CLOSED...Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil Review & Giveaway

Coconuts are an exotic fruit that does not get enough respect in my opinion. Coconut water is packed with hydrating electrolytes. Coconut milk is nutrient-rich in medium chain fatty acids plus vitamins B12 and D. Coconut oil has so many practical uses such as a hair and skin moisturizer, and it is unmatched as a healthy substitute for butter or lard in cooking and baking.

Imagine my glee when I was approved to do a review for Tropical Traditions, makers of dozens of coconut products. I have been stalking their website for months and finally got up the nerve to ask. I was sent a quart of certified organic Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil to try. According to the website, this is the highest quality coconut oil they have to offer. You may be asking what's the difference. The answer is in the process. The Philippines-based founders of Tropical Traditions have perfected a method of making this premium, unrefined virgin coconut oil by hand with a centuries-old process that produces the oil without using heat, chemicals or solvents. You can learn more about it in this video interview with Brian Shilhavy, CEO Tropical Traditions.

The first thing I made with my Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut oil was sweet potato fries:

The fries turned out wonderfully light and crispy and they smelled so good too! The coconut oil added a pleasant flavor without overpowering the sweet potato. It definitely enhanced the taste. I also baked some heavenly, gluten/dairy-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies with the coconut oil, but I ate a cookie monster stole them all before I could snap a photo. I cannot wait to try some of the coconut recipes on the Tropical Traditions site!

Shop: The Organic Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is buy 1 get 1 free until Thursday October 28th, that's $37.50 for two 32 oz jars! You can also receive a complimentary copy of the Virgin Coconut Oil book with your first online order by typing in my User ID # 5632947 when selecting "Referred by a friend" under the "How did you hear of us?" drop down menu after you complete your account information. The book will be automatically added to your order. If you have problems, please contact customer service and someone will gladly help.

Win: One lucky Marlie and Me reader is going to win a quart of Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil.
Mandatory first entry: Check out the hundreds of free coconut recipes on the Tropical Traditions site and leave a comment here telling me one recipe you'd like to try. If you are commenting as Anonymous, please include first name and an email address
All extra entries listed below are worth one (1) additional admission into this giveaway. Please leave a separate comments for each extra entry you complete)Extra Entries for Supporting the Sponsor:

• Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions sales newsletter
  
• Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter (leave Twitter name)

Standard Extra Entries:

• Be a current or new follower of Marlie and Me via Google Friend Connect
• Be a current or new subscriber of Marlie and Me via email (subscription must be activated)
• Grab my button (leave the URL in your comment)
• New! Add Marlie and Me to your blog roll (leave the URL in your comment)
• New! Follow Marlie and Me at Networked Blogs on Facebook (leave your FB initials)
• New! Follow me on Twitter and tweet this message (leave the URL to the tweet in your comment): I just entered to win a quart of Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil @Mommy2Marlie #giveaway
  
• New! Vote for Marlie and Me at Picket Fence Blogs (click button above Google Friend Connect widget)

The rules:

• This giveaway will end on 11/12/10 at 11:59 pm CST
• Winner will be chosen randomly from all comments posted using Random.org
• The winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to respond. Please make sure I can contact you either by having an email address visible on your blog profile or leave your email address in your comment(s).
• In the event the prize is not claimed in the allotted time another winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to US/Canada. Must be at least 18 years of age to participate. Void where prohibited.
• By accepting the prize, the winner is granting permission to be identified as such.The winner's mailing address will be forwarded to the sponsor for prize fulfillment.
• The winner has one (1) month from the date of claiming the prize to report any problems (lost shipment, broken product). I will not be responsible for resolving issues after this time.
• Entries that do not follow instructions or are falsified will be disqualified