Cuckoo for Coconut Oil? I Guess So!

Since MeMo joined our group, I am constantly on the look-out for healthier, more earth-friendly products to replace the ones I used before becoming a neurotic label reader. We've replaced chemically household cleaners with baking soda, vinegar and Mrs. Myers cleaning products. Instead of chlorine bleach, I disinfect with rubbing alcohol and whiten with Oxo Brite. Peanut butter was tough to kick, but almond butter is nutritionally more valuable. You get the point. I can't save our planet, but I do my part.

Recently, my best friend Maja suggested a product that I wonder how I ever lived without: coconut oil. This magical, edible oil, solid at room temperature, has a mild scent reminiscent of a day spent doused in tanning oil and sipping pina coladas at the beach. A multi-purpose product, coconut oil has been used by tropical cultures for thousands of years and boasts incredible properties that you can't find in most oils. It is naturally anti-microbial, so coconut oil will last longer on your shelf (this I have not been able to prove as I can't keep a jar around long enough), and it has a wonderfully high smoking temperature, making it ideal for stir-frying, sauteeing and even popping corn (recipe below).

Moving out of the kitchen and into the bathroom, coconut oil is a wonderful addition to a beauty routine. Spread a nice thin layer over your face and body for a luxurious, wrinkle-fighting moisturizer. Comb it through your locks, and you have a rejuvenating treatment that leaves your hair shiny and healthy.

In the nursery, I use it to take MeMo's temperature (she's not too crazy about this use) and massage her after her nightly bath (this she loves). And one of my favorite uses, because it's kind of naughty... ah-hem... is in the bedroom. Coconut oil makes for an ideal, all-natural personal lubricant that is fun for everyone involved. I'll let your imagination and creativity run with this one, and no need to report back on what you come up with.

Coconut oil can be found in most health-food stores - we buy ours at Whole Foods. Look for an organic, unrefined version preferably in a glass jar. I like to separate a new jar into three or four containers and store them in the various rooms where they'll be used. After all, no one really wants to cook with the coconut oil after it's spent a night or two on the nightstand!

Coconut Oil Popcorn
This recipe is great because it gets you popcorn lovers away from those eco-naughty microwave popcorn bags and brings you back to your stove top roots.

In a large stockpot place 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Allow it to liquefy over medium heat, then add 1/4 cup popcorn kernels. Cover the pot and shake gently until you no longer hear kernel explosions. Because coconut oil has such a high smoking temperature, you can literally wait until every kernel pops! Sprinkle with sea salt and give the pot a gentle shake to distribute. Make your mother proud and actually put the popped corn into a serving bowl. Enjoy!