The Whole Coconut Cookbook



Add more coconut!! Studies demonstrate anti-inflammatory and weight loss benefits from adding Medium Chain Triglyceride or MCT oils. One of my favorite fats, coconut oil and coconut butter, contains these fabulous fat-burning MCTs.


About The Book


This beautiful and inspiring recipe collection helps you incorporate nature’s perfect superfood—the coconut—into your everyday cooking. From tangy coconut yogurt for breakfast to creamy coconut curry for dinner, The Whole Coconut Cookbook showcases infinite ways to enjoy this nutrition-packed fruit.    

With all of their creamy goodness and adaptability, coconuts are an indispensable ingredient in many recipes, from smoothies and curries to cakes and salads. Moreover, they are an incredible superfood, providing essential nutrients and healthy fats in recipes that are naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. In The Whole Coconut Cookbook, this amazing fruit is celebrated in all its glory, from the familiar coconut water, coconut oil, and sugar, to creamy coconut milk and coconut aminos. These ingredients shine in delicious recipes like Coconut, Ginger, and Cilantro Mussels; Coconut Sesame Noodles with Baby Bok Choy and Tamarind Dressing; Spicy Coconut Chips; and Coconut Orange Cookies. With a primer on the different parts of the fruit and a guide for using fresh coconuts at home, this beautiful book is perfect for anyone looking to incorporate this nutritional powerhouse into their every day home cooking.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 128 pages
  • Publisher: Ten Speed Press (January 26, 2016)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1607748053
  • ISBN-13: 978-1607748052


Fresh Coconut
photo credit: michael modzelewski
I am a coconut fan! When my husband lived on Maui he discovered all the health benefits to the mighty coconut. I have used fresh coconut in many of my homemade granola and cookie recipes. I do drink coconut milk now and then but find myself using coconut oil often. How about you? Now, the above photo is not from the cookbook but once you purchase a coconut from the store, have fun opening it up when you return home! :-)

The Friday #56

"This simple and flavorful vegan curry feels indulgent and satisfying. Well spiced, with ample amounts of ginger, paprika, cardamom, cinnamon, cayenne, and anti-inflammatory turmeric, it packs a lot of nutritional punch - and makes a great topping for cauliflower "couscous."


Book Review

A valuable resource guide to many coconut ingredients can be found at the beginning of this wonderful book. If you're new to cooking with coconut like me, you'll enjoy learning about and creating some fantastic recipes with fresh coconut. The delightful square shaped hardcover book is easily organized with breakfast dishes, main courses, salads and sides and snacks. I especially like the cook's note added at the end of some of the recipes. The author shares healthy insights of nutritional value and explains what types of ingredients are being used. I have tried a few recipes from each section so far and I have found them to be accurate in portion servings, as well as discovering delicious tastes and aromas from the kitchen to the table. I am impressed with the coconut and its products. I will be incorporating this mighty ingredient to my everyday cooking. I love the information found here and the author's fresh approach in sharing her expertise with us.

5/5 stars! Excellent book. Recommend.

Sweet Potato, Spinach And Chickpea Curry

1 TBL. coconut oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
Sea salt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 large sweet potato (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 cup cooked chickpeas
Black pepper
1 pound baby spinach
1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Serves 4 

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Melt the coconut oil and add the cumin seeds. Toast the seeds, stirring often, until fragrant about 1 minute. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 mins. Stir in the turmeric, cayenne, paprika, cardamon, cinnamon and 2 teaspoons of salt. Add the sweet potato, broth, and coconut milk and make  sure the sweet potatoes are immersed in the liquid by pushing them down with a wooden spoon. Raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Redce the heat and simmer until almost tender, 10-15 mins. Stir in the chickpeas and add black pepper to taste. Add the spinach, in batches if necessary, and allow it to wilt. Do not overcook- keep it on the heat for 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve immediately.

About The Author


Nathalie Fraise is a natural foods chef and nutrition educator, and the creator of the cooking app and food blog Vanille Verte where she shares tasty and healthy, nutrient-dense recipes. Her mission is to inspire people to reclaim their kitchen and cook for themselves and their families, as she firmly believes that this is the very best road to health and vibrancy.
Author Website: www.vanilleverte.com


"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."


Skywatch Friday

Snow capped mountains: LadyD Books

February skies in SoCal. San Gregornio Mountain in background.







“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis
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LadyD Books
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Being A Captain Is Hard Work: Review


Being A Captain Is Hard Work: Review l LadyD Books

First, I love the book dedication:

For Halle, you are the calm in stormy seas, a voice of reason in chaos.

About the Book


Captain No Beard is determined to travel to Dew Rite Volcano. He won't listen when Mongo predicts a storm or Linus indicates they are headed in the wrong direction. He insists Polly cook in the galley even though the seas are getting rough. What's a crew to do with a stubborn, know-it-all captain? 
Will they convince the captain he is barreling headlong into danger, or will Captain No Beard jeopardize both his safety and the crew’s with his single-minded determination to go where he wants?



The Friday #56


The flag lay on the floor. It was torn and limp.
The crew looked at the crumbled heap, then to Dew Rite Volcano, and finally at the captain. They were not happy.
Being A Captain Is Hard Work: Bonnie Lemaire Illustrator l LadyD Books


Book Review


Very entertaining and educational, too. It's a great book for the little ones who love pirate stories, from preschool to early elementary school. What a winning combination, to have a fun story line woven with wonderful, exciting illustrations! I might add, the book is very engaging for the children to point to so many wonderful animals. There's Linus the lion, Mongo the monkey, Fribbet the frog and Polly the parrot. I especially like the creative artistry the author has in choosing many visual descriptive words that families will enjoy reading aloud. Example:

Captain No Beard
Captain of the Flying Dragon
Dew Rite Volcano

The crew is about these characters, Halle, Cayla and Zachary. While working hard, Polly Parrot brings them pretzels! The author has my grandchildren's attention (huge connection) from the beginning! Then introducing kids to types of clouds in the end notes is the best learning part of the story. Farther along, the captain and crew face a raging storm.  You will want to read about how the conflict is resolved and discover a fantastic truth, a life principle towards success. My favorite line, "But I'm the captain. I know everything!" Oh, really? You've got to read on concerning the stubborn little boy! We love the book and it's great for gift giving! 

5/5 stars! Highly recommend!


About The Author




Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best of 2012 for her first book, award winning author Carole P. Roman started writing as a dare from one of her sons. Using an imaginary game she played with her grandson as a base, Captain No Beard was born."Captain No Beard- An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate's Life" has not only been named to Kirkus Best of 2012, it received the Star of Exceptional Merit, and won the Pinnacle Award for 2012. "Pepper Parrot's Problem with Patience" Book 2 in the series, received 5 Stars from The ForeWord Review The Clarion Review. Strangers on the High Seas has won second place in the Rebecca's Reads Choice Awards 2013. It has followed with six more books to the series. This year, Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis was named to Kirkus Best 2015. The entire cultural non-fiction series If You Were Me and Lived in... was named Best Series by Shelf Unbound. She has begun work on two new series that will be released in early 2016.
Motivated by her love of yoga, Roman has written a book that not only teaches four poses, but shows how easy and accessible yoga can be. 
Her new non fiction series, "If You Were Me and Lived in..." combines her teaching past with her love of exploration and interest in the world around us. The debut book in the series, "If You Were Me and Lived in...Mexico" has won the Pinnacle Award for Best in Children's Non Fiction 2012. France, South Korea, and Norway. Rebecca's Reads has given If You Were Me and Lived in...Norway an honorable mention in the 2013 Choice Awards. If You Were Me and lived in ...France won second place. ForeWord Review has nominated If You Were Me and Lived in...France for best in children's non fiction literature 2013. They will be followed with Kenya, Turkey, India, and Australia. She plans to do Portugal, Greece, and Argentina next year.
Writing for children has opened up a whole second act for her. While she is still working in her family business, this has enabled her to share her sense of humor as well as love for history and culture with the audience she adores. Roman lives on Long Island with her husband and near her children.



Skywatch Friday: LadyD Books

Lovely February sky from the Oceanside Pier. Enjoying the view of the Pacific Ocean.

Happy reading and Skywatching!







“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis
© copyright 2015 – All rights reserved
LadyD Books
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