Breakfast in a Cup + Coconut Oil

We tried this for breakfast. It was quick, easy and great!

Breakfast In A Cup
Servings: 2

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
2 frozen bananas
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup milk (use more or less to adjust to desired consistency) or use kefir
1/2 cup coconut peanut butter or peanut butter
1-2 tablespoons coconut oil*, melted
dash cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup spinach (optional)

Place all ingredients in a good blender. Blend until smooth and well mixed. Pour into 2 glasses and drink immediately. [We used kefir, added about 1 T. of agave, and didn't put in spinach. Next time I want to try it with less peanut butter.]

got the recipe here

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Popcorn with Coconut Oil

1/2 c. popcorn kernels

1/4 c. coconut oil

Put in kettle over medium heat on stovetop. When the oil is melted, shake the pan back and forth over the burner so the popcorn won't burn. Don't turn up the heat. When the popcorn is popped, remove from heat and add salt to taste. (We have been using 1/2 of this recipe and it is just right for three of us.)

Coconut Oil

I am in a preparedness group that does group buys on healthy foods, etc. I'm pasting in an email from a couple of the group members. The claims for coconut oil sound pretty amazing, which always makes me skeptical. The best advice we have is 'moderation in all things.' I was introduced to the product (and the group) by my healthy friend Debbie. I've been using it in cooking, and having it on toast for a few months now. Also, Debbie's husband Stan likes making popcorn with it, so I've included his recipe above. We've been enjoying the popcorn too!

Here are some of the claims about coconut oil:

"If you have looked around your grocery store and especially any health food store you will probably have noticed a lot of products that are now available containing coconut, i.e. coconut water, coconut oil, coconut ice cream and coconut milk. There are also lots of skin care products that contain coconut oil.

If you pick up any food item and read the labels (which I always urge that you do) you probably noticed that coconut products are high in fat and high in calories. You may have decided to put it back on the shelf especially if you are counting calories and trying to avoid fat. Well stop, don’t do that, because here is the good news about coconut oil.

Coconut oil will help you lose weight, will keep your joints, hair, thyroid and almost every cell in your body healthy and happy. Coconut oil is healthy for your heart because it contains about 50% lauric acid, which helps in preventing various heart problems including high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Coconut oil has the ability to kill viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis, herpes, SARS, etc. It also kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections and pneumonia, etc. Coconut oil is also effective on fungi and yeast that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete’s food, thrust, diaper rash, etc.

If your joints hurt, you feel sluggish, have allergies, can’t lose weight no matter what you do, then you probably have candidiasis (yeast) overgrowth and coconut oil can rid your body of these nasty little invaders. Start by adding 1 teaspoon a day to your diet and work up to 1 tablespoon. I add my coconut oil to my morning smoothie. You will have some die-off and may have a feeling of flu symptoms or a feeling of unwellness, so don’t go too fast. Drink plenty of water and avoid sugar and sugar products such as juice. (Sugar is what keeps the nasties growing.) As the candida die off you will start to improve your health and you will get your energy back, and be able to shed the pounds.

Coconut oil is great for cooking and if you don’t like the taste then add part organic coconut oil and part organic olive oil to your pan. It can stand higher temperatures than most oil, but if it starts to smoke remove it from the heat, so the high heat doesn’t destroy all the benefits.

Coconut oil helps prevent liver diseases and kidney and gall bladder disease and helps to dissolve kidney stones. It is even believed to be useful in treating pancreatitis.

Coconut oil helps control blood sugar and is effective in utilization of blood glucose, thereby preventing and treating diabetes. It is great for bones and teeth as it helps your body to absorb important minerals such as calcium and magnesium.

Coconut oil breaks down the bad fat and is easily converted into energy. Best of all it does not lead to an accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries. Athletes love it because it helps to boost their energy and endurance and enhances their performance.

Coconut oil contains Vitamin E, Vitamin K and minerals such as iron.

If your hair tends to be dry then melt some of the oil in your microwave, wait for it to cool down a bit, then pour it on your scalp and work through your hair. Leave it on for 30 minutes for a real treatment. Just shampoo as you normally do, but notice how much healthier and shinier your hair is.

Wow, now that you know it is so healthy, please don’t avoid it. Find the best and most organic coconut oil that you can and add it to your diet."

"We do order Tropical Traditions Virgin coconut oil which is hand made. ALL other coconut oil is expeller expressed, even the virgin stuff. Tropical Traditions is the only coconut oil company in the US that has it own farms. they know everything about their oil. ALL others buy from huge importers who get it from everywhere and repackage, that is why they have so little information to share about their oil. They don't know where it came from. With Tropical Traditions you know your coconut oil farmer!"

Artisan Bread

A few years ago a friend showed me how to make the crusty artisan bread that is great to dip in olive oil and spices. It's very easy, and inexpensive. Your hands-on time is minimal, you just need to plan ahead as it takes a long while to develop.

No-Knead Bread

Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.


3 c. all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
[I use some whole wheat]
¼ t. instant yeast
1¼ t. salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.



2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.


3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.


4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.


Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.
(Martha Stewart adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery, NY Times Nov. 2006)

My [former--haha] friend who taught me about this bread was helping prepare food for the youth pioneer trek. She let me know that another friend, she and I would be making all the bread for the first night on the trek. We each made 8 loaves, sending a total of 24. To make those 8 loaves, I used a simplified version of the recipe above. I doubled the new recipe (but put the salt down to the equivalent in the first recipe) and was able to mix 4 loaves at a time in my fake Bosch  mixer.

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There is also a bread version that you keep in the fridge, allowing you to have a fresh loaf daily. 

I've not tried it, but have included it below.

From Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery that Revolutionizes Home Baking 

by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois (Thomas Dunne Books, 2007). 

Copyright 2007 by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.

Makes four 1 pound loaves.

Note: This recipe must be prepared in advance.

• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 1-1/2 T. granulated yeast (about 1-1/2 packets)
• 1-1/2 t. kosher salt (or 3 t. table salt)
• 6-1/2 c. unbleached flour, plus extra for dusting dough
• optional 200g of well-fed sourdough starter
• Cornmeal for the peel (or leave on baking paper)

In a large plastic resealable container, mix yeast and salt into 3 cups lukewarm (about 100 degrees) water. Using a large spoon, stir in flour, mixing until mixture is uniformly moist with no dry patches. Do not knead. Dough will be wet and loose enough to conform to shape of plastic container. Cover, but not with an airtight lid. 

Let dough rise at room temperature, until dough begins to flatten on top or collapse, at least 2 hours and up to 5 hours. (At this point, dough can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks; refrigerated dough is easier to work with than room-temperature dough, so the authors recommend that first-time bakers refrigerate dough overnight or at least 3 hours.)

When ready to bake, sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza peel. Place a broiler pan on bottom rack of oven. Place baking stone on middle rack and repeat oven to 450 degrees, preheating baking stone for at least 20 minutes.

Sprinkle a little flour on dough and on your hands. Pull dough up and, using a serrated knife, cut off a grapefruit-size piece (about 1 pound). Working for 30 to 60 seconds (and adding flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking to hands; most dusting flour will fall off, it’s not intended to be incorporated into dough), turn dough in hands, gently stretching surface of dough, rotating ball a quarter-turn as you go, creating a rounded top and a bunched bottom.

Place shaped dough on prepared pizza peel and let rest, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigerate it in lidded container. (Even one day’s storage improves flavor and texture of bread. Dough can also be frozen in 1-pound portions in airtight containers and defrosted overnight in refrigerator prior to baking day.) Dust dough with flour.

Using a serrated knife, slash top of dough in three parallel, ¼-inch deep cuts (or in a tic-tac-toe pattern). Slide dough onto preheated baking stone. Pour 1 cup hot tap water into broiler pan and quickly close oven door to trap steam. Bake until crust is well-browned and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven to a wire rack and cool completely.

link to the article

I've also included a local newspaper story on the youth pioneer trek. 

The teens (ages 14-18) in our stake (geographic area used to divide church congregations) re-enacted a company of handcart pioneers on part of the Oregon Trail near Mt. Hood this week. The local paper reporter/photographer team came as they were preparing to leave. The photo below is one of our cute young women.