Tropical Muffins

These tasty muffins pack the power of coconut...times two...coconut oil and shredded coconut!

Muffins:

• 1 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup regular oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (or your favorite sweetener)
  
• 2 Tbl coconut oil, melted
  
• 1 tsp vanila extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple in natural juice, drained well
  
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
• 3 Tbl macadamia nuts, finely chopped
  

Topping:

• 2 Tbl shredded coconut (unsweetened)
  
• 1 Tbl macadamia nuts, finely chopped
• 1 Tbl turbinado sugar
• 1 Tbl regular oats

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. For muffins, in a large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine banana, buttermilk, brown sugar, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring until just moist. Stir in pineapple, coconut, and macadamia nuts. Spoon mixture into 12 muffin cups.
3. For topping, in a small bowl combine coconut, macadamia nuts, turbinado sugar, and oats.
4. Sprinkle topping over each muffin. Bake at 400 degrees or until muffins spring back when touched lightly. Remove from pan to cool.

Top with a bit of grass-fed butter...mmm...mmm...mmm...perfect!


Notes: A couple things that you may not keep on hand, buttermilk and ripe bananas, can readily be available. Whenever your bananas get too ripe to eat by themselves, toss them in the freezer until you're ready to use them for baking. Also, a substitute for buttermilk is 1 cup milk mixed with 1 teaspoon vinegar.

For information about the health benefits of coconut, check out these articles:

• A New Look at Coconut Oil
• The Latest Studies on Coconut Oil
• More Good News on Coconut Oil
• Know Your Fats

The Weston A. Price Foundation is exploding with information about this nutrient-rich fat.

Don't forget about all the other blogs participating in this carnival!

Healthy Dessert

When craving a sweet treat, a healthy one can be so much more satisfying. So lets satisfy and nourish our bodies and souls! We hope you enjoy this healthy treat!

Honey Berry Sorbet

• 2 cups chopped fresh berries (like strawberries, raspberries, or a mix)
• 2 cups apple juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh or 1 tablespoon dried mint leaves
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

In 1 1/2-quart saucepan, heat berries, juice, mint and honey over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally; remove from heat. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours (but no longer than 24 hours).

In a food processor, place berry mixture. Cover and blend until smooth; strain.

Stir in lemon peel. Pour into 1-quart ice-cream freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

Enjoy!

Beef Marrow Bone Stock

Healthy, delicious, nutrient-packed, vital, traditional....what are these words describing? Marrow bone stock, of course! Stock adds wonderful nutrients and delightful flavor to many recipes. Always use stock or broth which is homemade or purchased from a reliable source, never use bouillon cubes which are packed full of MSG and salt instead of nutrients.

Beef Pie

Filling:
2 lbs beef stew meat
1/2 cup seasoned flour -1/4 cup each: spelt and whole wheat flours (seasoned with sea salt and black pepper)
2 Tbl olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup beef marrow bone stock
1 Tbl parsley
1 tsp mixed Italian herbs
Sea salt, to taste

Crust:
1/2 cup spelt flour*
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup beef tallow
1/2 tsp sea salt
cold water
1 egg, beaten

Dredge beef in seasoned flour. Heat oil in a skillet and cook meat until just browned. Add onion, carrots, stock, parsley, Italian herbs, and sea salt. Turn heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare crust: Add flour in a medium-sized bowl, add salt and stir. Add tallow and cut in with a pastry cutter or fork until it resembles coarse meal. Add a small amount of cold water, about a tablespoon at a time, lightly knead until dough forms, don't over-knead. Roll out crust so that it will fit the top of the pie pan.

Put meat mixture into a 9 inch pie pan, cover with pie crust. Cut of any excess crust. Press edges onto the rim of the pan to seal. Cut several vents in the crust to let out the steam. Brush with egg.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until crust is done. Let cool for a few minutes, enjoy and nourish!

(Admittedly not the best picture, but wow, it tastes awesome!)

*Low-gluten flour, such as spelt flour, alone does not make a good pie crust.

This recipe can easily be made with more and/or different vegetables, if you prefer.

Along with beef stock, chicken stock is also great. The feet of chickens are thought to be the "secret ingredient" in making good broth, however, finding chicken feet can be a task in itself! If you're in the market for chicken feet, take a look at this package. They're expected to be available again in the next couple of weeks and they go fast!

Check out all the blogs participating in the Bone Broth Recipe and Tips carnival. Real Food blog carnivals occur every Wednesday - Kelly the Kitchen Kop and Cheeseslave rotate hosting duties.