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.

here are their links:

How to Use Coconut Oil: There are hundreds of uses! http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/how-to-use-coconut-oil.htm

Where to Buy Coconut Oil? http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/buy-coconut-oil.htm

What is Virgin Coconut Oil? http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/what_is_virgin_coconut_oil.htm

That being said I wasn’t going to just let my jar sit on the shelf unused.   I brainstormed all the different ways I could use it.   When I test a product I really test a product because there is no way I am going to endorse or write off a company unless I have done all I can do with it.

Keep in mind, I cook Gluten free and most items are dairy and soy free as well.

Test #1 – Pie crust.   I replaced the butter with coconut oil.   I did not like the turn out on this.   The crust would not hold together and I ended up adding another egg, guar gum and more flour to get it to hold.  But the flavor was nice once it did hold together.   In the future I probably won’t use it for pie crust.

Test #2  Chicken fried steak in melted coconut oil.  The meat soaked up the oil like a camel from a year’s vacation in the dessert.   I had to keep adding more.  But the end product was a nice light tasting fried steak (which kind of was odd to me seeing it soaked up so much oil) and my family who usually can taste a pea amount of coconut in anything didn’t notice a coconut taste.

Test #3 because I am not the most graceful cook I learned today that coconut oil does a great job on burns.  It also doubles in making your hands baby soft.  You can also shave with it and give your legs a moisturizing treatment at the same time.   I like putting it on my feet and wrapping in warm towels prior to a shower.   (But that I reserve for my less expensive coconut oil)

Test #4 I wanted to try a yummy dessert.  I tried the gluten free applesauce cookies.  It only called for 4 tbsp. of oil so there wasn’t much to mess up.  It was good, enjoyed the texture and taste but not a fan of shredded coconut.     I did however love that they were a gluten free, low carb, low sugar recipe.  You can find this recipe on their home page.

Test #5 Rubbing my chicken with coconut oil and seasoning before putting in the rotisserie.   This turned out okay but I am a fan of butter so this was not a favorite although still yummy.

Test #6 when my bread was ½ way done cooking I took some melted coconut oil and brushed the tops of my bread to keep it soft.  This worked well but didn’t add any flavor.  Made for a nice soft upper crust.

Test #7 I replaced the butter with coconut oil in a basic muffin recipe.  Muffin recipe was mainly white rice flour based and the substitution worked great and we didn’t notice any difference in taste or texture but since the kids knew there was coconut oil they claimed they could taste it although I could not.  So coconut oil would be a great sub for butter if dairy free which we are.

Test #8 final test was a homemade chocolate hard shell topping for ice cream.  What a way to finish up my coconut oil!   It was totally awesome.

I liked that you can use coconut oil to fry on high heat,  It’s a wonderful moisturizer, It works great with gluten free cooking, adds a rich flavor to your foods both fried and baked. And the main reason I like coconut oil is that it is healthy as long as you are not allergic to coconuts. Coconut oil is also known for being antiviral and antibacterial.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h6eycjf29M&w=420&h=315]

WIN A FREE QUART OF COCONUNT OIL http://glutenfreealaska.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/coconut-oil-giveaway/