Healthy Chocolate Coconut Frosty (Dairy Free!)

This is such a delicious shake, you’ll never guess that it doesn’t have any dairy in it. When our family did 100 days of no sugar, it was a good substitute for a Frosty. These days, my husband mixes a coconut with his chocolate mint protein powder to make a really tasty treat for the kids.

Years ago I was taught in a nutrition class to avoid tropical oils because of the high saturated fat. These days, coconut is the newest health food. Because the short-and medium-chain fatty acids of extra virgin coconut oil and coconut milk are easily and quickly assimilated by the body, they are not stored as fat in the body like the long chain triglycerides of animal products. Coconut oil is 50% lauric acid, which is also found in breastmilk. Lauric acid helps the immune system to fight off viral and bacterial infection. Also, young coconuts have far fewer calories than mature ones. I think they are about the same calorie wise as an avocado.

Young coconuts are different than regular coconuts. They are found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Most health food stores and Asian markets carry them. They have the thick white husk on the outside, instead of being brown. Brown coconuts will not work for this recipe.

The fun part is hacking it open! I just use a big knife, or a serrated bread knife. Either one works.

Turn the coconut on it’s side and cut it a few inches from the pointed top. A few good swings and it should come open. It might be kinda tricky the first few times you do this, but it gets easier! And it is kinda fun to weild that knife and hack it open. Just watch your fingers. LOL. Jared uses a really sharp serrated bread knife and just slices off the top. As soon as it is slightly open, I pour the coconut water into the blender cup, then remove the rest of the top of the coconut. The water can be clear, yellow, pink, purple etc. The meat is white and soft instead of hard like in a mature coconut. Take a big spoon and scoop the meat into the blender cup. My kids love to eat the coconut meat. It is slippery and really yummy.

Add two heaping tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 tray ice, and some agave to taste. Usually a couple of tablespoons. Honey, sugar, or stevia work too. Or you can mix with a scoop of protein powder.

Blend well and enjoy!

How to Cook Brown Rice

I am always amazed at all the Minute Rice I see at the store. I am thinking that people must not know how easy brown rice really is. It is one of those things that is kinda like beans--it seems hard until you actually try it. It is very easy.

White rice isn't good for you, Minute Rice is worse. Rice is so cheap, there is no good reason to compromise your nutrition and eat the white stuff. If you have white rice, it is great for food storage because it lasts so long. But feed your family the good stuff. Brown rice is relatively cheap and tastes great when it is cooked right and kids love it. Brown rice has a lower glycemic index than white rice because it has four times the fiber. It also has more nutrients.

Here is a good explanation of the differences between white and brown rice:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=128

I cook it a few times per week. We make a lot, and what doesn't get eaten for dinner is breakfast the next morning with some cinnamon, agave nectar and milk. You can use almond milk if you don't do dairy. My kids love it and it is just as easy as Fruit Loops.

Here is the super easy way:

2 cups water for every cup of rice, plug it in and turn it on. Perfect fluffy rice in about 40 minutes. No pots to watch, nothing getting burned (very good thing in my house!).

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-SR-TMB10-Cooker-Warmer-Silver/dp/B000EIASGE/ref=pd_sim_k_1

Panasonic is a great brand to get. I've had my National (Panasonic used to be sold as National Brand) Rice Cooker for 8 years and it is still going strong. Aside from my blender, it gets the most use of any of my kitchen appliances.



Here are the stovetop instructions:

Put brown rice and water together in a pot with a lid. Use the ratio of 1.5-2.0 cups water to 1 cup rice, just depends on how fluffy vs. chewy you like it. I generally use closer to 2.0 cups.

Set the heat to maximum, and bring the rice/water to a boil uncovered. Then put the lid on the pot, and reduce the heat to low/simmer. If your lid has a steam valve, keep it closed. Let the rice simmer for 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat, and let the rice sit in the covered pot for another 10 minutes. It’s okay if you let the rice sit longer than 10 minutes (20 or 30 minutes is fine too), but don’t let it go any less.

Green Smoothie with Kale and Blueberries

I thought I'd share a few of my breakfasts too, since there are really only 3 or four that I eat regularly. I made a green smoothie this morning, and it was so good! If you've never thought to put spinach or kale in your fruit smoothie, don't worry, it doesn't taste as bad as it sounds! I don't mind the mild flavor of spinach and it is really camoflauged by the fruit and vanilla flavors, but kale is a little more bitter. So for just starting out, I'd recommend spinach. I usually just pack in as much as I can, but if you aren't too sure about it, start with less and see how you like it.


This is what went in my smoothie this morning:

This is kale (I put about eight leaves, but that makes it pretty potent, try 4 first), 1 Cup frozen blueberries, 1 T flax seeds, 1 Scoop Jay Robb's Vanilla Whey Protein, 1 t Carlsen's Lemon flavored Cod Liver Oil, and 1 t Barlean's Lemonade Flax Oil. I put all this in my Blendtec blender, and it makes about 2 large glasses.

The lemon in the oils gives it a bit of tang that I like with my smoothies.

I like to change up my greens in my smoothies to get the different nutrients. Kale contains sulfur-containing phytonutrients and is in the same family as brussel sprouts and cabbage. I get organic Kale from the health food store. The flaxseeds are great and bring a nutty flavor, there are too many health benefits to list! I really notice a difference in my skin when I am eating flaxseeds and fish oil. Blueberries are known for their antioxidants. These are just frozen ones from Costco. Jay Robb's Whey Protein is the best we've tasted for the calories. I love adding it with the fruit. It is pricey, but good quality. Only five ingredients, sweetened with stevia.

Anyway, this makes 2 servings, at about 200 calories per serving.