Happy Hump Day! It has been a while since I linked up with Jenn at Peas and Crayons for What I Ate Wednesday, so I thought I would join in with today’s eats (since I’ve already posted some of things I’ve eaten the past few days).
Breakfast was No Oat Oatmeal with some chopped spinach added and topped with almond butter. This seems to be Keenan’s and my new “usual’ breakfast around here, though I’m still trying hard to mix things up and break out of my routine here and there. I also enjoyed my morning latte with almond milk, which tasted even better today (I think it is growing on me!).
Such a satisfying breakfast!
Since I did my ALL-time-favorite thing today (not really!)–clean house–my mom came over to play with Keenan so I could get everything done much faster without having my little “cleaning helper” wipe lemon oil on everything but the wood. It helped a lot, since I managed to finish the whole house before heading to CrossFit, and Keenan had a wonderful time playing with Nonna.
For lunch, I made a nice big pear and walnut salad with chicken for all of us. I used a mix of champagne and balsamic vinegar with olive oil for the vinaigrette. I usually add feta cheese, but it was still tasty!
One of my favorite salads!
Tonight, we are going to enjoy a nice big bowl of “pasta”: spaghetti squash topped with my pasta sauce. I just wish we could add some Parmesan or Pecorino cheese to it!
Now, onto Tropical Traditions!
The generous folks at Tropical Traditions reached out to me last month and sent a jar of their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil. It was perfect timing, as I have been wanting to experiment more with coconut, since it has so many wonderful nutritional benefits! Coconut contains healthy saturated fat, fiber, vitamins C and B, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron. It is a great addition to anyone’s way of eating.
Tropical Traditions is a family-run business co-founded by Brian and Marianita Shilhavy, who helped to ignite the coconut revolution. They moved back to the Philippines in 1998 with their family and renovated Marianita’s family’s old farmhouse. They found that the homemade coconut oil was the only oil that the older generation consumed, who were still active and farming. This led them to make coconut oil themselves and sell it on the internet in 2000. At that point, the coconut revolution began.
Since I made (attempted to make) a new Paleo pancake recipe yesterday, I added Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil into the batter, along with using it to oil the pans before cooking them. When I first opened the jar, the aroma of coconut brought me back to the tropics! In fact, after mt husband smelled it, he immediately said, “Wow, that is the real deal!” Also, I have to say Tropical Tradition’s oil was softer than other ones that I have used (making it much easier to scoop out). Other coconut oils have been so hard and crumbly, that I felt like I was digging for gold to get them out. Tropical Traditions oil melted and cooked nicely, adding the richness of coconut, along with a hint of the flavor to our pancakes. I was very impressed! In addition, I was surprised at how light the oil was once it was melted. It wasn’t thick and syrupy when adding it to the pan, nor did it add a heaviness to our pancakes. I look forward to baking with it, using it in cookies and muffins, since the oil is so light.
So much easier to scoop out than other brands of coconut oil.
All in all, if you are looking to try coconut oil, I highly recommend Tropical Traditions. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Since Tropical Traditions was so generous, they offered to send one lucky reader a jar of their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil, too! Before I talk about the giveaway, here is some info from them:
Win 1 quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!
Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil? You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil here.
Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.
To enter the giveaway, please follow the steps below:
*Giveaway ends next Wednesday, January 16th at midnight PST! Good luck!
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.
Another blog I’ve followed for a couple years, Heavenly Homemakers, is a big fan of Tropical Traditions. I won a whole free range turkey last year from her blog, provided by Heavenly Homemakers. It was fabulous!
Awesome, I’ll have to check out Heavenly Homemakers! Thanks!
I’d use it to saute veggies or in baked goods!
Thanks for your post about coconut oil! I just wrote about it on my own blog, too. It seems to be quite popular lately and I’m excited to try it more frequently. Happy blogging! 🙂
Thanks, Rochelle! The more I use coconut oil, the more I love it!
I love Tropical Traditions Coconut oil! Coconut oil in general really! We use it everyday in our cooking especially now with the Paleo challenge. I’ve also used it in my hair before my long runs during the summer. It’s a great deep conditioner!
I would make granola.
WONDERFUL PRODUCT, THANKS!
I would use the coconut oil in baking, cooking, stir frying, and as a skin moisturizer
rollerbeth at gmail dot com
I would make granola
I would use the coconut oil anywhere I would use canola oil. I’d love to be able to add it to my baked oatmeal for some real coconutty taste! 🙂
If I win, I would use it in my hair as a pre-poo and deep conditioning treatments and for frying.
I love to fry foods in coconut oil (eggs are delicious!) I don’t use any vegetable oil, so I use coconut oil as a replacement for oil in recipes. I like to make coconut flour pancakes fried in coconut oil. I make “chocolate” using coconut oil and cocoa and baking chocolate and coconut shreds. I use it as a moisturizer. I love coconut oil!
There are a zillion recipes to use this healthy delicious stuff!
I would use it to replace veggi oil in the kitchen and make my own facewash out of it!
I love coconut oil for my hands and feet in the winter – it’s the only thing that really keeps them hydrated.
I LOVE IT, THANK S AGAIN!
I like to roast rams in coconut oil!
I use coconut oil in all of my meals. My most frequent use is using it to pop popcorn.
WONDERFUL PRODUCT, THANKS! I APPRECIATE IT
i would use it in smoothies and baking..
stigre3atyahoodotcom
I use coconut oil for many things! I like to use it to make raw chocolate, in smoothies, for cooking, and topically!
I would use it for my favorite quinoa granola recipe!
I would use it for baking!
I would love to use it to make popcorn!
wildorchid985 @ gmail dot com
Thank you so much for the post and giveaway! I need to get some so I can make my recipes a little healthier and tastier. Can’t wait to use it in my new Coconut Banana Bread recipe!
I LOVE IT, THANK YOU!Have a great day
I’d use it in baking – I’ve noticed coconut oil lends a really nice flavor to baked goods!