Here’s how it went. I entered a giveaway for a quart of Tropical Traditions coconut oil over at Blissful Britt. I wasn’t feeling particularly lucky, but you can’t win if you don’t play.  Then a few days later, I received an email from Tropical Traditions asking if I’d like to review their product and give away a bottle to boot. I was on it like brown on rice! Hot on the heels of this invitation, Brittany announced that I’d won the coconut oil – talk about the universe aligning!

I was a slow convert to the ways of coconut oil, but I’ve found that I love using it in variety of recipes from savory dishes to breads and sweets. This product has staying power in my kitchen, though I have vowed to use it sparingly as I do all oil products. One of the great things about using coconut oil is that it adds an unmistakable and (in my opinion) welcome flavor to every recipe; the smell alone has me hooked.

You can find the recipe for my snickerdoodles here.

I made a modified version of the Coconut Peanut Butter Granola recipe found on the Tropical Traditions website.

The Kelvis sandwich with Maple Whole Wheat Waffles.

Hands down this is the best cornbread I’ve made. The coconut oil gives it an almost buttery flavor and the texture is moist with the perfect amount of crumbliness. You don’t taste the orange juice in this – it just mellows out the whole wheat – a little trick I learned from King Arthur Flour. This comes together fast so it’s perfect for a quick side. You can find a treasure trove of coconut-oil recipes on the Tropical Traditions website.

Cornbread
Makes 8 slices

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup corn meal
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp. flaxseed meal + 3 tbsp. water (whisk together until frothy)
1-2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn

Preheat the oven to 400F and lightly oil a 9″ pie plate or 9″ square baking dish.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, corn meal and baking powder. In a smaller bowl, mix together the milk, orange juice, coconut oil, flaxseed meal mixture and maple syrup.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry and add the corn. Stir until thoroughly combined. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing.

Now for the legal stuff and – - how to win!

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:

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.

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.

(If you are interested in purchasing a product from Tropical Traditions, please click on the image below to be taken to the site. 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 as a member of their referral program, I will receive a discount coupon. There is also a link to the Tropical Traditions site at the bottom of my website. Thank you!)

Enter for a chance to win a gigantic quart-sized jar via Rafflecopter! Important: in order to be eligible you MUST subscribe to the Tropical Traditions newsletter – so be sure to make this one of your entries!