• Chocolate coconut granola

    chocolate coconut granola

    One of my many annoying food issues as a child was that I hated cereal. I simply would not eat it, and no one could make me, no matter how sugar-filled or colorful it happened to be. But sometime around college, I discovered that I loved granola. I still didn’t eat it with milk, like […]

  • Gluten free banana-coconut-pecan muffins

    gluten free banana coconut pecan muffins

    I hate diet food. I have always thought fat-free cookies, sugar-free ice cream and “lite” anything is just plain gross. I’d rather drink water than Diet Coke, and I’d rather eat nothing than some kind of weird, allegedly healthy frankenfood. But since I have a few very serious allergies, I certainly understand that many people need to […]

  • Greenya colada

    greenya colada

    I’ve been making and drinking smoothies since childhood, but I have to admit it had never occured to me to add greens to the mix. But, before the green juice craze started, I was talking to a neighbor and she mentioned that she always adds a handful or two of spinach to smoothies for her […]

  • Coconut bird’s nest cupcakes

    coconut bird's nest cupcakes

    About 10 years ago, my go-to cake recipe involved a box of cake mix, a can of crushed pineapple, a can of sweetened condensed milk, a bag of coconut and a tub of Cool Whip. It wasn’t very fancy, but it was definitely good: I won an office baking competition with that cake. Since then, […]

  • Oatmeal-coconut-chocolate chip cookies

    cookie dough balls

    Remember how I said the Christmas ornament cookies weren’t the best thing to make if you’ve never baked anything before? These cookies are a much better option for beginners… or for anyone who wants some delicious cookies without a ton of fuss. The recipe has developed over time: It all started a few years ago, […]

  • Chocolate coconut cake

    Since Melissa was visiting California for her birthday, I HAD to figure out the perfect birthday cake to make for her. Right? I considered the to-die-for coconut rainbow sprinkles cake that I made for my own birthday last year, but thought I should try something a little different. And since I know Melissa loves chocolate […]

  • Purple sweet potato pie bars

    Thanksgiving is full of browns and oranges, with the occasional pop of red. But if you’re looking for a shock of color to wake up the dessert table, these tropical pie bars with bright purple filling and creamy coconut topping may be just the thing. It’s certainly not the traditional option; I’m pretty sure the […]

  • Sweet potato banana bake with coconut and pecans

    Have you noticed how trendy sweet potatoes are these days? I’ve always loved sweet potatoes — particularly when mashed and topped with gooey marshmallows — but they used to be a fall-only kind of vegetable, and now they’re year-round, while white potatoes have taken the back seat. It’s probably the fact that they have more fiber, […]

  • Toasted coconut marshmallows

    I know: Making your own marshmallows seems like something that only Martha Stewart, a Brooklyn hipster or someone whose blog is named “Marshmallows and Margaritas” would attempt. Who has time for that? But I promise you — cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye — that they are not […]

  • Coconanacado popsicles

    Summer is NOT over, y’all. I know that summer break is over for most of the kids and teachers in the U.S. And I know that the weather has been totally wackadoodle in many places. But it is still August! The high tomorrow in Killeen, Texas (my current location) is 96 degrees. The pools are […]