Wednesday, August 29, 2012

review: Tropical Traditions Gold Label Coconut Oil

We like coconut oil, and we use a fair amount of it around here. 


The first jar of coconut oil I bought wasn't very good.  We didn't use it for much other than popping popcorn.  We then procured some organic virgin coconut oil.  Oh, this was much better!  A delicious mild coconut flavor.  I began to use it more frequently in cooking and baking. 
 

Still, I kept reading about Tropical Traditions, a company that was apparently the "gold standard" of coconut oil.  I was curious; could this stuff really be that good? 
 

I was very excited to receive a quart of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil for review.  I was also impressed with the generous amount they sent!  I've spent the last month or so trying it out in various cooking and baking applications. 
 

First of all, let me just say..."YUM."  This stuff is good.  It has that lovely coconut flavor that I've enjoyed in other virgin coconut oils.  Sometimes we put it on bread in lieu of butter.  I noticed the Tropical Traditions seemed smoother or "creamier" than the other brands; it spread more easily.  It also melted better, which was helpful when I wanted it in liquid form to use in a recipe. 
 

It makes wonderful breads (both quick breads and yeast breads) and baked goods (like my grandmother's blondies!).  It's been used on vegetables, in oatmeal, and to make popcorn.  Really, it worked perfectly in everything I tried.  
 

You can go to www.coconutoil.com if you are interested in reading more about coconut oil and its health benefits. 
 
Stay tuned for info on how YOU can possibly get free coconut oil from Tropical Traditions!
 




http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/virgin_coconut_oil.htm
 
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.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

when autocorrect loses its mind...

Back in the spring, my brother gave us an iPad.  The girls and I share it, and we love it.  Love, love, love it.  However, its autocorrect feature leaves a bit to be desired.  It adds punctuation where I don't want it, changes words I don't want changed, and generally makes a nuisance of itself.

However, sometimes it is amusing to see what autocorrect will do.  One night, while chatting with a favorite online buddy of mine (I'll call her Aeryn) I complained about the autocorrect function.  I said that I didn't need the iPad to help me make typos; I could make typos just fine all on my own.  Ironically, the iPad changed "typos" to "tops," demonstrating my point quite well.

The conversation I had two nights ago takes the cake though.  Autocorrect lost its mind, I tell you.  I "met" Aeryn via LiveJournal, where we both have pages.  We abbreviate LiveJournal LJ in chat.  Well, I usually try to abbreviate it, anyway.  When I attempted to say something to Aeryn about visiting her LJ, the iPad took it upon itself to change "LJ" to...

Ljubljana.

I kid you not.  The iPad thought I was trying to type Ljubljana.

Because if I'm going to visit somewhere, somewhere I would abbreviate LJ, that must be the place, right?  Eye roll. 

In case you're curious (I was), Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia.

Here is the conversation, for your viewing pleasure:  


So...I guess I'll see you in Ljubljana.  Apparently I go there quite frequently.  The iPad says so.