08.29.2012

How to make Coconut Butter

Have you ever learned “How to make Coconut Butter ?”

Well, please stay a few minutes and I can tell (show) you how! Homemade Coconut Butter is one of the easiest things you can make at home! Plus you save a lot of money $!

What is Coconut butter?

Coconut butter is simply just coconut flakes blended into a buttery consistency. You can buy a jar here for $13.50!! Wow that is one expensive bottle of just blended coconut flakes.  Use unsweetened coconut flakes, and you can always add in some vanilla beans (I use these), raw honey or stevia to taste.  You will need a Cuisinart (favorite) or a Vitamix blender.

Where to buy coconut flakes?

This is the brand ( buy here) I use because it is raw unsweetened coconut flakes. It is not heated above 98 degrees. Buy 1 lb here or 5 lb.

This brand (buy here) is much less expensive and still tastes just as great!

 

How much is homemade Coconut butter?

When I used 2 cups (16oz) I made a little over 1 cup (10 oz ) of homemade coconut butter. So if you buy the coconut flakes for $3.6 lb, then you could make a whole 16oz (pint) of homemade coconut butter for just $5.76! Whoot whoot! That is less then ½ the price you could buy in a store 🙂

Help! Mine is not turing into butter!

  • I can help you with that! The dried flakes are very dry so it will take 10-20 min about to turn the flakes into coconut butter. Be patient.
  • I would recommend turning off your Cuisinart or Vitamix a few times to let it cool down, so it doesn’t over heat.  When you turn it of for a “rest”, scrape down the edges, this is especially important in the Vitamix blender with taller sides.
  • Most times I like to add in 2 TBS of raw coconut oil to help along the process. It’s not cheating, I like to call it “compromising” 🙂

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of Shredded Coconut flakes (Unsweetened)

2 TBS of coconut oil *use as needed (see Help! section above)

 

DIRECTIONS:

*16 oz flakes = 10 oz coconut butter

1. Measure out 2 cups of coconut flakes.

2.  Blend the coconut flakes in your Cuisinart (I use this one here) or Vitamix blender. It will look fluffy for several minutes

3. After about 5-10 minutes, the flakes should start to look smoother, keep the blade running until the coconut butter has NO chunks! This is the time to add in your coconut oil to “smooth/help” out the process!

 * Stop your Cuisinart or blender several time to let it “cool down”. Scrape down the sides while you are at it.

 4. After about 10-20 minutes, your coconut butter will be done! It will be liquid, so pour it in a jar at this time. After awhile, it will come to room temp and solidify again. I scooped out some, and you can see it is solid!

 * To soften, place your glass jar in a pot of hot water, until liquidly. Don’t “cook” it, just warm it.

5. Simply YUM!!  (not pictured) eat or use in recipes!

 

 

~Stay Gutsy, Caroline

 

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08.29.2012

I ♥ August

Is it just me or did August go by way to fast?

Because I woke up today and realized that September is a few days away! What?!  The hot hot days are long gone and only a few more semi warm days are in the future (I hope!). The water is slightly cool to touch and the air just feels a little crisper then normal. The smell of leaves and apples are floating in the air.

Talking about this just makes me sad, because I LOVE summer too much! I know many people who really like fall better, but I am not one of those people.  I can live in shorts and a tank top and do you know what Fall means?

That mean I have to wear real pants!! Ahh, sound funny but I hate long pants. I sometimes wear shorts in the cold fall and winter, until too many people start to comment. Not that I care what people think, but there comes a point where I can’t go anywhere without the conversation being brought up about my bare legs!

So I got a little side tracked. Where was I? Oh yes. Things I love about August. Let me list them out for you……

What were your favorite things this August? What do you look forward to in September?

 

~Stay Gutsy, Caroline

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08.19.2012

Coco Kefir GIVEAWAY!

Hello Happy Sunday!

I have exciting giveaway news! A local company called Coco Kefir is giving one Gutsy reader some of their products! They make their fermented products out of young coconuts.

Overwhelmed with GAPS?

Before I started making coconut water kefir and coconut milk yogurt, Coco Kefir was my go-to-fermented drink. When I first started GAPS, it was overwhelming and I did not make fermented things because I simply did not know how. This is why company’s like Coco Kefir exist. To help you 🙂

What is it?

This coconut water kefir is the water of a young coconut with added beneficial bacteria in it to eat up the sugar. This creates a drink full of vitamins, minerals, and best of all bacteria! They add in stevia to sweeten this fermented drink.

Their coconut yogurt is different from the kind I make. They just use the young coconut flesh and create it into their own smooth yogurt! How creative.

* you can use this Coco yo as a starter to ferment GAPS coconut milk yogurt.

Do they taste good?

These two young coconut ferments taste amazing! I love them so much, I have to savor them 🙂 They are slightly sweet with a light taste . You feel energized and alive after eating or drinking Coco Kefir or Coco yo.

 

GIVEAWAY

Coco kefir is giving away a package with 1 jar of coco yo (yogurt) and 1 bottle of coco kefir! Hurray.

This giveaway if limited to Minnesota readers only, sorry. Coco knifer is a local business.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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~Stay Gutsy, Caroline

 

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07.18.2012

Cinnamon Coconut Chips (GAPS)

I Love coconut!

If you love coconut and crunch you will love these cinnamon coconut chips! Coconut is a life saver on the GAPS diet. You can make it into flour, sugar, flakes, chips, chips, oil, milk, and cream! Am I missing anything?

 

Cinnamon coconut chips were born..

Well I came across these big coconut flakes at my coop, and immediately my wheels started turning! They are also known as coconut chips, which is a perfect name for them. At my house, you cannot go wrong with cinnamon. It turned out to be the perfect combination!

Satisfy your craving

The GAPS diet lacks that crunch that you might have had before starting the diet. These coconut chips will really satisfy your crunchy craving. There are endless flavor combinations for these chips. When my sisters tried these, they said they tasted like cinnamon potato chips and without the cinnamon they would take just like potato chips! The coconut flavor turns into a more toasted flavor after it cooks. Yum! They cook VERY fast, so 3 minutes is the maximum! You are better off just standing by your oven with your mitt ready.

Cinnamon Coconut chip nutrition

Cinnamon is high in calcium, manganese, and fiber. While raw coconut is high in protein and minerals! Remember coconuts grow by the sea. This is actually a super food snack, so nibble away! I know that stevia and xylitol are not GAPS legal, but I never did well with honey, so I use stevia. My younger sister (who is not on the GAPS  diet) doesn’t like stevia, so I decided to use xylitol because it is in granule form. Coconut sugar would work as well. Though if you don’t have a big sweet tooth, you may not need any sweetener.

Flavor combos!

Here are some flavor combinations for you to try as well. Each flavor combination is for a recipe that calls for 2 cups of coconut chips.

onion and garlic:

1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp sea salt

Chili lime:

zest 1/2 organic lime 2 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp sea salt

Plain:

1/2 tsp sea salt

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups dried unsweetened chips (also known as “flakes”)

2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of Stevia Powder or 1-2 TBS Xylitol (not from corn)

(optional – “sweet and salty” –  1/4 tsp  Celtic Sea Salt)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Measure out 2 cups of coconut chips into a bowl.

3. Pour cinnamon onto the chips.

I just reused my 1 tsp spoon and guessed what would be about 1/4  tsp 🙂

4. Add salt (optional) and sugar.

Lets get a close up…mmm.

5. Toss together with your hands. 6. Lightly oil your baking pan with coconut oil, whip off excess oil with a paper towel.

7. Spread out onto baking sheet and bake for 2-3 minutes. (Shaking it spreads it out easily). Give it a shake or a rough toss after 1 -1.5 minutes. WATCH the coconut like a watch dog! They will burn within a few seconds if you over do it.

Do you see that the coconut gets nice and golden/toasty looking, especially around the edges?

8. Take out of the oven. Let cool for a few minutes and then put into a bowl.

9. These will keep for a long time…but I don’t think they will last long around your house either 🙂 Enjoy and have fun experimenting with flavors!

~Stay Gutsy, Caroline

 

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07.03.2012

Homemade coconut milk

Yum yum yum!

This is such an easy recipe! now I know a lot of you say you don’t have time for this…but really it can’t be easier and it is less expensive. I like homemade coconut milk to drink, to use in recipes, and smoothies.. but if I want the full coconut cream I will go ahead and use this canned coconut milk brand-it is BPA free. I like using both, but i have to say that it is nice to stretch what you are getting with you money- I often combine them which i then use to make coconut milk yogurt and coconut milk ice cream (family’s favorite food right now!).

Another plus is that you get coconut “fluff” as I call it. I use it in place of coconut flour, or at least part. It is lighter and gives you baked goods that nice coconut taste, without being too dense from the actual coconut flour. I will have to post a recipe some time soon because i am experimenting a lot with it right now.

So here is the coconut milk homemade and easy of course 🙂 Doesn’t it look nice and smooth..mmm so light and a little sweet too from the coconut. I have two ways, one take about 15 min total (quick) and the traditional way takes more life 40 min total- but i do other things while i wait for the flavors to infuse the water. I usually forget about it honestly, but it will be ok for a few hours on the counter.

Ingredients:

2 cups Shredded Coconut Unsweetened

4 cups filtered water

vanilla extract (optional)

few drops of stevia/few tsp honey (optional)

few shakes celtic sea salt

 

Directions: ***(traditional way)*I prefer making the coconut milk this way because my coconut flakes are dehydrated 98 degrees and i try to keep the enzymes so i don’t want to boil it

1. Boil water-let cool slightly (I love my Medelco 12-Cup Glass Stovetop Whistling Kettle ) 1. Boil water-let cool slightly (I love my Medelco 12-Cup Glass Stovetop Whistling Kettle ) 2. Put your flakes in a glass jar. 2. Put your flakes in a glass jar. 3. Measure your 4 cups of water. 3. Measure your 4 cups of water. 4. Pour your water over the flakes. 4. Pour your water over the flakes. 5.Let sit for 30 min in a quart jar. 5.Let sit for 30 min in a quart jar. 6.  Pour the coconut water in the blender. 7. Blend! 6.  Pour the coconut water in the blender. 7. Blend! 8.Set up the nut milk bag in a bowl.

9. Pour coconut pulp water through nut milk bag ( i use mine for everything juice/nut milks/tea..) 10.Strain through cheesecloth/muslin/or nut milk bag. 10.Strain through cheesecloth/muslin/or nut milk bag. * Strain into a bowl with a spout to make it easier to pour. * Strain into a bowl with a spout to make it easier to pour. 11. Stir in honey/stevia/sea salt and vanilla. 11. Stir in honey/stevia/sea salt and vanilla. 12. Take pulp (coconut fluff) out of nut milk bag- save in a container/jar in the fridge. 12. Take pulp (coconut fluff) out of nut milk bag- save in a container/jar in the fridge. 13. Save the pulp for baking! – lighter than coconut flour i will post a recipe soon on how to use “coconut fluff”. 13. Save the pulp for baking! – lighter than coconut flour i will post a recipe soon on how to use “coconut fluff”. 12. Drink! stays good in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks..though mine never lasts that long at my house 🙂

 

***(quick way)***

 

1. Pour coconut flakes and water in a pan.

2. Boil water and coconut flakes for 10 min.

3. Let the water cool down a little so it does not burn you.

4. Pour the coconut water in the blender.

5. Blend!

6. Strain through cheesecloth/muslin/or nut milk bag.

7. Stir in honey/stevia/and vanilla.

8. Take out pulp from nut milk bag/cheesecloth save in a container/jar.

9. Drink! Enjoy

.

~Stay Gutsy, Caroline

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