Normally on Tuesdays, I post my Green Smoothie Monday eats with you, but today, I have much more exciting news to share…
CD has been loving on the Artisana coconut butter…a lot, and decided that we should try making our own. He googled a few recipes online and told me we just needed some dehydrated coconut. CD, we have dehydrated coconut in the cabinet, but it will never work were the words out of my mouth. Once again, he was right. I was wrong, but in this situation, I’m quite alright with that. 
We used about 11 ounces of this unsweetened finely shredded dehydrated coconut from Whole Foods…
We poured the coconut in the food processor. (Everyone always asks what kind of food processor I own. Honestly, I have no idea since it was a gift from a friend who imports prototype appliances. However, I hear both Cuisinart and KitchenAid make good models.)
We did not add anything else. I simply turned the processor on and let it run for about 10 to 12 minutes…
OMG CD, I think it’s working…
And there ya have it folks, homemade coconut butter. Again, we added nothing to it, and I didn’t even have to scrape down the sides. Just like homemade nut butters, the whole process just takes a little time and patience.
Our finished product…
And just like Artisana’s coconut butter, ours solidified after a few hours at room temperature…
I told you my husband was a genius. He just saved all of us about $8 a jar! For lunch today, I’m going to do a side-by-side taste test of our homemade version compared to my beloved Artisana. Mmmm, I can’t wait.
Thanks for all your well wishes. I really do think the Immunity Builder drink helped. Feeling so much better, but still going to take it easy today.
See you tomorrow with my taste test results!
Yesterday, after my delicious pizza pancakes I quickly deteriorated into a stuffy feverish teary-eyed lump in my bed. Oh my gosh, I have not felt that awful in years. I didn’t eat much the rest of the day, and after sweet CD was kind enough to brave Trader Joe’s on a Sunday afternoon, I had all the ingredients to make Tiffany’s Immunity Builder Drink. Into the Vita-Mix went 2 quarts of water, juice from 10 lemons, 10 cloves of garlic. 1/4 cup raw honey, 1/2 a peeled onion, 1 tsp ginger, and 1 tsp cayenne pepper. I’ve been drinking 12 ounces every 3 to 4 hours. My breath must be awful…good thing I can’t smell anything. I did wake up this morning with no fever. Still weak but hopefully on the mend. Thank you Tiffany!
Me and my first 12 ounces…
No use in asking me how it tastes. I’m sure it’s disgusting, but for all I know, I could be drinking a chocolate milkshake. I can’t taste a thing.
Back in the day when I used to get sick, I exercised no matter what. I can remember one day when I had a horrible sinus infection, but I went for a 6 mile run anyway…in the 90 degree heat. It was awful. I didn’t feel good enough to go into work, but I made myself run anyway. I remember thinking maybe I have a problem with exercise addiction. Well, I definitely got over that (thank you yoga). I didn’t even get out to walk the dogs yesterday and have no plans to do much today either. If your body needs rest…let it rest my friends!
On that note, I’ll leave you with some yummy food I ate before the downward spiral into the depths of snot hell began…
That was a chipotle almond butter filled omelet with a side of bacon. I’m down to the last of my chipotle nuts, and my Sam’s no longer sells them. So sad. 
Next up, we have a bacon, tahini, and raw honey filled quesadilla. Just a drizzle of honey adds so much sweet, and this was a delicious combo!
And last but not least, one of the best Oats In A Jar experiences I’ve had in a while…
Plain oat bran with homemade coconut milk kefir and cinnamon in the Artisana coconut butter jar. There were at least 3 spoonfuls of coconut butter left in the bottom, and the warm oat bran made it all ooey-gooey melted. Perfect!
OK, off to go blow my nose. Hope everyone has a good Monday!
I’ve been up since 5 AM hacking up a lung. Lovely. At least I haven’t lost my sense of smell because I would’ve hated missing out on the taste of my pancakes this morning. They turned out so well that I ran immediately to my computer as soon I finished eating to post the recipe. Ready?
I often use unusual products that not a lot of people have on hand (read blanched almond flour), and I always add eggs to all my pancakes. So, this week, I wanted to keep the ingredients fairly simple and egg-free for all my vegan loves out there.
I had savory cakes on the brain and a small can of tomato paste begging to be opened. The following is my creation…
Ingredients:
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup water
2 TBSP (13 grams) flax seed meal
1 heaping TBSP tomato paste
few shakes Italian seasonings (1/2 to 1 TBSP?)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
dash garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Grind rolled oats into oat flour using a blender, food processor, or Magic Bullet. You may have to stop blending and stir with fork a couple of times.
Combine remaining ingredients with oat flour.
Allow flax seed to thicken the mix for about 10 to 15 minutes while you heat up your pancake griddle over low heat.
Stir again and fry pancakes on griddle or in greased skillet over low heat.
For my toppings, I made Mae’s Humnut sauce: 1 TBSP Sabra’s Spinach Artichoke Hummus with 1 TBSP nutritional yeast and some water to thin. I then drizzled a bit of tahini over my whole plate and finished things off with a generous amount of freshly ground pepper. The pancakes were so moist on the inside, kind of crisp on the outside, and I loved the pizza-like flavor. I think these would taste amazing with a spread of pesto and a sprinkle of pine nuts, or for all you cheesy readers out there, top with a little crumbled feta and stick the pancakes under the broiler until the cheese melts. Ahhh, I’m drooling just thinking about it.
Edited to Add: Just had another topping thought: Gena’s Raw Cashew Pizza Cheese. YUM!
What toppings would you use on your pizza pancakes?
Happy Pancake Sunday dear friends! The rest of the day is going to involve me parking myself in front of the TV and watching all the Oscar red carpet shenanigans. Who is your favorite red carpet correspondent? Honestly, they all kind of get on my nerves…but much to CD’s dismay, I still love it. 
Still feeling the cold. Gosh, I haven’t been sick in about 2 years, and this is my 2nd cold of 2010 already. Grrrr.
Oh well, still loving my Vita Coco popsicles and ate an entire tray of Peach Mango cubes yesterday.
I also comforted myself with a really good breakfast.
Cabbage and spinach stir-fried with 2 slices of bacon and topped with one avocado blended with Don Sabrosa’s Blueberries Peaches & Honey salsa. Since giving up stevia for Lent, my cravings for sugar have gone way down. I never wake up craving oats or sweet breakfasts anymore. All I want is savory. So weird for me.
Last night’s dinner was nothing but comfort in a bowl…
Soaked & cooked teff (Soaked for 12 hours. Any longer, and teff gets a little too ripe for my liking), bathed in homemade coconut milk kefir and topped with Trader Joe’s Almond Flaxseed butter and cinnamon….followed by lots of popsicles.
For all my local readers, my brother is giving a talk today at PodCamp Nashville, Nashville’s top event for sharing expertise about new media creation, distribution and promotion—an opportunity to find your digital voice. The conference is open to the public, and a must attend for anyone interested in social media.
And for those of you interested in sports, my brother-in-law will be in town as he is the play-by-play announcer for the University of South Carolina’s basketball program. USC is playing Vanderbilt at 1 PM today. Should be a good game!
So much brotherly love.
Enjoy your weekend!
