Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream: Recipe and Giveaway!

Earlier this month I did a review of Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate. Now I've got a delicious recipe to go with it, and a giveaway!  One lucky reader will soon receive their very own jar, and I have a suggestion on how you might want to use it.

Coconut Almond Bliss Bars

Ingredients:
-2 bars (7 ounces) dark chocolate
-1/2 cup Tropical Traditions Gold Label Coconut Oil
-3/4 cup Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate
-1/4 cup slivered almonds
-1/4 cup shredded coconut



Start by prepping your candy dish. I used a standard baking dish and lined it with plastic wrap. This will make it easier to remove your candy from the dish.

In a double boiler melt 1 bar (3.5 ounces) of dark chocolate and 1/4 cup Tropical Traditions Gold Label Coconut Oil, stirring continuously. Pour it into your lined baking dish, give it a tap on the counter to make sure it's all settled and there are no air bubbles, then put it in the regrigerator to harden.

In a bowl, combine 3/4 cup Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate, 1/4 cup shredded coconut and 1/4 cup slivered almonds. Pour this over the hardened chocolate. Again tap the dish gently on the counter to get everything to settle evenly. Place the dish back into the refrigerator and again let it harden.

Grab your favorite spoon and clean out the bowl while you wait.

Again, in a double boiler melt the other 3.5 ounces of chocolate and 1/4 cup coconut oil. Once melted, pour the chocolate over the top of the hardened coconut cream. Again, refrigerate.

Remove the dish from the refrigerator and gently give the plastic wrap a tug. The candy will easily pop free. With a large knife cut it up into squares. It works best if you lie the knife level and give even pressure straight down. A slight rocking motion can help.

One thing to note is that these can be very melty, especially in the summer or a warm house, so you'll want to keep them refrigerated or frozen, which is all the better. You won't want them setting on the counter, tempting you.


If you'd like to buy coconut cream concentrate or gold label coconut oil from Tropical Traditions (which I highly recommend you do), please use my referral ID: 6618760. As a first time buyer you'll receive a free book with over 85 fabulous recipes and lots of information on why coconut products are so good for you! They don't sell just coconut products either. You can find tons of healthy and delicious goodies and they're always running great sales. Also, if you use my code I'll receive free coconut oil in return. (I would surely appreciate that!)

And...

One lucky reader has the chance of winning their own jar of Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate. It's so easy!

Italian Sausage Meatloaf

One of my favorite meals has always been Italian sausage with peppers and onions. It brings back memories of summertime with my parents, summer cookouts and family picnics. I especially loved them with mayonnaise and mustard. Now that I've gone Primal, it's just not the same without piling it all on a hotdog bun. Or... is it?

It's wintertime and there's nothing like comfort foods to make you feel warm and cozy. One of my favorites being meatloaf, I decided to get a little creative with it. I'm not sure when it hit me that I should combine these two favorites, but once it did I knew I had to try it.

The nice thing about this meatloaf is, it's incredibly simple, and incredibly easy. You only need 4 ingredients.

For each pound of Italian sausage, you'll need 1 bell pepper, 1 medium onion, and 1 egg. That's it. No, really.

Dice up your bell peppers and onions into chunks. I left my chunks somewhat large to get that familiar "peppers and onions" texture.

Put all of your ingredients in a nice big bowl, and dig in with both hands, getting it all mixed up. Yes, you have to use your hands. It's a rule.

Press your meat mixture into a baking dish and bake it at 350 degrees until it reaches 165 degrees in the center. Cooking time will vary depending on how large a batch you make. My last batch was 3 pounds of meat, so it took a lot longer than 1 pound would take.

When serving you can go two ways with this. For most of the week I simply plopped a tablespoon of mayonnaise on top and a hearty squirt of mustard. It was so delicious.

Later in the week I ran out of both mayo and mustard (*sigh*) so I got a bit creative and topped my meatloaf with mozzarella cheese. Now I wish I'd been doing that all along.

Either way it makes for a fantastic meal. I think this is officially my favorite way to enjoy meatloaf now. It'll be hard going back to any other kind.

Review: Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate

This is an unpaid, independent review of Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate. 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.

To put it plainly... It's the best thing I have ever tasted.

For months now I've heard people absolutely rave about coconut cream. How delicious it is, how creamy, how good. My curiosity got the better of me and I had to give it a try for myself. I couldn't wait to get it. I checked the tracking number every single day to see where the package was. The day it arrived at the post office I was absolutely giddy. It was as exciting as Christmas!

At first I was nervous to open it. I mean, if this stuff is so precious and wonderful, I certainly don't want to waste it! It actually sat in the pantry for a week. I kept looking at it, wanting to use it, but I wasn't sure how.

Finally, after peeking into the pantry day after day wondering what I should do with this prized treat, I decided to have at it. The least I could do is taste it!

I popped the cap and it smelled amazing. It smelled rich and nutty like my coconut flour. Getting to the tasting part was a little more work than I thought it would be. The oil and pulp had separated and solidified.

I set the jar in front of my space heater until it was all liquidy again. I tried stirring it with a spoon inside the jar and ended up splurping some of the oil out onto the counter- which I promptly licked off in a very unladylike fashion. I am not ashamed!

Ok, plan B. I dumped the entire jar into a mixing bowl and attacked it with my electric mixer. It worked like a charm. Not only that, but it gave me a great excuse to not only lick the beaters, but the bowl too! It was like being a kid again, licking the bowl after mom made brownies, only better. I poured the re-mixed coconut cream back into the jar and then proceeded to clean out the bowl.

I scraped a teaspoon in and gave a taste... and wow. Seriously... wow. It was like almond butter, times a thousand. What was really surprising was how wonderfully sweet it was! I certainly didn't expect that. I tasted it again, and one more time. The bowl was clean before I was ready to quit. I'm going to have to control myself around this stuff.

The first thing I did was put a bit of it in my coffee, and it added a lovely flavor but didn't make it "creamy" like I'm used to with coconut milk. However this stuff is much to nice to "waste" on just my coffee.

I have to find recipes that give this stuff justice. So far I've come across recipes for fudge, hot chocolate, various soups and candies. Tropical Traditions has tons of fantastic recipes on their website. I must have browsed them for no less than an hour yesterday and bookmarked several. So many recipes, so little time!

I do have one very special recipe in mind. It's something I sorta dreamed up and I can't wait to make it. I'm just waiting on my Tropical Traditions gold label virgin coconut oil to arrive at the post office. Stay tuned!

Boarfest Tickets Now On Sale!

Notice: Payments MUST be postmarked by June 1st.

If you have any questions at all, feel free to comment below or e-mail me at DianaRenata@live.com

What is Boarfest 2011?

Everything Including the Feet

Chicken feet.

What? Why not?

Honestly, I never really considered them... until I saw an ad on Craig's List. "Chicken feet. $1.00 per pound." How could I resist!? Besides, you know me. I'm always game for trying something new and unusual, and for most people here in the US, chicken feet are definitely unusual.

Cooking up something like this, I had to do some investigating to find out just what I'm supposed to do. Most people I talked to simply used them for stock. What fun is that? I want to EAT them! With some digging around the Internet I found everything I needed to give it a try. It was surprisingly easy, albeit... messy. One thing I learned through this process- I need to practice my deep frying skills.

So, if you're the adventurous sort, and you want to go about trying chicken feet, here's what you do...

First, you need the feet. You can usually get them pretty cheap from any place that butchers chickens. You'll get about 8 feet in a pound.

Start by thoroughly washing the feet with a salt scrub to make sure you get any nasty bits off. Next you'll need to cut off the toenails. You'll cut right through the toe right at the tip.

It's actually quite easy and all you need is a good sharp knife. A pair of kitchen scissors will work just as well. Sometimes the feet will have calluses. You'll want to remove these as well.

Seriously, my first thought was "I cannot believe I'm giving my dinner a pedicure."

After the toenails are removed, give your chicken feet a quick boil- 5 to 10 minutes. Remove them from the boiling water and dry them thoroughly. You don't want any extra moisture when they go in the hot grease.

While the feet dry, heat your tallow and prepare for frying. Give them one last pat with a paper towel and drop them into the hot grease. Basically you fry them just like you would fry chicken wings. Be careful! There will be some pops and spatters. This was the part I wasn't prepared for and made quite a mess.

Once they're nice and crisp, remove them from the grease and let them dry one a paper towel. Coat with your favorite sauce and enjoy them just like chicken wings.

Well... not just like chicken wings. They do taste a little bit different. There isn't actually much meat on a chicken foot, but there's lots of yummy skin, and other tasty tissue. I know, that doesn't sound the most appetizing, but I assure you, they're quite good!

For my first try I made a sort of Chinese sauce. I couldn't for the life of me tell you what it was, or if it was a proper recipe. I just sorta threw some ingredients together, heated it through, and hoped for the best. Sesame oil, wheat-free tamari, some honey, diced onion, bell pepper and garlic, some grated ginger, Chinese five spice. Whatever it was, it tasted good!

Another thing I noticed, when eating chicken feet there are three main eats. There's the skin around the leg, the soft part on the bottom, and the bones in the toes are actually soft enough you can eat them.

Now that I know what the taste and texture is like, I think for my next round of chicken feet I'm going to go with a traditional Buffalo wing sauce and maybe some blue cheese.

They look a bit unusual, but don't let their appearance intimidate you. :)

Announcing Boarfest 2011!

That's right, Boarfest 2011 is being planned!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Boarfest 2010, it was a boar roast I hosted for Primal Blueprint lifestylers in Addison, New York. We roasted a boar, ate copious amounts of pig, venison, vegetables, fruits, and wine. There was a bonfire and live music. It was a fantastic gathering that absolutely must be repeated.

With some learning from last year's trial and error, there will be a few changes to hopefully make it run a bit smoother, make it even more enjoyable, and best of all... do something good.

Boarfest will be held July 30th, 2011. This will be basically a one-day boar roast, but attendees are more than welcome to camp out between July 29th at noon to July 31st at 4pm.

Bathrooms will be provided, but there will be no showers. There will be, however, a garden hose and a kiddie pool. Grok don't need no stinkin' hot showers! There will also be some cooking stations, and you are welcome to bring your own grills and anything else you will need for cooking.

We will be providing a wild boar for Saturday night for all to enjoy. The more attendees, the bigger the boar! If you're camping, bring whatever other foods you want. Additional food will be provided as the budget allows.

If you're interested in sharing a favorite dish to share with other Primal partiers, leave a comment below and let us know what you'll be sharing. Copies of the recipes would also be appreciated by those of us who love to cook! I would love to share them with my blog readers as well!

There will also be a bonfire and music. If you play an instrument- drums, a guitar, didgeridoo, kazoo... feel free to bring it along. The more the merrier! Spontaneous dancing and revelry are welcome!

Boarfest will take place very near Lammas, the first harvest festival, which is August 1st. I will also be holding a small "thanksgiving" ritual in honor of the Sabbat and all are welcome to participate.

Cost to attend Boarfest this year will be $35 per person, $5 per child, whether you come only for the roast on Saturday or camp for the weekend. This will cover the cost of the boar and other expenses. Additional proceeds will be donated to Heifer International. How great would it be to roast and eat a pig, and then buy one for a needy family!? The more money we raise, the bigger the gift we can buy. Feel free to browse their gift catalog HERE.

Please print and sign this form and mail it with payment to the address provided. Look for the link in the column to the right in the next few weeks. Once payment is processed you will receive a ticket in the mail. Please bring this with you as there will be a prize drawing at the event.

Also, we're hoping once again to offer Boarfest apparel (hey, you gotta have souvenirs!) for purchase. Information on that to come.

*Nota Bene:

- You do not have to be Primal to attend Boarfest, however if you bring food to share, please make sure it is Primal-friendly. For a list of approved foods (and a chuckle,) see the video below.

- This is a drug-free event. Alcohol will be permitted to persons of legal age. You will need to provide your own alcohol. Please drink responsibly and not to excess.

- Please no pets, unless they're on the menu.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me either with the comments section or at DianaRenata@live.com I will periodically update this page as needed.

Mustard Salmon with Spicy Tamari Aioli

This was an unintentional blog post, but it turned out so well, I just had to share. There are no measurements to this recipe. You're just gonna have to feel your way through.

Mustard Salmon

Ingredients:
-salmon
-mustard greens
-mayonnaise
-wheat-free tamari
-spicy brown mustard

Start by cooking up your salmon. Heat coconut oil in a pan and add your salmon fillets. Rub the top with spicy brown (also called deli) mustard. When the bottom side is cooked, place the pan under the broiler to brown the top.

If you're not familiar with mustard greens, or don't have them, kale will work equally well. Mustard greens aren't quite as rugged as kale, and they also have a very strong, spicy mustard flavor, which is reduced by cooking. Because it is more delicate than kale, cooking time is fairly short.

While the salmon is cooking, heat a pot of water to boil and tear mustard greens into pieces. Quickly blanch greens in the boiling water and drain.

Using mayo, wheat-free tamari and more mustard, make your aioli. Combine about equal parts of the three ingredients together. I used about a tablespoon of each. Adjust flavors to your taste. I went with just a tad heavier on the mustard. If you want it mild, use more mayo.

Plate your greens, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with salmon, and drizzle aioli over the top.

Voila!

Sometimes you never know when a little dabbling in the kitchen will turn into something delicious.

Thoughts For January

Welcome to 2011!  As part of the new year I've decided to throw in some new things, including some thoughts at the beginning of each month from some of my favorite Pagan authors.


Shut in from all the world without,
We sat the cling-winged hearth about.
                               -John Greenleaf Whittier, Snowbound

It's time for New Year's resolutions and vague thoughts of spring cleaning. The weather outside is probably frightful, so let's just stay indoors and think about being at home.


Artwork by Jennifer Hewitson

 We know of more than two dozen goddesses and gods of the home. More familiar from folklore and fairy tales are the humbler spirits-- brownies, elves, nixies, and others. In Roman society, every house had Rares and Penates, which always came in pairs and had neither names no personalities. The Lares watched over the house. Originally, the Lares were enshrined in the border stones between properties, but moved indoors during the first century BCE; each family kept a Lar Familiaris in a niche by the hearth. Like Lares, our little statues of deities also kept watch over the home. Other indoor spirits, the Penates, ruled the household's cupboard, and thus contributed to the family's survival.

We modern Pagans tend to turn our homes into temples to our favorite gods and goddesses. Though we often use altar and shrine interchangeably, they are different. An altar is where we do our magical work. We build multiple altars to specific goddesses or gods and reconstruct or redecorate these altars with working charms for rituals and spellwork. A shrine is more permanent. The world comes from Old English, scrin, and Latin, scrinium, a case or chest for books or papers. If you have a shrine in your home, it's probably dedicated to one goddess or god and crowded withs spells and charms whose power radiates into every room.

The prime goddess of the home is Hestia. As Greek historian Diodorus Siculus tells us, Hestia protects all who come to her for tutelage. The Greeks considered her iconic fire to be so sacred that if it went out, it could only be rekindled with a sanctified fire wheel. One of the Homeric hymns tells us that, alone among the Olympians, Hestia never took part in wars or disputes. For this, even Zeus paid her the greatest honor and reverence.

Hestia's only true image was a heap of glowing charcoal covered by a coat of white ash, which was how Greek housekeepers kept the hearthfire burning overnight. Unlike Vesta, her Roman counterpart, Hestia never appeared in human form, though in later days she was represented by a flame. Though the singers of the popular World War I song, "Keep the Home Fires Burning," probably weren't thinking about Hestia, the sentiment captures her essence. She is everything home-based that we fight to protect. She's the one we come home to every night. When we're wounded emotionally, psychically, we long to go home. Home protects us, and Hestia protects our home.

To the Greeks, Hestia was the spirit of the hearth before which the head of the household made regular ritual offerings. Today, she's our true domestic goddess, founder and protector of the ritual meal we share with family and friends. The best part of the meal always goes to her. We revisit this custom when we save a bite of our "cakes and ale" to return to the Goddess. Another way to honor the gods and goddesses of the home is to clean the entire house.

If we're thankful to have a warm, safe home, January is the proper time to build an altar or a shrine to Hestia. Place it as near the center of your home as possible, and find a little house to set on it. Add figures or photos of yourself, your family and friends, and your pets. Add amulets, charms and talismans to kindle harmony, love, and prosperity. Now, light a white pillar candle and set it in the center of your altar or shrine. Invoke Hestia and the other divine ones who ensoul your home. As you gaze at Hestia's sacred flame, give thanks to the other gods and goddesses-- and give thanks that you're at home.

--Barbara Ardinger

Barbara Ardinger, Ph.D. is the author of Pagan Every Day: Finding the Extraordinary in Our Ordinary Lives (RedWheel/Weiser, 2006), a unique book of daily meditations, stories, and activities. Earlier books are Finding New Goddesses and Quicksilver Moon, a novel, as well as Goddess Meditations and Practicing the Presence of the Goddess. Visit her website at http://www.barbaraardinger.com/