coconut

Kitchen Sink Oatmeal Cookies

Feb 20, 2018

Kitchen Sink Oatmeal Cookies – oatmeal cookies filled with everything but the kitchen sink! Chocolate chunks, white chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, walnuts, raisins, and coconut!

When we moved I realized I had a lot of mostly empty bags of chocolate chips.

A lot.

Same goes for pecans, shredded coconut, almond meal, bottles of vanilla, all the stuff I always think I’m out of when I’m out the store and apparently am never actually out of it.

Plus, 15 packages of almond bark even though I only use almond bark once a year for crockpot candy…? I don’t know, guys.

I guess everyone I know is getting crockpot candy for Christmas next year.

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Paleo Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies

Sep 12, 2017

Paleo Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies will be your new favorites, for all time. Paleo or not, these babies are gorgeous!

Meet my new favorite cookie.

I’m having this thing with coconut this summer. It started with this peanut coconut sauce that I was making daily and putting on everything and now I’ve moved onto cookies.

I mean, can you blame me? Coconut and chocolate is such a perfect combination.

Naturally, I’m obsessed with these Paleo Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies.

I have been making a batch almost every week and then I’ll make some paleo ice cream and I’ll count down the minutes until the kids go to bed so I can sandwich the ice cream between these cookies and enjoy them in total silence.

That’s totally normal, right?

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Strawberry Coconut Granola

Jul 17, 2017

Strawberry Coconut Granola – easy homemade granola recipe! Oats, coconut, sliced almonds, and strawberries!

Heeeey guys!

Are you watching Big Brother?

I am buuuuut I’m just not into it like I normally am.

I mean, does the boyfriend come home after work and find me watching the live feeds at 1 am?

Of course he does.

But I’m just not invested in anyone yet. And it’s so disappointing because I look forward to it all year. Ugh, hopefully it will get better.

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Paleo Strawberry Crumble

Feb 16, 2015

Well guys, it’s time to start another week. Hopefully you at least got to sleep a little late today. And I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day.

We spent our Valentine’s morning at the park. The husband took the kids to the playground and I took the dogs to the dog park, like we usually do. And then we spent a couple hours texting each other photos of the kids and the dogs and others people’s dogs. #crazydoglady

I always forget how awkward the dog park is. Like, I’m bad at small talk to begin with but small talk while also picking up poop and politely looking away when someone’s dog tries to get frisky?

The worst.

We went to our fave Mexican place for dinner and then I forced my husband to go to REI to get new running shoes because he’s been complaining about his since before this last deployment. A full year. Of hating his running shoes. And telling me about it.

So he got new shoes and then we got Dairy Queen because I haaaad to try the Red Velvet Blizzard before it went away.

It was pretty perfect.

After all the Mexican food and the mojitos and the ice cream and the entire box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates, I need a small detox. But I cannot detox without at least a few treats in there and this Paleo Strawberry Crumble is amazing for situations like that.

There’s nothing bad in it and it’s absolutely scrumptious. I can’t get enough coconut flour so I used that in the topping and then some shredded coconut. The top gets all crunchy and the strawberries get juicy and delicious.

Also, why are the strawberries so good so early in the year? We can’t get enough!

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Paleo Chocolate Chip Blondies

Jan 13, 2015

I’m sorry, guys. I had no intention of posting another Paleo recipe this week but the cheesy, white floury bread I made yesterday totally failed. I think I must’ve burned the yeast or something because it just refused to rise. At all.

Gahhh.

So you get these Paleo Chocolate Chip Blondies! And I really don’t even feel that bad because they’re awesome. My husband had 7 of them last night. Yeah, that’s pretty much the entire pan.

And btw, how unfair is it that men can eat 7 blondies on top of meals and other snacks and not gain weight?

Anyyyway, we’re all sorts of iced/snowed in right now which is fun because I can stay in sweatpants all day and only go outside when the (idiot) husky opens the gate, lets herself out of the yard, and then makes me chase her around the neighborhood before finally making the circle and ending up back at our porch. But it’s not so fun because the kids and the husband are all driving me crazy.

If I have to hear, “HE WON’T GIVE ME A TURN!” one more time…

I don’t even know what I’ll do. But it won’t be pretty.

I’m going to have the blondie I hid from my husband for breakfast and then lock myself in my room and binge watch all the Madam Secretary episodes on the DVR.

You should make these even if you aren’t Paleo. They are really delicious and so full of coconut and chocolate chips – you will hardly even notice that the actual blondie part is made from almond flour instead of regular flour! I promise.

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Coconut Flour Waffles

Jul 27, 2014

As if it hasn’t become really apparent over the years, I get bored really easily. Not like, sitting on the couch flipping channels bored but I get bored of things quickly. Hobbies, books, tv shows, etc, etc, etc.

So on our epic roadtrip earlier this summer, it’s really no surprise that by hour 4 I was done with my playlist. I hated every song. I never wanted to hear them again. I’m still kind of hating it a month later.

I’d been saving podcasts, though, because I know myself and knew I’d get tired of music. I started marathoning Dave Ramsey, Elise Gets Crafty, and Balanced Bites.

My children hated every minute of it.

I really got into Balanced Bites which is a paleo/overall health podcast and after many, many hours of listening, I got really excited about paleo living. I was all YES! WHEN WE GET HOME, EVERYONE’S GOING PALEO! THE KIDS, THE DOGS, EVERYONE!

This lasted about 5 minutes once we actually got home but I discovered a really awesome waffle recipe so… I call it a win.

I dig what coconut flour does for recipes. Especially these waffles. They’re really light and fluffy and the coconut flour adds just a little extra texture and a very slight coconut flavor. Plus coconut flour is high in protein, fiber, and good fats!

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Blueberries and Cream Granola

Sep 17, 2013

Did you know that September is Better Breakfast Month? Well it is and I’ve teamed up with California Almonds to make sure your breakfast is better than ever.

It turns out that 50% of women skip breakfast when they are crunched for time. Studies show that those who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight, will maintain better cholesterol levels, and live an overall healthier life. So if you are one of those 50% that skip breakfast, almonds are a quick way to get a boost of fiber, protein, and healthy fat.

I have a great almond gift pack to give away to one of y’all but before we get to that, I have the most delicious granola recipe to share. It calls for all my favorites: almonds, dried blueberries, coconut, coconut oil! You could make this over the weekend and have a fantastic breakfast all week long.

The gift pack comes with:

One $20 Visa gift card to buy anything else that makes your breakfast better – fresh fruit, oatmeal, almond milk, etc.
One pound of whole natural almonds
One jar of almond butter
One pound of sliced almonds
One reusable, insulated travel pouch for breakfasts on-the-go
One double-sided recipe card for better breakfast inspiration

And by the way, that almond butter is the best almond butter I’ve ever had.

Enter below!

(Giveaway will run from 09/17/13 to 09/23/12. US only, please.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

California Almonds wants to see how you’re making your breakfast better. Head over to almondboard.com/BetterBreakfast and submit a photo of your breakfast made with almonds and you will be entered to win a year’s supply of almonds.

Blueberries & Cream Granola

adapted from The Messy Baker Blog

Ingredients

2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 cups sliced almonds
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
⅓ cup maple syrup
¼ cup coconut oil melted
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup dried blueberries
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300F. Spray a large, rimmed baking sheet with oil.
In a large bowl, stir together oats, coconut flakes, almonds, salt, and brown sugar.
In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Slowly pour the mixture over the oats. Fold the wet mixture into the oat mixture until the oats are evenly coated.
Transfer the mixture to your prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the granola is golden brown in color. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
When the granola is cool, stir in blueberries and white chocolate chips.
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Ocean Water (Sonic Copycat Recipe)

Aug 08, 2013

This Sonic copycat Ocean Water recipe is a must have for summer! Sprite or 7Up mixed with coconut extract for the perfect tropical mocktail! A little bit of food dye to make and some fish gummies really make it look like ocean water!

My kid started school today.

Like, all day school.

Last year he did half day kindergarten so he was only there for 3 hours which was annoying because I had to accomplish all that needed to be done within those 3 hours but nice because I am a bit of a control freak and like to know what’s going on with my people at all times.

But like I said, he’s gone all day this year. I’m not really sure what I’m going to do with myself.

We celebrated his last day of freedom with this copycat Sonic Ocean Water.

Have you ever had Ocean Water? I avoided it for so long at Sonic (and y’all know that I’m at Sonic’s Happy Hour frequently!) because the name just turned me off.

But once I finally did try it, I fell in love. It’s my go to non-diet Happy Hour choice.

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Skinny Frozen Pina Colada

Jul 11, 2013

Skinny Frozen Pina Colada – don’t give up your favorite frozen cocktail during bikini season! Easy 3 ingredient, low calorie pina coladas!

I told you guys that my husband and I have been having a competition to see who can be the healthiest person ever, right? Surprisingly I am pretty good at this game for most of the day. I work out first thing in the morning, take the dogs/kids for a run, eat well all day… and then find myself in the Taco Bell drive-thru at 10 pm.

That really happened the other night. And then I went home and parked myself in front of Dance Moms while I stuffed my face with nachos bellgrande and guzzled (not diet) Mountain Dew.

I’m trying to change my ways though so I wanted to make a skinny drink for Thirsty Thursday this week.

Nicole and I decided on doing frozen drinks this week and I’ve been on a real coconut kick so you know I had to make a pina colada. This drink comes to 148 calories which is half the calories that you’d get in one of the frozen pouch drinks or a restaurant pina colada. Which means you can have 2 of them! Duh.

(I think this was just sweet enough, but if you need a little added sweetness, you can add a few drops of a liquid, no-calorie sweetener to the blender.)

Nicole made strawberry daiquiris! One of my all-time favorites!

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Samoa Brownies

Feb 21, 2013

Last year when Girl Scout cookies started showing up in grocery store parking lots around here, we were doing last minute preparations for deployment. I cannot tell you how many boxes we went through during that time. We were literally eating them for dinner because everything was so hectic. Plus we had a constant stream of soldiers in our house and they, like everyone else in the world, love some Girl Scout cookies. I probably bought 30 boxes.

This year? I bought 2. And they’re still sitting in the pantry. Apparently we burned ourselves out last year.

I couldn’t resist an excuse to make these Samoas Brownies though. And they’re super simple because they start with a boxed mix (or your favorite homemade recipe!) and then they’re topped with a caramel and coconut topping. After all that sets, you drizzle a teeny bit of chocolate on top.

Nicole made a Samoa Cocktail! No lie.

One year ago: Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Pie
Three years ago: Marbled Rye Bread
Four years ago: Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings

Samoa Brownies

from Six Sisters' Stuff

Ingredients

1 box of brownie mix prepared and cooled (or your favorite recipe prepared)
3 1/2 cups shredded coconut
2 14 ounce package of caramels, unwrapped
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons milk
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F and place coconut on baking pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir coconut and cook for another 2-3 minutes until toasted. Watch closely so it doesn't burn.
In a large, microwaveable bowl, add unwrapped caramel, salt, and milk and cook on high for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally (about every 45-60 seconds). Microwave until all the caramel is melted and smooth.
Add coconut to the caramel and stir together. Spread over cooled brownies. Refrigerate 4-5 hours or overnight. Remove at least 1 hour from the fridge before cutting.
Put chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 second increments, stirring after each one, until melted and smooth. Drizzle over cut bars.

Blackberry and Apple Crumble

Nov 20, 2012

Blackberry and Apple Crumble is the most delicious summer dessert! Juicy blackberries and apples with a crunchy topping of oats, coconut, and almonds!

Blackberries?!

I know.

It’s not berry season but I got some in my Bountiful Baskets basket a few weeks back and I can’t stand the little seedy things so the only thing to do was bake with them.

And since apples are so delicious right now I figured this Blackberry Apple Crumble was the perfect thing to make.

Blackberry and Apple Crumble!

It’s a super simple little dessert and so yummy.

Like I mentioned, I don’t like blackberries but I found this to be irresistible. The apples are cooked until soft and then they’re mixed with blackberries before being topped with oats, coconut, sliced almonds, and some cinnamon and ginger. I love, love, love the coconut and almonds in the topping – it’s what makes it different from your everyday crumble.

If you are a normal person who doesn’t buy blackberries in November, you could easily substitute frozen ones or just leave them out completely.

Blackberry and Apple Crumble

adapted from Williams Sonoma

Ingredients

4 apples
1/2 cup sugar
juice of half a lemon
4 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
2 t easpoon cornstarch
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat an oven to 325F.
Peel, core and thinly slice the apples.
In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat, cook apples, sugar, and lemon juice, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft. Remove from heat. Stir in blackberries and cornstarch.
Spread the fruit mixture in a baking dish that is 12 to 14 inches in diameter.
In a bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, oats, coconut, almonds, cinnamon and ginger. Drizzle with the melted butter and toss with a fork to combine. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the fruit. Bake until golden and crisp, 45 to 50 minutes. Serve warm.

Things you may need for this recipe:

: Rubber Spatula

: 8×8-inch pan

: Knife

Want more berry desserts?

Peach Blueberry Crisp

Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

Raspberry White Chocolate S’mores

Coconut Semolina Cake

Nov 03, 2012

This is the final recipe I’ll be sharing from An Edible Mosaic and it’s a good one!

As the title says, it’s a cake made with semolina flour which gave it a gorgeous yellow color and a different texture – kind of like cornmeal. It’s also filled with coconut (I had to use sweetened – couldn’t find unsweetened at my store) and it’s soaked in a sugar syrup that makes it sticky and sweet and just plain delicious.

I was seriously amazed by this cake. I went into thinking I wouldn’t even like it but y’all, I had 3 pieces for lunch the day I made it. Yeah. Remember how I said I was doing the low-carb thing for awhile? That didn’t work out too well.

The best part of the cake is that the pan is brushed with tahini. And oh my goodness, it does magical things to the crust (outside?) of the cake. It got kind of crispy and tasted almost like peanut butter once it mixed with the flavors of the cake. Oh man, it was good.

My cake was a little bit crumbly which I blame on living in a desert not the recipe but once it soaked for a couple hours in that sugar syrup, it was good to go.

The original recipe is below but I did make a few changes: like I said, I used sweetened coconut. I also used sliced almonds because my store didn’t have whole blanched almonds.

One year ago: Honey BBQ Meatloaf
Two years ago: Crusty Italian Bread
Three years ago: Mac & Cheese

Coconut Semolina Cake

from An Edible Mosaic

Ingredients

For the sugar syrup:

1 cup 225 g sugar
½ cup 125 ml water
½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ tablespoon rose water or orange blossom water

For the cake:

1 tablespoon tahini to grease the baking pan
2 cups 305 g semolina flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup 115 g sugar
½ cup 115 g unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ cups 375 ml milk
1 cup 75 g desiccated, unsweetened coconut
3 tablespoons blanched almonds

Instructions

To make the sugar syrup:

Add the sugar, water and lemon juice to a medium, thick-bottomed saucepan, and bring
to a boil over medium heat, giving the pan an occasional swirl and skimming off any foam on the surface.
Turn heat down slightly and boil 2 minutes (if you want thin syrup) and up to 5 minutes (if you want thick syrup), swirling the pan occasionally. (The syrup will thicken more upon cooling.)
Turn off heat and stir in the rose water or orange blossom water; cool to room temperature, then use.

To make the cake:

Preheat oven to 375F (190C); brush the tahini on the inside of a 10-inch (25 cm)
round baking pan.
Whisk together the semolina, baking powder, and sugar in a large bowl. Stir in the butter and then the milk until combined, and then fold in the coconut.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread it out evenly; let it sit for 10 minutes.
Score the batter into 1-inch (2.5 cm) square or diamond shapes with a sharp knife, periodically dipping the knife in hot water and drying it off before continuing to score the batter; place 1 almond in the center of each diamond.
Bake until the sides and top are golden brown, about 30 minutes. (If the sides are brown but the top isn't, you can broil the cake for a couple minutes to brown the top.)
Once out of the oven, cut the cake along the lines you scored. Slowly pour the cooled syrup onto the hot cake. Let the cake sit at room temperature 2 hours to absorb the syrup before serving.