Tag Archives: coconut

Scratching Your Head ~ A Lice Public Service Announcement

A couple days ago Holden told me he had to go to the office and have his hair checked.

That only meant one thing.

Rhymes with rice.

I guess it’s “going around”.

And it is NOT fun. You can read about our experience a couple years ago when Elliott got it in Kinder here, here & here.

Sucked. Big time.

I did A LOT of Googling and researching. Maybe too much.

I did read in several places that good ‘ol inexpensive Suave coconut shampoo and conditioner is good for PREVENTING lice ~ not killing or treating. Apparently lice do not share my love of all things coconut….something in the scent they do not care for.

Needless to say, we have been using this combo for the past year and a half. Like a buck fifty at Wal-mart or Target. If you’re not a fancy schmancy salon only haircare purchaser, you may want to start using this on your kiddos.

On another note: the school gave me a flier for a lice treatment place in the LA area. I became desperate and thought about spending money to get our household lice-free once and for all {Elliott was the only one that got it, thank you Lord. I was a maniac with washing sheets and blankets and banishing Pillow Pets to the garage in a trash bag} Anyhoo, I decided to call our insurance to see if this would be something that they would cover {flier said that their services were covered by insurance, but I never trust fliers}. Our insurance said that this would NOT be covered since it is not a medical facility. That ended that because I also went to Yelp and found that these places did not have glowing reviews and that they were very expensive. I did not want to spend Jay’s hard earned dinero on getting nits out of our daughter’s hair. So I persevered. I did some more Googling and found that a comb at Walgreen’s came highly recommended. After spending DAYZZZ picking nits, I finally went and purchased this comb…

The minute your child is sent home with lice, get this comb. The one with the super long teeth took the nits out beautifully. I almost had it bronzed. Almost.

I’m not going to go into the lice killing shampoos. You can be the judge if you want to use them or go a more holistic route. I called our pediatrician and he said any of the national brands were OK. I ended up getting the generic Wal-mart brand that was comparable. It definitely murdered the actual lice, but then I started reading about how toxic these shampoos are. I freaked and then used a couple natural remedies as back up to make sure the bugs were kaput. {you can read about them in the links above}

*****

With Halloween coming and all the dress up play dates our littles partake in, I thought I’d pass along this info. I’m sure somewhere little Johnny will want to try on little Bobby’s scary mask, right? Just something to be aware of because you do not want your Halloween to be full of tricks. Trust me.

In speaking with several mamas at school, they were not aware of the coconut shampoo & conditioner secret.

That is it for my public service announcement! I’m here if you have any further questions. 😉

Nothin’ Bundt Love

My Friend Vicki gave us a HUGE zucchini from her community garden plot last week and I decided to go {sweet} with it rather than the usual savory.

: Coconut Almond Zucchini Bread :

3 cups AP flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 1/4 cups sugar

3 tsp. almond extract

2 cups grated zucchini {3-4 small zukes}

1/4 cup grated coconut {unsweetened}

Grease your bundt pan {I used a little butter}. Preheat oven 10 325*. Sift flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together in a bowl. Beat eggs, oil, almond extract and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and coconut until well combined. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for about 20 minutes. Place a plate over the top of the bundt pan and flip over…bread will fall from the pan on it’s own.

{recipe adapted from here}

*****

This recipe was a happy accident…I had run out of vanilla and cinnamon and substituted with almond extract and the coconut instead. It turned out very moist and the almond & coconut were a little something out of the ordinary. Next time I will make these into muffins. You could certainly get 2 smaller loaves {or even 3 mini loaves} out of this recipe to give as gifts at the holidays. Bake in a disposable loaf pan and adjust oven times accordingly.

It’s FRI-day!

XOXO

Pink Oats

Happy Tuesday!

Popping in to tell you about a new concoction I threw together yesterday morning that I am hooked on…

Raspberry Steel Cut Oats 

Raspberries were super cheap at Ralphs this week so I grabbed a few containers.

I like to make 2 or 3 servings of oats and then have them ready for a couple mornings during the week since they do take 7-10 minutes on the stove ~ but SO worth it! We get them at Sprouts in the bulk bins for next-to-nothing or Trader Joe’s has their own brand now.

For these, I added one container of raspberries to 2 servings about 5-7 minutes after they started cooking. The berries break down and color the oats pink. When done cooking, place a serving in a bowl along with just a little almond milk {or other choice}, some sliced almonds, a dusting of coconut {toasted would be out of this world!} and a sprinkle of white chocolate chips.

Not an everyday type breakfast, but certainly a nice summer treat here and there!

Enjoy!

XO

Attack Of The Coconuts

I love coconut.

I think I lived on a tropical island in a previous life.

Here are some of my faves…..

I recently discoverd Silk Vanilla Coconut milk…

{delish in coffee and cereal! today I made blueberry steel cut oats and added a splash of this and a tablespoon of grated coconut ~ yum!}

I recently spotted these, too…

{no, I did not buy one, but I was tempted}

And, of course, Pinterest has oodles of sweet and savory recipes featuring coconut and coconut milk.

: SWEET :

{coconut pancakes ~ perfect for summer!}

{quadruple coconut layer cake ~ I’ll be making this for my birthday}

: SAVORY:

{oven roasted corn in chile coconut milk!}

{skinny coconut shrimp}

Not to mention coconut cheesecake, coconut macaroons, coconut chicken, coconut rice, coconut ice cream, coconut curry…..

My mother-in-law makes the best macaroons and dips them in chocolate ganache ~ like a fancy Mounds!

OK, all this coconut talk is making me hungry….better get my mind off it and go vacuum.

Happy Humpday!

*****

If you’re also hooked on coconuts, what are some of your favorite products or recipes?

Frugal Girl’s Frap

On Monday afternoon I fixed my Pops and me an iced coffee with Coconut Creme coffee-mate ~ it was the perfect warm afternoon pick-me-up.

I thought I’d try it blended and make a frugal girl’s version of a Mocha Coconut Frappucino.

All you need is come chilled {strong} coffee, crushed ice, Coconut Creme coffee-mate, Splenda, Hershey’s syrup, whipped cream in a can, some coconut, a blender and a straw!

Fill a glass with coffee and ice as you would for an iced coffee. Pour that into a blender with a couple tablespoons coconut creamer and your sweetener of choice, if you desire. Process until blended. Drizzle chocolate inside a glass, fill with coffee goodness, top with a fancy spray of whipped cream, another drizzle of chocolate and a sprinkle of coconut!

Longing for my first pumpkin spice latte of the season, but still waiting on Mother Nature for the perfect morning!

Enjoy!

*****

Linking up over at Cast Party Wednesday @ Lady Behind the Curtain and What I Whipped Up Wednesday @ Sugar and Dots!

Home Run

This morning Holden had his last t-ball game.

Last night while I was tucking him in, I told him to get a good night’s sleep so he’d be well rested for his game in the morning…

He said, “I’m going to catch the ball for you, Mama!”

Bless his heart.

He tried and tried to catch the ball {for me} to no avail which resulted in him exiting the field on the verge of tears and come to me and say, “I can’t catch the ball for you!”

Broke my heart.

Of course I assured him that it was an awesome game and that he had a great couple hits.

Gonna miss those cute little munchkins in orange shirts…..

*****

This evening’s dinner was definitely a home run, though.

Coconut Chicken and Curried Quinoa with Cilantro & Pineapple

If you’ve been flopping along with me for awhile now, you’ll know that I love all things coconut so this was a must try.

Absolutely delish.

We’re trying to eat more quinoa and less rice and pasta. I’m always trying to find new mix-ins to doctor it up. Tonight I sauteed some onion and garlic along with some curry powder for a bit before adding in 1 cup rinsed quinoa and 2 cups water. {normally I use chicken stock}. Once the quinoa was done cooking, I stirred in chopped cilantro and about half a small can of crushed pineapple.

I was afraid the quinoa would be too bland without the stock, but it was perfect with the chicken.

{you could certainly make rice and stir in the cilantro and pineapple before serving, too!}

A festive summertime meal for backyard al fresco dining.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Squirrels & Coconuts

Spent some more time on Polyvore to get inspired for Elliott’s {Outdoorsy/Nature Girl} party in May…

E's 6th

Lots of clear glass containers filled with all sorts of goodness from gummy caterpillars to froggy yo-yos to Arnold Palmers.

Loving the turquoise & orange combo.

The {wedding} sign will obviously read something more like {Party this way!} or {A Woodsy Welcome!}. I just loved the organic, handmade feel of it.

Spray painted pine cones. Pin The Fairy on The Flower. Live owls.

Getting excited with a couple other goodies up my sleeve that I will share soon!

*****

Do you munch on Luna bars? I love them for mornings when it’s a little too hectic to prepare steel cut oats or pull the blender out for a smoothie. My faves are Lemon Zest and Chocolate Peppermint Stick, BUT…..there is a new kid on the block and she is swiftly taking the lead…

Chocolate. Dipped. Coconut.

In case you haven’t noticed, I am coocoo for coconut!

If you also adore this fruit and in need of an occasional quick breakfast or snack, you must pick a couple of these up.

*****

Happy soon-to-be Friday….we’re almost there!

 

French Toast Friday ~ Coconut Banana

Elliott doesn’t have school today.

Staff Development.

It was SO nice to know that we didn’t have to rush, rush, rush this morning.

Get up. Go potty. Get dressed. Eat breakfast. Pack lunch. Get backpack ready. Brush teeth. Brush hair. Wipe face. Put shoes & socks on. Dash out the door. Walk to school.

I decided to declare it “French Toast Friday”.

Since I love all things coconut, I recently picked up a bottle of coconut extract {emulsion} at Ross of all places. I normally don’t buy food items there, but I saw this and thought it’d be great for summer recipes in place of vanilla extract. And it was cheap so if it didn’t work out, no biggie.

So, this morning I decided to give our french toast a tropical twist.

I just added about 1 tsp. of the emulsion to 3 eggs and a touch of milk and scrambled with a fork before dunking the bread.

Here she is naked before syrup…

There was a little more egg mixture so I took the butt of the bread and soaked that, too.

Good thing French Toast Friday only rolls around once in awhile.

Um, it was amazing…..would be excellent with some toasted coconut on top or some chopped pecans, too.

*****

Hope you have a syrupy sweet Friday!

Flip Flops On A Stick

It’s toasty today…we were wimps and stayed inside this afternoon.

Jay had to go into the office for a bit so while the kiddos stamped and crayoned some birthday cards for “Baby Ryan”, I tested a marshmallow on a stick idea and bling’d my first pair of Havaianas.

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I unfortunately discovered Kraft “Toasted Coconut” marshmallows at Super Wal-mart.

They do not carry them at the regular Wal-mart, Target, or any grocery stores (that I’ve seen) ~ just Super Wal-mart. Weird.

Anyhoo, you know me and coconut. There they were, in the cart with the rest of the stuff.

I wanted to sort of recreate the Samoas (Caramel Delights) Girl Scouts cookies.

Chocolate, caramel, toasted coconut & marshmallow.

Yup!

I just cut some lollipop sticks in half, stuck them about halfway into the marshmallows, twirled the ‘mallows around in some caramel topping (just the kind from a jar that you would use on ice cream. no need to heat), put them in the freezer for about an hour (preferably on some wax paper), microwave some Wilton chocolates or chocolate chips (50% power for a minute) and stir until smooth. Remove marshmallows from freezer and twirl them around in the chocolate. Place back in freezer for 10 minutes or so to set up.

Share them with friends so you won’t eat them all.

We’re taking them down to Ryan’s 1st Birthday celebration…”Happy Day, Sweet Ryan!”

Thriving Thursday

Even though Holden was at the edge of our bed at 5:46am holding a diaper and wipe just waiting patiently for me to open my eyes, our Thursday got off to a great start.

I managed to get him out of his jammies and dressed prior to 8:00 ~ this is a feat in itself.

Elliott was dressed in her cute brown and white pinstriped dress for her “Cap & Gown” pictures this morning (didn’t matter what she had on though, it wasn’t going to show!).

They were playing nicely while I actually applied make-up, flat ironed my ‘do and put on my new fun scarf:

Targé ~ $3.74

Thought it’d go well with my red pants!

We were ready to head out the door to school by 8:19am! Things were going our way…we had our “X” for xylophone puzzle piece for Share Day and the letter ‘X” (that’s a hard one!) and a sippy filled with chocolate milk.

We were on schedule to get to school 5 minutes early (another rarity) and wouldn’t you know it…the darn arm at the train tracks was stuck so the traffic was major backed up. I tried to outsmart everyone and go make a U-turn…NOPE! Still stuck. Tried to go make a right and another U-turn and got stuck again! We were now 5 minutes LATE!

But then, things turned around and Holden and I got several errands done in 2 hours. Post Office, bank, Dollar Tree & Wal-mart! Jealous?

We I caved and grabbed these at the checkout:

They are very tasty and proven to help keep a 3-year old awake in the car on the ride home!

*****

I also wanted to share a few of my recent Targé finds aside from my colorful scarf.

I’ve mentioned my affinity for the reddish-orange clearance stickers, right? Well, I hit the jackpot last Friday on my pre-Mother’s Day Weekend “splurge”.

Head to toe…

Fedora ~ $3.24

For those bad hair/haven’t had a chance to cover the grays days!

Then I found this number for either Elliott’s graduation or dance recital:

It’s super cute on! $6.24!

Thinking about wearing it with these:

Also über cheap from…you know where!

Then, in honor of flipflopfollies.com, I had to pick up these:

Again, $3.74! Would’ve gotten them in every color, but this was it.

So, let me recap: hat, scarf, dress & flops = Like $17 (I’m cheap like that!)

Seriously, how can Jay complain about that?

Thanks, Targé! I {heart} you!

*****

Kids are down for a nap and I am sipping on this:

I’ve definitely had worse Thursdays…

Hope you’ve had a fruitful Thursday as well!