Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil Review & Giveaway!

I am always looking for ways to add more organic and natural products to our home and our day-to-day routine. I have used coconut oil in the past (as a diaper rash cream and lotion for dry skin/eczema for little man!) and I recently learned about Tropical Traditions and their Virgin Coconut Oil. I was so excited when I got the opportunity to try some!

Here is a video on how the founders of Tropical Traditions, Brian and Marianita Shilhavy, discovered virgin coconut oil:

 
The Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is an unrefined coconut oil made from organic coconuts. The coconut trees and family producers are certified organic according to strict USDA standards and the families who produce the oil are also trained according to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice). The coconuts are hand-picked and only the highest quality coconuts are used from each harvest. The fresh coconut meat is shredded and cold-pressed, using the water from inside the coconuts to make coconut milk, and the oil naturally separates from the milk.  Tropical Traditions does not use any chemical or high-heat treatment on their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil and this oil contains no trans fatty acids. Virgin Coconut Oil is also rich in lauric acid, a nutrient that supports the body’s immune system!

Tropical Traditions sent me a 32oz. jar of their Virgin Coconut Oil. I was excited to open it (and start cooking!) and was pleasantly surprised at how coconut-y it smelled and tasted! Yup! I tried it too - I dipped a spoon in and tasted it! It has a mild, yet noticeable and flavorful coconut taste. I also tried a little on my hands, since they have been so dry lately and I thought that it was nice and moisturizing. 

Since I had never actually used coconut oil for cooking before, I decided to look up some recipes from Tropical traditions Free Coconut Recipes blog! There are so many to choose from! I was really feeling like making some banana bread, so I decided to try the Whole Wheat Banana Coconut Bread recipe! I did make a couple changes to the recipe: I didn't use the shredded coconut (I didn't have any), I also didn't add walnuts (thought I had some, but ended up being out! Sad day.) and I didn't have quite as much raw honey as the recipe called for (I had just over 1/4 a cup).

Measuring out the coconut oil. You can see how "liquid-y" it is at room temperature.

Still, with those changes, the recipe turned out delicious! It was moist, light and fluffy and hubby swears he could taste a hint of coconut in it! The coconut oil gave it a nice flavor, without weighing down the bread or making it taste "oily". Hubby, little man and I polished that loaf of banana bread in just under 3 days! I already want to make more!

Yum!

I have also used it to make a curry, chicken, veggie and quinoa dish that I cooked up myself. I sauteed the chicken in the coconut oil and then added some curry seasoning, salt, pepper and garlic. The aroma was just so yummy - you could smell a hint of coconut as it was cooking and it paired excellently with the curry!  

Overall, I have really enjoyed using Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil for cooking! I really love that the coconuts are organically grown and I appreciate the age old traditions that the Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is made with. I have been very happy with the cooking results and am so pleased to have found a great oil to cook with and use!  

You can BUY Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil HERE. (ARV $40.00 for a 1 Quart (32 FL. oz.) glass jar, but it is currently on sale for $29.50)

-OR-

  You can enter to WIN a 32 ounce jar (1 quart) of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!

Here's how to enter: 
Mandatory Entry:

• First, you must publicly follow my blog via GFC!

*This mandatory entry must be completed for the rest of your entries to be valid. I will be checking/verifying your comments, if you say you signed up for something or did something, you do need to actually do it for it to count as an entry*

 

Extra Entries:

•  Follow @Troptraditions on Twitter and comment here with your Twitter ID.  (1 entry)

• Like Tropical Traditions on Facebook - Be sure to let me know your facebook name when you post back here. (Please no, “I was sent by…” posts ) (1 entry)

• Visit Tropical Traditions and tell me another product or a recipe you would love to try! (1 entry)

• Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions Sales Newsletter (1 entry)

•  Follow The Little Hedgehog on Facebook and comment here with your Facebook name. (1 entry) 

• Follow @lttlehedgehog on Twitter and comment here with your Twitter ID. (1 entry) 

• Tweet about this giveaway. Comment with a direct link to your tweet so I can see it to get your entry!  You may use this tweet or make up your own:  
  Enter to #win Coconut Oil from @Troptraditions on the @lttlehedgehog blog! http://bit.ly/pO33QI {Ends 9/23}  #organic #coconutoil #giveaway
  (1 entry per day)

• Sign up to receive The Little Hedgehog emails via feedburner and have your subscription verified. (2 entries) 

•  Add my button to your blog and leave me a link (2 entries)

• Blog about this review/giveaway. Be sure to include a link to this review/giveaway. Comment with a link to your blog post to get your entry! (2 entries)  

• Vote for my blog on Picket Fence Blogs (1 entry daily)

Good Luck!

*Don't forget to put your email address in each comment so I can get a hold of you if you are the lucky winner! If I cannot get a hold of you, I will have to draw another winner! Also, I will check to make sure that the winner filled out the mandatory entry.
 

***Open to U.S. & Canada*** 

I'll accept entries until Friday, September 23, 2011 at Midnight PST. I'll select a winner using random.org's random number generator, then email the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email and if I don't get a response, I will have to choose another winner. Again, make sure you leave your email address in your comment! 

*Tropical Traditions will be sending the winner’s prize item to them directly.*

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.