Day 1

A week ago I received some very encouraging news about cooking oils. I had heard rumors, but it was confirmed for me by a professional nutritionist that coconut oil is now on the "Good Cooking Oils" list! I drove straight to the healthful food store and purchased a 29-oz jar of organic coconut oil (for $18.99).

Distracted by my excitement over the possiblities of cooking with coconut oil, leaving the healthful food store parking lot, I suppose I posed a traffic threat; my mind roaming through recipes; car meandering homeward (I don't even remember the drive home!). Back safely in my kitchen, I tossed out my old "Bad and Evil Cooking Oils" (canola oil, corn oil, vegetable oil and Crisco), which left a lavish amount of cupboard space for the new queen of my food inspiration - COCONUT OIL!

Happily, BUTTER is also making a comeback; and is once again being recognized as a nutritious, non-threatening, legitimate food item. Same goes for lard (best for pie crust!) if you can find some good pork lard. So you see why I am encouraged by the re-endorsements of coconut, butter and lard - that you can guilt-freely cook with them and feed them to your friends and loved ones.

Surely some nutrition advisors will continue to caution against using coconut oil and butter; but I choose to believe what my nutritionist tells me - - Happy Day!!