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| Love this coconut oil! |
Since I forgot to get any butter at the store, I had to melt some coconut oil
for the brownies I was making. Not wanting to waste the coconut oil left in the pot I had melted it in, I got to thinking about what I could do with that pot. Sauteing something would have worked but I didn't not have anything so I just dumped some coconut milk and cocoa powder in it. Several simmering minutes later I had hot chocolate!
Now if you have never had coconut oil in your hot beverage of choice, there is something you should know. There will be little dots of oil floating on the top of your liquid. I had read so many times about adding more coconut oil to your diet by using it in coffee, tea, smoothies, etc. that I finally tried it in my coffee. Yuck! I was not prepared for those blobs floating around.
I am still not too keen on it in my coffee but knowing what to expect does make it more palatable. Anyway, I also had some coconut oil left in the container so I am still trying to figure out how to get it all out and what to do with it. There is always the simple rubbing it into my hands but I was busy with other stuff.
How would you get the last little bit out? And what would you do with it?
Are you as obsessed with this stuff as I am? Sometimes I feel like the father on My Big Fat Greek Wedding with his Windex because this oil cures everything! Some people do not like the "coconutty" taste but I tend to not notice it very much. There are other kinds of coconut oil that do not have a strong flavor but this stuff works for me.
Thanks to Amazon's "subscribe and save" I get two containers of this delivered every month or so depending on how quickly I use it. While this may not be quite as economical as purchasing a gallon at a time, it is the most convenient and budget friendly for me at this point.
Where do you get your coconut oil from?
Cheese should be un-pasteurized or "raw" milk, from grass-fed cows, and full fat. Raw milk is illegal to sell in Louisiana but raw milk cheeses that have been aged more than 45 days are legal for now. Since I do not have access to raw milk (and do not drink it anyway due to allergies) I put importance on buying higher quality cheese. Here is what I typically buy:
Mozzarella - Not a cheese that is aged so raw is not an option. Instead I look for full-fat which so far the Great Value brand by Wal-mart is the only I've found. Therefore, this is a budget friendly compromise I make and use this cheese only for pizzas or lasagnas. As it does not impart a lot of flavor anyway I can't justify the cost of the premium fresh mozzarella balls though I have purchased them on occasion when they are marked down.
Cheddar - This varies depending on what I am using it for. To use uncooked I will look for raw milk brands but for cooking I use either lesser quality brands or grass-fed pasteurized brands. One of my favorite brands of cheese (and butter) is Kerrygold because it is grass-fed but unfortunately not raw. Our Sam's Club recently began carrying two types of their cheeses and their butter so I am enjoying their Ballyshannon.
Parmesan - Belgioioso brand is raw (some types of their cheeses are not so check) and I love their cheeses including asiago. I am able to find their brand at several stores, including Super 1, Kroger's, and Sam's Club.
I intend to add to this list as I buy cheese in the future but these are the main types I buy.
Note: To determine if a cheese is made from raw milk the packaging should not say pasteurized anywhere. Then you may assume it is raw but it doesn't hurt to contact the company just to check.
