Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil Review & GIVEAWAY-ENDED

It''s been said...."You can't teach an old dog new tricks."  Or perhaps..... "Old folks can't learn new ways to do things."  Well, I'm here to say, "It can be done!"  I'm Southern through and through. Born and raised in the South.  Lived in the South my entire life.  Learned to cook in the South - Southern Style.  So somewhere along the way, I learned that some of that delicious Southern Style cooking wasn't really that good for you.  So I learned some new ways.  Bacon fat was switched out for margarine.  Then I learned that the trans fats in margarine were not good for you at all, so I learned to cook with Olive Oil and other good-for-you oils.

Recently, I learned that there was another good-for-you oil out there.  One that had been given a bad name a few years back by nutritionists and cholesterol gurus - COCONUT OIL.  Yes folks, coconut oil is being presented as a very good for you oil.  But how often do you see anyone using coconut oil to cook with and how much of it do you see on the grocery shelves?  Not much! But that is beginning to change.

I have been given the opportunity to try Tropical TraditionsGold Label Virgin Coconut Oil.  Then if I desire, I can write a review of what I think of  this coconut oil and even offer a giveaway for one of my lucky readers. I have tried it and here is what I think....

My thoughts:  Like most oils, it has an aroma.  It has the fragrant essence of coconut but it is not strong.  I personally don't care for things that "smell" of coconut such as suntan lotions, soaps, and perfumes.  I avoid them.  But the aroma of Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil is mild and I don't mind it at all.

You can cook with it at a high temperature without a problem  so that makes it ideal for sautéing and frying.  In fact I "fried" some chicken breasts in it for tonight's dinner, and the chicken browned beautifully, was very crisp, and remained crisp.  I was exceptionally pleased and so was my husband.  I only used 3 tablespoonfuls of the coconut oil in the bottom of the frying pan and it worked so nicely.

I have flavored several vegetables with the coconut oil and it works great for that as well.  It only takes a very little.  Now let's talk about how I cooked the chicken:

Debone the chicken breast and remove skin.  Separate the "tender loin" from the main breast, cut off the thin tip of the breast to make a small serving size portion, then slice the thicker portion of the breast horizonally so you have 2 flat pieces.  This will give you 4 pieces from each breast.  Salt and pepper the chicken and refrigerate at least 1 hour.  Mix  1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs with about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of (2% fat) mixed shredded cheese.  Really mix the bread crumbs and cheese with hands to crumble it all together nicely.  Dip chicken in evaporated milk and then roll in mixture of crumbs and cheese to thoroughly coat.  Fry on medium-high heat until nicely browned on each side.  This doesn't take long as the chicken is not too thick and you want it done, and not tough.  Enjoy!

GIVEAWAY - ended:  1 of Chat With Vera's  lucky readers can receive a quart size jar of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil shipped directly to them from the company.  Entries to win are easy but each entry must have your email contact included.  Begins June 21 7:30 p.m. ENDS July 7 at 8:00 p.m. EDT.

Mandatory entry:  Win 1 quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!  Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions email Newsletter. Leave a comment saying you have done so and an email contact.

Extra entry: Follow us on Twitter @troptraditions and @ttspecialdeals & leave a comment with your Tweet handle (mine is @GG_Survey, what is your's?)
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About Tropical Traditions 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?

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.