New Life Style Changes

There it is, the ole bacon grease container.  My grandmother had one of these and so did my mom and my sister has one also.  I was taught to cook with bacon drippings,  my family fried eggs in bacon drippings and we never disposed of bacon drippings.  This is pretty much a southern tradition and I'm sure all good cooks in the south has a little grease pot. 

I have been learning for quite some time about cooking oil, how it becomes rancid, what to use and what not to use and what's healthy and best for your body.  This particular bit of information has been a hard transition for me.  Old habits are harder to break.  When the recipe calls for oil I just instinctively go to the vegetable oil or olive oil and I always fry eggs in bacon grease. 

I wanted to report today that I have had a major break through and I want to share what I have learned about cooking oils.  First of all, I emptied out my grease pot of bacon grease (sorry mom and grandma) and put in coconut oil this morning from where I fried eggs for breakfast.  Yes, coconut oil and the eggs were great.  You can taste the coconut oil a little but it's great.  I also used it in my pancake batter this morning and it was great also.

Now for the information that we usually do not want to hear because it forces us to change.  Or I hope it forces us to change.  I'm changing but I will say my children have done a far better job of this than I have. Any oil, other than coconut oil or avocado oil becomes rancid when it is heated to the point to fry food.  That's right, read it again.  Olive oil should just be used for dressing food.  Drizzled over salads, pizza, fish etc.  I haven't priced avocado oil yet but I'm sure it's expensive.  I have a dear friend who is a wonderful cook and she has transitioned very easily into this new and healthy life style. There is a company she told me about called Tropical Traditions and you can buy coconut oil by the gallon and also palm shortening. This particular oil doesn't have the coconut taste.  She has made wonderful pie crust with palm shortening and I very anxious to try this because it is a lot healthier than the Crisco I use to make pie crust.  Everyone needs to do their own research on these things.  Research cooking oils and find out how they are processed, what they are made of and most important what it does to your body.  :(

Some of these changes can be expensive so I say, do what you can.  But ever little change helps and as these changes become a habit you become ready for another little change. 

This is a breakfast for champions (my retired firefighter husband).  Such a wintry days calls for pancakes and bacon.  We really don't do this often but I have to say it was delicious this morning.   I felt a little better knowing that everything was cooked with coconut oil  :)   I did hear a health expert speak once, saying, it's ok to eat a hamburger and French fries and use real potatoes and cut them or have a breakfast like we had this morning because you are not going to do this every day.  It's not like stopping by a fast food restaurant 3 or 4 or even 5 times a week and getting burgers and fries.  If you take the time to cook it at home you really are not going to do it that often and I have found this to be true for our family and me "the cook."