Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil Review and a Pumpkin Pie Omelette

How many things do you know of that are good on and in your body?  Coconut oil is just that, and Tropical Traditions makes some of the best quality coconut oil out there!

When the noble people at Tropical Traditions sent me a quart-sized jar of their high quality Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil to try, I quickly searched for ways to use it. I first thought I would only find recipes to cook with it, but found it offers more than great, healthy cooking.

Like what you see? Get your own by clicking the giant picture of goodness and find your own ways to use this versatile oil.

Please note: If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you."

Plus, have you seen the prices of some coconut oil in stores? I urge you to at least check out what Tropical Traditions has to offer and possibly help me out at the same time. I'll be very thankful....even more than I already am that you're here reading my blog. Thank you for that. : )

I have very dry hands from always washing them while in the kitchen, and sometimes they'll be painfully cracked for days.  Enter my new jar of coconut oil and my hands are healing nicely.  Every night after my shower, I'll rub a little on the problem areas to keep them hydrated; no greasy mess! This stuff is absolutely wonderful for my dry skin and I think it will help fight the upcoming winter dryness I experience perfectly.

But, obviously, we all want to know how it fares in food, right?  Simply put; awesome! This versatile and heat stable gift to us kitchen dwellers will keep your breads and pancakes safe from sticking to pans and impart flavor. Even egg dishes like my Pumpkin protein omelette inspired by Heather's (from Kiss My Broccoli) pumpkin omelette recipe easily slid right onto my plate for fast consumption.

As described on their website….

“The best and highest quality coconut oil is the wonderfully flavorful Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil. This oil is the most nutritious, but not the most consistent in taste. It is handmade and has a strong, unique coconut smell and taste that will vary slightly from batch to batch. Therefore it is not the best cooking oil if you want a consistent taste. The oil usually retains most of its natural "coconutty-ness" during cooking (e.g. stovetop cooking) but when baked almost all of the strong coconut taste will dissipate.”

Just look at it; that thing is huge!! Pumpkin was the obvious ingredient of choice here considering the season, but I'd like to try another squash like kabocha or maybe even half pumpkin and half apple?  Hmmm, I sense some more work fun in the kitchen soon.

Luckily, I have a lot left for more adventure in the kitchen and to keep my hands from cracking.  I even gave some to my mom who has been wanting to try it herself.

I found that Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil added to my favorite overnight oats mix makes it extra thick and nutritious. They list so many ways the oil can be used including baking, in dips, for ketchup, homemade salad dressings, in soups, healthy fudge, pudding, in your tea or coffee (helps chapped lips too!), and many more; check out their full list here for the many uses.

I feel very lucky to have had the chance to sample and review such a great product to me, and I have my eyes set on trying some of their Coconut Peanut Butter soon.  Two good things in one; synergy at it's finest.  It must be good, because it's currently backordered! But never fear, you can make your own delicious spread by mixing Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Flour with your favorite peanut butter and a little water.  

Special Price! - 1 Organic Coconut Flour - 2.2 lbs.

Check out their site for dozens of recipes for drinks, entrees, desserts, baked items, etc.

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Oh yeah, I mentioned a recipe, didn't I? I'll be making this for Kelley and me (as you've already seen) all the way through into next year....and probably longer!  

Have you used coconut oil before? Please share your favorites (or non-favs that we should avoid) and the best ways to use the oil out of the kitchen too!

Pumpkin Pie Protein Omelette

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1/2 cup pumpkin puree; canned or fresh

2 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice

1/2 t pure vanilla extract

2 scoops vanilla protein powder; I use stevia sweetened egg white protein

4 T unsweetened almond, soy, hemp, coconut, or other milk of choice

1 T coconut oil, melted

Instructions

Heat a lightly greased skillet over medium heat

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until well combined

Pour contents into hot skillet

Let mix set for 30 seconds and then slowly swirl your skillet around until the egg mixture coats the edges of the pan to avoid a heavy center

Cook for 5-6 minutes; the edges should start to pull away from the skillet

Using a spatula, carefully flip one half over to the other side to create a half moon shape

Let cook for about 2 - 3 more minutes to cook the inside and carefully slide onto plate

Optional: Top with plain, non-fat Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of cinnamon

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WIAW #31 Spooky Food and I Didn't Even Know It!

Yes, just ideas.  I sound like a broken record, but work has been keeping me from my true passion for food, cooking, and taking pictures of both. So, in an effort to keep it short but still have a post for What I Ate Wednesday, I just wanted to post a few "to-do's" for this month's WIAW theme of spooky snacks and healthy halloween treats.

Usually our busy time at work is closer to year end, so hopefully it's early this year and I'll have more time around x-mas and the new year. But, lets focus on now, October, the month where it's ok to eat eyeballs, fingers, and brains! Or at least food that looks like them.

I searched for healthy, spooky treats on Google and found this cool site with pretty neat spooky food ideas. Here are two of my favorite pics from the site....

Banana Ghosts

Apple "Bites" - The teeth are slivered almonds

The bananas are covered in melted white chocolate, but I would try something else since I am not a fan of sugary things. Maybe a mix of vanilla protein powder, almond milk, and coconut oil would do the "trick" for a delicious "treat." See what I did there? I get a kick out of myself sometimes...that's all that matters, right? Check out the site, all of the creations are worth checking out.

I don't make spooky treats often, and before knowing what this month's theme would be I made some of these creations in the pics below.  Some of them could easily work as healthy, spooky treats. Of course, there are those annoying people at work that think my healthy, unprocessed food is spooky as is and the crap they eat in a bag is "real food." I let it get to me too much, but it is annoying!

This could work as Moldy Puke Puree. I thank pureed spinach and crumbled goat cheese for the gross out factor...but it's sooo good. Here's the recipe if you want to try; but I don't recommend handing this out to trick-or-treaters.

This is simply cooked barley I used as a cold cereal that could become Maggot Cereal! Add whole cashews for the giant larvae or pistachios for a nice green effect.

These Pumpkin Protein Crepes can easily double as Burned Skin Peels or something skin related.

I have a few more pics from the past that could double as spooky food, but I'll save those for next week. Does anyone else have existing food pictures you didn't intend to be spooky, but after going back to look at them, you can imagine a gross name for it? Don't lie....if you've ever made a green smoothie, you're in the spooky food club.

Ok, I could discuss food all day, but I'm running on E from little sleep, lots of work, and still working out, so lets get to the WIAW part of this WIAW post.  Thank you, Jenn at Peas and Crayons, for being such a gracious What I Ate Wednesday host!

Breakfast - Steamed veggies with a little turkey leftovers from my lunch (see "Lunch" below); rooibos and green tea

Lunch - Baked Jersey sweet potato smothered in simmered turkey cutlets cut into cubes and a side of steamed broccoli

Dinner - Steamed Brussels sprout salad with Trader Joe's Chipotle Salsa, brown mustard, and a few clams hidden under the salsa.

Din-essert - Microwave pumpkin protein bread slices with crunchy peanut butter, coconut butter, and a little Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil; ok, I had a green ginger protein smoothie too, but no pic to prove it...just trust me : )

Have you tried Tropical Traditions Coconut products?  They even have Coconut Peanut Butter that I have to try soon! I'll be trying this oil out over the next couple weeks and hope to share some tasty recipes and then possibly a giveaway.

Guess I better jet, hope you have a great week and find some healthy, spooky foods to make, eat, or both!

Crack a Coconut for Health

Coconut seems to be on the “bad for you” list in some people’s mind, but this belief is false. It doesn’t help when the general public is exposed to confusing media “research” making claims for and against foods. Let’s just throw out the idea that coconut is bad right now! It may seem daunting in its hard, spherical outer shell, but the sweet flesh and water is a real treat on the inside.
“But isn’t coconut high in saturated fat,” you ask? Well, yes, kind of, but its saturated fat is in the form of a medium-chain fatty acid (mcfa) called lauric acid. Lauric acid acts as a natural anti-viral, microbial, and fungal compound when consumed. This mcfa makes up 50 percent of coconut oil and provides a great, natural way to fight any impending bacterial or viral agents. If you’re still not convinced coconut’s fat content is healthy, consider the fact that the only other natural source for lauric acid is in breast milk which contains all nutrients needed to feed an infant.
Combine it with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, garlic cumin, coriander, and turmeric for a flavorsome way to promote healthy digestion and boost metabolism. As a way to increase the size of (fatten) their cattle, farmers tried feeding them coconut oil back in the 1940’s. But, instead of gaining weight, the cattle became more active with an increased appetite and a leaner body composition.

Consequently, this effect has been found to have the same reaction in humans. Coconut oil’s mcfa's increase the metabolism through thermogenesis (calories burned from digesting food), which helps both animals and humans lose fat and keep it off. Unlike some vegetable oils, coconut oil is stable at high heat and can resist any damage to its beneficial components. Keep in mind that any “health” benefits from other oils are wiped out and they actually become toxic when exposed to high heat.  Stick to using extra virgin olive oil on salads and other non-heated dishes to obtain its benefits.

So, how should you start using coconut? Well, depends on what form you get it. You can find whole coconut (some stores sell it already shelled and cleaned), coconut oil, water, milk, flakes, flour, butter, and cream. The water does not contain the fat like the other varieties, but offers many benefits itself. Coconut water is low in sugar in its natural form, still contains some lauric acic, a great hangover preventer, naturally sterile, and one of the best fluid replacers.

Try using extra-virgin coconut oil in place of olive and vegetable oils for cooking or baking recipes. Add canned coconut milk (not the SO Delicious stuff in a carton) to your favorite smoothies or in mixed with sweet potatoes simmered in a sauce pan. Kelley and I love eating coconut rice alone or with tuna, beans or chicken.

Here’s an easy coconut rice recipe found at http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Coconut-Rice/Detail.aspx

Ingredients

1-1/3 cups and 2 tablespoons Basmati rice
2-1/4 (10 ounce) cans coconut milk
5/8 pinch salt

Directions

This recipe's Ingredients were scaled to yield a new amount. The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield of 6 to 8 servings.

1. In a large saucepan over high heat, combine rice, coconut milk and salt; bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Try buying a whole coconut and using one of these methods to get inside to the flesh and water.

I found it easier and more enjoyable than expected by using method #1. Once open, I decided to make coconut milk following the instructions presented on http://www.marksdailyapple.com/coconut/.

This was really delicious and created a sense of accomplishment (and victory!) for having opened and processed my own coconut. Make sure to save a few small chunks to experience the flavorful flesh.

Coconut
Whether whole or in one of its many prepared forms, I hope you enjoy adding coconut to your diet. Remember, there can be too much of a good thing, so don’t go eating coconut oil by the spoonful. Just try mixing things up and using in place of other ingredients to derive the benefits offered from all whole foods.