gotten brave enough to try it but I have heard from lots of people how beneficial it can be.
Wondering what recipe I used? Check out our favorite chocolate cake recipe. I made it as described but substituted the coconut oil for the shortening. For 1 cup of shortening you need 3/4 cup of coconut oil. I then just adjusted the cooking time and made it shorter, since it doesn’t take as much time for cupcakes to cook ( I cooked them for about 20 minutes although I kept my eye on them towards the end.)
Make sure to check out the Carrington Farms Store Locator to find a retailer near you and the Carrington Farms Facebook page too!
Let me know if you end up trying to swap in Carrington Farms products for other oils in your home and if so, what do you think?
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