Homeschooling, Scrumptious Vegan Hot Cocoa, and Coconuts
November 5, 2009 by Sheri
Filed under Feature, Feeding Vegan Kids, Homeschooling, In A Vegan House, What Do We Feed All These Vegan Kids?, featured post
Sheesh. I haven’t been here in over a week! Shame on me, I know.
I think the term “casual blogger” would apply to me, yes?
Or maybe “slacker blogger”, or…more accurately, “lazy blogger”.
Yep, they all work. I’m just a lazy casual slacker 
So how is everyone out in Blogland? Staying healthy, I hope!
All’s well here in the Green & Crunchy house; everyone is happy and healthy (knock on wood) and we’ve been busy little bees. Germ season is upon us and it seems like so many people are sick right now — lots of colds and flus are making their way around. I have decided that my bunch is simply not allowed to get sick again this fall/winter; after all, we just got over that wicked cold that flattened us for about three weeks. My house STILL hasn’t recovered from being neglected for so long. The laundry pile is downright SCARY, and the dust bunnies hold wild parties under the couches.
In an effort to keep us healthy this flu season, I am fighting back with fruit. Lots and lots of fruit!
Here’s the goods on my counters today (these bowls are usually placed all around the kitchen rather than smack-dab in the center of the island like that). Within a couple days, all of this will be gobbled up by the many small people who live in my house:
*organic bananas, pomegranates, organic kiwis, organic mangoes*
If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, then hopefully all that fruity-goodness (plus more in the fridge and freezer) means the Piggy Flu doesn’t stand a CHANCE in my house this flu season (Knocking on wood again. Knocking REALLY hard).
On a recent grocery trip, I came across So Delicious Coconut Milk. I’ve seen the cartons of it at Whole Foods many times before, but I’ve never purchased any because it costs a small fortune there. I think it was over $5/carton the last time I shopped at Whole Foods. But I stumbled upon it for under $2.50 at my local grocery, and decided to give it a try. After all, when I made these yummy raw vegan breakfasts for ten kids, we really enjoyed the So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt from the same company, Turtle Mountain. I had a feeling their coconut milk was going to be every bit as delicious as their coconut yogurt is.
6 cartons jumped into my cart and came home with me:
Well. One sip and we were hooked. As the title suggests, this stuff really is SO DELICIOUS!
And also long gone. I need to go buy some more.
I like to make my own nut milks and I do so quite regularly, but this coconut milk was sure a scrumptious treat and I’m planning to indulge my kids again very soon. It made the BEST hot cocoa, vegan-style:
Coconut Milk Hot Cocoa (Vegan):
- So Delicious Coconut Milk (any nut milk or seed milk would do, or even just water)
- raw organic cacao powder (I’m a fan of Navitas Naturals)
- ground ch-ch-ch-chia! (I ground some chia seeds in my Blendtec and added it as a nutrient-dense thickener)
- splash of organic pure vanilla extract
- agave to sweeten
- generous sprinkles of cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and a tiny bit of nutmeg
No measurements, simply add ingredients according to taste.
Whisk, whisk, and whisk some more, over medium heat, and taste-test plenty as you go!
Rich and creamy coconut-milk cocoa:
One happy little cocoa-drinker:
On the topic of coconuts, I finally found a good local source for young thai coconuts. Their prices are great, their coconuts are nice and fresh, and I’ve been happily picking up several coconuts whenever we need a coconut-fix. Hacking them open is my hubby’s big messy job which nearly requires a machete, but once you’re done hacking and chopping, there’s so much healthy goodness inside these beauties:
So, with my happy little stash of coconuts in my fridge, you can imagine my dismay to read this little excerpt from Brendan Brazier’s excellent book which I am reading right now, The Thrive Diet:
“…most young whole coconuts transported to North America are dipped in formaldehyde as a preservative….In many cases, traces of formaldehyde are detectable in the water and the meat…”
Nooooo!!! My beautiful coconuts have very likely had a formaldehyde bath!
No more fresh coconuts for me, sadly, at least until I do some research on this. They say ignorance is bliss — armed with this new knowledge, I can’t comfortably buy fresh coconuts any longer and risk feeding the formaldehyde-laced food to my many growing kids. It’s mostly the coconut water I’m after when I buy these fresh coconuts — coconut water has been dubbed “liquid gold” and it has an impressively long list of health benefits. So, instead of fresh coconuts, we might try some O.N.E. Coconut Water (100% natural coconut water with no preservatives). Our bulk buying club has the cases on sale this month so I might order some to try. Formaldehyde-free and on sale too — yes please!
(Anyone else know anything about this? I’m wondering if maybe organic coconuts avoid the formaldehyde-bath before transport to North America…that may be something to look into, you know, with all that free time I have.)
Moving on from all things coconut…I recently received some Sun Warrior Brown Rice Protein Powder, but I’m not sure how I feel about it yet. Oh, I’m grateful to have it, but I’m just not a protein powder kind of girl. We like to get our protein from food rather than powder. I did try it in a vegan chocolate shake and it was delicious, although a wee bit…chalky. Maybe it’s an acquired taste; I’ll definitely give it another try (or two), because Sun Warrior is a fantastic quality product and it does boast an impressive amount of protein per serving (15 grams per scoop!):
Any Sun Warrior fans out there? What’s the best way to use this? Of course, I’m thinking smoothies and raw desserts….any good ideas for me?
In addition to buying coconuts, making cocoa, and wondering what to do with this protein powder, we’ve been busy busy busy homeschooling. We definitely don’t work on our schooling all day — we try to get the work done so that we have a good chunk of our day left to play and enjoy hobbies and other activities. Of course Mom’s Taxi is often on the go, taking the kids to their many music lessons, homeschool classes and activities, and playdates.
This is a colorful little section of our homeschool-room:
Homeschooling five (5!!) kids at once is WILD, let me tell you! I’m constantly going in 5 different directions at once. But I love it and the kids are thriving and I’m still mostly sane, so it’s all good And yes, I count my baby as a homeschooler — she’s just 1 year old, but we work with her and she’s learning new things every day too, so, yes, she counts! Although, more often than not, she just serves as a cute little distraction…
Well, I think I’ll wrap this post up now that I’ve hit on everything from coconuts to cocoa to protein powder to homeschooling. It seems I’m feeling a little random today!
Be well!
Sheri
Wow that cocoa looks good! I’ll have to give it a go with coconut milk, depending on the price. Like you, I normally make my own nutmilks – it is so much cheaper!
You’re right, that is a colourful little section of your homeschol room. I think it’s great that you homeschool your kids. I’ve got so much pleasure out of seeing my boys learn at home.
And I’m with you on the piles of laundry too! Mine is absolutely huge! Ah well, better to enjoy the kids don’t you think? Washing can wait!
Yes! Washing can wait! Also, dishes can wait, mopping can wait, everything can just wait!!When the laundry pile gets tall enough, I deal with it
Have a great day!
Hi Sheri!
I’m a L/O veg but I adore reading your blog. I did a little search for the coconut/formaldehyde idea, and this popped up:
http://www.giveittomeraw.com/profiles/blogs/1407416:BlogPost:431900
They say that it’s just a rumor. I hope this helps!
Hi Kathleen, thanks for looking into that for me! I read all the info at the link — I see that the particular coconuts that Matt (Amsden) submitted for lab testing came back as formaldehyde-free and that is fantastic, but that’s just HIS samples. That doesn’t mean that ALL coconuts are formaldehyde-free, it means that those ones are. These coconuts come from many different sources. I still wonder about mine
Thanks so much for sharing this interesting info, lab testing is a great idea if you really want some answers. I admire Matt for getting answers regarding his food, and I was really happy to read this info!
Take care, Sheri
I have to ask…with all those bowls of fruit lying around,do you ever have problems with fruit flies? A bunch of bananas on the counter and a couple apples in a bowl seems to be enough to bring on an invasion in our house. And while I think I usually do a pretty good job of getting rid of all them with some wine in a bowl, or other methods, all those bowls of fruit make me think my house would be swarming with the annoying little pests.
Hi Kelly,
Definitely in the warmer months we see a lot of fruit fly activity and set lots of little jars of homemade traps up to catch them. But it’s cooler now and I haven’t seen a fruit fly in ages. If I let the bananas get spotty enough, I might see some. But they don’t come near the poms, kiwis, or mangoes.
I know, from that photo, you’d think my kitchen would be a Fruit Fly Hangout, but its not!
Hope you’re well!
Sheri
wait, you guys drown the fruit flies?
Hey we LOVE the vanilla flavored so delicious coconut milk around here with our 5 kids! We can get it at our bulk buying food group for $3.72 each. But wow! $2.50! thats great. I also got this time the same flavor of it but the yogurt, and the kefir. All are great. As for the one. coconut waters, I’ve been taking a plain one each evening to the gym instead of water. I put it in the freezer for awhile first. I am getting the pineapple flavor next. When we put out a lot of fruit we get fruit flies too. I use a saucer with vinegar and a drop of dishsoap. They love that! Wine works too.
Yes, I’ve enjoyed each of the So Delicious products I’ve tried. Just once in awhile though
OMG this post is chock full…
So Delish, yes, it is delish. Nice $$$score!
Coconut w/ formeldahyde..sick, but true. So sad. But what a STASH you have??!!
ONE Coconut water, that’s what I usually buy.
Sun Warrior Vanilla BRPP is my fave of all the powders on the market. I dont do anything really exotic with it but if you decide you dont want it, I’d be glad to take it off your hands
I have a chia seed giveaway for all your chia needs right now. 3 pounds worth!
OMG I wish we lived closer. I would love to come over and cook and homeschool with you my dear Sherri
Blogging break? Well done! Was wondering where you were til I realized you have tons of other (ie.. children, wife, mom, caretaker responsibilities). I blogged about this re commenting on a post of mine that went out over the weekend. Cant be superwoman always..ya know
I dunno, I think you ARE superwoman…you crank out one post per day complete with amazing recipe. WOW!
YUCK about the coconuts!!! I am so happy you told me that, although O.N.E. is good, the fresh coconut water does taste better. Oh well, I’ll pass on the formaldyhide!
I love that coconut milk, the vanilla is sooooo gooooood! I might have to buy some this weekend.
That cocoa sounds delicious!
Lots of health to you and your fam!! We are avoiding getting sick over here too! Lots of fruits and veggies!!
Yes, yuck about the coconuts!
Thanks for the comment, enjoy your weekend!
The hot chocolate looks good and will try for sure. Quick question: is the bowl part of a double boiler or is it directly on the heat?
Hi Brooke, that’s actually a pot directly on the stove. No double-boiler needed
Sheri
I’m not vegan but I am mildly lactose intolerant so I should try this. I won’t do soy milk, rice milk tastes terrible, I’ve heard only chocolate hemp milk is good (and since I have eaten hemp I can see that), so this is one I need to try. I should try almond at some point as well since I like almond butter.
The pictures by the way are very cute of your kids.
Hi Lisa, do you make your own nut and seed milks? You can make a batch of hemp milk or almond milk very easily and it makes the store bought stuff pale in comparison. All you need, equipment-wise, is a blender (and a nutmilk bag is handy).
Thanks for reading!
I love So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverages, and that hot cocoa sounds delicious! I know my kids are gonna be in hot cocoa heaven with that recipe. Thanks! And thank you also for the heads-up on the fresh young coconut. I won’t be buying any more of them, either.
Hot cocoa heaven…love that!
Sheri, how do you make the raw crystallized ginger? I’d love to try to make it. I buy a knob of ginger for a recipe, then end up throwing away the rest when I find it in the fridge a few months later. I have a lot of it right now, experimenting with ginger sesame dressing. Haven’t gotten it like the restaurant version yet. I made some candied clementines last week but they turned out awful. Better just to eat them as nature gives them.
Here’s a great tip for keeping fresh ginger: wrap it in plastic wrap, then in a container or freezer bag and keep it in the freezer. When your ready to use it, just grate it while frozen. No need to peel! As your grating it, the peel will automatically pull away. And it thaws in your dish very quickly. Then return the unused ginger to the freezer. I do this and it works like a charm!!
I cut my ginger in one inch pieces and store in a glass jar in my fridge. Whenever I need a piece i just grab it, to put in a smoothie or recipe. I have never had problems with molding.
Oh, I don’t make the crystallized ginger. I buy it through my organic bulk buying club — I think the case was 10lbs of raw organic crystallized ginger. Was inexpensive and lasts ages.
We go through a lot of fresh ginger so I never have a problem with it going bad, but Stephanie offers tips for freezing your ginger to prevent spoiling (below).
Thanks for the visit!
I used to work at a health food store and they stopped carrying young coconuts over a year ago because of discovering the weird chemical baths. Sad, but allegedly true :/
You’re about the 10th person who has emailed me and said they’ve worked at a store that stopped carrying the coconuts due to the ‘weird chemical baths’. Interesting!
Thanks for commenting!
Is that true for all coconuts, even mature ones or only young coconuts I wonder? I just made some banana ice cream using the water from a mature coconut, as well as using it in my smoothies, and I’m thinking if they also have formaldehyde, then YUCK!!!
Wish I could find all these So Delicious products here. And the nearest Whole Foods is a 14 hour drive away. There are not to many of those stores on this side of the border. Your hot cocoa looks SO good, and I love your lazy susan with all the craft supplies in it…. I think I’m going to steal this idea for home, if that’s ok
I don’t know if it is true for mature coconuts as well, but I have received a slew of emails from readers confirming the formaldehyde-claims in Brendan’s book (The Thrive Diet).
Whole Foods is a 14 hour drive from you? That’s be one heck of a road trip just to get groceries
Yes, make the lazy susan for craft supplies! So easy! I found that huge lazy susuan (solid wood and $6) at the thrift store, and it has circular indentations going around it, so I plunked wee buckets from the dollar store into each indentation and filled them with craft supplies. Spins around and holds everything quite neatly. have fun!
Sheri
Sheri, What a nice surprise running into you and a couple of your kidlets at the grocery store the other day! Thanks for the tip about the coconut milk we will have to try it. May I ask where you bought the rice protein? My son is a body builder and a protein nut, I try and I try to get him to eat as much veggie protein as I can and am always on the lookout for anything about veggie body builders.
You are such a wonderful mama!!
Hi Laura! You can find Sun Warrior Brown Rice Protein Powder online very easily. Amazon has some good prices.
Was nice to see you too!
SO much going on in this post Sheri! Yum to all the coconut goodness! Boo to formaldehyde!! =/ That hot cocoa looks heavenly, and let me just say your littlest is getting SO big!!! Love her posing with the protein powder, she’s just too cute! >_<
Thanks for commenting! And for the sweet comments re: my youngest
Sheri
Sheri- how do you know that the coconuts that O.N.E. uses are not dipped in formaldehyde. After a quick read from their website I found out their coconuts are from the Amazon, are not organic, and their water is pasteurized : / – might be just as bad if not worse than the ones you are buying!
Yes, I read that they have a plantation in the Amazon rainforest, and they claim to help sustain the rainforests. I also read that they bottle it at the source. They also claim that they are preservative-free (which would mean no need for a formaldehyde-dip!). To confirm, I have sent an email to their customer service department. I’ll share any response I receive.
To me, formaldehyde-soaked coconuts are much worse than flash-pasteurized preservative-free coconut water, but that’s just my two cents
Thanks for chiming in, and please add any more info if you come across it!
Sheri
oh hehe yes of course pasteurized would not be worse than formaldehyde-soaked, I just meant it would be worse if the pasteurized water was actually from formaldehyde dipped. Thanks for clarifying!
Oh, could you imagine? Formaldehyde dipped and then pasteurized? I see now what you meant…yes, that would be awful!
Haven’t heard back from O.N.E. yet but I will post their reply if I get one from them!
I love your meandering blog post, Sheri! a little of this, a little of that… it makes for a well-rounded life! LOL
I’ve tried the O.N.E. and it’s on sale at the food co-op right now, but didn’t order any b/c I *had* preferred the young coconuts from Chinatown… that is, until I read your post. BLECHH!! Good grief!
I don’t do protein powders either, generally. If I do have any around, it’s nearly always the Vega brand (Brendan’s brand), which I find quite palatable. And the only way I will use it is in a smoothie.
mmmm fruit. *LOVE* fruit! (who doesn’t!) I think another great way to combat illness is dark leafy greens; we’ve been having green smoothies at least daily lately, with extra greens and chlorella or spirulina, and VitaMineral Greens as well, and the kids are oblivious to the nutritional powerhouse they’re consuming. LOL
Stay well, you green and crunchy family!
I haven’t tried anything by Vega yet, but it looks like he has some fabulous products.
Yep, I load up my green smoothies with all sorts of nutrition-champs too…yum!
Hi Sheri…
If you don’t mind eating sugar,
try fresh coconut milk and palm sugar
hot or cold….. it’s super yummyyyyyyyy
I can drink it just like that
and we use it for desserts a lot here in Indonesia.
About the Thai coconuts,
I also wonder about it because the outer part remains white and so clean.
We have a lot of coconut trees growing everywhere here and if you open one up, the white part would go brownish in minutes, maybe the oxidation process.
About formaldehyde….
That was (is) a big issue here because irresponsible people are using it to make food last longer and the government are not really strict about it.
Yes, They dip food in formaldehyde, tofu, meatball, whole chicken, salted fish
Some street vendors sell vegetable salad (boiled vegs) and somehow formaldehyde is also involved.
Then there’s a case about colorful desserts where textile coloring is used instead of food coloring.
Unbelievable.
So… keep researching about those coconuts and stay safe
Ann
Ann, thank you for sharing this information! Good grief, they DIP FOOD in formaldehyde? Street vendors too? I didn’t realize the formaldehyde dipping went beyond coconuts. Wow.
Good point about the white part of the coconut remaining so white…interesting that they usually go brownish in minutes. They must be dipped in some sort of preservative then, because these ones are very white.
Shudder.
Thanks for chiming in!
Sheri
LOL at a “lazy casual slacker” — girlfriend, I don’t think you have a lazy gene in your body, not with 5 lil’ vegans in the house! And hey, if the dust bunnies haven’t formed an army and planned any pre-emptive attacks, let ‘em party under the couch.
I’m also reading Brendan’s book “Thrive” right now, but I had actually heard about the toxic coconuts a while back. Haven’t purchased one since.
I’m a BIG fan of ZICO Pure Coconut Water. No additives. No preservatives. The company uses only natural fertilizers and pest control practices that are consistent with USDA organic requirements. ZICO is packaged near the coconut farms in Brazil so that the local communities benefit from higher wage jobs. The company also gives 5% of its net profits back to improve health, wellness and education in these communities. Good stuff!
Are you enjoying Brendan’s book? I am — especially the recipes! I’ve bookmarked half of them to try.
Ugh about the nasty coconuts. I’ve got 6 of those toxic beauties staring at me everytime I open the fridge. I think maybe we’ll have one last Formaldehyde Smoothie to use ‘em up and then be done with them. Sounds like a plan!
I’m going to google ZICO tonight…love the company policy re: donating 5% of their profits….also love that they’re formaldehyde free!
Can I puh-leeeeese come and move in with you guys!?!?! I want to be part of your very cool family. Everything just looks so mouthwatering and I love love love the idea of homeschooling too. Hmmm is Kristen going to homeschool her monkey do you think? I bet she does
I don’t know how cool we are, but yes you can move in! And bring your blender, we’ll make green smoothies all the live long day
My guess is Monkey gets homeschooled
Would you mind sharing your inexpensive source for the coconut milk? The price at Whole Foods is so expensive.
I love coconut water and drink it every day with my vitamins. Did you know it helps with absorption? My favorite one is Vita Coco. I like the flavor much more than O.N.E. It seems more coconutty and less salty. Does that coconut milk have many additives/sugar? I have hear of it but not seen the label. I love the yogurt they make.It is my favorite!
Good for you for drinking coconut water every day! SO good for you.
I don’t know what the label says on that coconut milk…I only bought it the one time as a treat and I don’t keep it in stock regularly.
Yes, their coconut milk yogurt is yummy!
Hi Sheri,
Just looking through some missed posts as I procrastinate packing (moving in a week and a half…). I agree with the lady living in Indonesia – I had not gotten into eating coconuts before I moved from the US to India, but here when you cut one, as the other poster stated, they turn brown very quickly (and get really hard as well). I keep seeing coconuts on people’s blog that look like the ones that you have pictured in this post – green outside bits all chopped off and looking square and white – and I have been wondering how the heck that is possible. Now it all makes sense to me! Is it not possible to buy them green and unpeeled/hacked? That’s what we do here. The street vendor can hack it fo ryou with his dirty hands and dirty cleaver, or you can ferry it home to do it yourself (the method I prefer).
I have purchased the Sun Warrior in vanilla to get my husband off of the whey protein shakes. He picked it up on a recent trip to the US. I had seen it on Kristen’s blog. I feel like the vanilla taste is fake and weird. I have not figured out what to do with it. I have tried adding it to other tried and trusted smoothie mixes, but then I get that darn taste and it ruins my smoothie, so we have just been having it on its own, but if you come up with something, please do share! I will make a project of experimenting after our move…
Hi, http://www.greenandcrunchy.org to GoogleReader!
Have a nice day
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