TROPICAL TRADITIONS GOLD LABEL COCONUT OIL

Anyone that knows me, really really knows me, understands that I'm frugal, not to be confused with cheap.  Spending money on an item just because it's popular or touted to be "the best thing ever" has never been a huge draw.

Now, if I find it truly is a superior product I will spend the extra money on it. Grass fed beef is far superior to conventional beef in my opinion.  It's much more tender, the flavor is amazing, I feel it digests better, so I will spend an extra dollar or two in order to stock our fridge with it.  On the flip side, there's yet to be a chocolate worth more than a few bucks.  I love chocolate, but I inhale the stuff not making it worth some astronomical price.  I wish I was someone who could allow it to sit on my tongue and melt while I take in all the exotic spices I'm enjoying. Alas, that will never be the case. Once again, chocolate inhaler :(

Coconut oil is something I use consistently and never thought much about buying a high-end brand.  There are a few different process in which coconut oil is made and if you want to learn more about the differences between refined, virgin, traditional and gold label coconut oils, CLICK HERE.

I've read several positive reviews regarding TROPICAL TRADITIONS GOLD LABEL COCONUT OIL. When I checked out their website and saw the price I was totally not feeling it, it's just more than I usually spend on product in a single purchase.  Usually I stock either Normally I buy Trader Joe's brand, Spectrum or Dr. Bronners, usually 14oz jars and ranging from $6.00 - $10.00, depending on what sale I come across.  Please be sure to read the disclaimer at the very bottom, I received a jar of coconut oil as a review product and DIDN'T spend money on the product. Moving on...






When I received my QUART of coconut oil...yep...quart, I was ecstatic and really wanted to squirrel it away for something special, but very eager to try it out to see what all the hoopla was about.  So, I cooked up a few of my favorite dishes using the "high quality" stuff.

Baked Chicken Nuggs
Bulletproof Coffee 
Garlic Cauliflower Muffins 

Right off the bat the entire family noticed what the big deal was, the dishes no longer had the "coconuty" taste we have grown accustomed to, which really changes the dishes, neither good or bad, just different.  Texture remained the same, it was definitely all in the flavor.

Tropical Traditions does offer amazing deals on their products, including BOGO's and Free or Discounted Shipping.  An average 32 oz. jar averages $30.00 on their site, which is slightly more than I usually spend BUT with special offers (which they constantly have) as well as discounted or free shipping, I would say it's worth the investment IF you do not want your dishes to have a coconut flavor. If you're fine with whatcha got, then save a few bucks, but it's definitely a good product to try out at least once.

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.  

           

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21-DAY SUGAR DETOX by Diane Sanfilippo

Putting it out there...I'm a total cookbook addict. I love thumbing through all the amazing recipes and beautiful pictures.   So I'm incredibly excited to have received a copy of The 21-Day Sugar Detox book, which is now available for purchase.

Balanced Bites creator and New York Times Best-Selling author of Practical Paleo, Diane Sanfilippo created an amazing program, and now book, called The 21-Day Sugar Detox. The 21-Day Sugar Detox (21DSD) isn't like every other half baked diet plan, or a "diet" at all for that matter, it's a whole-foods based nutrition plan. By removing excess sugars and processed foods, your body and mind can reset back into it’s natural healthier habits. 

Broken into 3 parts, this book is laid out simply and beautifully.

Part I - Bad Carb vs Good Carbs, supplementation and what to expect day by day. 

Part II - Program level quiz, meal plans and modifications

Part III - Recipes recipes and more recipes

Every-other month I complete a 21DSD.  Each round gets easier and easier due to the huge amount of online support and recipe ideas. I'll admit, the first few days are easy, but by day 4 I want to punch everyone. Seriously...right in the face…BAM!  However, as my body adjusts and I begin to detox from all the excess crap, I feel better. The quality of sleep improves, I become more focused, my belly bloat decreases,  skin clears up and there's even a bit of weight-loss.  Now, this isn't a weight-loss book, it's a lifestyle book, but by fueling your body with the proper nutrients weight loss becomes an added bonus. There's no deprivation involved people, just good, wholesome, nutrient dense food.

In case sleep, clear skin, focus weren't reasons enough for you,  I'm going to throw out 5 reasons why this book is a MUST HAVE.

3 PROGRAM LEVELS TO CHOOSE FROM
So many books are made with 1 set of rules that are suppose to apply to everyone, this is not one of those books.
Just starting out on trying to clean up your eating habits, been gluten-free for awhile or following a Paleo or Primal meal plan for years?  There are 3 levels for you to choose from.  Not sure which is best for you? Don't worry, there's a quiz provided to help you out.

DAILY MEAL PLANS

Carrots and steamed broccoli are not the only things to eat when cutting out sugar, but it's hard to know where to start. There is a daily meal plan provided, including recipes, for each level.

RECIPES

Lets talk food! The book is packed with over 90 recipes as well as additional website sources to find even more recipes to suit you. These aren't recipes that take a culinary education background, They're designed for everyone to whip up and use very basic ingredients (no traveling to Middle Earth for a rare herb).

Here's a taste of what you can expect

Spaghetti Sauce

Hot Sweet Ginger Garlic Chicken

Vanilla Bean Coconut Ice Pops

Buffalo Chicken Fritatta
(modified Buffalo Chicken Egg Muffin recipe)

MEAL MODIFICATIONS
Pregnant, athlete or autoimmune condition? Ways to tweak the laid out meal plans have been given. The book and program are designed to work with your lifestyle.



ONLINE SUPPORT
Changing a habit is tough, especially when you feel alone. Don’t worry, there are over 10,000 people that have completed the 21DSD and willing to share their experience with you, including myself.  Online forums, Instagram meal ideas, Facebook, Twitter…it’s everywhere!  Just search #21DSD and you'll see what I'm talking about.
In addition, there are printable guides riiiight...HERE ;)

Order a copy of your very own today

Want more recipes grab the cookbook

Now for those of you 21DSD vets, you might be asking the computer "Why would I buy this if I already know how to do it?".  There are new recipes, like Grain-Free Banola, it's beautifully laid out and the book is a nice size so you can carry it around with you.  I've been carrying it around in my purse during this round of 21DSD, it's just another reminder for me to lay off the sugar.   

Grain-Free Banola

Bottom line...go buy it...now! 


If you're looking for more 21 Day Sugar Detox recipes, visit my 21DSD recipe page for meals I eat when on the program.

 

HAVE YOU DONE A 21DSD?
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE HERE!

The Good Cookies & Beyond

The Good Cookies & Beyond,  based out of Torrance California, is co-owned and operated by friends, Amber Trailer & Lisa McCulloch.  The allergen friendly bakery has been cooking up treats since 2010 and shipping them all across the USA.

In addition to having gluten & wheat free products, they also have dairy free as well as vegan products.  Let them know what your allergy is and they will try to accommodate you.

Their menu is extensive, providing a variety of cupcakes, pies, cakes, cookies, brownies, cheesecakes, bread as well as donut holes.

The double chocolate brownie is the most "Paleo Friendly" of all their products.  It is made with organic natural cane sugar and almond flour and definitely worth the splurge.   Not overly chocolatey, just enough to curb this chocolaholics sweet tooth.

Donut holes are hard to come by when you're living gluten-free, so these bite size goodies were a complete treasure to run across.  They have a great balance of sugar and cinnamon, without being overly "sugary". These are by far my daughters new favorite indulgence. 

Their Almond Butter Coconut Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate Almond Butter Cookie and Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookie stayed soft & chewy after 2 days.  There's really no almond butter explosion that happens, you definitely taste the chocolate.  The Almond Butter Coconut Chocolate Chip reminds me of a Mrs. Fields CocoMac cookie...finally a replacement :)

The frosting on the cupcakes is amazing, not very sweet or buttery, once again a great balance.  The cake portion is incredibly moist, which is rare for a gluten-free product.

CURRENT PRICING (not including shipping)

Cookies $1.50 ea or $12 dozen

Brownies $2.75 ea

Cupcakes $3.50 ea or $36 dozen

Muffin $3.25 or $32 dozen (flavors change)

Organic Bread $10 loaf (soft and delicious, it reminds me of conventional bread, not that hard frozen stuff you find at the market)

Contact them for custom cake pricing or with any additional product pricing questions at 310-941-1426 or e-mail  info@thegoodcookies.com

Overall we love the variety they offer and are especially fond of the brownie and donut holes.  Luckily we live close enough to pick up treats rather than having them shipped, but they do offer shipping across the US.

Visit them at http://www.thegoodcookies.com for more information

Vermont Smoke and Cure - Real Sticks

This week the family tried out Vermont Smoke and Cure Real Sticks.  

Located in Vermont, the company has been producing high quality meats for over 50 years.  They specialize in smoked meats provided by local Vermont farmers, but what my eye is what their products didn't have...

• Made with beef grown without antibiotics and never fed animal byproducts.

• No sodium nitrite added.

• No nitrites or nitrates added except for those found naturally occurring in celery juice and sea salt.

• No preservatives.

• No gluten, no nuts, no milk.

• No MSG, no artificial colors, flavors or smoke.

These 1-oz  sticks are currently available in 3 flavors Chipotle, Cracked Pepper and BBQ.  

Image by Vermont Smoke & Cure

CHIPOTLE - Has an amazing kick to it, a little too for our family.  The burn lasted a little longer than expected, but the flavor surpassed any other chipotle seasoned beef we've had in a very long time. 

CRACKED PEPPER - These sticks had a definite cracked pepper bite, which was mild enough to taste the meat. 

BBQ - Was by far the families favorite and has been requested to be a staple in the house.  There was a great balance of flavor, giving a hint of BBQ to accent the smoked meat...perfection!

 The Vermont Smoke & Cure's Real Sticks have a great texture and are well seasoned. They are incredibly affordable for what the product is.  They average $1.25 each, that's a steel considering Slim-Jims are the same price with all the added junk to boot. 

For you Paleo peeps out there,  there's molasses sugar, so read the ingredients to see if they are an acceptable snack to you.   

 

PALEO BAKEHOUSE COOKIES - Review

What's better than coming home to a box of cookies? Coming home to a box of PALEO cookies.   That's right, my special delivery of cookies from East Coast based Paleo Bakehouse arrived just in time for the weekend.

These Paleo treats are:

• Gluten Free
• Use no refined sugars or refined oil
• Dairy free
• Preservative free

This delivery included 5 Chocolate Chip and 5 Freckled Almond.  The texture and taste of both cookies are great and tasted like they had just come out of the oven.

They claim the cookies are "So delicious your ancestors would approve."  I think they might be on to something.  My husband is not the biggest fan of gluten-free treats, but fell in love with the Freckled Almond. In fact, I thought he and my daughter might have a battle to the death for the last one.  Luckily I hid the last one...it pays to be sneaky ;)

In addition to the Chocolate Chip and Freckled Almond, they also have Power Brownie as well as Amazing Almond.  A little bird (Paleo Curls) told me that the brownies are amazing.

The one thing I know is that I'm crazy about the chocolate chip, especially when making my new favorite treat: DARK CHOCOLATE & ALMOND BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE SANDWICH...AMAZING! I don't think it would come out the same with any other chocolate chip cookie.

The cookies run $7.50 for 5 OR $12.50 for 10 and the brownies run a little higher at $10.00 for 5 OR 10 for $17.50, plus approx. $7.00 for shipping.  When you break it down, it means the cookies run anywhere from $1.52 - $1.95 each.  The price isn't bad considering off the shelf gluten-free cookies that are NOT Paleo average the same price and often have preservatives.

If you're not big on baking and are looking for something to satisfy your cookie craving, Paleo Bakehouse would be a great place to try out.

Cookies are a treat and not a Paleo staple, which in my opinion makes the purchase worth while.

RATING: 3 THUMBS UP! 

CHECKOUT THEIR SITE FOR MORE INFORMATION WWW.PALEOBAKEHOUSE.COM