I've been recipe shopping and one thing that holds me back is the occasional odd ingredient. I am thinking of placing a stock-up order to diversify my pantry, but I have no idea on some of this stuff.

What kind of almond flour do you recommend? Is storage an issue, or does it have a long shelf-life? Are there other flours that perform as well?

Whey protein powder: what brand do you recommend? How do you use it?

Coconut oil: what is the best deal for this? I can pick up a 14 oz. (dusty) jar of organic, virgin, unrefined coconut oil for about $10 right off the shelf at my Meijer store. Is that pretty much the going rate everywhere? I'd really like to use more coconut oil to cook with but that seems awfully expensive. I assume the refined stuff in the larger tubs doesn't have the same health benefits - or is there an ongoing debate about that?

What other LC items do you not live without, and why?