Cooking With Kaos

Meatloaf With Italian Sausage

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 19:11:00 +0000

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
4 Johnsonville Italian sausage links (casings removed)
1 egg, beaten
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 spring onions, chopped
1/2 cup Cream Of Wheat hot cereal
1/2 cup milk
dash Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
3 strips bacon, uncooked
tomato ketchup

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In large bowl, combine ground beef, sausage, egg, green bell pepper, onions, cereal, milk, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper. Mix well. Press into un-greased loaf pan forming a bread like loaf. Place bacon strips across the top length-wise and drizzle with ketchup.

Bake for one hour or until cooked through. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

~ I've never made meatloaf with anything other than ground beef, so this was a nice change with loads of flavor from the sausage. Bacon on top and ketchup are a tradition no matter what sort of meatloaf I make. Enjoy! ~

Potato Kugel

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 04:58:00 +0000

Ingredients

6 potatoes, peeled and grated
1 zucchini, peeled and grated
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1 medium onion, peeled and grated
4 spring onions, diced
4 eggs
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Drain any excess liquid from potatoes, zucchini, carrots, and onions and place vegetables in bowl.

Into vegetable mixture, add eggs, flour, oil, salt and pepper and blend well. Pour mixture into greased casserole dish and bake for about an hour or until golden brown.

~ I'm always looking for new ways to use my garden veggies and this made use of the zucchini, carrots, and spring onion. Nice hearty side dish that's a nice change to ordinary potatoes. Enjoy! ~

Cheesy Zucchini And Bacon Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 04:01:00 +0000

Ingredients

4 slices of bread, cubed
1/4 cup melted butter
2 cups cubed zucchini
1 medium onion
6 spring onions, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 egg, beaten
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
3 strips bacon, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In small frying pan, fry bacon to desired consistency and drain off grease. Set aside.

Place bread cubes in a medium bowl and pour the melted butter over the bread, toss lightly. Add zucchini, onion, garlic salt and egg, toss well.

Transfer mixture into covered baking dish and top with grated cheese and bacon.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue baking for another 20 - 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown.

~ Our first ever real vegetable garden is starting to give us the fruits of our labor and zucchini is one of those little goodies. We picked the first two zucchini today and I wasn't sure what I wanted to make with it. With a little thought and creativity, you can turn it into a delectable side dish even your kids will love. I mean, really, who doesn't love cheese AND bacon? Enjoy! ~

Best Ever Cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 00:49:00 +0000

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Filling/Topping

2 - 8 oz. packages cream cheese (softened)
2 eggs lightly beaten
2/3 cup sugar (divided)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (divided)
pinch of salt
1 cup sour cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar; mix well. Pat evenly into the bottom and sides of a 9" pie plate. Place in refrigerator to chill while preparing filling.

In mixing bowl combine cream cheese and eggs and beat with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add 1/3 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and salt. Continue beating until well blended. Pour into chilled pie crust and bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Combine sour cream, remaining sugar and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Spread evenly over cooled cheesecake and return to oven for another 10 minutes.

Cool completely on a wire rack and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

~ Another recipe from my friend's mother's kitchen .. thanks again Sheri! ~

No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 00:15:00 +0000

Ingredients

1 box lemon flavored gelatin (4 serving sized box)
1/2 cup boiling water
1 - 8 oz package of cream cheese (softened)
2 cups whipped topping
1 pre-made honey graham cracker pie crust

Directions

In a small bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Set aside.

In medium bowl, with electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in dissolved gelatin mixture. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon into pie crust and chill for 4 hours or until firm.

~ An easy recipe that I received from a friend's mother. Thanks Sheri! ~

10 Bean Soup With Ham

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 00:02:00 +0000

Ingredients

3 cups ham (cubed)
16 oz. package of ten bean soup mix
2 celery ribs (chopped)
3 medium carrots (peeled and chopped)
1/2 medium sized yellow onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
3 bay leaves
4 medium sized potatoes (peeled and cubed)
2 heaping tablespoons chicken soup base or bullion
3 strips of bacon (chopped and browned)
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Soak beans in medium stock pot overnight according to bean package directions.

Add more water to beans until pot is about 1/2 to 3/4 full. Add chicken soup base, bay leaves, onions, pepper, and garlic. Allow to simmer on medium heat for about 2 - 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, ham, and bacon. Add more water if needed and continue to simmer for about another 1 - 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until veggies are tender.

~ This was tonight's dinner, and a hearty 2 day meal as well. You can add more, or less of the vegetables I've listed, depending on how you like it. If you prefer more garlic and onion, don't be afraid to add more. I taste it as it simmers and make additions as well, such as more black pepper. I'll be serving this with home made bread and/or crackers. Great for chilly winter nights. ~

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:22:00 +0000

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups rolled or quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 3 baking sheets or spray lightly with cooking spray.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

Place the brown sugar and butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer set on high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Gradually stir in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Stir in oats and raisins until blended.

Drop the dough by rounded spoonfuls 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets. Flatten the dough slightly with a fork.

Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cool on the sheets for about 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to finish cooling.

~ This recipe is pretty flexible if you aren't a raisin fan. Simply replace the raisins with 1 cup of chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or butterscotch chips. ~

Easy Baked Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:19:00 +0000

Ingredients

Vegetable Oil
Cooking Spray
4 Chicken leg quarters
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In large frying pan, add enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Heat oil over medium heat. Season leg quarters with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning on both sides and fry 2 at a time, turning when golden brown.

Spray casserole dish with cooking spray and add the chicken. Cover and bake for about an hour and a half. Serve with your favorite side of veggies and/or potatoes.

~ This is what we had last night. Totally easy and the chicken falls right off the bone. This is the technique we used when catering, although my dad used to deep fry the chicken first to brown, instead of pan fry, because of the massive quantities we had to prepare. Super easy! ~

Shrimp With Garlic And Smoked Paprika

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:54:00 +0000

Ingredients

Cooking Spray
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp (peeled and deveined, tails on)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Rinse shrimp and dry them well with paper towel.

In large bowl, stir together olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper until combined. Add the shrimp and toss to coat evenly.

Place the baking sheet in the oven for about 4 minutes to preheat it. Remove baking sheet and place shrimp on it and cook for 6 minutes. Turn shrimp and continue to cook and additional 4 minutes more. Transfer to platter and serve.

~ I found this recipe in a magazine and thought it looked pretty darn easy. I love shrimp, and I love garlic, so to me this will definitely be something I could make for a quick and easy dinner, possibly over rice. ~

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:31:00 +0000

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar (or maple syrup)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup water (or milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Sift together the flour, cocoa, soda and salt.

Cream together the sugar, mayonnaise, water and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture; stir until well blended.

Pour into a greased and floured layer cake pan (or 9x13 pan).

Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. Frost if you like, but good plain.

~ Thanks goes to my sister for this recipe via email. It's a recipe similar to the one that has been in the family for many years. My dad's sister used to make mayonnaise cake and everybody loved it! ~

Blueberry Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 07:55:00 +0000

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (thawed)

Topping

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease or line muffin tins.

Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in mixing bowl. Add vegetable oil, egg and milk. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin tins about 3/4 full.

In a small bowl, mix together topping ingredients with a fork and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake 20 - 25 minutes or until done.

~ I made these tonight with some fresh, frozen blueberries we had in the freezer from last fall. They turned out very good and I'll let you guess what I'll be having for breakfast tomorrow morning with my coffee! ~

Potato Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:46:00 +0000

Ingredients

2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
1 medium onion (diced)
2 tablespoons flour
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
vegetable oil

Directions

In mixing bowl, combine mashed potatoes, onion, flour, egg, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Coat skillet with vegetable oil for frying on medium/high heat. Drop mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls into hot oil, careful not to overcrowd the pan. This is usually done in a few batches. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Place on paper toweling to drain excess oil.

Serve as is or with the toppings of your choice.

~ This is what I find to be the easiest way to use up your mashed potatoes from a previous night's dinner. I know you can use fresh potatoes (grated) as well, but I prefer to think of this as a tasty way to revamp those leftovers without wasting them. My family likes these with a dollop of sour cream. You can sprinkle with grated cheese, or just eat them as they are. A tasty side dish that I know you will enjoy! ~

Cranberry Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 02:19:00 +0000

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter or margarine (softened)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cranberries fresh or frozen (roughly chopped)

Topping

2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease or line a 12 slot muffin tin.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Fold in sour cream.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Add this flour mixture to the creamed mixture, stirring just until moistened. Fold in cranberries.

In a small bowl combine topping ingredients.

Fill muffin tin slots 2/3 full and sprinkle with topping.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean (although it will most likely be stained red). Cool in tins for about 5 minutes before removing. Makes a dozen muffins.

~ I had leftover cranberries from the cranberry upside down cake I made the other night and wanted to use them up, so I made these muffins. I think they turned out pretty good. Again, tart, yet semi sweet. I think maybe an addition of orange zest (or maybe even orange juice) to the batter might take it up another notch, but all in all, good muffins. ~

Yorkshire Puddings

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 07:22:00 +0000

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
4 eggs, beaten
6 teaspoons vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, milk and eggs. Mix all together with a hand beater or whisk briskly until smooth. Let stand about 30 minutes.

Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of oil in each slot in muffin tin and place in oven until oil is hot.

Re-whip batter briskly again just before pouring into muffin tins, filling them about 3/4 full.

Bake about 30 - 35 minutes or until puddings have puffed up and are golden brown and crispy.

~ Now, I married an Englishman, so I leave the making of these little gems to him. He does a lot of this by feel and not so much by measurement. That's the English way I guess. When I traveled to other side of the pond, this was one of my favorite things to eat with Sunday roast. I couldn't get enough. If you've never tried these, you have absolutely no idea what you're missing. You will never have bread or rolls with your dinner again after giving these a try! ~

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:43:00 +0000

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 cup butter, softened and divided
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon melted butter
2 tablespoons orange juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9 inch square or 10 inch round baking pain with cooking spray and dust lightly with flour.

In small bowl, combine cranberries, walnuts and orange peel. Set aside.

In small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, orange juice, and cinnamon. Cook for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Pour into pan. Sprinkle with cranberry mixture.

Whisk flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, with an electric hand mixer set on medium, beat white sugar and remaining butter until creamy. Add vanilla, egg, buttermik, and flour mixture. Spoon over cranberries.

Bake about 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes then invert onto a rack to finish cooking.

Mix the powdered sugar, melted butter and orange juice and drizzle over cake before slicing.

~ I found this recipe in a magazine today and it looks way too good not to share. I would think you could change it up with whatever fruit you choose depending on the season. ~

Autumn Pork Chops

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:13:00 +0000

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pork chops, your choice of cut
1 medium sized yellow onion, diced
1 can of cream of celery soup
1/2 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons spicy-brown mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Heat oil in large skillet. Brown chops on both sides, remove. Add onions to skillet and cook until semi translucent. Add soup, apple juice, mustard, honey and black pepper to skillet, mixing well. Return chops to mixture, cover and simmer on low heat until chops are tender.

~ You can have this over mashed potatoes or egg noodles as this gravy mixture is a wonderful addition with lots of flavor. You can also change it up a bit, and instead of onions, try sliced apples. ~

Easy Coconut Macaroons

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 20:59:00 +0000

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In small bowl, combine coconut, sugar, flour and salt. Stir in egg whites and vanilla, mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 325 degrees F for 18 - 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

~ Simple, easy, sweet and delicious! ~

Horseradish Deviled Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 03:42:00 +0000

Ingredients

6 hard boiled eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1 dash paprika

Directions

Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and set whites aside. In a bowl, mash the yolks. Add mayonnaise, horseradish, dill, mustard, salt, pepper and mix well. (For a creamer mixture you can whip with a electric hand mixer) Pipe or spoon into egg white halves. Sprinkle with paprika. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

If you don't have a piping bag, you can cut a slit in the corner of a Ziploc baggie and use it the same way you would a piping bag. Eggs can be garnished with sliced black or green olives and a sprig of parsley or chives for color. Be as creative as you want to be when garnishing. Remember, you eat with your eyes first!

~ Crowd pleaser for game day or any occasion! ~

Submitting Your Own Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 22:59:00 +0000

I thought it would be a cool idea, if you could share some of your own personal recipes here as well. So I've added a Submission Tab (above) where you can do so. Very simple, and self explanatory.

Looking forward to sharing what you and your family enjoy!

Thanks everyone!

Sweet And Buttery Acorn Squash

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:19:00 +0000

Ingredients

1 medium sized acorn squash (halved and seeded)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In casserole dish or roasting pan, place squash, flesh side up, with a little water in the bottom of the pan to aid in cooking. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and brown sugar to each half. Bake for about an hour or until tender.

(If the squash seems unstable when you place into baking pan, trim off a small portion on the bottom half to create a flat surface before baking.)

~ I think even the kids who don't like their vegetables would love this! Sweet and buttery and a nice addition, especially in the fall and winter months, to any meal. ~

Mock Raspberry Freezer Jam

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:06:00 +0000

Ingredients

5 cups chopped green tomatoes
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 6 oz. package raspberry flavored gelatin (or any flavor you choose)

Directions

Chop green tomatoes in blender. Bring tomatoes and sugar to a boil in pot and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in gelatin and blend well. Place in freezer safe containers or canning jars and freeze until ready to use.

~ It doesn't get any simpler than this. Freezer jam at it's easiest and totally interchangeable depending on what flavor gelatin you choose. Thanks for this one dad! ~

Easy Cinnamon Rolls With Icing

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:34:00 +0000

Ingredients

1 loaf of frozen white bread dough
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup raisins (optional)

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 tablespoon softened butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 8 inch baking pan.

Thaw bread dough according to package directions.

On lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 6 x 12 inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and raisins evenly over rectangle. Roll up tightly starting with the 6 inch side of the rectangle. Pinch seam to seal. Cut into 8 slices. Place cut side up in baking pan. Cover and let rise at room temperature until size has doubled. Bake 18 - 22 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan when cool.

To make the icing: combine powdered sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla and blend together until smooth. Drizzle over rolls and enjoy!

~ Easiest cinnamon roll recipe ever! They'll never know you didn't slave over a hot oven making these from scratch. Best kept secret in town. ~

Banana Nut Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:14:00 +0000

Ingredients

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 very ripe)
1/2 cup chopped nuts or 1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour loaf pan. Set aside.

Cream together sugar and butter. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sour cream, vanilla, and bananas. Add flour, soda, and salt. Fold in nuts or chocolate chips. Pour into loaf pan and bake 60 - 65 minutes or until golden brown.

~ I'm a sucker for a good banana bread, warm and buttered, right out of the oven. I never realized just how easy it was to bake from scratch til mom gave me the recipe many years ago and I tried it for myself. It's been a winner ever since! ~

Cheese And Tomato Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:57:00 +0000

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
2 cups cheddar cheese (cubed or grated)
2 cups monterey jack cheese (cubed or grated)
1 can diced tomatoes (or 1 large tomatoes diced)
1 package wide egg noodles
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon fresh chopped garlic
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon sweet basil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup crushed plain potato chips, or crushed cracker crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In medium pot, over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour to make a paste. Slowly add milk. Whisk until smooth, careful not to scorch. Add parsley, garlic, onion salt, sweet basil, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

In large pot, boil noodles until not quite done. Drain.

Grease casserole dish or 9 X 13 cake pan. Layer noodles, milk mixture, cheeses, and tomatoes. Sprinkle crushed chips over the top and bake uncovered for about a half hour. Serve and enjoy!

~ This is straight from my childhood. A dish my mother used to make us that we all enjoyed. I guess you could call it a grown up version of mac & cheese. So from my mom, to you .. enjoy this simple and delicious dish! ~

Coconut Oil

noreply@blogger.com (Kaos) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:51:00 +0000

I wanted to share a little something that my sister told me about a few years ago. Coconut oil. Not something I had even heard of before, let alone bought. She told me that it's 100% natural and she uses it as a moisturizer and makeup remover. I thought, okay, what the heck, I'll try it.

So, I went to my local grocery store, and found it in the baking aisle next to the cooking oils. Yes, it's used for cooking! It comes in a cylinder type tub and has the appearance of I guess you could say, lard, for lack of a better word. But when you scoop it out, it melts right in your hands.

Anyway, I gave it a try and in all honesty, it works. I was very surprised. I've applied it after a shower for my dry winter skin. I've used it on my face for a moisturizer. And believe it or not, it's aided in healing sores on my father's legs and feet, as he's diabetic. It's truly wonderful.

The other night, I thought I'd try it as a leave in conditioner after I washed my hair and low and behold, that worked too. I massaged a small amount into my hair working down to the ends to tame any split ends and by the time my hair had dried it was soft and silky. I read that you can warm it and use it as a hot oil treatment, so that will be my next experiment.

I was pretty astonished that something you can cook with would be so beneficial topically. If you've never tried it, I suggest you do. It's not expensive at all and a little goes a long, long way! I bought that tub like 2 years ago now and haven't even used half the container. The picture above is the brand that I purchased for myself.

Here's a link I found about the health benefits of Coconut Oil .. take a look .. http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/organic-coconut-oil/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil.html