Move over Olive Oil. There is a tropical oil making her way into pantries and beauty shelves everywhere and she's a tough nut to crack. Welcome... Coconut Oil.
With versatility in both form and uses, coconut oil is mixing herself up in everything from cakes to cuticle cream. It seems our endeavor for the "one stop shop" as turned in to "one oil for all". Pinterest, of course, is on the forefront of pushing coconut on my skin and in my kitchen.
Before I get to my Pinterest Interest, let me tell you why this crazy stuff fascinates me.
1.
It changes form. Refrigerator = hard ice cream like consistency. On my cool bathroom shelf = thick custard consistency. Looking down from the top shelf of my kitchen cabinet = 80% clear liquid to 20% white molasses consistency. CRAZY!!! This comes into play when cooking. Measure out the oil IN LIQUID FORM ONLY. I made one thing months ago and found of the hard way that all forms of the oil are not equal in size.
2.
I can hardly taste it. Maybe because I really like the taste of coconut in general I don't taste it much in my cooking. however, I do like that the flavor is subtle, because I am a gal of substitutions and when I opt of canola oil or vegetable oil I can't taste anything different.
3.
My face likes it. I am allergic, as my family and friends will tell you from my swift
Mystique like full body transformation into Allergectra (she goes from normal to a severe allergic reaction in seconds), to almost everything, plants included. Coconut oil... NO REACTION!
4.
Good price points are out there. CAUTION. You must shop around for the deal. Costco, Sprouts and Trader Joe's are the stores to shop.
Baking
No Bake Homemade Chew Granola Bars - I did half of the recipe because I didn't have enoough oats on hand. Good heavens are these yummy! Since I cut down the recipe I used an 8x8 pan instead of a cookie sheet.
Coconut Oil Banana Bread - The real name has "Pineapple" before it. I am not a big fan of pineapple in bread. However, the recipe clearly stated my favorite word in baking "substitutions" AND they listed options. I went for the frozen blueberries (they were in my freezer). Side Note: this recipe froze really well!
Chewy Chocolate Chunk Coconut Oatmeal Cookies {Made with Coconut Oil} - These were interesting. This is the second time I made cookies with C. Oil and they were really fluffy. Tasted just fine, but they were not "flat" as picture. In the bottom of the original post the blogger said to cut the flour down for more of the "crisp" cookie look. Next time I shall try that.
Beauty
Body Scrub - Making this was so easy! I chose the salt way and it was great! Mushed it together in a sandwich bag poured it into a min mason jar, stuck it in the fridge to congeal and poof. Salt Scrub for my tootsies.
Under Eye Cream - AVID BELIEVER. As a dessert dweller I am obsessed with moisture in my skin. I felt a difference in my skin after using this. It is a little "sticky" at first, but in the morning my face absorbed it. Felt baby soft. Side Note: To keep my skin hydrated I always wash my face first before applying anything, lotion my entire body, chug 25-30 sips of water every night and take a fish oil pill every other day. This routine has taken be YEARS of trial and error to get to.
Makeup Remover - What a life saver. The hardest, "water resistant", "covers up scars", "24 hours of staying power" is no match for "Organic Coconut Oil. I will admit the mascara is worthy competetor, but in the end the nut did not crack. ( like I did writing that awful joke)
Coconut Lotion Bars - SILICONE MUFFIN TRAY. Get this. Bed Bath and Beyond for $13. Beeswax is hard to find. Beeswax sticks to everything. Beeswax is WATER RESISTANT aka does not wash off. I liked the final product and it was fun to make... once. If you love it make it again, but although I liked what came out sweet heavens was this a mess I am just not willing to clean up again. The tray saved this project. Get the tray.
