Going Cuckoo for Coconuts

Since going gluten free, I've collected a ton of gluten free recipes and tried them out. Sometimes I get good results but other times, my efforts and good money went out with the garbage! But I kept on the gluten free diet for quite a while.

Then to my surprise, I started to put on weight! What a to do! The scale was supposed to go the other way. Then it dawned on me that there was too much starch present in gluten free baking mixes. So when I came across an article about the wonderful coconut flour, I was ecstatic and encouraged to keep on trying new ingredients and recipes to feed my cravings for yummy and delectable desserts, bread and cakes.

This wonder flour is a blessing for people like me who are struggling with a gluten free diet. This amazing flour is so versatile and delicious that it can be added to almost any sweet or savory recipe.

Growing up in Guyana on the South American coast, I remember that grated coconut and coconut milk is a must included ingredient in our many dishes and cakes. When a young married couple first starts out their life together, they often buy their first piece of land, among the first trees they plant is the coconut. Along with mango, cherry, banana and guava, they often start gardens before their house is even built.

The coconut provides many resources to the new home owners. The long branches provide brooms for sweeping, decorative arches,  material for basketry and fiber for rope making and scourers. Gardeners use the branches for shading newly planted seedlings from the hot tropical sun. The coconut shells provide fuel for cooking fires and as land fill in low lying areas. The polished shells are used as buttons and for carvings. The inside of a young coconut is an electrolyte powerhouse and is often given to the pregnant and sick for fast nourishment. The oils and meat of the harder coconut are used for cooking and cosmetics.

And now, there is the coconut flour!  I am so excited to start on my coconut flour recipes!

Here's hoping that all the recipes will be enjoyed by my family and friends. Yum! Wish me luck and happiness in my gluten free kitchen.