Tropical Traditions 1 Quart Gold Label Coconut Oil Giveaway!!!! :D

Hey my lovely readers! 

Today happens to be my Mom’s Birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY!), and since Valentine’s Day is this next week also, I thought it’d be a wonderful time to hold a giveaway.

Tropical Traditions sent me a quart of their Gold-Label Virgin Coconut Oil to try and review. Let me say, I was quite impressed with it!

Win 1 quart of 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?

You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label 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.

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Overall, what are my thoughts of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil? I LOVE IT! I love using coconut oil when I want my nut butter to have a coconutty-flavor, or when I make my own chocolate, or when I make my slow-cooker quinoa with black beans. I just love the great price and amazing taste this virgin coconut oil provides. The only thing I’m just sad about is that I had to leave my huge glass bottle of it at home (glass doesn’t fly well…). But it’s absolutely wonderful and a great deal.

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Want to enter to win 1 quart of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil?

Here’s how! (There are lots of opportunities! )

• Mandatory: Subscribe to Tropical Traditions newsletter
  
• Leave me a comment sharing 3 things you are grateful for.
  
• Follow me on Pinterest
  
• Follow Tropical Traditions on Pinterest
  
• Ask me a question on Formspring (ask me whatever you’d like — you don’t have to be a member to ask!)
  
• Subscribe to Kat’s Health Corner via email/RSS
  
• Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter @troptraditions and @ttspecialdeals
  

This giveaway starts today (the 7^th of Feb, 2013) and will end Valentine’s Day (14^th of Feb, 2013) at 11:59:59pm. It is open to those living in the US and Canada (Tropical Tradition’s restriction). 

I used Random.org’s Random Number Generator (I tried to link the generator to this post but the html wasn’t working with me…) and the number it selected was #19. Congrats, Karina!

Remember to leave each entry in a separate comment so I can give you credit for all of them.

After the deadline I will then use RandomNumber.com and determine the winner. Once the winner is selected I’ll then email them (they will have 48 hours to respond or I will select another winner) and ask if I can send their name, shipping address (for FedEx), and email address so I can send that to Tropical Traditions so they can contact them and process their prize.

Good luck to you all!

With lots of hugs,

P.S. Happy Birthday Mom!!! Thank you for everything you do for me. I don’t know what I would do without you. I am so grateful you are MY mom.

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. Also, if you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you.

My 17th Birthday! + SlimKicker CrockPot GIVEAWAY!

Hey My Lovelies!

Thanks for all of your comments on my Sweet Potato Bars. My family really enjoyed them, but at the moment I’ve been thinking about those almond butter chocolate chip bars – I had only gotten one before they were all eaten, so I need to make some more almond butter so I can make me some more bars! I’m really glad that you guys liked that there was tofu in the sweet potato bars. I love sneaking in things like that into the things I bake (my family never knows it’s in there!).

My Birthday was pretty quiet. I had my Physics AP test that afternoon. (I wish I could have had more time to prepare, but I went and did my best.) Let me say, I was EXHAUSTED afterwards. Who knew a 3 hour test could really suck all the energy out of you??

And for my birthday dinner, I had:

CHIPOTLE!!!!

The Vegetarian bowls are my FAVORITE! You just can’t beat their guacamole!

And to my utmost surprise, my family bought me a birthday cake.

White mini cake with buttercream frosting. <3

It was SO cute! It meant so much to me that they went out of their way to get me a cake for my birthday. Usually I make it myself (as that’s the funnest part — making it!), but this year they bought it for me. We aren’t big cake fans, but we do like it once in a while. The flower on top was my favorite part o it! …………………………………………………………………………………….

Have you ever heard of SlimKicker?

It’s a game that helps motivate you to make healthier choices by turning your diet and fitness goals into a level-up game with points and challenges! They also feature useful tools to help you stay healthy such as a calorie tracker for tracking your macronutrients, and an iPhone app. 

And they have a chance for YOU to create a health challenge as a part of their GAME.

So what’s up for grabs if your idea is chosen??

A 7-Quart Manuel Stainless Steel Crockpot. (To read reviews of it, click here.)

The Product Features

• 7-quart round stoneware
• High, low and warm settings are perfect for making chilis, stews, sauces and more
  
• Perfect for nine or more people or a seven pound roast
  
• Dishwasher safe stoneware and lid
  
• Measures approximately 14.8 by 9.8 by 14.0 inches
  

A $40 value, and it can be yours FOR FREE!

How do you enter?

• Just leave a comment below with your suggestion for a fun, creative fitness or diet challenge. It doesn’t have to be any longer than 1-2 sentences.

This giveaway is open to all USA residents (I’m sorry, they’re limiting it to that because of shipping costs. ) and will be open until May 23^rd (Wednesday) at 11:59.99pm Central Time. SlimKicker will then pick their favorite, and once they contact me which one they’ve chosen I’ll announce the winner.

EDITED: This giveaway is closed.

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Good Luck! I can’t wait to hear all of your fitness/diet challenge ideas!

xoxox,

Turkish Inspired Hummus!

Hey my Gorgeous Smiles!

Before we get to the GOODS, let’s see who won the YogaPulse System giveaway:

I went to Random.org and used their Random Number Generator for the selection. The html code isn’t showing the picture of the generator, but here’s the number they selected-

The result: #3 — Rebecca! Email me with your address so I can get you your YogaPulse system set!

Thanks to everyone who participated! <3

Eating hummus always brings back memories from my childhood in Turkey.

I ADORED hummus as a child and still love it to this day!

And THIS one my absolute favorite.

My Turkish Inspired Hummus!

Rinse chickpeas (garbanzo beans) well in a strainer.

Add chickpeas to your blender/food processor.

Add the lemon juice, tahini, water, garlic, and chili powder.

Pop/twist on the lid.

And blend ‘er up! It shouldn’t take very long to combine – only a minute or two.

It should be nice and creamy when it’s done, with all the ingredients smoothly incorporated.

Once the dip is smooth, spoon it out into a Rubbermaid container and store in the fridge when not using (to keep fresh).

Turkish Hummus!

Ingredients

• 15oz can (1 ¾ cup cooked) chickpeas, rinsed
  
• 1 Tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)
  
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  
• 3 Tbsp water
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• ½ tsp chili powder (or up to 1 tsp if you want a kick)
  

Directions

Rinse chickpeas (garbanzo beans) well in a strainer and add them to your blender/food processor.

Add the lemon juice, tahini, water, garlic, and chili powder, pop/twist on the lid, and blend ‘er up! It shouldn’t take very long to combine – only a minute or two. The dip should be nice and creamy when it’s done, with all the ingredients incorporated.

Once the dip is smooth, spoon it out into a Rubbermaid container and store in the fridge when not using (to keep fresh).

Note: If using dry chickpeas, soak 2/3 cup dry beans overnight and prepare them as directed on the bag (boiled for about an hour or two), rinse, and use in place of the canned beans. You may need to add a little bit of salt, but only add it if it tastes like it needs it. Tahini, also called sesame seed paste, can sometimes be a little hard to find in a regular grocery store. My grocery store carries it in the nut butter section. I’ve also found it near the oils like olive oil, pumpkin oil, sesame oil, etc. If your store has a health food section that would be a great place to start looking too. Amazon also sells it if you don’t mind ordering food over the internet. But if you can’t find it, don’t worry — you can use another nut butter like peanut butter in its place I you’d like.

Print This!

When my parents tasted it, the first thing they said was “TURKEY!” Turkey is also where my sister was born and where I met one of my best friends (we both lived in Turkey at the same time and were the best of friends; our families both moved (dads were both in the military) and we didn’t see each other for over 10 years; but now we live in the same city and our friendship couldn’t be stronger. ). So Turkey holds a dear place in my heart.

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Have you ever had hummus? My favorite way to eat it is the way I ate it as a child — I use my bread as a spoon!

Do you have a favorite food that brings back memories when you eat it? Hummus reminds me of Turkey, the smell of air conditioners reminds me of England, and those Texas-shaped tortilla chips remind me of my Lone-star state. 

How many glasses/bottles of water do you drink a day? My bottle is about 20oz, so I like to do the worth of 6 of them (it also has this handy-dandy tracker on the cap, so I can keep track). I thought I hadn’t drunk enough water Saturday night, since I woke up with a huge headache this past Sunday, but that must not have been the problem. I had to be careful with what I ate as my stomach was super sensitive and was easily made nauseous. I actually got really sick Sunday evening– I barely ate dinner, but all I wanted to do was to get whatever was in my stomach OUT OF IT. I didn’t throw-up, but my face turned pale, I lost my strength, and got really cold. I think it may have been me not getting enough sleep the past nights before (usually I’m really good now, but those few nights I stayed up pretty late and still had to get up at 5am) and a bug going around. Anyways, I’m feeling a TON better now and am back to life (and making sure I get enough sleep and drink lots of water)!

Happy Good Friday!

xoxox,