Goin' (Coco)Nutty

I have a new addiction. No, it is not the HBO show Girls, but I admit I did just find out about it and decided to flip on the first episode of the new (2nd) season. I was hooked.  I was then forced to dig into the On Demand video vault to watch all of the first season from the start...I am a little embarrassed to admit.  

However, my real excitement is a direct result of a simple supermarket item by Earth Balance. 

Their new Coconut Peanut Spread. Oh the little things....

   I know some of you may not be so keen on coconut, but you should probably reconsider, taking into account all of its new-found health benefits.  The coconut that I love is that rich, toasted, nuttiness.  Nothing sweet.  Just pure flavor.  To get over your dislike, you may have to remove your memories of that bag of sugar-coated fluffy coconut shreds that you find cradling large, tasteless, jelly beans on every elementary school Easter project, and occasionally posing as snow on the Christmas gingerbread house.

Earth Balance's new product is a simple peanut butter, sweetened with agave syrup, and the addition of organic extra virgin coconut oil.  Coconut oil is a tropical oil that's made from the dried fruit (nut) of the coconut palm tree.  Coconut oil is a great addition to your diet as it is the most highly recommended oil for giving hair and skin the nutrition it needs to stay strong and moisturized.  Although it is high in saturated fat, it does not react with your body in the same way that other high saturated fats do.  Supposedly it contains a healthy type of fatty acid that your body quickly burns for energy. 

Two very healthy delicious foods (peanuts and coconut) in one creamy bite.  And the aroma!  The smell is part of what is so amazing...fresh roasted peanuts and nutty coconut.  Use this the same way that you would peanut butter...on toast, in steel cut oats, on crackers, on fruit. It really goes with everything, and it works perfectly for cooking and baking.