Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil Review & GIVEAWAY-ENDED

It''s been said...."You can't teach an old dog new tricks."  Or perhaps..... "Old folks can't learn new ways to do things."  Well, I'm here to say, "It can be done!"  I'm Southern through and through. Born and raised in the South.  Lived in the South my entire life.  Learned to cook in the South - Southern Style.  So somewhere along the way, I learned that some of that delicious Southern Style cooking wasn't really that good for you.  So I learned some new ways.  Bacon fat was switched out for margarine.  Then I learned that the trans fats in margarine were not good for you at all, so I learned to cook with Olive Oil and other good-for-you oils.

Recently, I learned that there was another good-for-you oil out there.  One that had been given a bad name a few years back by nutritionists and cholesterol gurus - COCONUT OIL.  Yes folks, coconut oil is being presented as a very good for you oil.  But how often do you see anyone using coconut oil to cook with and how much of it do you see on the grocery shelves?  Not much! But that is beginning to change.

I have been given the opportunity to try Tropical TraditionsGold Label Virgin Coconut Oil.  Then if I desire, I can write a review of what I think of  this coconut oil and even offer a giveaway for one of my lucky readers. I have tried it and here is what I think....

My thoughts:  Like most oils, it has an aroma.  It has the fragrant essence of coconut but it is not strong.  I personally don't care for things that "smell" of coconut such as suntan lotions, soaps, and perfumes.  I avoid them.  But the aroma of Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil is mild and I don't mind it at all.

You can cook with it at a high temperature without a problem  so that makes it ideal for sautéing and frying.  In fact I "fried" some chicken breasts in it for tonight's dinner, and the chicken browned beautifully, was very crisp, and remained crisp.  I was exceptionally pleased and so was my husband.  I only used 3 tablespoonfuls of the coconut oil in the bottom of the frying pan and it worked so nicely.

I have flavored several vegetables with the coconut oil and it works great for that as well.  It only takes a very little.  Now let's talk about how I cooked the chicken:

Debone the chicken breast and remove skin.  Separate the "tender loin" from the main breast, cut off the thin tip of the breast to make a small serving size portion, then slice the thicker portion of the breast horizonally so you have 2 flat pieces.  This will give you 4 pieces from each breast.  Salt and pepper the chicken and refrigerate at least 1 hour.  Mix  1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs with about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of (2% fat) mixed shredded cheese.  Really mix the bread crumbs and cheese with hands to crumble it all together nicely.  Dip chicken in evaporated milk and then roll in mixture of crumbs and cheese to thoroughly coat.  Fry on medium-high heat until nicely browned on each side.  This doesn't take long as the chicken is not too thick and you want it done, and not tough.  Enjoy!

GIVEAWAY - ended:  1 of Chat With Vera's  lucky readers can receive a quart size jar of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil shipped directly to them from the company.  Entries to win are easy but each entry must have your email contact included.  Begins June 21 7:30 p.m. ENDS July 7 at 8:00 p.m. EDT.

Mandatory entry:  Win 1 quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!  Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions email Newsletter. Leave a comment saying you have done so and an email contact.

Extra entry: Follow us on Twitter @troptraditions and @ttspecialdeals & leave a comment with your Tweet handle (mine is @GG_Survey, what is your's?)
Extra entry:  Tweet using #troptraditions #giveaway (repeat daily, if desired) & leave your email info in the comment here with Tweet URL.

Extra entry: “Like” Tropical Traditions on Facebook (Please no, “I was sent by…” posts or posting a link to your blog, they will be removed. Leave your email info in the comment here.

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About Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:  

Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil?

Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.

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.

"Almost Home" by Wendy Lawton: Book Review (Daughters o the Faith Series)

Mary Chilton was a very mature 13 year old in the group of Pilgrims and Strangers or Saints and Sinners when she sailed for America aboard the Mayflower in 1620.  This book in the Daughters of the Faith Series, published by Moody Publishers, and written by Wendy Lawton is an excellent read for the tween-teen.  It is intense, just the right length, and filled with facts.  The story line is written true to history and yet entertaining and enthralling enough to capture the fleeting interest of the young reader.

The descriptions of the storm at sea, the cold, the illness, the filth aboard and the emotions of these dear souls who forged the path for the forming of a country where one could worship according to the dictates of one's heart are truly top quality.

"Almost Home" is a biographical novel about a real girl and a real situation.  Conversations are, of course, fictional but the story is true to historical evidence and is one I would recommend for young readers at home, home schools, and Christian schools.

ISBN13: 9780802436375

List of Mayflower passengers (characters in the book "Almost Home" are listed as real passengers)

DISCLOSURE:  I received a complimentary copy of "Almost Home" by Wendy Lawton from Moody Publishers in exchange for my honest review.  There was no requirement for a positive review.

Dvořák Humoresque Yo Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman (shared with much appreciation for the beauty)

When I read "The Fiddler" (see review below), I wanted to Google some of the music referred to by the concert violinist in the book.  So I just did and here is one that is absolutely breathtaking!

"The Fiddler" by Beverly Lewis - A collision of worlds: Book Review

Collision of Worlds

My Thoughts:  Beverly Lewis has brought an engaging, very well written novel based on the collision of the world of the Amish and that of their non-Amish friends.  Their life styles.  Their beliefs.  Their feelings.  She has also, surprisingly, brought to us a collision within the story of the world of the classical musician - that of fierce determination to succeed in a highly competitive yet rewarding field and that of the individual need for fulfillment outside of the classical music world.

This is also a story of father and child love and relationships.  Of a sense of responsibility to oneself and responsibility to one's father.  A calling to honor and obey or fulfill the desires of the father (earthly and heavenly) and a desire to wend one's own way through the maze that is life.

Musician Amilea Devrie is a touring concert violinist.  She also has a secret life as a "fiddler" in the world of country music.  This is a major conflict.  On a stormy evening, she becomes stranded on a mountainside and takes refuge within the confines of an Amish young man's cabin.  The story takes wings from that point on as the lines of conflict become intertwined.

Beverly Lewis writes this novel featuring the world of music from a musician's viewpoint (and that of researchers she has available to her) and throughout I wanted to Google these pieces of music and hear the lovely strains for myself.  

Read the first chapter:  CLICK HERE

I highly recommend The Fiddler for an entrancing, captivating read that reveals inner conflicts between the worlds within us.

About the author:  Beverly Lewis, born in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, is The New York Times bestselling author of more than ninety books. Her stories have been published in eleven languages worldwide. A keen interest in her mother's Plain heritage has inspired Beverly to write many Amish-related novels, beginning with The Shunning, which has sold more than one million copies and was recently made into an Original Hallmark Channel movie. In 2007 The Brethren was honored with a Christy Award. She has been interviewed by both national and international media, including Time magazine, the Associated Press, and the BBC. Beverly lives with her husband, David, in Colorado. Visit her Web site at www.beverlylewis.com for more information.

Disclosure:  I was provided a complimentary copy of The Fiddler by Bethany House Publishing in exchange for my honest review and opinion.  A favorable review was not required.

Fearless by Eric Blehm: Story of Navy SEAL Team SIX Member Adam Brown

Fearless takes you deep
into SEAL Team SIX, straight
to the heart of one of its
most legendary operators.

One of Adam Brown’s final wishes, written by hand on his CACO form, was that his spiritual testimony—his complete story—be told, including “my life before I met Jesus Christ and Kelley.” You can appreciate now just how fearless Adam had been when he requested others to share that dark period [of drugs and addiction] from his past. Even in death, he selflessly and publicly risked tainting his own legacy so that others might be inspired to seek faith and overcome their own struggles.

Excerpted from Fearless by Eric Blehm

 About the Book (from publisher):  

Fearless takes you deep into SEAL Team SIX, straight to the heart of one of its most legendary operators.

When Navy SEAL Adam Brown woke up on March 17, 2010, he didn’t know he would die that night in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan—but he was ready: In a letter to his children, not meant to be seen unless the worst happened, he wrote, “I’m not afraid of anything that might happen to me on this earth, because I know no matter what, nothing can take my spirit from me.”

Long before Adam Brown became a member of the elite SEAL Team SIX—the counter terrorism unit that took down Osama bin Laden—he was a fun-loving country boy from Hot Springs, Arkansas, whose greatest goal had been to wear his high school’s football jersey. An undersized daredevil, prone to jumping off roofs into trees and off bridges into lakes, Adam was a kid who broke his own bones but would never break a promise to his parents.

But after high school, Adam fell in with the wrong crowd and his family watched as his appetite for risk dragged him into a downward spiral that eventually landed him in jail. Battling his inner demons on a last-chance road to redemption, Adam had one goal: to become the best of the best—a US Navy SEAL. 

An absorbing chronicle of heroism and humanity, Fearless presents an indelible portrait of a highly trained warrior who would enter a village with weapons in hand to hunt terrorists, only to come back the next day with an armload of shoes and meals for local children. It is a deeply personal, revealing glimpse inside the SEAL Team SIX brotherhood that also shows how these elite operators live out the rest of their lives, away from danger, as husbands, fathers and friends.

Fearless is the story of a man of extremes, whose courage and determination was fueled by faith, family, and the love of a woman. It’s about a man who waged a war against his own worst impulses and persevered to reach the top tier of the US military. Always the first to volunteer for the most dangerous assignments, Adam’s final act of bravery led to the ultimate sacrifice.

Adam Brown was a devoted man who was an unlikely hero but a true warrior, described by all who knew him as fearless.

My thoughts:  First of all, a caution - There is some rough or course language at a few points.  This is not prevalent and is indicative of the occasion - unredeemed.

Now about the book and the life and men it is about.  This is a biography.  A story of the courage of a man and of men.  It is also a stronger story of redemption.  A lost soul is redeemed by a Saviour, Jesus Christ.  And a struggling, lost individual who is given a chance to redeem himself personally by that "second chance" repeated more than once by other men and by his work.

It is about a dark period in the life of Adam Brown.  But you see his childhood.  You see how he comes through and out of that dark period by the grace of God and the support and love of a woman.  You see  a man who seeks constantly to prove himself and who seemingly doesn't let fear get in the way of making it to the top.

I can't really say more and certainly can not say it better than the publisher has in the overview of the book (see above).  I can say, though, that it awes me to think that American men can push themselves to such physical, mental, and emotion limits and still push on.  It awes me the sacrifice they are making to provide a safe America and a safer World.

I would say this is basically a man's book.  It will appeal mostly to men.  However, it behooves all Americans to know this story.  And to know the story, the book should be read.  Is this "Southern Lady of-a-certain-age" glad she read it?  Yes!  You see, I had no concept of what our military endured and sacrificed for us until I read it.  Now I've had a glimpse into that world.

About the author:  Eric Blehm  Eric Blehm is a bestselling and award-winning author of nonfiction books. In 2006, he won the Barnes & Noble Discover Award for The Last Season (HarperCollins), a gripping account of the disappearance of legendary National Park Service ranger Randy Morgenson; The Last Season was also named by Outside magazine as one of the ten “greatest adventure biographies ever written” in 2009. Blehm’s next book, New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller The Only Thing Worth Dying For (HarperCollins, 2010), was hailed by former congressman Charlie Wilson, of Charlie Wilson’s War, as a “must read” among books about the current war in Afghanistan. (click his name above to read more...)

Disclosure:  I was provided a complimentary copy of Fearless by the Publisher, WaterBrook Press and Blogging for Books in order to provide an honest review.  I was in no way compensated and under no obligation to render a favorable review.

NOTE:  You can now listen to the song written by Mark Dowdy "Fearless" which is based on the life of Adam Brown and the book written by Eric Blehm.  

Balance bar PRESENTS: nimble by Balance bar - Review & Giveaway-WINNER CHOSEN

It has been said, "You are what you eat." Now. . . . . Whether or not that is true, what is true is that it has been proven that certain foods have a detrimental affect on the body.  That being said, I am pleased to have the opportunity to share with you a balanced nutrition bar that is packed with things your body needs - and it is designed especially for YOU LADIES!!!!

The Balance Bar company has kindly sent me a package of 12 of the new Nimble bars in peanut butter and orange flavors to try out.  

From the Balance Bar website, the following is very interesting and I think very true.....

The Sad Facts About Fast food

You’ve probably heard that eating fast food and junk food can be detrimental to your overall health. People who consume fast food on a regular basis are more than 50% more likely to develop depression compared to those who eat little or no fast food. Some studies attribute this dramatic statistic to the lack of vital nutrients found in most fast foods. Burgers, sausage, pizza and muffins, doughnuts, croissants and other common baked goods all lack vital B vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids and healthy fats. Additionally, people who consume fast food on a regular basis consume more calories, fat and trans fats, carbohydrates, sugar, starch, and sodium. They also consume less quality protein, fruit, and low-glycemic vegetables than those who do not eat fast foods. All this adds up to an unhealthy body—and mind.

Fast food can be loaded with genetically modified ingredients, artificial flavors and other harmful, potential toxic chemicals. It typically contains high amounts of processed grains, sugar, starch or factory farmed meats. Add to that a sugary soft drink with more harmful chemicals, no nutritive value, addictive caffeine and more blood-sugar-spiking calories and it’s not hard to see how your mental and physical health can be affected. As the saying goes, you are what you eat.  by Gene & Joyce Daoust  Tuesday, May 01 2012 

nimble bars  - Product Description   Small Bar. Huge Benefits.

• nimble is the first bar that conveniently combines beauty and nutrition in a delicious, indulgent bar!
• With Excellent Sources of the nutrients women want most (Protein, Fiber, Calcium, Iron, Vitamins D and B6) along with rich anti-oxidants C&E, Beta-Carotene and Lutein for healthy skin – nimble helps you look and feel your best all for 120 calories.
• nimble is also the first nutrition bar sweetened with all natural Stevia – Truvia®
• Available in two delicious flavors

My comments:  Did you catch that?  It combines beauty and nutrition.  It has ingredients specific for your skin's health and ultimately you skin's beauty.  I like that it is sweetened with Truvia®.  I like that this lowers the caloric value of the bars and yet uses a better-for-you low-calorie sweetner from the Stevia plant.  These little nutritious bars pack in only 120 calories.  That's a lot of good for just a little cost to your day's calorie allotment.

Taste test:  I found the yogurt orange bar to be soft with a nice smooth coating.  The flavor is mellow and not artificial.  The Peanut Butter bar flavor is mildly of peanut butter.  The coating, too, has peanut taste. From the picture one would think the peanut butter bar was covered with light or milk chocolate, but not so.  It is mildly peanuty tasting, too.  This bar is good but does not have an overpowering peanut flavor.  I recommend both of the Balance Bar varities.

Doesn't it make you feel simply tremendously good when you do something good for yourself?

GIVEAWAY: Balance Bar® has teamed up with lifestyle expert Laurel House aka “Quickie Chick” for a very special Review/Giveaway opportunity featuring nimble™, the first bar for women that combines beauty and nutrition in a delicious, indulgent bar.

The nimble/Quickie Chick Gift Giveaway includes:

• twelve bars of nimble in two scrumptious flavors - Peanut Butter and Yogurt Orange Swirl
•  an autographed copy of Laurel’s just-published book, Quickie Chick’s Cheat Sheet to Life, Love, Food, Fitness, Fashion and Finance on a Less Than Fabulous Budget
• a limited retro-50s-style wildflower wristlet by glittersweet®
• two Bloom Black Ties - a hair tie that is also stylish jewelry. Wear it in your hair or wear it on your wrist. Either way it’s “The Elastic All Dressed Up!”

The nimble/Quickie Chick Gift, valued at $109, is not available for sale. You as a Chat With Vera loyal reader of this review of nimble has an opportunity to win this limited prize.

Details:  Begins June 8, 2012 and ENDS June 23, 2012 at 12:00 Noon EDT.  You MUST include your email contact information so we can contact you if you win.  Winner must claim prize within 48 hours or new winner will be chosen.  Open to USA-BASED-WINNER-ONLY. Winner will be chosen using random.org.

Mandatory entry:  Visit the Balance Bar website and peek at the great products they have.  Leave a comment here about 1) what other product appeals to you, and 2) what you like about the nimbleBar.

Extra entry:  Tweet this post (see Twitter icon below) with hash tags  #giveaway @nimbleBar  @BalanceBar. Repeat DAILY for more entries.

Extra entry:  Share on other social media - Facebook, +Google, etc. with link to this post.  Leave comment here about where you shared (with link)

DISCLOSURE:  I was provided the box of 12 nimbleBar and little purse in exchange for my honest opinion by the Balance Bar product company.  There was no requirement that I post a favorable review.  The winner's package is also provided by nimbleBar at no cost.

 

Marvels of Creation: Breathaking Birds by Buddy & Kay Davis: Book Review

And God created every winged
fowl after his kind: and God saw
that it was good (Genesis 1:21).

A plethora of bird books abounds when you frequent a book store.  You can learn of birds that frequent your own backyard or expand your knowledge of birds that encompass the world.  "Marvels of Creation: Breathtaking Birds" is an entirely different type of bird book.

As the title implies, birds are a marvel of creation - and of our Creator God.  The book opens with an introductory treatise on evolution's postulation that birds evolved from dinosaurs and presents an introductory lesson in evolution verses creationism. The book is inherently a children's book and the level of discussion is directed to that audience.

The pictures are beautiful and the text well written, descriptive, and informative.  Each bird is aptly described with attributes special to that particular Bird but a "special design feature" and a "Did you know?" section is included for each bird.

A well-drawn illustration of the bird skeleton, of the parts of a bird, and of the bird's beak varieties and their purposes are featured in the back of the book.  This book will do well for the upper elementary and middle school student.  While a younger child will enjoy looking at the pictures and an adult will enjoy the entire book, it is more valuable as a learning tool for those specifically in grades 4-7.

About the book:  This spectacular book brings the world of feathered creatures alive in a unique and colorful way. Features beautiful photographs of 30 animals from around the world, along with a page of facts and commentary about each creature. Perfect for homes, libraries, and schools, this resource is a powerful teaching tool.

ISBN:  978-0-89051-457-3
Hardbound, 80 pages, 30 different birds featured
About the author/s:  Buddy & Kay Davis - Speaker, Author, Illustrator, Singer/Songwriter, Adventurer & Dinosaur Sculptor! Buddy’s greatest adventure happened in the north of the Alaskan tundra (within the Arctic Circle) with his search for dinosaur bones. His exploration for Noah’s Ark took him to Mt. Ararat in Turkey. His work has been featured worldwide in newspapers, magazines, books, and on television.
DISCLOSURE:  I was provided a complimentary copy of the book by publisher Master Books in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.