Coconut Oil

I'm on a coconut-everything bandwagon.

Coconut water works extremely well to hydrate your body, since it contains electrolytes.  I'll go through a carton of this at least once a week or so, as an alternative to just drinking water.

Coconut milk ice-cream is now my go-to summer treat - especially now that I am dairy-free (mostly).

And now, coconut oil...  I've pondered over the benefits of using coconut oil in cooking and in home remedies, but I didn't want to purchase a large jar just to experiment.  Lucky for me, several jars of coconut oil were on special at Superstore.  Expiration date was still good, so we purchased a jar for ourselves.  What are we doing with coconut oil, you ask?

Dear Little N has been battling eczema since he was an infant.  Our doctor suggested CeraVe Cream, which works to an extent, and she also suggested any cooking grade oil, such as olive oil, coconut oil, etc, to help bring moisture back into his skin.  We tried CeraVe cream, and just last week he had a major flare-up again.  Lo and behold, coconut oil was on sale, and now we are trying that on his skin.  I *think* it is working, and I think it is more effective than CeraVe cream for his big flare-ups.  I'll continue to use coconut oil for now, at least until his skin becomes more soft, and less dry and flaky.

And now for cooking with Coconut Oil.  Today, I cooked my eggs in coconut oil - scrambled eggs.  I did not notice a change in taste with the eggs, and it heated up nicely.  Google has told me that coconut oil is great for cooking on high heat, and so yesterday I sauteed onions and apples in my frying pan, in preparation for a pork tenderloin recipe I was using.  Again, I did not notice a difference in taste, and my hubby said nothing about it.

Coconut is such a strange fruit... or is it a nut??  In any case, it certainly has become a regular item in my post-pregnancy diet.  I hope to continue to keep it in my diet for the next little while, too.  It's healthy, and tasty, and good for Baby N.  I couldn't ask for anything better than that!