Connoisseur Vodka Filled European Dark Chocolate

These vodka filled cholates by Connoisseur are quality chocolates and hopefully available at a Giant Tiger near you!  Unfortunately the Giant Tiger in southwest Edmonton is closing down this week but the manager told me that the remaining three stores in north Edmonton are going to continue to do business. I picked up the last three boxes they had in stock so don't go to the southwest location! Here's the back of the label for further info. No weird ingredients and no nasty artificial taste! Note they are Made in Germany - enough said when it comes to chocolates! I believe I paid $2.77 for the box but perhaps that was close-out price? Worth far more.

I was in the mood for some fun, festive baking so decided to go with some snowflake sugar cookies - glazed with icing and sprinkled with crushed peppermint. I used a recipe I previously posted back in 2009. Check it out here.  I liked the result - pretty, pink and sparkly!

Fabulous Fudge

I am in love with the recipes from the Toronto Vegetarian Association bake off!  I think I should try each and every one as they truly are winners.  I made this one exactly as written and it turned out beautifully.  They hold up well even at room temperature for about an hour or so (well that is the case in my kitchen as it is fall/winter here on the prairies and it is snowing lightly as I write) and the taste is reminiscent and superior to that of traditional peanut butter chocolate bars. Even my niece Cristina, who normally does not like chocolate, loved these and said she plans to make them for her office annual Christmas cookie exchange. Here is the recipe as posted by TVA. I used my favorite Camino baking chocolate and my favorite creamy peanut butter (the one with the two bears on it)! Key to best flavor is a neutral tasting margarine (I opted for vegan Becel).

Dashing Dan’s Fabulous Fudge
Dan Pitman
Winner Vegan and Gluten-Free - TFVBO 2010
Recipe from “Peanut Butter Planet” by Robin Robertson (now out of print). Used with permission. Check out Robin’s website: www.globalvegankitchen.com or blog: http://veganplanet.blogspot.com.

Ingredients
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup nonhydrogenated margerine
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan.  Place the chocolate, peanut butter, and margarine in a heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.Turn off the heat and whisk in the sugar and vanilla until smooth and well-blended.Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and cool until firm.  Cut into squares, Keep refrigerated.

Rachel's Birthday Cupcakes GF

I was so excited with how beautiful these cupcakes turned despite not being made from traditional white flour that I had to post them here for you all to see.  The taste was really delicious and I hope I can replicate them again!  I don't always do everything exactly the same each time - the only way to get the best results is by look and feel.  Even remaking my own recipes the measurements don't always work out. I believe it really does depend on the humidity in the air, brand of flour, type of sugar and heavens knows what other factors.  So learn to trust your own eye when deciding whether to add another tablespoon or two of flour if batter looks too runny or another tablespoon or two of liquid if it looks too dry.

The revision was based on this previous post dated 9/17/2011.  When making GF I tend to add more batter per cupcake than what is traditionally called for as due to being vegan and gluten free you're not going to get the same rising power.  I was really pleased with the height of these - exceeded my expectations. Lucky day, right humidity etc. I started with 1/2 cup organic brown rice flour, 1/4 cup almond flour and 1/4 cup of potato starch but ended up adding a couple of more tablespoons of each as my batter was much too runny. I used soy milk (silk original). I did not have vanilla pods or maple extract so only used 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract.

The caramel burns very fast  so do heed her warnings and for one dozen cupcakes I think 1/2 the recipe is totally sufficient.  I had lots left over - not a big problem as it does taste like yummy homemade toffee once it hardens! If you like to have super high frosting I suggest doubling recipe below and do use electric beaters (makes it much creamier and thereby significantly improves the taste)! Personally, I prefer vegan Becel for frosting instead of Earth Balance spread. It has a lighter taste and feel in your mouth.  For baking though I love the convenience and flavor of Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks! I used my beautiful, retro Glo-Hill cake server to display my cupcakes and used nutella wafers ( that my niece Cristina bought back from Italy for me this fall) as dividers between them.

Here is the original recipe: by Sherry Vanstone.(Winner Vegan Cupcakes and Best in Show - TFVBO 2010).


Vanilla Cake Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
(mix dry ingredients in one bowl)
1 cup soy or almond milk
(almond milk will separate- don’t sweat it, it turns out fine)
2/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla extract + the seeds of one whole vanilla pod
1/2 tsp maple extract
1 tsp vinegar

(mix wet ingredients together, then add to dry)
Pour batter into cupcake liners in a muffin tin.  Bake at 350 for 18-20
minutes. Take out as soon as the risen centre springs back.

Frosting
1/3 cup Earth Balance Margarine
2 cups icing sugar
1 tbsp soy creamer
1 tsp vanilla extract and more vanilla seeds
Whip on high until fluffy.
Once you have your cupcakes frosted- then make the caramel.   The caramel needs to be warm to drizzle.

Caramel
1 cup white sugar
2 tbsp Earth Balance Margarine
1/4 cup soy creamer
Using the stove top, melt the sugar on medium heat in a heavy pan.  Stir constantly.  It burns FAST!  When completely melted, take off heat and immediately add your Earth Balance.  Use a metal whisk to incorporate completely and work out any lumps.  Work quickly.  Pour in all the soy creamer and whisk (it will bubble up a lot).  Keep whisking until it’s smooth and creamy. Drizzle over cupcakes and add a few grains of sea salt.

Peanut Buttery Cookies Revised

I did a slight revise on my favorite veganized Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookies I made on September 11th, 2011.  I cut out the tofu, decreased the flour and added the leavening ingredients at the very end. I did this because we enjoy small amounts of raw peanut butter cookie dough. However,  I didn't want to eat raw baking powder or baking soda so left it out initially so we could enjoy a few bites of raw dough and cook the rest. I super-sized them as well - using about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. 

• 1/2 cup Becel vegan margarine
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup white organic sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup unbleached organic white flour (Western family)

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon organic baking powder 
• 1-2 tablespoons soy milk

Mix the first 6 ingredients together.  Enjoy a few balls of raw cookie dough. Chill in the fridge for an hour or more. Mix baking soda, baking powder and soy milk together well. Mix into your cookie dough. If too wet add a tablespoon of flour or if too dry add another splash of soy milk. Whatever it takes to make a nice pliable cookie dough you can easily work into balls.Use at least two tablespoons dough per ball.  I used a parchment lined cookie sheet.  I used a fork to press it down - only one way (I did not do criss cross for this batch).

Bake them at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Be careful as they tend to burn quickly. Above ones were a tad overdone but still tasted great. My grandson was cutting and pasting whilst I was baking so I thought I'd take a pic of both our work together - love in the kitchen :)

The pre-cut sheets by If You Care are my favorite parchment baking sheets.

Willow Creek Organic Oat Bran ++

Don't you love the name?  I do - it conjures up wholesome prairie days of long ago.  I also love it when I find organic products from our next door neighbor - Saskatchewan! Watson, Saskatchewan to be exact. They're busy there growing all kinds of beautiful, healthy organic foods that are good for the land and good for our body.  One of my favorite past recipes is my Gluten Free Oat Bran Muffins that I just don't tire of. Still enjoy them even after the 50th batch (possibly more)! These are so versatile - I just tried a carrot/raisin combo this week and I'm hooked! Hooked on trying as many other combinations as possible too!  I purchased some ripe, juicy, and delectable strawberries for my next batch and will post pictures of all as I try them out.  Here's the carrot raisin one:

Check out their website and sign up for their weekly free recipes delivered to your e-mail box. Great organic products priced right for what you are getting!

Here's a pic of a quick cold salad I made using GF rice noodles and garbanzo beans - a delicious and filling GF/Vegan food item for your summer picnics. I added a few tablespoons of super quick homemade salad dressing (olives, tomatoes, olive oil, ketchup, garlic powder) and some finely grated carrots for extra yumminess!

Spring Storm on the Prairies and Prunes!

It's a crazy day on the prairies here in Alberta! Yesterday I was listening to the happy whirl from my neighbor's leaf blower as he cleaned up his yard! Right now I'm listening to the heavy sounds from his snow blower as he tries to plow through the slush and snow! Take a look at the above photo that I snapped 2 hours ago from my front door - UGH!  Especially cruel, in light of the fact, that the day before I was happily sitting on my front porch feeling loved by the beautiful rays of sunshine engulfing my poor pallid body!

The only thing I would really really love to do on a day like today is to go bake a batch of cookies but I must resist!  The cookie monster in me needs to be tamed but it's not easy.  I went to the kitchen in search of something - anything and lo and behold I came up with a jar of PC brand Organic prunes!  I had bought them to keep on hand for adding to muffins but I was feeling rather desperate!  I opened the jar and started spooning it into my mouth! Was I ever surprised - this was seriously like candy in a jar! It says for 6+ months so that definitely applies to me :O) I had to read the label because I thought perhaps they had added a lot of sugar - it's that deliciously sweet!!Much to my surprise there are only three ingredients - water, organic prunes and ascorbic acid.  Went to the PC website to check out the reviews and I see that I in good company amongst those who love this product. I thank mother nature and President's Choice for a divine and natural treat! I'll be picking up a whole lot more of these to keep on hand - for baking, babies and me :O)

GF Banana Mini-Chocolate Chip Muffins

What else can you do when faced with 3 very ripe bananas? There's no choice but to whip up a batch of muffins and since my nephew Austin has decided to go gluten free I thought I'd create a "new GF" recipe for his files! I also had a bag of  "Only Oats Pancake Mix" in the cupboard so thought I'd use a bit of that as well.

Here's what I decided to go with and I have to say they turned out a-okay! I'll be making them again when faced with the blackened bananas that have no future left other than getting baked! In fact with how tasty these turned out I'm looking forward to some overripe bananas soon! Quick and easy to make - even with a 4 year old helper at your side!

Dry Ingredients:
1/3 cup Only Oats Pancake Mix
1 cup of  *gluten free flour mixture*
1/2 cup organic brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground golden flaxseed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Wet Ingredients:
3 very ripe bananas
4 tablespoons soy milk
4 tablespoons juice
3 tablespoons organic canola oil

Sift the dry ingredients through a sieve into a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Whirl the wet ingredients together in a blender.  Pour wet into dry - blend together.  Measure 1/4 cup batter into lined or oiled muffin cups. Bake at 375 for about 16-18 minutes.

*Gluten-free flour mixture: 2-3/4 cups organic brown rice flour, 1/2 cup tapioca starch plus 1/4 cup Almond Meal flour. This makes 3-1/2 cups gluten-free flour.*

Conscious Foods Summit - Feb.25-26th

I received the following e-mail this morning and I'd like to share the information with others as it sounds like a exciting way to learn more via webcast:

"In college, I read a book called Diet for a New America which gave me a potent wake-up call, showing me how the foods I ate were contributing to suffering and environmental destruction. It led to immediate and profound shifts for me - and better health!

Our growing awareness of food - what's in it, where it comes from and how its produced or grown - is part of the higher consciousness that is beginning to express itself through us. 

What could be more essential to our personal and planetary vitality than the nourishment we put in our bodies and the crops we sow in our Earth? 

Conscious foods and nutrition is a big topic, and it can be difficult to know where to find the latest insights and information. That's what our upcomingConscious Foods Summit is all about, and it's happening THIS WEEKEND, February 25-26th. 

Get all the details and register for FREE here:http://consciousfoodssummit.com 

Over these two days, you'll learn all about the most vitalizing foods for your body, mind and spirit; plus food-buying practices that promote economic justice and sustainability throughout the world. 

Join us and you'll discover:

• Easy-to-follow nutritional programs that can optimize your wellness
• The best nutrition for your personality type
• Foods that help prevent cancer and other diseases, while enhancing your body's systems
• New ways of eating that are in alignment with your spiritual values
• The best foods for your body, health state and lifestyle, including the latest raw food and super food nutritional programs
• Healthy foods that do your body and the planet good.

The expert panelists at the Conscious Foods Summit will also address individual, community, national and global benefits of eating organic and locally grown food. You'll hear from top nutrition leaders such as: 

Bo Rinaldi: Cofounder of VeganFusion Cuisine, a pioneer of the organic food movement and the best-selling coauthor of Vegan Fusion World Cuisine, The Complete Idiot's Guide To Eating Raw and other books. 

Steven Prussack: Host of Raw Vegan Radio and a nutrition expert with a focus on foods that advance personal and global transformation. 

Kris Carr: Self-described "wellness warrior" and NYT's bestselling author of Crazy Sexy Diet, Crazy Sexy Cancer Survivor and Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips. 

Charlotte Gerson: Founder of the Gerson Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to healing and preventing chronic and degenerative diseases, based on the work of Dr. Max Gerson. 

Dr. Will Tuttle: Author of The World Peace Diet, Eating for Spiritual Health and Social Harmony, recipient of the Courage of Conscience Award and a former Zen monk. 

Jill Nussinow: Vegetarian, vegetable and plant-food expert and author ofThe Veggie Queen: Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment and Pressure Cooking: A Fresh Look, Delicious Dishes in Minutes. 

...And many other speakers who'll open your eyes to more conscious foods and nutrition! 

Many of us try to eat locally grown and organic foods, nourishing our bodies to prevent disease and build vitality, so that we can show up fully in our own lives, for our loved ones and our communities. But our choices about the food we grow, buy and eat can have a global impact as well. 

You'll expand your knowledge - and your choices- at the Conscious Foods Summit. 

Register here: http://consciousfoodssummit.com 

Don't miss one of the last summits of our extremely popular Winter of Wellness season. Even if you can't make many of the live calls this weekend, you can still register and you'll have access to the recordings that you can listen to during the replay window. 

Do join us at the "table" and satisfy your hunger for your healthiest, most vibrant self! Free registration here: http://consciousfoodssummit.com

In spirit, Stephen Dinan founder, The Shift Network"

MEET YOUR MEATLESS MATE

Well with Valentine's Day coming up shortly I thought I'd give you all the heads up (well those age 20-35) about an event hosted by Vegans and Vegetarians of Alberta.  "Meet Your Meatless Mate" is scheduled for February 9th!  Act quickly - registration closes February 4th! Register for it at info@vofa.ca or directly through Noorish Cafe. You are able to pay for your enrollment online. You must pre-register to participate. It's a good opportunity to check out not only the local singles scene but also the Noorish Cafe  as that is the meet up location for this event. Drinks, tasty treats and conversation - $20.

And for the rest of us that don't fall into the above age range well how about we just go check it out whenever!  Open every day except for Mondays. I love their full name - says it all:  Noorish Conscious Eatery and Superfood Elixir Bar ( 8440 - 109th Street). They  offer a whole lot more than just wholesome food:  Cafe - Retail - Teaching Kitchen - Yoga  -Meditation.  Do check out their website - there is too much to list here.

Handmade Vegan Chocolates by:  The Chocolate Doctors

If you're looking for vegan peanut butter cups (and who isn't?) check out The Chocolate Doctors. I adore peanut butter anything!  Of course - I'm always willing to experiment - especially if it involves chocolate. Take a look at this special chocolate that they are offering for Valentine's Day - sounds divine!

"Try our new Mayan Spice Chocolate just in time for Valentine’s Day. It's filled with a chocolately caramel-like filling with a hint of cinnamon and cayenne."

You can find them at the Alberta Avenue Farmer's Market on Thursday nights from 5-8 p.m.  And if you really need another reason to visit Noorish Cafe this clinches the deal!  Apparently they do stock their chocolates there as well -- got the following little tweet from their website:
"Making chocolate all day today! Stocking up the fridge at Noorish with all 3 box sizes!"
They are also willing to cold ship to several major cities in Canada:
Vancouver, Kamloops, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Montreal, and Toronto.

Vegetarian Tastes of Toronto

The recipe book pictured above is pretty self-explanatory -- it's a collection of recipes put together by the Toronto Vegetarian Association.  It was published in 1996 and contains my favorite pate recipe of all time which I've written about previously and you can find all that here.  Anyhow the point of today's post is to ask if anyone out there knows of anyone who might have a copy they're willing to part with.  A reader is looking to replace his copy which was lent out and never returned. I have to agree - overall it's an awesome collection of great vegan recipes.

I'm glad he asked me about it because I had it tucked away in a box and had to hunt a little as I have quite a few corners in my house with boxes - which I should label but unfortunately I'm not always super organized. I'm getting better.  The last few boxes I put away I did put big bold labels on them so I know exactly what's in them.  I know -- if you have stuff in boxes do you really need it??  Most likely not that bad but for now I'm not willing to part with some things.  Don't get me wrong - I do let go of stuff -- in fact I hit up Goodwill yesterday and dropped off two bags of stuff so I'm not an all out hoarder or anything!

And did I come back with a little bit of stuff?  I sure did!  But I restrained myself - I was happily filling my cart but sat down - took a deep breath and after some deliberation returned several items. I came home with 3 beautiful balls of  yarn (which will be used to make my beloved African Comfort Dolls which are donated to Icross Canada) and a book for my daughter Nicole - 7000 most loved quotations. She loves quotations...there's hardly a day that goes by that she doesn't put one out there so you can see it was a very necessary item and will be well used.  I also bought a box of  sparkly beads which will  be used on some future comfort dolls and that was it. If you ever have a few spare dollars to donate I would really recommend keeping Icross in mind - they help the poorest of the poor and it's 100% volunteer run.

Below are two sample pages from the cookbook.  I've always wanted to make the quiche one but never have yet!  I love red lentils and it sounds delish!  It would make a great Valentine's Day recipe - made with red colored lentils and good for the heart.

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Rice Rusks & Fontaine Sante Hummus

Crispy yet soft rice rusks are specifically geared towards toddlers but perfect for anybody looking for a nice light gluten free cracker that lends itself well to almost any topping!  I've been using them for a snack anytime I don't feel like racking up a bunch of calories and yet want a little something.  The size and shape makes them perfect for dipping.  Of course hummus is always my number one go-to-dip and if you're not feeling like making it yourself - Costco is carrying a Canadian made brand - Fontaine Sante that is creamy and not over garlicky! But maybe I'm getting immune to garlic so perhaps I might be a poor judge on this one.

It's a little thinner than my homemade hummus and those you typically buy - you can see difference in texture by checking out photos below -- that will give you an idea. Homemade hummus is pictured with the baby mum mum and fontaine sante is in container. However don't let that deter you -- it's really really good and it made a "hummus convert" out of my husband who formerly wouldn't touch it! Voted Number #1 dip by Canadian Consumers - my husband would agree.

President's Choice offers an organic brand of rice rusks and so does Baby Mum Mum - price difference is $1 with PC coming in lower at $2.99 for a box.  They taste identical so whichever is more convenient to pick up will do the trick. I also like them with raspberry jam and my 4 year old grandson loves to dip them in peanut butter. Like I said they go with everything and with gluten free becoming more and more necessary for so many people I'm all for keeping such items on hand to use as an alternative to wheat based products.

Power Fruit Blend

Run, don't walk, to your nearest Real Canadian Superstore or wherever you can find PC brand Organics in your neck of the woods!  This Power Fruit Blend of dark sweet cherries, blueberries and blackberries will have you going back for more. Fresh picked flavor sounds cliche but in this case it's as close as you're going to get from plucking it out of your freezer! I love eating these, slightly thawed, straight out of the bag - they're that good. My new favorite morning shake is:  1/2 cup soy milk, 1/2 cup Happy Planet Juice (Mango Peach Party) and 1/2 cup of the power fruit blend. I used to love dairy yogurt shakes. This mixture of soy milk and juice gives it that nice tangy similar flavor.

My mom, who was always ahead of the pack when it came to health trends, actually made homemade yogurt for our whole brood!  And it was a big brood - 8 kids  - so I can see why she opted to make her own. A couple of little plastic tubs wouldn't last long.  She would make big pots of it using this beautiful stainless steel bowl (which I still have) pictured below.  It's the only thing left of her old Kenwood Mixer which was I'm sure one of her most treasured items at the time. Lucky for me my mom far outlasted the mixer and is still in wonderful condition (as is my father) at age 82! They are both super active and their favorite keep fit activity is stepping along with Richard Simmons and going out dancing.  Their freezer is also packed with fresh vegetables from their own garden!  Keys to good health -  make your own bread and yogurt, grow your own veggies and sing and dance!

Here's a pic of my mom (82) and sister (60) in the kitchen this past Christmas! Hollywood ladies take note - you don't need plastic to look beautiful at any age!  And double bonus - they can smile and turn their necks without any effort :O)

Organicville Sriracha Sauce

What is Organicville Sriracha Sauce?

It is a bright red, multi-purpose hot sauce made from high quality cayenne peppers with red jalapenos and garlic. The sauce is hot and tangy with just a hint of sweetness which sets it apart from your typical  hot sauces. Organicville Sriracha Sauce is certified gluten and vegan which is very important to many of us these days. Check out the Organicville website for more information on their entire line of wholesome products and for some awesome recipes in which to use them.

I'm slowly trying to use more spices in my cooking especially when you hear about all the purported health benefits of using them. So many are considered to be powerful anti-inflammatory aids and of course Cayenne pepper is right up there for that. Check out this website for the 17 health benefits of Cayenne pepper if you are interested in reading more. I've always loved frontier chili powder and that's my usual spice that I put in everything from soup to tofu dishes!  Lately though I'm starting to add a dash of hot sauce and I'm finding it to be a good thing to add a little heat - especially when the temperature outside is dipping to -30C like it is this week! The photo below is a pic I took this morning and it's so cold that as soon as I opened the door to take a pic the window frosted up immediately -- brrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

Artisana Coconut Oil and Instant Oats = Yummy!

HAPPY 2012 EVERYONE!

Hope you all enjoyed the end of year festivities. It's resolution time once again and I'm going for the typical "it's time to lose a few pounds". However I'm not going to go crazy and record every last calorie as that hasn't worked too well in the past for me.  What I am going to do is just try to focus on eating less and less processed foods and see how it goes.  Today I have a pot of simple red lentil soup simmering on the burner and have just finished a bowl of instant oatmeal. I know - I should be eating steel cut oats right?  I tried them once and wasn't too impressed but perhaps in the future.  In the meantime I'm using President's Choice Instant Oatmeal (Organic) right now because of the good taste and reasonable price. Can't remember exactly but it was just under $3.

I do like the Organic O brand (Safeway) as well but the President's Choice (Real Canadian Superstore) brand has less sugar than the Organics O brand even if you take into account that the O brand has 8-43gm packets and the President's Choice has 10-38gm packets. The PC maple brown sugar oatmeal has 6 gm sugar and the Organic O maple brown sugar has 12 gm sugar. I should just buy a bag of quick rolled oats and call it a day but I really love the convenience of the individual packets and the individual flavors for variety. Organic O brand is more expensive and has less total weight.  PC=380gm for about $3 and the Organic O=344gm for about $5. If you're looking to reduce your food budget (who isn't) and/or if you have a larger family it really pays to compare similar products especially since Canada doesn't have any creative couponing opportunities like the USA.

   
Tip to Reduce Sugar in Instant Oatmeal: I have bought the Organic O brand and I'll tell you an easy way to reduce the sugar and salt is to pour the contents of the packet through a sieve and then you can toss out 1 or 2 teaspoons and you now have a much lower sugar/salt content. You'll be surprised at how much sugar/salt is in each little packet  - I was!

#1 - Start off with directions on the packet which tells you to add boiling water to the oats and let stand - I do this but make sure to put a plate on top of your bowl to keep the steam inside.
#2 - Get a small stainless steel pot - add your steamed oatmeal along with 1/2 cup of your favorite non-dairy beverage (I used Natura Vanilla Soy Milk) and simmer on low for about 15-20 minutes - make sure to stir once or twice and keep a lid on it.
#3 - Add 1/2 teaspoon of Artisana Coconut Oil - this fat is good for you and 1/2 teaspoon is minimal and totally adds a significant boost in flavor to a simple bowl of oatmeal.

I would highly recommend purchasing Artisana Coconut Oil -- we've tried out quite a few different brands and this one is by far the best I've come across so far.  This one has a few pluses going for it right off the bat -- it's in a glass jar, it's raw and the company is devoted to supporting small organic farmers.  And the taste is tops! It's expensive (about $15.00) but this is a product worth splurging on! I love their slogan:

   Raw life-energy from sun, to plant to body!

If recipes such as coconut curry, kickin almond pesto, thai noodles and the like appeal to you I suggest you go check out their website.  Yummy!