Coconut Oil…Coconut Oil…I Love Coconut Oil!
Why? Because it turns out that coconut oil is good for you.  Who knew?
If you don’t believe me, check out what Doctor Oz has to say about the
benefits of coconut oil!

For my use, I slather it on my skin, use it in lots of recipes and occasionally swish it in my mouth!  If you have been reading my latest posts, you know I am a fan of coconut oil.

I use it to make popcorn, most baked goods, granola and even to smooth out chocolate.  For those of you worried it will have a strong flavor, it actually does not.  It smells great and the small amount of coconut flavor is very pleasant.

Popcorn:  I make popcorn the way Alton Brown suggests – Check out his Perfect Popcorn Recipe!  He uses peanut oil, which I am sure is wonderful, but because we have a peanut allergy in the family, we treat anything associated with peanuts like the plague.  We substitute coconut oil and it works fabulously!

Baking:  For baking, it is so easy to use.  Melt the coconut oil and use it wherever oil is indicated.  I use it in my recipes for muffins, pancakes, waffles, cupcakes, granola….

Moisturizer:  I slather it on as a moisturizer because it is great for my skin. I use it every night because I hate putting chemicals on my face!  Also, I use organic; no need to absorb any extra toxins.  We have plenty of those in our environment already.   You will find it is a bit greasy, so you need to give it time to absorb, but oh my skin is so soft!

Oil Pulling:  Lastly, I swish it in my mouth – it’s called Oil Pulling and my sister introduced this to me years ago.  Here is a link on Oil Pulling that will explain it better than I can! Historically, oil pulling was performed using sesame or sunflower oil, but because of coconut oil’s anti-microbial properties (I know – can this stuff get any better!) it can also be used.  The swishing is supposed to happen for 20 minutes and honestly, I struggle with performing it for that long.  Pulling is said to have many health benefits, one of which is whitening your teeth – with no toxins – gotta love it!